Come out from among them and be separate sayeth the LORD rings out loudly........I have yet to see one context in the bible that expected a believer to stay within the ranks of a false religion for any reason whatsoever at all.......just saying....
By staying, he and others get to proclaim the Truth.
HOWEVER JESUS is NOT talking about CATHOLICS, HE is talking about the PAGANS, and while WANT TO CALL CATHOLICS, PAGANS, THAT IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH. The are no different that other religions religions like Seventh Day Advent. The are Border Line, and they are getting a few people saved. I believe that Catholics are ONE of the SEVEN Types of Churches that JESUS HIMSELF, walks around, and HE RECOGNIZES THEM AS ONE OF HIS SEVEN TYPES OF CHURCHES,
WHO ARE WE TO RECOGNIZE LESS.
Here is the Seven major points of Protestant Doctrine, that MOST of the Mainline Denominations, can agree on:
1. THE DEITY OF CHRIST, and the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
2. Salvation is by GRACE through Faith, NOT BY WORKS.
3. Christ Died for our Sins, and physically rose from the grave.
4. Genuine Christians have received Jesus Christ as LORD (Master), thus He becomes our Savior. Therefore we know Him in our hearts, instead of just knowing about Him in our heads.
5. We must be spiritually BORN AGAIN, by the Holy Spirit, bringing our own spirit to LIFE; and immersing us into the spiritual Body of Christ, or we are not Saved.
6. NO Christian is sinless, but as we mature spritually, we will sin less and less. ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.
7. JESUS CHRIST will come from Heaven to resurrect us and receive us unto Himself, giving us a gorified body that will not die again, and will not have sin in it.
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NOW, let's see what the Catholics teach on those subjects. I will use the online Catholic Catechism published by the Vatican itself. It is equal to a Doctinal Statement of Faith, used by most Protestant Churches, just more complicated. First I will establish that they believe the Bible is the Inspired Word of GOD and then I will show you they agree with the 7 points that you agreed with 100%.
QUOTE:
THE CATHOLIC CATECHISM:
. . .
105 God is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."
. . .
107 The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."
. . .
II. "I Know Whom I Have Believed"
16
To believe in God alone
150 Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature.
17
To believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God
151 For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the One he sent, his "beloved Son", in whom the Father is "well pleased"; God tells us to listen to him.
18 The Lord himself said to his disciples: "Believe in God, believe also in me."
19 We can believe in Jesus Christ because he is himself God, the Word made flesh: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known."
20 Because he "has seen the Father", Jesus Christ is the only one who knows him and can reveal him.
21
To believe in the Holy Spirit
152 One cannot believe in Jesus Christ without sharing in his Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals to men who Jesus is. For "no one can say "Jesus is Lord", except by the Holy Spirit",
22 who "searches everything, even the depths of God. . No one comprehends the thoughts of God, except the Spirit of God."
23 Only God knows God completely: we believe in the Holy Spirit because he is God.
The Church never ceases to proclaim her faith in one only God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
16 -
2 Tim 1:12,
17 -
Jer 17:5-6;
Ps 40:5;
146:3-4,
18 -
Mk 1:11;
9:7,
19 -
Jn 14:1,
20 -
Jn 1:18,
21 - Jn 6:46;
Mt 11:27,
22 -
I Cor 12:3,
23 -
I Cor 2:10-11.
. . .
156 What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe "because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived". So "that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit." Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church's growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability "are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all"; they are "motives of credibility" (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is "by no means a blind impulse of the mind".
. . .
162 Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man.
. . .
178 We must believe in no one but God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
179 Faith is a supernatural gift from God. In order to believe, man needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit.
. . .
781 Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed. If man commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within him as the witness to the universal truth of the good, at the same time as the evil of his particular choice. the verdict of the judgment of conscience remains a pledge of hope and mercy. In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind the forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be practiced, and the virtue that must be constantly cultivated with the grace of God:
. . .
1847 "God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us." To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
END QUOTE
Now I am not Catholic, but back when was younger I decided to read through the Catholic Catechism, to see WHY many were spreading False Beliefs about our Christian Brothers the Catholics. I had to reach the conclusion, that it was PURE IGNORANCE, about their Beliefs. As far as I know, every Catholic still has to study this Catechism and take a test on it, before he or she can be Confirmed in the Catholic Church. Do I believe they have some false ideas in the Catholic Church? Sure, BUT SO DO THE PROTESTANTS. And if your denominational bigotry was taught to you by your Church, then YOUR CHURCH too, has some serious false teachings. Do I believe there is such a thing as a PERFECT denominational Church that has EVERYTHING RIGHT? NO! I believe fallible human beings, never have been perfect, and will not be Perfect until we get that infallible, glorified body when HE calls us out of this earth.
