World Religions, Cults, and Worldviews

1. World Religions, Cults, and Worldviews The Roman Catholic Church

2. The Roman Catholic Church Catholics do have an orthodox view of: • the Trinity • the deity of Christ • the Virgin Birth of Christ • the sinlessness of Christ • and to some extent, Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross (they detract from its sufficiency and add rituals needed to supplement the atonement)

3. Traditions 1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”

4. Traditions 6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ 8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” 9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

5. Traditions 10 “For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH’; 11 but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” Mark 7:1-13

6. Revelation 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 • The Catholic Church says, “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . .” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [or CCC], paragraph 97)

7. Revelation • “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.” (Catechism, para. 82)

8. Development of Traditions Roman Catholic doctrine developed considerably during the medieval period and beyond: • purgatory in 593 • prayer to Mary, saints, and angels in 600 • kissing the pope’s foot in 709 • canonization of dead saints in 995 • celibacy of the priesthood in 1079 (See next slide) • the rosary in 1090 • transubstantiation and confessing sins to a priest in 1215 • indulgences 1343 – Pope Clement IV • the seven sacraments in 1439 • infallibility of the Pope (1870)

9. Development of Traditions 1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-4

10. Indulgences • Indulgences: “… a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribe conditions through the action of the church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” (CCC, para. 1471)

11. Salvation • Salvation is not only by works, instead of grace, but a lifelong set of rituals which, if ignored, mean the person has lost their salvation. It is an entire system of works as opposed to resting in God’s grace through Christ. You are your own savior. • Earlier we saw that salvation comes through the Pope (Pope Boniface the 8th, 1302) • Salvation through the MASS and sacraments • Baptismal regeneration – baby is born again through baptism! • Purgatory needed to cleanse you of sins Christ’s sacrifice did not cleanse you of

12. Justification • How and when do we gain right legal standing before God? • The Bible says that: God “justifies him who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26), and that “a man is justified by faith apart from works of law” (Rom. 3:28). He says, “Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Moreover, “a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16).

13. Justification • Justify is related to the word for righteous. • The word for righteousness in Greek (dikaiosune) is related to the verb “to justify” or dikaio. • “Righteousfy” means – to declare righteous.

14. Justification • Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which He: (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us (2) declares us to be righteous in His sight • This is COURTROOM LANGUAGE

15. Justification • Then he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He reckoned [credited] it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

16. Justification • To justify – to declare righteous: • “When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God [acknowledged God’s justice], having been baptized with the baptism of John” (Luke 7:29). • He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15

17. Justification • 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:31-34

18. Justification • Justification includes imputation • Imputes = God thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us (Rom. 4:3; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 4:6-8). • God credits something to our spiritual account • For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED [logizomai ] TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Romans 4:3

19. Justification • 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith… Philippians 3:7-9

20. Justification • Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteousman shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 • for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus… Romans 3:23-24

21. Justification • Why Faith? It’s the exact opposite of works or self-merit or self-reliance The dividing line between Catholics and Protestants: • to be declared innocent or • to be made innocent? • To be imputed or credited with righteousness or imparted/infused with righteousness.

22. Justification The Roman Catholic View: • Infused righteousness: At the moment of salvation, God infuses or weaves into you an actual sinless holiness. At that moment, you are perfectly innocent in actual practice. • Does this sound like legal, courtroom language? No.

23. Justification The Council of Trent (1545-1563) • “The means of justification is the sacrament of baptism.” • Those who, by sin have fallen from the received grace of justification may be again justified ... through the sacrament of penance. (confession, Hail Marys, etc.)

24. Justification The Council of Trent • “If any one says, that by faith alone the sinner is justified; in such a way as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema – condemned.” (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9)

25. Justification The Council of Trent • “If any one says, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema.” (Canon 14)

26. Justification The Council of Trent • “If any one says, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase of justification; let him be anathema.” (Canon 24)

27. Justification • “If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified ... let him be accursed” (Canon 12) • For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:28 • Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… Romans 5:1

28. Justification • “If any one says, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.” (Canon 30)

29. Justification • Baptism is only the initial grace along the road of justification. The Roman Catholic is to then maintain his position before God by his efforts. • “No one can merit the initial grace which is at the origin of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods," (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), par. 2027). • You cannot merit grace. Grace is unmerited favor.

30. Justification • 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

31. Justification • Summary: The Roman Catholic view of salvation promotes an insufficient Christ, an inadequate Cross, a losable salvation, and a salvation that fails to protect you from God’s wrath against sin since it is based on your good works. - Joel James

32. Afterlife • Purgatory (more works) or directly into God’s presence? • And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 • we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 • But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; Philippians 1:23

33. How to Reach Catholics with the Gospel • Encourage them to read the Bible, especially books like the Gospel of John and Ephesians, Galatians, Romans. • Give them a tract, such as the ones from Evantell, that clearly explain the Gospel. • Give them a book or video from Mike Gendron’s ministry • Emphasize the finished work of Christ and salvation by grace through faith. • Don’t waste time arguing about Mary or priests – distractions