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CUL:Which will you believe?
The Holy Scriptures, God's Unchanging Word or The Human Traditions
of Men?
1. PURGATORY
Roman Catholic Catechism: "What is Purgatory? Purgatory is a state
in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins or
without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins."
This statement is contrary to God's teaching. The word "purgatory"
does not appear in the Bible. Nor does the Bible even mention such a
place as Purgatory. In fact, to believe in Purgatory is to hold the
Word of God untrue. God's Word, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter
9, verse 22, says, "And without the shedding of blood is no remission";
and in the First Epistle of St. John, chapter, verse 7, we read: "The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. God's Word is true, but
the above Roman Catholic teaching contradicts God's Word. We must
believe God's Word, the Holy Scriptures.
St. Paul says, "Being justified therefore by faith, we have peace
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Justified means
made innocent, pure, free from all guilt. How? Not by spending time in
Purgatory, but by accepting the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore (Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to
them that are in Christ Jesus" (or, to those who are real Christians).
Nothing and nobody can condemn to Purgatory or to any other place of
condemnation those who through Jesus Christ have been made free from
all guilt.
2. CONFESSION, OR THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
Roman Catholic Catechism: "How do the priests of the Church exercise
the power of forgiving sins? The priests of the Church exercise the
power of forgiving sins by hearing the confession of sins, and granting
pardon for them as ministers of God and in His name."
This is contrary to God's teaching. In the Holy Scriptures, First
Epistle of St. John, chapter 1, verse 9, we read: "If we confess our
sins [to God], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness"; and also, "The blood of Jesus
Christ, [God's] Son, cleanseth us from ALL sin" - venial and mortal (1
John 1:7).
First we are told to confess our sins to God, not to a priest, and
God will forgive. Then we are told that the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth us from ALL sin. As we believe this, the cleansing power of
the blood of Jesus Christ takes away, washes away all our sins and
guilt. This being true, we have no more sin or guilt left. If we do
confess our sins to a priest, we deny the power of the blood of Jesus
Christ to cleanse us, and thus close God's way of cleansing and
forgiving us.
Confession to a priest is and inducement to commit more sin. God
forbids us to seek forgiveness of our sins through confession to any
human being: "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh
his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5).
3. THE MASS
Roman Catholic Catechism: "What is the Mass? The Mass is the
unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ. Is the Mass the
same sacrifice as that of the Cross? The Mass is the same sacrifice as
that of the Cross."
Rome teaches that her priests offer Jesus again in sacrifice every
time they say Mass. Every 24 hours, throughout the world, 200,000
Masses are said. This means, according to Roman teaching, that Jesus
suffers the terrible agony of Calvary 200,000 times every day!
God knew that men would fall into error and gave us the Holy
Scriptures to guide us into all truth. Note how God contradicts Rome in
Hebrews, chapters 7-10. "Wherefore He is able to also to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by Him [Jesus], seeing He ever liveth
to make intercession for them Who needeth not daily...to offerup
sacrifice...for this He did once, when He offered up Himself... We are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all...This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,
sat down on the right hand of God."
God says that the "Mass" took place once and for ever, sat down on
the right hand of God."
God says that the "Mass" took place once and for all at Calvary,
where God sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins - venial
and mortal. "Now where remission of these [sins]is, there is no more
offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:18).
Therefore, we neither offer any more sacrifices for sin nor do we
suffer for any of our sins when we accept the finished work of Jesus,
who offered Himself once and for all. "The blood of Jesus
Christ...cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). All we need do is ask
the Holy Spirit to give us faith to believe God's Word.
4. IDOLATRY
What is idolatry? Idolatry is the making of any image or likeness of
God or any creature for a religious purpose.
In the Roman Catholic Bible, the Douay version, in the book of
Deuteronomy, chapter 16, verse 22, we read: "Neither shalt thou make
nor set up to thyself a statue which things the Lord they God hateth";
and in Exodus 20:4, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..."
(or statue). Yet the Roman Catholic Church, in the face of this
commandment, defies God and fills its temples and homes with images.
