Posted on 01/01/2015 2:06:50 PM PST by RnMomof7
With Reformation Day coming up, this is a good time to recall why the Reformers departed from Roman Catholicism. In our day especially, it seems that many Christians have history-amnesia when it comes to the importance of what God did through the Reformers. During the Reformation, great confusion existed regarding what was, and was not, the true church of Christ. Rome had asserted itself as the true church for centuries, and continues to do so today. However, as the Reformers recognized then, Christians must follow in step today by recalling that joining hands with Rome is a departure from Christ.
To be clear, this is not to say that everyone who sits in a Roman Catholic church is not a Christian. What it is saying is that several changes must occur before Roman Catholicism, by the book, can be considered biblical Christianity. And the men and women of the Reformation understood this, hence their necessary break with Rome. In their case, and ours, joining Christ necessitates breaking with Rome and coming under Christ means coming out from under Rome.
Christians will know that it is time to join hands with Rome when it does the following:
1. Renounce the Papacy.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecripplegate.com ...
Here we see the dishonesty of Protestant polemics in trying to reduce the world-wide Catholic Church to merely that of Rome. The Catholic Church comprises 1.2 billion members (roughly half of all Christians) and is spread throughout the world. Since the Reformation there have been three church councils which were attended by bishops from all around the world.
In putting himself in the place of head of the church, the pope has set himself in the place of Christ. But Jesus Christ alone is the head of the true church.
It is Jesus Christ himself who proclaimed that Simon is Peter, the Rock, on which he will build his church.
Furthermore, Scripture affirms that Peter was not a pope, nor was any such office instituted.
There is no such statement in the Bible.
It’s doubtful [Peter] ever went to Rome to lead any church.
The testimony of the early church, from which we get the New Testament itself, testifies otherwise.
There is only one way in which depraved humanity can stand acceptable to God: justification by faith alone in the Person and finished work of Christ alone.
What we could not do, God did through the perfect life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ came to divert and absorb the full wrath of God that should fall on us for our sin. Through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, any sinner is instantaneously, not progressively, declared righteous before holy God.
Except that Scripture is quite clear to the contrary. When our Lord himself was asked what one must do the have eternal life his answer was "keep the commandments" not "just have faith in me." The parable of the sheep and the goats shows that we are judged by what we do, not just by what we believe. Paul is clear that faith alone is not enough:
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9-10)Love is the greatest virtue, not faith. And of course we have James:If I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.… So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:2, 13)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)Faith yes, but nowhere in the Bible does it say faith alone. Indeed, the only time the phrase "faith alone" appears is in the Bible is that above where it says "a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." Paul, even in Romans, is emphatic that we are judged by our works:
Therefore, you are without excuse,a every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance? By your stubbornness and impenitent heart,d you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness. Yes, affliction and distress will come upon every human being who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:1-11)Likewise Revelation:
I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, the book of life. The dead were judged according to their deeds, by what was written in the scrolls. The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades gave up their dead. All the dead were judged according to their deeds. (Revelation 20:12-13)Constantly repeating "faith alone" cannot hide what the Scriptures actually say. It always amazes me that individual Protestants claim an infallibility to interpret Scripture that they deny to the Church as a whole.
Rome will only renounce the things that are good and virtuous because of the church’s inate heresy and evil. I don’t expect the dragon to become the lamb.
Looks like we got a live one here mom.
Please don’t criticize Protestants having rites and I won’t criticize Catholics having rites. Al-rite?
And the point of your list is....??????
Looks like it.
As a former Catholic, I would like to add to the list: transubstantiation, graven images.
The opposite of “one flock, one sheperd.”
No. The Shepherd is Jesus.
He has one body, that of everyone who has been born again into it, irrespective of denominational affiliation.
The Roman Catholics remind me of a creepy ex-girlfriend that keeps telling you how wrong you are, and how you need to stop being happy where you are. And is always scheming how to get you back.
We aren’t coming back, even if you keep metaphorically keep slashing our tires and stalking us. Go away.
>> “but this kind of thing here usually just makes the trenches deeper.” <<
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Good!
We need deep trenches to separate us from totally man made religion like the RCC.
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>> “More precisely, why did they seem to have to wait 1500 years?” <<
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Let’s look at the reality.
Millions died at the hands of the RCC for following God’s word instead of knuckling under to Rome’s paganism.
Its scary to leave your ‘church’ when it is the government of the known world.
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And why so many are coming back to the Catholic Church.
You are a Catholic once baptized a Catholic. The indelible mark is still on your soul. Many like you have come back. Sit down with a priest and get your questions answered.
I’m with you!
Couldn’t have said it any better myself.
God Bless!
It is simple. Saturday is the day the Lord rested from creation.
Sunday is the day Jesus overcame death for all of us! As a result, we have entered into HIS rest. Every day is a Sabbath’s day to us because WE have ceased from our labors in trying to earn salvation and rest in HIM.
The Saturday sabbath is as outmoded as the daily sacrifice at the Temple.
We gather on Sunday, not to honor Sunday but to remember the LORD overcame death on that day.
At least all but one of these denominations is teaching error, thus contradicting the nature of God.
Churches and denominations are institutions, not individuals who act out in faith what they personally believe regardless of institutional dogma. A Roman Catholic is no less “Christian” than a Pentecostal, Episcopalian, Baptist, Morman or whatever. To think that one’s organizational affiliation determines the nature and extent of one’s attachment to Christianity is pure folly.
You realize the article has her saying it was the right decision to abort right? If she went home, I hope they had air conditioning.
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