One of the wonderful aspects of being an associate pastor is that I can preach to the church on Scriptures which relate to the congregation’s submission to and respect for the pastor/elders. And this is precisely what I did this week.
I exhorted and encouraged our folks with the extremely high and weighty responsibilities that God has sovereignly placed upon the overseer of the flock. I exhorted them from Psalm 23 and went to many different Scriptures and reminded them of the pastor’s responsibility to study, to preach, to meditate, to counsel, to reprove, to rebuke, to defend, and to model—no lightweight responsibility. Yet, with the strength that God provides, He will enable every leader in the church to be an example of Christ for the flock that God has entrusted to his care.
Many folks neglect to encourage their pastor on a regular basis. All pastors need this. How amazing it would be if individuals were to write a note simply telling the pastor that he’s being prayed for, or that a specific part of the sermon proved to be particularly helpful, etc. Trust me, I know that the pastor would receive much joy from an encouraging note or letter from his sheep affirming how God is using him in the lives of his people.
Our little Kiah arrived last night at 6:06pm weighing in at 9lbs 3oz! Mommy Kirkland says that Baby Kiah looks like her dad (I think that means I'm very plump with a round face!) :=)
Anyway, both mom and baby are doing fine and we praise the LORD for His steadfast love and His wonderful miracle that He has worked in our lives.
Psalm 127:3 3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. ----------------------------
UPDATE (5-16-09 @ 5:15pm): We arrived home from the hospital a few hours ago and both mommy and Kiah are taking a nap while I work on my sermon for tomorrow morning! :=)
The past week has thrust me into a wonderful study on shepherding in ancient Israel. I'm preaching Psalm 23 tonight at our Mid-Week service and I'm excited (as always) to declare that which I've learned in my studies this week.
I'm convinced that Psalm 23 contains two metaphors, namely, God as a Shepherd and God as a Host. I'm attempting to delve deep into the historical context of a shepherd tending his flock in the rural and dry lands of Israel and drawing in applications throughout as to how God is The Great Shepherd of His sheep.
Finally, I'll conclude with a study on how Jesus is the perfect and complete fulfillment of Psalm 23 (cf. John 10:11). I'll post the link to the sermon tomorrow! I covet your prayers.
I'm undertaking the task of learning Theological German. I've heard that April Wilson's work, German Quickly is the best book in this regard. The key to this book is that it is a grammar for reading German. Unfortunately, I'm not delving into the task of learning to speak or hear German. That's not very important to me.
I'm learning Theological German because there is a wealth of material available today in the theological arena that's only in German. Though many of the theological works in German have been translated into English (thankfully!), much has not. Many articles and books are in German and so, for my doctoral program, I'm learning German to supplement my studies at BBS.
Pray for me as I attend class and work through this book over the next month and a half. So far, I've got the alphabet down. I'd say I've got a ways to go! :=)
“Sin is the Violation of an Infinite Obligation” —Puritan Prayer
I think that this is one of the most startling theological realities that our finite minds can meditate upon. The notion that every human being is a sinner destined for eternal judgment in hell for violating God’s holy and perfect Law proves to be a fundamental concept in the Scriptures—both OT and NT.
Taking this logic one step further, sin is not just a little “mistake” in the eyes of God. Sometimes this is how we as Christians treat our sin—with a trivial and cavalier attitude. The words: “Oh, it’s not that bad” or, “At least I didn’t do … sin” ought never to depart from the lips of a genuine Christian. The reason is this: sin is the violation of an infinite obligation. Sin—from the most heinous of murder cases to the “little white lie” or “pleasurable lust” is all sin of an infinite proportion which has violated the infinite obligation. Because we all must keep the Law perfectly to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 5:48), then the contrary fact to this statement is that anyone who has violated even one small minutiae of the Law is worthy of an infinite punishment in hell.
Why the harshness of sin, you ask?
