I am not a Catholic, nor could I ever be, but I do not think that this post deserves to be attacked with such vitriol. The time for this kind of arguing is over.
The die has been cast and churches and Christians must take sides. Morgana isn’t the problem here.
The battle is not between Catholics and protestants.
There are now two sides. Only TWO.
The side that rejects the world and the side that embraces it and all its sins.
If a church believes abortion is okay, open borders is no problem, if it thinks “climate change” is real and man-made, if it attacks capitalism (freedom) and calls for socialism then it has obviously embraced the world and its values. If it calls for world wide collective power to run the world economy then it is wanting the beast to arise.
This does NOT mean that all of the members of that church embrace the world and its sins. It is the people and their hearts and souls that are to be saved, not the institutions, not ANY institution.
There is no human institution that will survive. Revelation tells us that even most churches will join the anti-Christ before the end comes.
Denominations, all of them, are human creations. Church bureaucracies are human creations.
Christians who bow to God through Jesus and pray in Jesus name (exclusively) are the “one true church”. They do not need buildings with signs on them, they do not need to go by the same name or be part of the same clubs.
This is my belief.
But the time to argue about all of this is over.
Yes, over.
Those of us who reject the world must now sell our cloaks and buy swords. We must defend ourselves and our families from the beast that has arisen. Not all who call themselves Christian will join us, more likely MOST of them will fall away under the threats and temptations of the beast.
The institutions and denominations and bureaucracies are no longer relevant. They cannot save your soul. They are human edifices and they will ALL fall. Every one of them is going to either embrace the beast or be destroyed by it.
It won’t matter. Do not let their defections and destruction sway you. Be strong as this comes to pass.
The protestant churches will fall to the world or be destroyed and the same with the Catholic Church. It does not matter. The vast majority of “Christians” will embrace the new world order run by the beast. Do not let this certainty scare you, do not let it sway you.
The few of us that are left who stay strong and refuse to surrender, yes FEW, are the “true church”. The real church is not one of buildings and signs or symbols but of souls and hearts and minds.
It is you and me that Jesus came to save. We are His church.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and no one will enter heaven except through Him.
There are no Saints, there is no intercession, there are no human authority figures, no bureaucracy between you and salvation. You do not need them, you do not need their assistance. They are all superfluous.
There are no Catholics, no Baptists, no Presbyterians, no Lutherans, no anything.
There is you and Jesus and the written guide to Salvation.
So stop fighting about things that no longer matter. This is like arguing about the deck chairs beneath an erupting Vesuvius. A distraction. A useless and needless sideshow.
The beast has arisen.
Stop fighting each other.
**This is my belief.
But the time to argue about all of this is over.
Yes, over.**
This has been my belief for a long time.
Please see post 173
I think you've missed the point. This thread illustrates how mistaken Born Again Christians are to consider RC's and their church allies. They aren't, never have been and never will be. They will serve their church's interests exclusively. It is as it has always been for us that are united by faith, we stand alone.
Don't despair, Jesus has us in his hand and he will not lose any the Father has given Him.
....”Revelation tells us that even most churches will join the anti-Christ before the end comes”.....
A point that’s often overlooked......
Look, I like Morgana. She's a wonderful FReeper and I've avoided in the past getting in discussions with her on religion for that reason, plus some.
I actually think we're on the same side but this post itself is divisive.
Is there not vitriol in the posting of the very thread itself? Should a *Why I'm not a Protestant* post stand unchallenged?
FWIW, I am NOT a Protestant. Nor do I identify as any denominational affiliation, much to the chagrin of many Catholics. It simply pushes them over the edge that I don't, and that's not the reason I do it. It just happens to be a side benefit.
So I will reiterate my position here....
Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone and by grace through faith. It is NOT because of denominational affiliation or membership. Religion is not the way to God, relationship is.
It was the publican who went away justified, not the Pharisee who bragged on his works.
I will never post a (fill in the blank church) is the one true church and you have to belong to it to be saved thread, and I would oppose any non-Catholic who posted such a thread as much as I oppose it with Catholics.
The only true church is the spiritual body of believers who have been born again/born from above by God. It is not located or headquartered in any one location on this planet.