Friday, December 29, 2006

AN URGENT PLEA TO ROMAN CATHOLICS



"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:but the word of the Lord endureth for ever.And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." I Peter 1:24-25


The religious system known as the Roman Catholic Church began to take definite shape in the Fourth Century. As the years rolled by, the Roman Church increasingly exercised power which was not hers under God's system of delegated authority; and she increasingly promulgated unbiblical doctrine even as she persecuted those who obediently clung to the Word of God. In this, the Roman Catholic Teaching Magisterium has made itself an adversary of God's revealed Word, the Bible. The Word of God and the word of the Roman Church are at direct odds with each other on many foundational issues including, most critically, how one receives forgiveness and salvation from God. It is impossible for one to be obedient to both the Roman Church and the Bible, just as it is impossible to follow both the pope and Jesus. In the short space allowed by this tract, I would like to point out a few of the doctrines held by the Roman Catholic Church which are in direct conflict with God's Word (Mat. 15:8-9). Due to space constraints, I will not directly quote the RCC documents which contain the doctrines I am dealing with, and I will simply reference Bible passages. I assume Catholics will know where the Catholic teachings are found, or they will contact me for documentation. I pray that they read the Scripture verses referenced, which are representative of many more verses in each case.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the pope is Christ's vicar (representative, voice) on earth, the Holy Father, and head of Christ's Church and that he is infallible in matters of faith and morals when speaking officially in that office. Peter is held to be the first pope.
Roman Catholic claims concerning the papacy and Peter are soundly refuted by God's Word. The Holy Spirit, not the pope, is the voice of God to men's consciences convicting of sin and confirming the Word of God (Jn. 14:26, 16:7-8; I Cor. 2:12-13; Eph. 6:17). The Bible nowhere sets up one man as the head of the Church, but instead clearly states that Christ is the Head of the Church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22, 5:23).
Peter never led others to believe that he was the head of the Church, but instead referred to himself as "an elder" (I Pet. 5:1-3). Peter is never portrayed in Scripture as being the head apostle or "pope"; in fact, at key times in the beginning of the Church, other apostles seem to be in charge in a given situation (Acts 15:1-30). Further, if Peter was acting as the "Holy Father" in Rome, then a reading of Paul's letter to the Romans would seem to imply that Paul did not have much respect for Peter as the infallible head of the Church (Rom. 1:11-15)! By the way, God's Word clearly commands Christians not to address anyone in a spiritual sense as "father" (Mat. 23:9). In light of the Roman Catholic claims about their first pope, it seems more than a little strange that only James and Jude wrote less of the New Testament than Peter wrote. There is a plethora of other biblical evidences which make it obvious that the Roman Church is dead wrong when it comes to its claims about the papacy.
Surely, the checkered and at times sordid history of the papacy is also proof that the pope is not the infallible, holy vicar of Christ. Some popes have been fornicators, homosexuals, and murderers as even Roman Catholic historians admit. Many have been grasping political opportunists. Popes have anathematized their predecessors, wielded power over civil rulers in an ungodly fashion, and presided over horrific, brutal events for which the modern Roman Church has ended up offering tepid apologies under great pressure. How could such men be the "vicar of Christ"? The Roman Catholic Church is in great conflict with God's Word over the papacy. Which will you believe?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the bread and the wine of the Eucharist are Christ's actual, physical body and blood.
This doctrine is wrongly based on a figure of speech Jesus used to stress His disciples' need to remain in and fully trust Him; to learn from Him; to live for Him; to rely upon, obey, and follow Him in all things (Jn. 6:48-58). Jesus also said that He is "the door" (Jn. 10:9) and "a light" (Jn. 12:46). The Bible identifies Jesus as a "Lamb" (Jn. 1:29) and as a "rock" (1 Cor. 10:4). There are times when God's Word uses figures of speech to stress an eternal truth. Those instances are always obvious, but apparently not to the Roman Church Magisterium.
Jesus Christ, the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29, Col. 1:18), for our sake possesses a resurrected, glorified body (Phil. 2:5-11, Jn. 20:26-27) just as His followers will one day possess (I Cor. 15:35-58). He sits at the right hand of God the Father (Rom. 8:34). Christ's body cannot be, and is not, split up thousands of ways every day by Roman priests all over the world in the Mass. Further, if Christ meant for us to literally eat His flesh and drink His blood, He would have been commanding us to commit cannibalism, an abominable violation of God's law. During the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus was physically present when He handed out the wine and bread saying, "This is my body . . . my blood . . ." (Lk. 22:17-20).
Through the Mass, the Roman Church teaches its members to literally worship the bread and the wine, and her priests claim to have the power to turn those physical elements into the Son of God and then "immolate" Him on their altar. In this they profess to repeatedly kill the Lord Jesus Christ and sacrifice Him for the remission of sin! The Scriptures make it clear that Jesus' death on the cross was fully sufficient to provide salvation for all who repent and believe the gospel (Heb. 7:27, 9:12, 9:26-28, 10:10; I Pet. 3:18). What Jesus Christ has commanded His followers to do as a "remembrance" of His death and their inheritance of eternal life through belief in Him (Lk. 22:19-20), the Roman Church has turned into a blasphemous, pagan ritual which misleads millions and keeps them in bondage, separated from Christ and salvation. No true Christian can have any part of it (I Cor. 10:20-22).