Simple. The violation of sin against the infinite obligation of God’s holiness demands an infinite punishment because the standard is the holiness of the One sinned against. Therefore, because God is infinitely holy and infinitely righteous and infinitely just, even one violation of that Law—no matter how small or great in our eyes—is a violation to the greatest degree because of the standard of holiness that God sets.
How great our God is that he has not left us wallowing in our sin and misery on the freeway to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire. Rather, he has provided the only way of escape for allhuman beings in the person of Jesus Christ. It is true that Christ has given us reason to give and reason to rejoice because of the sufficient sacrifice and infinite forgiveness offered to those who genuinely believe upon Christ. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
May you run to the cross of Calvary today where Jesus Christ laid down His life as the perfect Lamb of God who paid the sufficient sacrifice that you and I could (and will) never attain. Flee to Christ today. Repent of your sins—however great or small in your eyes. And then remember the infinite grace of God which God incessantly pours upon wretched sinners who come to Him in genuinely humility and repentance.
9 reasons why every young person should be actively involved in a local church:
You Build Solid and Lasting Relationships
Acts 2:42
You should get more involved in a local church because this is the venue where you will build lasting, deep, and intimate relationships with other likeminded believers who love God, love His Word, and seek to obey Him. You will have friends that you can come to when times are rough and you need prayer; you will have friends with whom you can share encouraging stories.
You Are Held Accountable by Church Leadership
Heb 13
1 Thess 5
You should get more involved in a local church because this is where you will primarily be held accountable by your church leadership—your pastor and the elders. For a Christian, it is absolutely imperative to be under men of God who are sovereignly placed in the area of leadership to shepherd, guard, protect, and warn Christians. This is a non-negotiable in the Christian life. This is where accountability takes place. This is where spiritual growth happens. If one refuses to be under church leadership, then one has great reason to question as to whether they are really a Christian, because we are all called to be held accountable by other solid believers.
You Are Confronted When You Stumble into Sin
Matt 18
Gal 6
1 Cor 5
You should get more involved in a local church because the friends that you have made, and the leadership that God has placed over you will know you, see how you live life, and encourage you when you’re growing and excelling, and they will also rebuke, discipline, and correct you when you wander off and fall into sin. The local church is the venue that God has sovereignly chosen for intimate relationships to help each other out and confront one another when another believer dips into sin or errs onto a wayward path.
You Can Serve God Week to Week in a Specific Area
1 Cor 11
Eph 4
1 Peter 4
You should get more involved in a local church because this is the body of Christ and God has gifted you with specific gifts and you can serve Him week to week in the local body of Christ. This is where you can have a “role” and a “responsibility” in doing work in God’s vineyard to help the body function properly and effectively. Faithfulness is the key here.
You Can Faithfully Fill a Gap that Others Cannot Fill
1 Cor 11
You should get more involved in a local church because God has gifted you with specific gifts that he has not gifted to others. Perhaps you have a talent, gift, or passion for something or some area of the church that no one else in that local church has that same talent, gift, or passion for. God can use you and the desires that He has given you to serve Him in the local body of Christ.
You Are Commanded to Be Involved by God
1 Cor 11
Eph 4
You should get more involved in a local church simply because God commanded it. God has revealed in His Word that the body of Christ is where all men will be built up into the fullness and maturity of Christ. This is where God works and this is the primary means of evangelism and fellowship in the believer’s life. Therefore, God commands Christians to be involved in the local church. If you want to honor God and live a life of obedience to God and His Word, then you must be involved in a local church!
You Can Hear God’s Word Taught Regularly and Clearly
2 Tim 4:1-4
1 Tim 4:13-17
You should get more involved in a local church because this is the primary venue where you can gather with God’s people and hear the faithful, accurate, and applicable exposition of God’s Word faithfully taught week by week. God has given pastors a solemn charge to preach the Word of God every week. Every time the pastor steps up to preach, he must deliver the word of God from the Word of God as the voice of God. You should be involved in the local church because—as a believer—you are hungry to learn more about God and about His Word to you (i.e., the Bible) and the local church is the primary avenue to which you will be fed God’s Word regularly.
