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Five Things Every Christian Should Know

There have been many great events that act as milestones along the path of human history. One of the greatest and most far-reaching of these was the sixteenth century Reformation, a mighty work of God concerning truth. Great spiritual battles took place. On the one hand were the forces of darkness that had enveloped the world and enslaved the minds of the people. The power of this darkness was held by the Roman Catholic Church. On the other hand were the forces of light and righteousness led by the Holy Spirit of God who worked through men whom He had both enlightened to the truth, and empowered with courage and strength.

This mighty work of the Holy Spirit not only had a marked impact on the spiritual life of people, as the gospel of redeeming grace was once again applied and experienced by them, but it also had a tremendous impact on society at large. This was the greatest revival of truth since the birth of the New Testament Church fifteen hundred years before. As the gospel of God’s grace began to touch the lives of men and women, Roman Catholicism was discarded. It was seen to be a religion far removed from the religion of Jesus Christ, People began to realize what they had been taught was not New Testament Christianity, but a religion of idolatry and superstition.

The result of this mighty move of the Spirit of God was that biblical Christianity in its purity and strength was once again restored to the church. Primitive Christianity and that of the Reformation were in many ways, one and the same thing. The same great spiritual revolution that was described as turning the world upside down in the first century now affected the sixteenth century. Today, people of high standing in church and society are seeking to undo that great work and in so doing are wittingly or unwittingly carrying out the work of the devil. Many of these people see the Reformation as a great mistake, perceiving the division between the Church of Jesus Christ and the Church of Rome to be a wound that they should seek to heal, and are now wanting to accept the Pope as the leader of a universal Church.

Such a Church with the Pope at its head is not a Christian Church, but rather the church of the antichrist. Today there are few who dare call the Pope by his biblical title “The man of sin … the son of perdition” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 yet such he is, heading up as he does a religious system that is opposed to biblical Christianity. In the light of all the confusion, it is of great importance that we once again reinstate the great bywords that epitomized the principles followed by the Reformers. In their battle for the truth, principles that the Church of Christ needs so desperately to return to in this day.

SOLA SCRIPTURA

The Reformers rejected, as do all true Christians, the doctrine of the Church of Rome which teaches that she, the “Holy Mother Church”, is the only authority that may interpret the Bible. To this Bible she has added the books of the Apocrypha, along with the consent of the Fathers and the decrees of the various Councils, unwritten ecclesiastical traditions and the decisions of the Popes.

The much vaunted Vatican II document declares that: “it is not from sacred Scriptures alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and sacred scriptures are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of devotion and reverence … It is clear therefore that sacred scripture and the authority of the Church, in accord to God’s most wise design, are so linked and joined together that they cannot stand without the other, and that altogether and each in its own way under the action of the Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls,” (chapter 2 par.9) The true Church of Jesus Christ believes, as did the Reformers, that the Holy Scriptures of Old and the New Testaments which are inspired by God, are the sole rule of faith and practice. The Church of Christ neither turns to traditions or men, but stands firmly upon the Word of God.

SOLA GRATIA

Grace alone very simply means the unmerited favour of God. Man’s salvation is entirely of grace therefore it is exclusively a divine work. There is no part that man, who is dead in trespasses and sin, can play in his salvation. There is not a single contribution he can make. If a man is saved it is all of God. God is in not obliged to save; no man has done anything to deserve it; our salvation is the work of God from beginning to end: therefore “if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace” Romans 11:6 “by grace are ye saved” Ephesians 2:8.

The way of salvation as taught by the Church of Rome is called the doctrine of merit. She teaches that good works expiate sin. Cardinal Bellarmine, one of the Goliaths of the Church of Rome, said, “A man hath double right to glory; one by Christ’s merits, and the other by his own.” This Church claims that “good works do truly deserve eternal life; and whosever holds contrary is accursed”. Rome also holds to the idea that a righteous person can accumulate a surplus of good works, over and above that which he or she requires. These merits form a treasury, which can be dispensed by the Pope to less holy Roman Catholics. Such an idea is nothing short of blasphemous nonsense. The Bible teaches that “God … hath saved us … not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace” 2 Timothy 1:1,9. This is biblical doctrine. This is Reformed doctrine. This is Christian doctrine. Grace finds us beggars and leaves us as debtors to mercy alone. The Reformation truth is that we are saved by grace and grace alone.