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that, for salvation to be gained, one must do certain works and participate in certain sacraments ordained by the church.
To receive salvation, one must be justified before God. In other words, the penalty for one's sins must be paid so that the justice God demands is satisfied (Rom. 3:24, 5:8-9). Jesus paid the penalty for sin with His blood. The Bible tells us that once a sinner repents of his sins, believes the gospel, and calls upon the name of the Lord for salvation, he is justified by faith for the sake of Christ (Mk. 1:15; Rom. 5:1, 10:9-13). The Roman Church insists that the sinner must also do certain works to achieve justification with God and that Christ's death was not fully sufficient to secure forgiveness and eternal salvation for the believer. However, the Scriptures teach over and over that, while all men are commanded to obey God's holy law and live holy lives, it is impossible to achieve justification and resulting salvation through the law or by any work of obedience but only by faith (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16, 3:11; Eph. 2:8-9). While true salvation will result in righteous works, salvation does not in anyway result from righteous works. Those who teach that man must do certain works to achieve salvation are presumptuously teaching that man can do the impossible and satisfy God's perfect standard of justice and holiness by human efforts. They are also blasphemously teaching that once those works have been done, God must grant salvation or owe the worker a debt (Rom. 4:4-5)! The Roman Catholic Church cannot be the true Church since it teaches this false gospel (Gal. 1:8-9)!
The Roman Catholic Church insists that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born without sin, lived a sinless life on this earth as a virgin, and was assumed into heaven.
The Roman Catholic Church contradicts the Bible with these claims and many others that they make about the mother of Jesus. Mary was a young woman whom God sovereignly chose to bear the Messiah. She was a virgin until after His birth, and then Joseph "knew" her (Mat. 1:25). In other words, their relationship was physically consummated after Jesus was born. To say otherwise is to indulge in the same flight of fantasy as the homosexuals who claim the sodomites who wanted to "know" Lot's two guests merely wanted to become acquainted with them (Gen. 19:5)! It is also to ignore the unimpeachable biblical evidence that Jesus had natural brothers and sisters, some of whom are even named in the Scriptures (Mk. 6:3). Mary was a pure, godly woman, no doubt; but she was not sinless any more than she was a perpetual virgin. Mary spoke of "God my Saviour" (Lk. 1:47). Mary, like every human being, belonged to Adam's fallen race and needed a Savior! The Scriptures tell us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Nowhere does the Bible tell us that Mary was an exception to that rule just as it nowhere tells us that she was assumed into heaven.
The Roman Catholic Church practices baby baptism and teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation.
God's Word clearly commands that baptism is to follow salvation. Belief in the gospel and the resulting spiritual rebirth is a necessary prerequisite for baptism (Acts 8:12, 8:36-38). Although in some cases, households—whole families of new believers—were baptized by an apostle just as happens occasionally today, nowhere does the Bible make allowance for baby baptism.
The Roman Catholic Church forbids priests to marry.
This too is unbiblical and condemned in the Scriptures as a "doctrine of devils" (I Tim. 4:1-3). Even under the Mosaic Covenant, the priests were allowed to marry. The man the Roman Catholic Church claims was the first pope was married (I Cor. 9:5)! Here again, the Roman Church is teaching a false doctrine and wresting the Scriptures (II Pet. 3:15-18). Will you believe God's Word or trust your eternity to a church which legislates and upholds a doctrine of devils?
These are a few of many instances where the Roman Catholic Church's doctrines are in direct contradiction to God's Word. In light of this, Roman Catholics must choose to either believe the Roman Catholic Magisterium or believe the Word of God. It is a choice with profound eternal consequences (Mt. 7:21-29). The Roman Catholic Church insists that its traditions and the Bible are to be given equal weight. This is bad enough; but the reality is that whenever the Roman Church's teachings clash with the Word of God, it is always the Church's doctrine which is upheld while the Word of God is explained away. If you are a Roman Catholic, I care deeply about you; and that is why I urge you to consider all the fundamental ways in which your church is in serious conflict with the Word of God and then choose which you are going to believe. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot serve two masters. This is not a choice between being a Roman Catholic or a "Protestant." It is the choice between being a Roman Catholic or a Christian.
If you want to be forgiven of your sins, born again, and filled with the blessed assurance of salvation (Rom. 8:16), then believe the Word of God instead of the Roman Catholic Church. Confess your sins to God rather than to a priest. Call upon the name of the Lord for salvation instead of praying to Mary and "the saints" and relying on pagan rituals. Then follow Jesus and live your life according to God's Holy Word instead of the corrupt decrees of Rome.
—Pastor Ralph Ovadal
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."John 8:32

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