You Can Invite Friends and Schoolmates To Church and Introduce Them to Everyone.
Matt 28
You should get more involved in a local church because this is the place where you can bring visitors, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, family members and other strangers to church and introduce them to your friends at church who will lovingly reach out to them and seek to extend the love of Christ to the visitor. This is an easy way to bring visitors and help them feel welcome. If you don’t know anyone at the church you attend, how hard it would be to invite others and introduce them to others there at church.
You Remind Yourself that Church Involvement is So Important and Not an Option
Heb 10:24-25
Acts 2:42
Heb 13:5
You should get more involved in a local church because church involvement—though time consuming—is a discipline of the Christian life. It’s easy to sit at home and watch TV or play video games. It’s a discipline to get up, gather the kids, get dressed, and drive to church weekly—even numerous times per week. It’s work; it’s a discipline; it’s hard; but it’s so rewarding. And in doing this “discipline,” you constantly remind yourself that you are making the conscious effort and deliberate choice to make church involvement a priority in your life. It should get to the point that nothing interrupts the gathering of believers together. This principle simply is an application of “disciplining yourself for godliness (1 Tim 4:7).
I just turned in my last research paper for the Master's Seminary (assuming I don't get it back with the big words typed across the top "REWRITE!"). It's sort of weird because I've spent the last four years of my life turning in research papers at this school! But, I just turned in my last paper and am awaiting the next step, Lord willing, in life--pursuing a PhD at Baptist Bible Seminary in NT under the supervision of Dr. Rod Decker. I plan to do research in the area of intertextuality and/or the NT's use of the OT.
Though at times, I feel like this kid:I must bear in mind that if God brings you to it, he'll see you through it. Praise God! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at TMS and am grateful to the LORD for carrying me through the programs there. I feel like my preaching skills, exegetical precision, and theological accuracy has solidifed--and for that, I am tremendously thankful to God!
“Tell stories from the pulpit!” is often a phrase that many expository preachers decry, but I am of the opinion that there is the proper place and use for such “stories.” By stories, I do not mean that you read a 3-page story downloaded from the internet to support a point. By story, in this present context, I simply mean a short anecdote, a pithy illustration, a visual simile so that the audience can see what you are saying.
As the preacher, you want your people to track with you at all times in the sermon. You want them to see it, feel it, taste it, smell it, and be there! You want there to be an audible gasp at the climax of your illustration or anecdote. Obviously, the prince at this was Charles Spurgeon. He was the master of causing you to feel what you are hearing. Read this excerpt:
“It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon his Saviour’s head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distill from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane—such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics—to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God’s tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in his storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: his riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of him; believe in him, cast thyself upon him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever.” (Morning and Evening, Morning, Feb. 25th)
May we be those preachers who apply this to our preaching so that we’re not exegetical dump trucks backing up to the Sunday morning dock and then dumping everything upon our hearers. We will sooner drown them with boredom than save them with the gospel!
One of the greatest calls of God given to man is the responsibility to preach His divine message to lost souls. That all men are sinners, doomed for God’s terrifying and eternal wrath is the fundamental truth and underlying predicament revealed in the Scriptures—both Old and New Testaments. What is so common, unfortunately, in today’s churches is for the Bible to be set aside and replaced by dramas, pithy pep-talks, seeker-sensitive dialogues which may give a few truths here and there intermixed with many untruths.
God’s Word clearly reveals that it is through the word of Christ that one believes and is saved (Rom 10:17). Therefore, how ought we as preachers to seek to save one’s soul if we set aside the only means that can accomplish that very reality? Of course, the preacher cannot save the soul of anyone. But it is God speaking through the preacher who speaks His words boldly with clear application so the listeners know that “a prophet has been in their midst” (Ezek 33:33).
