Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rescuing Souls
http://proclaimingthegospel.org/equip/articles/54-rescuing-souls ^ | unknown | Mike Gendron

Posted on 10/05/2013 10:09:16 PM PDT by jodyel

Rescuing Precious Souls from the Bondage of Religion

We can be wrong about a lot of things in this life and still survive, but if we are wrong about the only way to obtain forgiveness from God, we will pay for that fatal mistake throughout all eternity. Our Creator provides only one way to redeem man from sin and He has revealed it in a divinely inspired message to mankind. However, it didn't take long for God's complete and perfect Gospel message to be corrupted by religious leaders. These men, who say they speak for God, have distorted and perverted this good news of God's mercy and grace. Their unstated goal has been to control people by keeping them in legalistic bondage to their authority. The Lord Jesus revealed the only way of escape from this bondage. He said: "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

Establish the Supreme Authority for Truth

Reaching those who are being held captive by religious indoctrination must always begin by establishing the Bible as the supreme authority for knowing God's Gospel. Christ and His Word must rule over man's religious traditions because God has exalted His Word above all things (Psalm 138:2). The word of God is infallible and has no equal (Isa. 55:10). The Bible is the most authoritative, influential and powerful book ever written. It is the standard for discerning truth from error(1 John 4:6). It is sufficient to function as the sole, infallible rule of faith (2 Tim. 3:14-16). The Bible does not refer us to any other rule of faith because everything we must know,understand and believe to be reconciled to God is found in Scripture (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Whenever we are confronted by two or more opinions, we must always ask, "But what does the Scripture say?" (Gal. 4:30).

What About The Traditions of Men?

Roman Catholics reject the supreme authority of Scripture by elevating their tradition to the same level of authority. They defend their position by quoting St. Paul who wrote: "Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us" (2 Thes. 2:15). But we must make a distinction between traditions which had already been taught by the apostles in the first century and the traditions established by men over the last 1900 years (2 Cor. 11:2 ; 2 Thes. 3:6).

Clearly there are certain apostolic traditions recorded in Scripture that Christians must embrace, but not all traditions are biblical. Paul encouraged us to make this distinction. He wrote: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). Paul is warning us that we can become ensnared by the traditions of men when they do not conform to Christ and His word. Tradition must always be subservient to Scripture because God's word is divinely inspired while tradition is not.

What About "Infallible" Men?

Roman Catholics also reject the supreme authority of Scripture by elevating its "infallible" bishops to be equal in authority. In practice, the bishops actually sit above Scripture by declaring no one else can give an authentic interpretation of the Word of God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 85). Yet the Apostle Paul commended the Bereans (who were not bishops) for interpreting the Scriptures to verify the truthfulness of his teaching. "Now the Bereans ... received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). It is quite clear that the apostle, who penned over half the New Testament, encouraged his listeners to submit to the supreme authority of the Hebrew Scriptures. The veracity of every man's message must be tested with the same Scriptural authority.

Getting the Gospel Right

Once the supreme authority of Scripture has been communicated to Catholics who are enslaved to another authority, the Gospel of God can be heralded. It is wise to present God's Gospel in contrast to Rome's plan of salvation so Catholics can discern the difference. The distinction between the two gospels can best be described as the difference between divine accomplishment and human achievement. The true Gospel describes what God has done through Jesus Christ to save sinners, while the gospel of Rome describes what man must do for God. Paul defines the Gospel according to Scripture alone (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The glorious Gospel of grace is what one perfect man did 2000 years ago to reconcile sinful man to God. It has nothing to do with what any imperfect man has done since, or is doing now. This eliminates all the requirements Roman Catholics have added to the finished work of Jesus Christ. It also eliminates Catholic priests making daily sin offerings on their altars.

Catholics Are Totally Dependent Upon An Illegitimate Priesthood

One of the most controlling elements of the Roman Catholic religion is its indoctrination concerning the priesthood. Each Catholic is taught that their salvation is utterly dependent upon the ministry of their priests. According to the unbiblical teachings of Rome, it is the Catholic priest who baptizes infants for their justification and spiritual birth, the priest who hears confession and demands penance as the satisfaction for sin, the priest who dispenses Jesus in the Eucharist, the priest who imparts the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation, the priest who gives Last Rites, and the priest who offers the sacrifice of the Mass for souls suffering in purgatory. What a fatal deception!

