John 14:1-18, The Sufficiency of the Cross Applied (7)

I have come across various books on Catholicism, declaring it dangerous because of its roots in the Mystery Religions of Rome and tracing it back to Nimrod in Gen. 10 and the religion of Father God/Mother God/Child God.  I don’t doubt that these are real issues.  But I want you to note that in these now seven posts I have applied only one test to the RCC: the test of Col. 2:18-19!  All of these fallacies deny the full and complete work of Christ and try to get me to look elsewhere for “all I need for life and godliness.” 

That is generally the problem with Catholicism.  They tell me I need a Pope, a “Papa of Papas,” the official representative (vicar) of Christ, “the visible leader of Christ’s Church on earth” (p141).  He has the title “Pontiff” meaning bridge-builder or priest connecting God and man.  When Christ died the veil was torn in two from top to bottom, giving me access.  I need no other priest, whether the Pope or the local “Father.”  It is interesting: “the popes have rejected other titles such as ‘universal bishop,’ which might seem to derogate from the position of their brother bishops.”  Nice that the Pope doesn’t want to take away the power of fellow-bishops but will take away the fullness of Christ.

Jesus told me I could pray in His name and the Father would hear and grant the need. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (Jn. 14:14).  The RCC says I can up the power with God if I pray to Mary, another advocate.  Or I can give my request to some saint, who by his saintly life must have a better standing with God, and let that saint pray for me.  They are trying to cheat me of my reward, trying to get me to let loose of Christ as my one and only Head.  There is no way around it!

In Catholicism I guess Jesus’ shed blood was enough to get me out of hell.  But not purgatory.  Because I still have to make up for my sins, all the suffering that I brought upon Jesus.  But wait: you can pray for me when I’m in purgatory and get the sentence reduced.  Do I need to say it!  I will have none of that, but I will hold fast to one Head, Jesus Christ, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God!

I expect in the next post to talk about others who are trying to rob me of my reward.  I have spent considerable time on the RCC because they have built a system that is based on “the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8).  Then they offer this to the world, a religion that can make you feel really religious, because you get to take delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which (you) have not seen, vainly puffed up by (your) fleshly mind (Col. 2:18).  The success of any religion, outside the religion of the Bible, depends on appealing to the pride of the worshiper.  The RCC has excelled in this!