How utterly foolish it is for pastors and preachers who have been entrusted by God to shepherd, feed, and protect their flock to set aside the living, active, and sharp sword of God’s Word. It is the Word which gives life. It is the Word which convicts. It is the Word which reproves. It is the Word which reveals and offers salvation. It is The Word of Life that can forgive one’s sins and reconcile a radically wretched sinner with a wholly worthy God. Preacher—hear the plea, never forsake the Word of God. Preach it! And then preach it more! And then preach it over and over again. Preach it cover to cover. Preach it thoroughly. Preach it provocatively. Preach it authoritatively. Preach it applicationally. Preach it as if you were the mouthpiece for God declaring not your own words but His words—because YOU ARE! Therefore, preacher, PREACH THE WORD.
I have been convicted recently regarding my prayer life. I think all Christians face this periodically. And though all Christians do pray, we all acknowledge that we don't pray enough. It's painfully convicting to read through the Scriptures, do an in-depth study of the prayers therein, and then compare them with our own prayers. Most of the time, this leads to the conclusion that our prayers are very man-centered (anthropocentric) rather than God-centered (theocentric). How disappointing this must be to our great God!
As I was talking with a man in our church today over lunch, we discussed the utter necessity to persevere in the practice of prayer. We must not give in to the laziness of prayer that so often characterizes our prayers. Why is it that our mid-week prayer services are often the least attended service in the church calendar? Why is it that when we open it up for corporate prayer, very few people pray? And those that leastdo pray, it's usually the women.
Of course, I praise God for the prayers of the women, but where are the men? Where is the male leadership when it comes to this essential discipline in the Christian life? I firmly believe that part of the reason the church is in the current state it's in lies in the sad--albeit true--reality that our men have failed to lead in being fervent prayer warriors in our churches! I've thought on this quite a bit and I think I'm right in this regard.
I believe that a prayerless Christian is a non-Christian. One who claims to have fellowship with God MUST commune and communicate with his God. Consider this thought: the health and vibrancy of your spiritual life may be ascertained by looking in your prayer closet. If you do this, what is the spiritual state of your life? Are you dead already? Are you in critical condition? Are you in ICU? Is the ambulance coming to pick you up already?
Let us take heed to the convicting--yet necessary--words from Martyn Lloyd-Jones:
"When a man is speaking to God he is at his very acme. It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man's true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life. Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 46).
Last night I preached on Psalm 19:7-14 on God's Revelation in His Word. The text is absolutely packed with truth regarding the doctrine of the Bible ("bibliology"), the character of God ("theology proper"), and the doctrine of salvation and sanctification ("soteriology"). If you so choose, I will post the link here if you want to listen to it. I was greatly blessed in my studies and even while I was preaching as the text encouraged and challenged my heart anew. Praise God!
Also, here's a tidbit from The Valley of Vision:
I thank thee that many of my prayers have been refused-- I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with thy patient work, answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to thy rule. I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross. No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in thee (p.77).
One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."
We announced yesterday that Israel sign ups are now open to anyone interested in going with us! We have limited spaces you won't beat the price--anywhere! Just to let you know how fast this is going, we announced it yesterday in church and by the end of the morning we had four people signed up with the deposit handed in. So don't waste time! Pray about it, and then when the Lord confirms your desire to go, write a check and send it to us so we can secure your spot for this unforgettable trip!
We had a wonderful time this February in the land of Israel and we trust it'll be the same this December.
Lou Priolo. Teach Them Diligently: How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training (Woodruff, SC: Timeless Texts, 2000).
Abstract: This work assists parents in the role of child training in that it clearly explains the need for the parent to know the Scriptures, understand the Scripture, and apply the Scriptures to every aspect of life—including parenting! He focuses on the reality that child rearing involves the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and time.With God’s help and with His sufficient Word, the Christian parent and implement God’s Word in every aspect of parenting and trust God to bring about the result that would bring Him the greatest honor and glory.
