Rejecting Christ

GracetoYou.org ^ | 1993 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

"For those who disbelieve, 'the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed" (1 Pet. 2:7-8).

Rejecting Christ leads to spiritual damnation.

Israel was a unique nation, chosen by God to be the guardian of His Word and proclaimer of His kingdom. The Old Testament records His miraculous and providential care for her throughout the centuries, and the prophets told of One who would come as her great Deliverer. Israel eagerly awaited the promised Messiah.

But the story has a surprise ending. In the Person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah finally came and presented Himself to Israel. The religious leaders examined Him carefully, measuring Him in every way they could. But He didn't fit their blueprint. They expected a reigning political Messiah who would instantly deliver them from Roman oppression. They felt no need for a spiritual deliverer, so they rejected Him and tossed Him aside like a worthless rock.

That rejected cornerstone is precious to believers but remains a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to unbelievers. A "stone of stumbling" was a stone on which someone tripped while walking along the road. A "rock of offense" was a rock large enough to crush a person. The point: rejecting Christ brings spiritual devastation of enormous proportions.

All who reject Christ do so because they are disobedient to the Word. Rebellion against the written Word inevitably leads to rejection of the living Word. Of such people Peter said, "To this doom they were also appointed" (v. 8). They weren't appointed to reject Christ, but to receive the judgment that their rejection demands. That's a frightening reality that should motivate you to take every opportunity to evangelize the lost.

Suggestions for Prayer

If you have family or friends who are rejecting Christ, pray for them often, asking God to grant them saving faith.

For Further Study

Read Romans 9:30-10:17, noting Israel's false standard of righteousness and Paul's prayer for her salvation.

[metmom]

You wonder why?

Maybe this is part of the reason......Top 10 Most Wicked Popes

http://listverse.com/2007/08/17/top-10-most-wicked-popes/

1. Liberius, reigned 352-66 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
2. Honorius I, reigned 625-638 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
3. Stephen VI, reigned 896-89 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
4. John XII, reigned 955-964 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
5. Benedict IX, reigned 1032-1048 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
6. Boniface VIII, reigned 1294-1303 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
7. Urban VI, reigned 1378-1389 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
8. Alexander VI, reigned 1492-1503 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
9. Leo X, reigned 1513-1521 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]
10. Clement VII, reigned 1523-1524 [Catholic Encyclopaedia]

Top 10 Worst Popes in History

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-worst-popes-in-history.php

1. Pope Alexander VI (1431 – 1503)
2. Pope John XII (c. 937 – 964)
3. Pope Benedict IX (c. 1012 – 1065/85)
4. Pope Sergius III (? – 911)
5. Pope Stephen VI (? – 897)
6. Pope Julius III (1487 – 1555)
7. Pope Urban II (ca. 1035 – 1099)
8. Pope Clement VI (1291 – 1352)
9. Pope Leo X (1475 – 1521)
10. Pope Boniface VIII (c. 1235 – 1303)

Pope kissing Koran

The pope kissing the koran. Fits right in with the Catechism of the Catholic church.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P29.HTM

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330

[metmom]

You must have missed post 145 that I have not received a reply to yet.

[metmom]

Ouch, but truth.

Same reason I don’t follow man-made Catholic teachings.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Half of what Catholicism comes via paganism.”

Right. That mother-son co-deity concept is older than RC, and straight from pagan worship.

[MamaB]

Thank you for trying to set the record straight. I appreciate it. God bless.

[ADSUM]

Your comment: “They cannot be all God’s Truth any more than that of Catholicism can be,”

For Protestantism, we are talking about church man made doctrines that disagree with the Word of God, not if all members believe all the same doctrines. The protestants fallible doctrines themselves are contrary to God’s Word. Many of their doctrines are fallible and changeable and certainly reject God’s Truth passed down through the centuries by the Catholic Church. They accepted some and rejected or changed the meaning to fit their needs. So protestants get to choose what to believe about God’s Truth?

Yes. Not all baptized Catholic fully practice the catholic faith or believe in all the faith and morals taught by Jesus and the Church. Yes. We have sinners on their journey. Catholic Church teaches that knowing God is a process that takes time and our worship and Sacraments give us sanctifying graces to grow our faith and avoid sin.

The Catholic faith is documented in the Catholic Catechism.

However, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and stated that He would be with His Catholic Church until the end of time.(Mt 28:20)

Yes. There are serious complications in the Catholic Church today (similar to problems in the past) and like any organization depends on the quality and honesty of people. Like Jesus, the church sometimes has to patient and wait for a proper resolution.

Faithful Catholics will stand by the Church just as Jesus has promised in spite of all the animosity that the world throws at her. We do have the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession.

[ADSUM]

So you reject Christ’s teaching that it applies to all?

I guess it doesn’t apply to educated protestants that determine their own meaning who it applies to?

[MHGinTN]

Wow, sounds so much like the cult of Semiramis and Tamuz from Nimrod’s days..

[Mark17]

You mention the Virgin Mary. Just my opinion, but I think the original name of the queen of Heaven, was Semiramis. Her name changed, according to different cultures and languages. It’s possible, the religion of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz, was widespread in the known world, when Jesus arrived on the scene. 😁

[Mark17]

😁🤪🤣 I see you beat me to it. 🤗 I agree.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Interesting connection.
And who does Nimrod represent as he attempted to create a NWO/OWG/OWR?

Sounds familiar?

[metmom]

Well, there’s an example of a lie from Catholicism for those who are asking.

[Mark17]

When therefore we read in the writings of Saint Bernard, Saint Bernardine, Saint Bonaventure, and others that all in heaven and on earth, even God himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin, they mean that the authority which God was pleased to give her is so great that she seems to have the same power as God. Her prayers and requests are so powerful with him that he accepts them as commands in the sense that he never resists his dear mother’s prayer because it is always humble and conformed to his will.... St. Louis de Montfort, in Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #27, 246.

