Born-Again zealots always make sure that Jesus Crucified is not on the Cross
Posted on 05/16/2024 7:11:27 AM PDT by ebb tide
Born-Again zealots always make sure that Jesus Crucified is not on the Cross
In Holy Scripture, St. Paul says, “There shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3)
The sound doctrine of Christ is to embrace and live the Cross of Christ and to do penance for our sins, but instead we have false teachers today who run about luring millions into the deception of presuming on God’s mercy. This heresy has especially taken root in the “born-again” sect, which is grounded in the unwillingness to account for sin. The born-again formula is to simply accept Christ as “personal savior” to secure “being saved” without any need for works, penance, or prayer.
However, this personal savior formula is worthless and unfounded. Nowhere in the Gospel does Christ prescribe such a thing, nor is the term “personal savior” found anywhere in the Bible.
Abstract and Impersonal
The fact is that the born-again religion is very abstract and impersonal. They cry “Lord, Lord,” but they don’t want to see Christ’s pictures, they don’t want to see his face, they don’t want to hear his voice, they refuse to hear his prophets, they refuse to obey his commands, they mock his miracles and saints, they refuse to look at a Crucifix – they want nothing to do with him! They just want to scrap Catholicism and feel “saved” on account of it.
Luther’s definition of “repent” was to protest the Catholic Church and the born-again sect echoes this ideology to the core. What they have fashioned for themselves is a manmade counter-church without spirit – a golden calf.
Luther’s Invention
The born-again idea of unconditional forgiveness was started by Martin Luther. As a secret society initiate, he engaged in lengthy conversations with the devil, which in turn gave birth to his “doctrine on justification.” He referred to the Catholic Church as a “whore” and called the pope a “pig.” He lived a life of adultery and blasphemed Christ by saying:
“Christ committed adultery first of all with the woman at the well… Secondly with Mary Magdalene, and thirdly with the woman taken in adultery.” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Volume 54, p. 154, Concordia Publishing House.)
With his blackened conscience catching up with him, Luther then invented the idea of “sin and be saved” so that he wouldn’t have to feel accountable for his sins.
Luther’s famous quote to his associate Philip Melanchthon expresses perfectly his doctrine on justification.
"Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly…. No sin will separate us from the Christ, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day.” (From Luther’s letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521, LW Vol. 48, pp. 281, 282)
Herein lies the crux of Luther’s doctrine, which forms the basis of the Born-Again religion. According to the born-again “Christians,” one needn’t obey God to be saved since Jesus “already paid the price,” but Jesus didn't die on the Cross so we can sin. He died rather that we may never sin again. He said, "Follow me," he didn't say follow our lusts and passions, or to run after false prophets.
People will argue that Christ is Savior and that only he can save. Christ indeed is the Savior of the world but he won’t save anyone unless they obey him. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Romans 2:13)
Heaven Gained by Merit
One is justified by works, love, and obedience, not by empty lip service. As Christ says, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6: 46) What Christ requires is obedience and the keeping of his commandments. "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
Scripture tells us that Christ will "render to every man according to his works." (Romans 2:6) The Apostle James reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2: 20,26). Christ Himself said that neglecting good works incurs eternal damnation. On Judgment Day He will declare to the negligent:
“Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me…. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.” (Matthew 25: 41-43, 46)
Being Born Again is about Being Baptized
Born-again zealots often quote Christ’s words to Nicodemus concerning spiritual rebirth, thinking the Bible is on their side, but their idea of being born again has no scriptural basis. Being born again refers strictly to Catholic Baptism whereby one is cleansed from the guilt of Original Sin. As Christ himself said, “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) Note that the application of water is indispensable. There is no spiritual rebirth without the application of water.
Salvation Granted Only After Death
Being born again (baptized) simply places one on the path to salvation, but to be saved we must “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philip. 2:12) and “persevere to the end.” (Matt. 24:13) There is no “being saved” in this life. Salvation is granted after death.
While the Apostles sometimes refer to our “being saved,” they mean it in the sense of being rescued and brought onboard onto Peter’s Barque, since anyone can fall from grace and be like the dog that “returns to its vomit.” (2 Peter 2:22) St. Paul makes it clear to the Ephesians:
"Know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. (Ephesians 5:5,6)
Note that the Apostle is speaking to the Ephesians who were baptized (reborn). He warns them not to be deceived, that anyone without exception who offends mortally will not be saved.
He likewise exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage.” (5:1) He says they are “fallen from grace” and “made void of Christ” who return to circumcism and who fall to the works of the flesh (4,5). He identifies the works of the flesh as “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury… sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” and goes on to say ”that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
Again, the Apostle was speaking to those who were reborn, warning that they will lose their salvation if they fall from grace.
No Forgiveness Without Forgiving
Still again, Jesus says in the Gospel, “If you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.” (Mt. 6:15) What this means is that if one doesn’t repent of this sin but dies holding a grudge, he will not be forgiven but will be banished from the Kingdom, whether he is reborn or not.
But the born-agains will retort by saying, “Oh no, it doesn’t apply to me because I’m already saved,” but Christ didn’t say that. Under the pretext of honoring scripture, they use the scriptures to advance their contempt of scripture and its Author.
Misunderstanding about the Works of the Law
The born-again group has their pet verses of scripture marked out thinking falsely that they support their ideology, but to them Christ says: “Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of me.” (John 5:39) One of their favorite verses is from Romans.
“By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him… For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.” (Romans 3: 20, 28)
When St. Paul repeatedly tells us that we are not justified by the works of the law, he’s not speaking of good works, which Christ commanded, but is speaking of the ceremonial works of the old Jewish Law where they did circumcism and offered animals in sacrifice. Christ came to do away with all that. The Apostle is simply saying that we’re not justified by being Jew but are justified by being Christian.