Review by: Geoffrey R. Kirkland
associate pastorl CCC
Priolo begins the work by stating: “There are at least three essential ingredients necessary to produce the Christ-like maturity you are to be endeavoring to produce in your children. They are the Spirit, the Scriptures, and time” (2). Noteworthy, the Scriptures can be learned by any child as soon as he is capable of understanding anything! Of course, Priolo argues through the course of the book, the goal of parenting is to make the child like Christ. That is an impossible task humanly speaking, but nonetheless, it is the task which God has sovereignty granted to all parents!
After the introductory chapter, he proves the necessity of teaching the Scriptures to the children. In fact, he spends a bulk of the chapter exhorting the parents to know the Word themselves first! He says: “If you are going to teach your children God’s Word, you must know the Scriptures yourself” (11). To quote him at length:
“What then are the means whereby you may impress these Scriptures on your heart? They are regular Bible reading and Bible study, biblical discourse (letting the word of Christ richly dwell within you involves ‘teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs,’ etc.), especially with your children (‘and you shall …talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up’), listening to the teaching and preaching of God’s Word, and, perhaps most importantly, daily meditation on the Scriptures (which we shall study later). Yet beyond all of this, having God’s Word on your hearts means that the Scriptures are governing all areas of your life. When God’s Word is on your heart, it affects your entire life” (13).
An important truth as revealed in Deuteronomy 6 is the reality of teaching the child “in the milieu”—that is, in the situation itself.
The necessity of convicting and correcting with God’s Word is also important as the parent not only seeks to teach the Word of God, but the parent must convict the child of sin and correct that behavior to put off the sin and put on Christ as Lord.
Not only is the book very theological (which it is) and biblical (which it is), but it is loaded with very practical helps. He gives, for instance, some practical examples of training the child with the Scriptures: start the child on a regular program of Scripture memory, train the child to meditate on Scripture, apply appropriate Scripture passages to all areas of life, train the child to obey your instructions the first time, train the child to communicate biblically, and train the child to think biblically about all aspects of life.
He includes a helpful chapter on disciplining children and ascertaining how and when to discipline the child. How young is too young? How old is too old? When should the discipline take place? In public? In private? Hard? Soft? What if the child says, “I’m sorry?” All of these are questions that Priolo answers with biblical support in the chapter entitled The Rod and Reproof.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from the book was Priolo’s emphasis on teaching the child in the moment. If the child is caught in a lie, take the time and get to the root issue in the child’s heart, bring appropriate Scriptures to the fore, and help the child himself think through how he ought to change and what practical ways he can start to implement this change!
I would highly recommend this book to any young married couple who will soon have children. I would also commend this book to all couples who are in the midst of raising children. Not only are there practical helps contained in the book, but Scripture verses are replete in every chapter! It is, indeed, a manual on how to use the Scriptures in child training
We have looked at seven of the most serious assaults of the Roman Catholic Church on biblical Christianity. To review, here they are:
1. The Supremacy of God’s Words in the Bible
2. The Sufficiency of God’s Son
3. The Singularity of God’s Gospel
4. The Sovereign Grace of God
5. The Security of God’s Children
6. The Sanctity of God’s Church
7. The Severity of God’s Judgment
We have looked at each of these briefly giving the Catholic view and then the Scriptural rebuttal which, in every case, contradicts and trumps the RC doctrine. I am troubled when I read of a movement forming (which is actually one of many), Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) which is signed by leaders of both the RC church as well as the Evangelical church (signed in 1994, 1997, 2002 and most recently in 2005). ECT says:
We give thanks to God that in recent years many Evangelicals and Catholics, ourselves among them, have been able to express a common faith in Christ and so to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We confess together one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; we confess Jesus Christ the Incarnate Son of God; we affirm the binding authority of Holy Scripture, God’s inspired Word; and we acknowledge the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds as faithful witnesses to that Word.