Excuse me bro, would I be out of line, if I said I disagree with that paragraph? 😁🤪🤣🤗😊🤑 Just my opinion, but I don’t think God takes orders from anyone. 👎 He doesn’t, in humble obedience, submit to anyone. 🤗

[Mark17]

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330

MM, once again, I have to ask the question, would I be out of line, if I said I disagree with that paragraph? 😁🤪🤑 Islam is a cult, born in the fires 🔥 of Hell, and unless they repent, that is exactly where they will end up. I am glad that some Muslims these days, are finding Jesus. I heard, from watching Amir’s videos, that even in Iran, a revival is going on. 👍 Even I have to admit, the most Godly Christian man I ever met, was an ex Muslim, and was originally from Iran. I met him in Texas.

[metmom]

They know what they got saved from when they are genuinely converted.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Placemarker

[daniel1212]

Your comment: “They cannot be all God’s Truth any more than that of Catholicism can be,”

For Protestantism, we are talking about church man made doctrines that disagree with the Word of God,...The protestants fallible doctrines themselves are contrary to God’s Word... and certainly reject God’s Truth passed down through the centuries by the Catholic Church All of which pompous bombastic assertions are begging the question, presuming the very thing you have failed to substantiate, versus distinctive Catholic teachings not being manifest in the only wholly inspired substantive authoritative record of what the NT church believed - which you ignored - while your parroted claim is based upon the the novel and unScriptural premise of ensured perpetual magisterial veracity, which is just one of the unScriptural distinctive Catholic teachings.

So protestants get to choose what to believe about God’s Truth?

And RCs, but only Bible Christians have a sure and supreme substantive authority. And note that using the term "protestant" is largely meaningless since it encompasses a very diverse class which is not being defended. However, as explained and ignored, both Catholics and others do get to choose what is God’s Truth and interpret it. Fundamental evangelicals choose to believe that the ancient canon of the OT and the 27 of the New are the wholly God-inspired word of God and the only sure and supreme substantive authority, as is abundantly manifest, and judge what is authentic NT teaching by examination thereby, as did the noble Bereans in subjecting even apostles preaching ot that Source. (Acts 17:11) This results in both unity - thus it is Bible Christians that are religious enemy #1 of Catholics and liberals in the West, and in which liberals do not feel at home in - as well as division.

Trad. Catholics choose to believe that their church is effectively the only sure and supreme authority (since for them only it authoritatively defines what is the word of God and what is doctrinally means), and they judge what is authentic NT teaching by examination of her historical teaching, which results in both unity as well as division. Meanwhile liberal Prots and Caths basically deny both respective sources as their sure and supreme authority, and pick and choose what they want to believe, but liberal Caths can feel quite at home in Rome. Which we cannot.

Not all baptized Catholic fully practice the catholic faith or believe in all the faith and morals taught by Jesus and the Church.

So you say, but Rome manifestly considers Ted Kennedy Caths as members in life and in death, thus as said and ignored, they are your brethren whom you must own. Not so with us.

The Catholic faith is documented in the Catholic Catechism.

And the Mormonic faith is documented in its teachings, neither of which makes them Scriptural

However, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and stated that He would be with His Catholic Church until the end of time.(Mt 28:20)

Which is simply another parroted prevarication since the RCC is manifestly not the NT church of Scripture, as described therein.

We do have the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession.

Which again is recourse to vain assertions that you can only wish was what Scripture reveals. Thus once again by the grace of God I will send you to extensive refutation of your unScriptural metaphysical christ under the appearance of non-existent bread and wine (until the host begins to manifest corruption/decay, at which point that christ ceases to exist as well under that form. As for Cath. confession, confession to each other is what is enjoined, (James 5:16) while the Catholic priesthood itself is not that of the presbyterous of Scripture.

[daniel1212]

Thank you for trying to set the record straight. I appreciate it. God bless.

Glory to God for what is good, while those who implicitly trust in their church tend to have a type of firewall that prevents them from seeing their errors and that their argument are simply assertions which flow from faith in their church, which they presume makes it true. May God peradventure grant them "repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." (2 Timothy 2:25)

[daniel1212]

You mention the Virgin Mary. Just my opinion, but I think the original name of the queen of Heaven, was Semiramis.

You mean the only queen of Heaven in Scripture and the only one that was offered sacrifices and appealed to for help, which the worshipers of such insisted on practicing despite reproof, like as Catholics?

As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. (Jeremiah 44:16-17)

[boatbums]

Meaning your made a fallible judgment to trust in a church that has presumed to infallibly declare she is and will be perpetually infallible whenever she speaks in accordance with her infallibly defined (scope and subject-based) formula, which renders her declaration that she is infallible, to be infallible, as well as all else she accordingly declares. How convenient.

It's striking to me how some Roman Catholics care more about winning people to their church than they are to winning them to faith in Jesus Christ (and that is NOT the same thing)! What's funny is their OWN catechism admits that there are true Christians outside of the Roman Catholic religion. Do they imagine everyone MUST do it "their" way, worship in "their" style, pray "their" way, conduct services "their" way, celebrate the Lord's Supper Communion "their" way, venerate those who "they" do, etc.? Ironically, the Apostles and the first Christians didn't do so because we know many of those things developed hundreds of years later. Are they not saved?

Those of us here who are former Roman Catholics know exactly why we left and why we won't be coerced back no matter how many threats are thrown at us. We do not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but are strengthened in our faith and give glory to God, being fully persuaded that God is able to do what He has promised. I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.