There is no longer a need for priests offering sacrifices for sin because by one offering Jesus Christ has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Heb. 10:14). At the very moment our Lord Jesus gave up His Spirit on Calvary's cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Mat. 27:51). The veil that separated sinful man from the Holy of Holies was ripped open, and now, anyone washed by the blood of Christ can come boldly into the presence of God. When Jesus, our High Priest, offered Himself once for all sin for all time, he made the sacrificial priesthood obsolete. Every believer in Jesus Christ has been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb.10:10).

The illegitimacy and obsolescence of the Roman Catholic priesthood is also expressly noted by the sovereign and exclusive work of the triune God in saving sinners. It is God the Father who chooses, calls and draws the lost to His Son (John 6:44; Jas. 2:5). The Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin and the coming judgment (John 16:8-11). Jesus Christ is proclaimed through His Word as the only way of salvation (John 14:6). God gives life to those dead in sin and grants the sinner repentance and faith (Rom. 4:17; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:25). Jesus exchanges His righteousness for the sins of the believer (2 Cor. 5:21). The Holy Spirit seals, indwells and empowers the justified believer (Eph. 1:13-14, Rom. 8). The Father adopts, secures and glorifies His children (John 1:12; Rom. 8:30). Clearly, God alone is deserving of all glory! (Rom. 11:36). He alone is worthy to be praised!

Peter expressed the bondage that enslaves religious leaders who exchange the truth of God for the fatal errors of men. He wrote: "Speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved (2 Pet. 2:18-20).

How Can We Rescue These Precious Souls?

Paul provides the answer! "The Lord's bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Tim. 2:24-26). We must take note of the correct way to approach those who are being deceived by the clever, scheming, and subtle lies of the devil. We must lovingly confront them with gentleness, patience and humility and avoid being quarrelsome or argumentative. As we correct them, we must use the Scriptures and avoid giving our own opinions, experiences or philosophy. Saving faith comes from hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17).

Liberty from the bondage of sin and deception is found only in Christ. The Father sent Him to preach the Gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and to set free those who are downtrodden (Luke 4:18). Jesus also came to give sight to the blind because a veil of spiritual blindness covers every man's heart. However there is one condition that must be met: Paul declares: "whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Cor. 3:16). This means turning from fallible men and their traditions and turning to Christ and His infallible word!


TOPICS: Catholic; Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; Ministry/Outreach
KEYWORDS: gendron; salvation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180181-196 last
To: CynicalBear
...And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:1-3

1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism

HMMMmmm...

Looks like they GOT the water...

181 posted on 10/08/2013 10:27:32 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 166 | View Replies]

To: aMorePerfectUnion

182 posted on 10/08/2013 10:31:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 160 | View Replies]

To: Iscool
You (your religion) was proven wrong by post 161 but I'll bet at the next opportunity, you'll be spewing out the same nonsense...


183 posted on 10/08/2013 10:33:19 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 178 | View Replies]

To: CynicalBear

It’s Scripture. One truth and not multiple interpretations.


184 posted on 10/08/2013 11:20:33 AM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 167 | View Replies]

To: Arthur McGowan
I never said that the decision of the Catholic Church CAUSED any Scriptures to be inspired. I was pointing out that there was debate and doubt for a couple of hundred years about what belonged in the canon, and what should be excluded. The Gospel of Thomas and the Shepherd of Hermas were widely accepted as inspired Scripture. The Acts of the Apostles and Revelation were widely rejected.

Sure there was doubt and debate with the robe wearing, indulgence selling apostates...

1Th 5:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

The church right from the get go had the scriptures and they multiplied them and passed them out to the churches world wide...

Rom 10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

The final decision was made in the fourth century, by the Pope.

Again, the scriptures that came out of Jerusalem, Syria and that region were circulated world wide Centuries before your religion put together the African scriptures that originated in Egypt and long before any 'Catholic' council was ever established...

185 posted on 10/08/2013 1:33:41 PM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 174 | View Replies]

To: Arthur McGowan
And its a complete evasion of the fact that your conviction about what constitutes the New Testament is entirely dependent on a determination made by a Pope.

Just because that's what your religion teaches you to tell people doesn't mean there's an ounce of truth to it...

186 posted on 10/08/2013 1:35:13 PM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 176 | View Replies]

To: Elsie
Mary is alive in Heaven helping out Jesus.

Jesus is alive in Heaven humbly carrying out Mary's commands...

187 posted on 10/08/2013 1:37:27 PM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 180 | View Replies]

To: Elsie

Hmmm...Sorry...


188 posted on 10/08/2013 1:40:03 PM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 183 | View Replies]

To: Iscool

“...Jesus is alive in Heaven humbly carrying out Mary’s commands...”

No one thinks that. Mary is saved so she is in Heaven with Jesus. She does not carry out his commands and no Catholic thinks that. Twisting someone’s Faith and then mocking it is not OK.