One True Church
The Catholic Church is the One Institution of Faith established by Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. The Church is the unwritten word of God while the Bible is the written word, but both are of equal authority and must be accepted by the faithful. St. Paul himself says:
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” (2 Thess. 2:14) That is, whether by our spoken word or by our written word.
Revelation then is twofold, i.e., the Church and the Bible. Faith consists of embracing all that Christ left us yet the protestant-born again sects reject the unwritten word as well as seven canonical books of the Bible, i.e., the six deuterocanonical books and the Epistle of James.
Where is their love of the Bible? Luther’s ‘Bible only’ idea (sola scriptura) was just an excuse to get away from Christ. He was all about protesting Christian morals and then using the Bible to excuse this, which is what the born-agains do. They twist and use scripture to justify their rebellion, but anyone of spiritual sense should understand that looking for excuses for sinning in the Bible is not the way to Heaven.
How is it that they miss this?
Ping
The author should try loving people instead of attacking them.
Zealot attacking zealots.
“...not of works, lest any man boast”.
Fascinating and helpful, too. Thanks for posting!
This guy doesn’t get out much, does he?
The author states the Bible doesn’t mention ‘personal savior”. The Bible also doesn’t mention “Pope”. When he says “The Catholic church is the only true church”, doe she mean catholic, as in universal, or Roman Catholic. There’s so much wrong with the author’s premise, that the whole piece becomes meaningless.
As for the false teachings of “penance”, the Bible says that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”. So I would much rather put my trust in Jesus Christ, who shed His blood and died in my place, than some religion that tells me that saying Hail Mary’s helps pay for sin.
Frankly, the very idea that this religion teaches about its Pope being next thing to Jesus Himself while the current Poop decrees all sorts of un Godly and un Holy goofiness should be enough for anyone with half a brain to take a REALLY hard look at what that religion says compared to what God says in the actual Bible. Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me.
Beware presumption.
Yep - so many heresies, so little bandwidth.
Well put.
The author evidently does not recognize the meaning of the name “Jesus,” or “Yeshua” in Hebrew.
The “Covenant Name” of “Yod Het’ Vav Het’” or “Jehovah” was given by Almighty God to Moses at the burning bush.
“Shua” is the Hebrew verb meaning “to rescue, to deliver, to save.”
“Yeshua” is a compound of JHVH in its short form “Yah” and the verb “shua.” Therefore, Jesus’ name literally and beautifully and powerfully means, “This One Is the Salvation Provided by Jehovah.”
A careful reading of I Corinthians 3 will show our beloved Jesus Christ to be the “master builder” (wise architect in Greek) on whom every effort and work must be built.
Sadly the Roman church has shifted its work off that foundation and continues to erect physical and spiritual edifices of an entirely different kind.
“ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
— John 5:24”
The author repeatedly attacks the term born-again. The fact is that Jesus used that term when speaking with Nicodemus. The Bible doesn't use the term Trinity, yet Christian churches use it all the time to describe Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
Regarding baptism. Are we commanded in scripture to be baptized? Yes. Is it required in scripture for salvation? No. The author conflates these two understandings of baptism.
"Those who believe that baptism is required for salvation are quick to use 1 Peter 3:21 as a “proof text,” because it states “baptism now saves you.” Was Peter really saying that the act of being baptized is what saves us? If he were, he would be contradicting many other passages of Scripture that clearly show people being saved (as evidenced by their receiving the Holy Spirit) prior to being baptized or without being baptized at all. A good example of someone who was saved before being baptized is Cornelius and his household in Acts 10. We know that they were saved before being baptized because they had received the Holy Spirit, which is the evidence of salvation (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 3:24). The evidence of their salvation was the reason Peter allowed them to be baptized. Countless passages of Scripture clearly teach that salvation comes when one believes in the gospel, at which time he or she is sealed “in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). Thankfully, though, we don’t have to guess at what Peter means in this verse because he clarifies that for us with the phrase “not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience.” While Peter is connecting baptism with salvation, it is not the act of being baptized that he is referring to (not the removal of dirt from the flesh). Being immersed in water does nothing but wash away dirt. What Peter is referring to is what baptism represents, which is what saves us (an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ). In other words, Peter is simply connecting baptism with belief. It is not the getting wet part that saves but the “appeal to God for a clean conscience” which is signified by baptism, that saves us. The appeal to God always comes first. First belief and repentance, then we are baptized to publicly identify ourselves with Christ." - re: https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-1Peter-3-21.html
Jesus loves you far more than the man-made religion of self-effort.
It is finished.
Jesus promises are the foundation of trust in Him.
An awful lot of people were crucified.
Only One was resurrected. That Resurrection is what we celebrate--not the crucifixion.
I would disagree. Christians should celebrate Christ's life, death and resurrection. Without the cross, there is no salvation. He took our sins on Himself - on the cross. There is no propitiation for our sins without the cross. When I see Jesus on the cross, I see my redemption - I see my sins on His body nailed to the cross.
"Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender [a]shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should [b]be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of [c]sorrows and acquainted with [d]grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our [e]griefs He Himself bore, And our [f]sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, [g]Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was [h]pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our [i]well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To [j]fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the [k]living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, [l]putting Him to grief; If [m]He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His [n]offspring, He will prolong His days, And the [o]good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the [p]anguish of His soul, He will see [q]it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors." - Isaiah 53
Born again is a thing. Once saved, always saved isn’t.
What a heaping pile.
The Catholics are the ones who are deceived. God says not to do repetitive prayer. Yet they have their little beads they play with. He says not to call anyone father but god in heaven. Yet, Catholics call a man father and asks him for forgiveness instead of god.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.