The very last thing I can ever think to do would be to sign an agreement with another religion that anathematizes (i.e. damns as worthy of eternal hell) those who believe in justification by faith alone apart from human merit. The RC church teaches in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1459:
The sinner must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."
And again in paragraph 1477:
"In this way they attained their own salvation and cooperated in saving their brothers.”
I am troubled by this. If there is a Christian who says he can join hands in agreeing with the Catholics who deny the very fundamentals of true biblical Christianity, then have reason to approach these individuals, with love, and exhort them to stop treating the RC church as “brothers and sisters” but to start evangelizing them as lost sinners heading to hell who are in desperate need of a Savior.
In conclusion to this, what can we as bible-believing, blood bought, heaven-bound saved sinners do? Let me suggest three applications: 1) Expose the deeds of darkness by faithful expositional and biblical preaching (Eph 5:11) 2) Be on guard so as to not be carried away by every wind of teaching (2 Pet 3:16-18) 3) Pray and evangelize to your Roman Catholic friends with patience, love, gentleness and humility (1 Pet 3:15)
One final note, one of the best resources out there for Christians to learn about Catholicism is Mike Gendron’s website. He has an excellent page with excellent and helpful articles. This is an invaluable resource!
We have seen already the first four attacks of the Roman Catholic (RC) church on the orthodox doctrines as found in Scripture. Here is the summary of seven of the attacks:
1. The Supremacy of God’s Words in the Bible 2. The Sufficiency of God’s Son 3. The Singularity of God’s Gospel 4. The Sovereign Grace of God 5. The Security of God’s Children 6. The Sanctity of God’s Church 7. The Severity of God’s Judgment
We will look at the next three attacks in brief.
Fifth, the Roman Catholic church is attacking the security of God’s children. This is not only a clear assault on the clarity of Scripture’s teaching on the believer’s security, but it also incorporates the doctrine of soteriology. By this I simply mean that when the RC church says that your salvation is not absolutely secure, that means that you, therefore, have some part to play in keeping yourself saved. With that in mind, on the contrary, consider:
Jude 1:24-25 24 Now to Him [Jesus Christ] who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
From this verse it seems as though Jesus Christ is the one who secures our salvation and keeps us safe. The RC church says that no one is ever absolutely and eternally saved from sin. That is what purgatory is for. When you commit a mortal sin, then you, essentially, lose your salvation until you do enough penance, confession and good works to merit yourself back. This is unfortunate, discouraging and anti-biblical.
According to the RCC, one who knows that he has eternal life has committed the "sin of presumption" (Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, paragraph 2092). Regarding this issue of the believer’s security, one more strong support will suffice:
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sixth, the Roman Catholic church is attacking the sanctity of God’s Church. The fact that the RC church claims to be just as authoritative as the Word of God in written form (i.e. the Bible). That the RC church says that both what the Pope says and also what he claims are infallible is another faith. It’s another religion. It’s a false religion. The Pope is not the head of the church. Peter is not the head of the church. Mary is certainly not the head of the church (cf. Luke 1:47). Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. Period. He shares His Headship with no one--certainly not the Pope.
Ephesians 1:22-23 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
Colossians 1:18 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
Colossians 1:24 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
May we all recognize that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ (that is, those who are truly regenerate and have come to Christ as Lord and Savior by grace through faith and have turned from sin and submitted their lives to Christ) will obey and submit to Jesus Christ as the sole Head of the Church.
Furthermore, the church is holy. It is consecrated. It is set apart. Let us never forget Nadab and Abihu (cf. Lev 10) who came to offer a sacrifice before the Lord with strange fire. They came into God’s holy and awesome presence in an unsatisfactory way and God struck them and dealt with them severely. Oh how I can envision God’s judgment coming on the false church of Jesus Christ (cf. Gal 1:8-9).