Clearly the Roman Church is acting in direct opposition to the will
of God, plainly stated in many verses of scripture: "thou shalt not
make thee any graven image..." (Deuteronomy 5:8). "Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are these: ...adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry..." (Galations 5:19,20)
"...No...idolator...hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ"
(Ephesians 5:5). Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry" (1
Corinthians 10:14). "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolators, nor adulterers...shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1
Corinthians 6:9).
We dare not add or take away from God's Word! "What thing soever I
Command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish
from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). "For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book: If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this Book" (Revelation 22:18).
5. THE PRIEST OR FATHER
According to the Roman Catholic teaching, every Roman Catholic
priest is called a spiritual father. This teaching is contrary to and
in disobedience to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God's promise to Israel was for a priesthood on this earth. Only
those who are of the tribe of Levi can be priests on the earth (Numbers
18:1-8; Exodus 28:1). Therefore, Jesus had to ascend from the sphere of
this promise - the earth - and sit on at right hand of God the Father
in Heaven and become a priest unto us (Hebrews 8:1-4).
Jesus knew that men would disobey Him when He warned: "And call none
your father upon the earth; for One is your Father; He is not referring
to our natural fathers. Anyone calling himself a spiritual father is
anti-christ.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils - teaching lies in hypocrisy...forbidding [nuns and
priests] to marry, and commanding to abstain [fast] from meats, which
God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe
and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
In Hebrews, chapters 7-10, we read that Jesus is the only Priest of
the New Testament, who is on the right hand of God the Father, always
making intercession for them that come to God by Him. So when we go to
Jesus and confess to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity. "Him that cometh to Me I will
in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
6. PRAYERS TO MARY AND THE SAINTS
The Roman Catholic Church teaches and commands the people to pray to
the Saints and Mary; for these, they say, will, in turn, pray,
intercede and be mediators for us.
This is contrary to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. "For there
is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"
(1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the Son of God and therefore He is everwhere.
He is equal with God and can hear our prayers. Not so with the Saints
or Mary. If they are everywhere, they are gods; if they are not
everywhere, they cannot hear prayers.
The month of May is set aside for prayers and devotion of Mary.
Hundreds of thousands of Catholics are praying to her in thousands of
different churches and homes all over the world at the same time. If
she is everywhere at the same time and hears those prayers, she must be
God or a goddess; for, as the Roman Church herself admits, only God can
be everywhere at the same time.
All through the Holy Scriptures we are taught that Jesus is the only
mediator, intercessor, between man and God. 1 John 2:1 shows this
clearly: "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just."
Not Mary, notice, not the Saints, but Jesus Christ.
Jesus never called Mary His mother; He called her "woman." He
foresaw that she would become the object of great idolatry, would be
given the place of Deity by the Roman Catholic system, and would be
assigned names properly given to Deity only. Mary is blessed, yes but
not Deity.
7. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CLAIMS SHE NEVER CHANGES
The following partial list of events not only proves the opposite,
but demonstrates successive steps in the degradation of the Roman
Catholic Church:
Prayers for the dead were instituted........................A.D. 330
Making the sign of the Cross................................A.D. 330
Adoration of Mary, the Saints, the Cross, images, relics....A.D. 788
Fasting, lent, advent, and Fridays..........................A.D. 998
Fabrication of Holy water...................................A.D. 1009
Marriage of priests forbidden...............................A.D. 1079
Rosary beads invented.......................................A.D. 1090
Sale of indulgences.........................................A.D. 1190
Sacrifice of the Mass.......................................A.D. 1215
Auricular confession of sins to a priest....................A.D. 1215
Purgatory proclaimed........................................A.D. 1438
Tradition held equal with the Bible.........................A.D. 1545
(The dates are approximate.)
We invite you to be converted to the true Christ of the Bible, Who
never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Trust Him
as your all sufficient Saviour, and Lord of your life. Be saved from
Hell, and cleansed from sin by His blood. Then unite with a
Fundamental, Protestant, Bible teaching church in your community. If it
is your desire to do this, just write us asking for more information.
THE CONVERSION CENTER INC. Drawer V Havertown, Pa. 19083
Copyright to this article is held by The Conversion Center Inc. You
are allowed to reproduce this article only in its entirety and without
any additions or deletions.