SOLO CHRISTO

The Bible sets forth the Lord Jesus Christ as the one Mediator between God and man. A mediator is one who stands between two opposing parties in order that they may be reconciled. That is what the Lord Jesus did when He assumed our humanity, made of a woman and became flesh. He, in the form of man obeyed on our behalf the Law of the Lord and, as man, suffered and died for our sin and guilt. He performed all that was necessary for the making of peace “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1. Only through Christ can we have peace and acceptance with God. He is the only way of access to the Father, as He Himself said “No man cometh unto the father but by me,” John 14:6. Furthermore the Bible makes it clear that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all,” 1 Timothy 2:5-6.

The Church of Rome however, interposes many so called mediators, none of whom are effective and who are in complete contradiction to the Word of God. Among these many mediators are the priests, who claim to have the exclusive right and power to change bread and wine into the body, blood and soul of Christ and then offer Him afresh in the Mass as a non-bloody sacrifice for sin. Added to them are the Angels, dead saints and the Virgin Mary who is their leading mediator.

The Marian cult is a major force in the Church of Rome so much so that the Second Vatican Council, among other statements about Mary, said ‘This maternity of Mary in the order of grace began with the consent which she gave in faith at the annunciation … therefore the blessed Virgin Mary is invoked by the Church under the title of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, and Mediatrix.” Para.62. There is not a single Scripture to be that can warrant such doctrine, in fact such a thing is expressly forbidden, and the Mass as the Book of Common Prayer rightly says is comprised of “Blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits.”

The Christian Church of today rejects, as did the Reformers, all such mediatorial ideas as being contrary to God’s Word and having no part of the Christian faith. There is but One Mediator between God and man, our Lord Jesus Christ.

SOLA FIDE

The fourth great principle of the Reformation was that of Justification by faith alone, this being the central truth of Christianity and the real test of the churches fidelity to the gospel. This fact is clearly taught in the Scripture ‘‘Being justified by faith, we have peace with God,” Romans 5:1, and then in Galatians 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no man be justified.”

The Church at Rome denies this cardinal truth, teaching that “The instrumental cause (of justification) is sacramental baptism.” The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine states “baptism is a sacrament which frees us from original sin, makes us children of God, brethren of Christ and co-heirs with Him of the Kingdom of Heaven.” To this is added obedience to the Law “through the observance of God and of the Church,” Decrees of the Tridentine Council.

We are told by some, that the Second Vatican Council changed many things in respect of Roman dogma, that today she is more reformed and evangelical. This must go down in church history as one of the great lies of the twentieth century. The dogmas of the Council of Trent are still very much in force, they are still to be believed and the Second Vatican Council confirmed this to be the case. The only positive thing that can be said about the Second Vatican Council is that the Church of Rome underwent a massive makeover, putting on a new and more attractive face, applying a goodly amount of cosmetics to cover her many heresies. So, effective has this make-over been that many have been seduced by her charms. Let us be very clear, under the layers of make- up, the wart wrinkled, haggard face of Rome still exists.

As the Reformers of old raised their voice of protest at this unbiblical doctrine we to must protest against this blatant perversion of Scripture. The doctrine of Justification by faith alone is a cardinal doctrine of the true Christian faith.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

True doctrine magnifies God. It magnifies His grace and mercy in the salvation of sinners. It causes men and women to worship Him in the beauty of holiness, to bow before Him, to adore Him, to declare His glory. The Lord, and the Lord alone is to glorified “unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end,” Ephesians 3:21. The doctrine of Rome does not do this; it exalts and glorifies the Pope and the priests by the doctrine of salvation by works.

These doctrines are man-centred. Roman Catholicism is a man-glorifying religion, which is as far removed from the New Testament as it can possibly be. The Church of Rome is not part of the Christian Church despite its longevity and its many pretensions to be so. The Church of Jesus Christ declares that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever” (the Westminster Confession of Faith.) True Christianity is that which glorifies God not that which is centred around and glorifies men.

May it please the Lord God in His grace and mercy to revive and restore these five great pillars of Reformation Truth to the twenty-first century Church that they may once again be emblazoned upon the hearts and minds of every true Bible believing Christian?

They are five great truths for which many men and women died for rather than compromise with the dark superstitious doctrines and lies of Rome, in order, that we today might have the freedom and the Faith we enjoy and take for granted.

These five truths teach God’s people that there is no common ground with the Church of’ Rome and that union with this organisation is an impossibility, one that cannot even be contemplated by the Church of Christ. As Martin Luther declared ‘‘here I stand I can do no other.”

 

 

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