Seventh, the Roman Catholic church is attacking the severity of God’s judgment. The sheer fact that Roman Catholicism teaches that a person can go to so-called “purgatory” (which really doesn’t even exist) to atone for sins is a blatant broadside upon the clear judgment of God.
Hear these severe verses of the wrath of God that we must understand:
Psalm 5:5-6 5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. 6 You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
Revelation 20:10 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 14:9-10 "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
The RC church attacks the severe judgment of God upon all those who reject Him. We know from the Sermon on the Mount that many will think they are believers to awake after death and shockingly and bitterly find that they will be cast forever into conscious, eternal torment hel and ultimately the lake of fire:
Matthew 7:13-14 3 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it…. Matthew 7:22-23 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' May we be love our Catholic friends and share with them the glorious gospel of salvation which all unbelievers need to hear! May we seek to do this with patience, love, gentleness and with biblical authority.
We have made mention of seven crucial biblical truths that are under attack by the Roman Catholic (RC) church:
1. The Supremacy of God’s Words in the Bible
2. The Sufficiency of God’s Son
3. The Singularity of God’s Gospel
4. The Sovereign Grace of God
5. The Security of God’s Children
6. The Sanctity of God’s Church
7. The Severity of God’s Judgment
We previously have touched upon how the RC church is attacking the supremacy of God’s Word as well as the sufficiency of God’s Son as the efficacious and sufficient sacrifice for sins. But today, I want to look at the next few:
Third, The Roman Catholic Church is attacking the singularity of God’s gospel. Here’s what I mean. To say that believing in Jesus Christ alone or, to use more biblical phraseology, that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” is not enough is to attack the singularity of the biblical gospel. The RC church adds to God’s “gospel” indulgences to remit punishment for sin. This, however, is completely absent from the Bible. Moreover, the Bible is absolutely clear that there are no “indulgences” that can remit punishment for sin. That’s what eternal hell is for, and still, even that, can never fully satisfy the penalty and payment for sin. Listen to these texts:
Psalm 49:7-8 7 No man can by any means redeem his brother, Or give to God a ransom for him-- 8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever--
Hebrews 9:22 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
So here, the only way to atone for sin is through the shedding of blood. It is another essential crux of the RC church to say that the Pope is the “head of the church.” Well, Scripture clearly says otherwise and, sorry to say, the pope is not infallible, inerrant or inspired by God when he speaks. Listen to God’s Words:
Colossians 1:18-20 18 He [Jesus] is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Ephesians 1:22-23 2 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
So it is not the Pope here who is the head over all things given to the church, but rather it is Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
Fourth, the Roman Catholic church is attacking the sovereign grace of God. This is one of the clearest truths in all the Scripture and the RC church eliminates all of the glories of God’s grace from the inspired Word of God. The RC church says that God’s grace is insufficient to atone for all of our sins. To say it differently, God is impotent or incapable of forgiving us all of our sins at the moment of conversion. That is, to be brash, why they must go to confession and confess their sins before a (human and infallible!) priest, why they must do good works to merit their own salvation and why they must go to purgatory to purify sins after death before entering heaven. Scripture is convincingly true that there is no purgatory (it’s either eternal heaven or eternal hell), and there is no need to go to confession and confess sins before a human priest.
1 John 1:7 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Luke 23:39-43 39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
May it be known that the RC church is attacking the sovereign grace of God in salvation which offers regenerate people forgiveness of sins in total. There is no sacrifice left to be accomplished. There is no need for another sacrifice. If there were, then the sacrifice of Christ on the cross would have been insufficient and, hence, we would be still dead in our sins and without hope (cf. 1 Cor 15:1-22).
It is my prayer that we understand these RC doctrines that are so false and so antithetical to the Scriptures and, with love and gentleness, confront these dear people with the truth so as to rescue them from the damning trap of Satan’s gospel wrapped in Christian garb which only leads to eternal hell.