If someone who is Born Again dies, don’t they go to heaven to be with Jeusus? So why not Mary? Is all communication with a saved person who has passed on cut off? If so, why?

The bible has several instances where saved people are communicated wth - the transfiguration being one example, so I don’t get the basis for the position that communication is definitely ended.

I understand that necromancy is forbidden; however a saved person is not dead if they are alive in Christ. Necromancy is wrong and Catholics believe that it is a mortal sin, as well. We are forbidden to consult with fortunetellers and others who communicate with the dead - the dead are in hell with the demons who pretend to be passed on relatives, etc. - this IS forbidden in Catholicism and is considered a mortal sin.


189 posted on 10/09/2013 4:46:34 AM PDT by stonehouse01 (Equal rights for unborn women)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 187 | View Replies]

To: stonehouse01
The bible has several instances where saved people are communicated wth - the transfiguration being one example, so I don’t get the basis for the position that communication is definitely ended.

Moses and Elijah communicated with the transfigured Jesus, not the apostles...There is no way you can use that verse to suggest people in heaven communicate with those on earth...

No one thinks that. Mary is saved so she is in Heaven with Jesus. She does not carry out his commands and no Catholic thinks that. Twisting someone’s Faith and then mocking it is not OK.

We all know better than that...You guys have Mary responsible for your salvation...You have Mary handing out grace...Those are just two of the many things you attribute to Mary that only God can do...

190 posted on 10/09/2013 5:26:58 AM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 189 | View Replies]

To: Iscool

“...You guys have Mary responsible for your salvation...You have Mary handing out grace......”

This is not correct. This is a twisted version of the Catholic Faith and it is not Ok.


191 posted on 10/09/2013 5:36:02 AM PDT by stonehouse01 (Equal rights for unborn women)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 190 | View Replies]

To: metmom

“Works do not make faith saving”

Absolutely true and no Catholic would ever disagree.

However, faith alone does not save - it is both. Catholics correctly believe all of the verses on Faith being necessary for salvation. We also believe that all of the verses on works are true as well. All scripture is profitable - Salvation depends on both faith and works; not either/or.

St. James Chapter 2 Verse 14

What shall it profit my brethren, if a man say he has faith: but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

17

So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Faith without works is dead, and works without faith is equally dead.

BOTH are required for salvation.


192 posted on 10/09/2013 5:44:49 AM PDT by stonehouse01 (Equal rights for unborn women)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 163 | View Replies]

To: stonehouse01
So explain why that contradicts whole passages of Scripture, including what Jesus had to say about it.

John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:14-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Galatians 2:15-21 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 3:1-29 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Ephesians 2:1-10And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Not a result of works, so that no man may boast.

Explain the contradiction then with your interpretation of James.

193 posted on 10/09/2013 6:24:24 AM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 192 | View Replies]

To: stonehouse01
“...You guys have Mary responsible for your salvation...You have Mary handing out grace......” This is not correct. This is a twisted version of the Catholic Faith and it is not Ok.

We see it all over these threads...We see it all over the internet...We see it with your popes...One of your popes gave Mary ALL the credit when he survived being shot...

YOu may deny it but the rest of your religion doesn't...

194 posted on 10/09/2013 7:17:40 AM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 191 | View Replies]

To: stonehouse01
Catholics correctly believe all of the verses on Faith being necessary for salvation. However, faith alone does not save - it is both.

That has been proven to be untrue so many times...There are plenty of verses that not only show that faith does not include works but you will be condemned to hell for relying on works for your salvation...And you guys do everything you can do to avoid those verses...

So if you can not reconcile all the scripture and still come up with the same conclusion, and you can't, your religion's understanding of the scripture is meaningless...

195 posted on 10/09/2013 7:31:48 AM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 192 | View Replies]

To: metmom

“...so explain why that contradicts whole passages of Scripture ...”

It doesn’t, that’s my point. Catholics embrace every single verse you have set out and then some -

We also believe James when he says Faith without works is dead.

Catholics do not believe in salvation without faith. Salvation requires faith and works. Works don’t get you to heaven without faith, of course not, but faith without works (sola fida) is a construct of Martin Luther.

Matthew: 7:21

Not everyone who saith to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he the DOTH (an action, a work) the will of my Father who is in heaven.

All scripture is profitable, if you can’t reconcile all the scriptures, your religion’s interpretations are meaningless.


196 posted on 10/09/2013 11:01:04 AM PDT by stonehouse01 (Equal rights for unborn women)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 193 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180181-196 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson