Salvation Through The Church?

Roman Catholicism teaches that salvation is available only through the Catholic church:

"The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism explains: 'For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.'" Pg. 215, #816

Here, the 1994 catechism reaffirms the existing teaching of Vatican II, that salvation can be obtained only through the Roman Catholic church. The catechism leaves no doubt that the Catholic church is necessary for salvation:

"...all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation..." Pg. 224, #846

Past popes have taught this doctrine, as have previous catechisms and church fathers. Here is but one example

On May 7, 2001, Pope John Paul II told 2,000 youth gathered at the Greek-Melkite Cathedral of Damascus that "you cannot be a Christian if you reject the Church founded on Jesus Christ."1

Catholic friend, you personally may not believe this, but your pope does. And it is an official doctrine of your religion.

If you check God's Word on this subject, you will not find a single verse requiring one to go through a church to be saved. In fact, the opposite is taught:

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the full price for the sins of all mankind. According to God's Word, anyone can go directly to Him for salvation. Jesus Himself announced that:

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

Jesus preached:

"He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life" John 5:24

"He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47

Jesus repeats this message in John 3:16, 3:18, and 6:40. If the Catholic church really is necessary for salvation, then Jesus Christ is a liar.

The Apostle Paul gives step by step instructions on how to be saved:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10

Notice, no church is required. So if Catholicism is right, then the Apostle Paul is also a liar. And since he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is a liar as well.

"But as many as received (trusted in) him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12

John says you become God's child by believing in Jesus Christ. If this Catholic doctrine is true, then John's name must be added to the list of liars.

But John is not a liar. Jesus never requires a church for salvation:

"To him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43

The key is belief in Christ, not a church:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" Romans 1:16

According to Paul, Timothy needed faith in Christ to be saved, not a church:

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15

When the Philippian prison guard asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?," did Paul answer, "You must become a member of the Roman Catholic church?" No, he responded:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16:31

Remember when Jesus was hanging on the cross? The thief on the cross next to Him cried out:

"Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke 23:42

When that dying sinner uttered those words of faith, Jesus responded by saying:

"To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43

Salvation is in Christ not in a church.

The catechism claims salvation comes "through Christ's Catholic Church alone" But God's Word says it is obtained through Jesus Christ:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9

Only Christ can offer us salvation because He alone shed His blood for us:

"Much more then, being now justi-fied by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Romans 5:9

No church can offer salvation. Only Jesus can:

"Neither is there salvation in any other (except Jesus): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:10, 12

Conclusion

Since the Bible and Catholicism clearly disagree, here are some questions you must answer:

• If the Catholic church is necessary to escape hell and reach heaven, would not God have clearly stated it in His Word? at least once?

• Why would Jesus repeatedly lie by saying that salvation is available through faith in Him?

•Are you willing to call Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John all liars? For your religion to be right, you must.

• For centuries, Bible believing Christians have contended that this unbiblical doctrine was created to keep members in bondage. Was it?

• Lastly, you must again answer the question, "Which will I obey and serve, the traditions of men, or the Word of God?" You cannot say "both" because each says the other is wrong.

Someday you will stand face to face with Jesus Christ. You will look Him right in the eyes. You might want to start thinking about how you are going to tell the Lord that you rejected His teachings and obeyed the traditions of sinful men because you assumed He was lying.

"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men?" Mark 7:8

some links that claims Roman Catholic church as necessary for Salvation.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/
http://www.catholicism.org/eens.html
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html

When Worry Strikes...

Ive been worrying too much these past few days due to unfavorable circumstances happened to me. After reading the word of God, worry slowly diminishes away. So i thank God for it. Well, maybe i have the burden to share some of the promises of God to all the readers of this blog. When worry strikes, here are some promises of God to ponder.

Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness."

Matthew 11:29-31
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Romans 14:17
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

2 Thessalonians 3:16
"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all
means. The Lord be with you all."

Philippians 4:6-7
"Be careful (filled with care, anxious) for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care
upon him; for he careth for you."

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Good works or God's work?

How could one enter heaven? Is it by good works or by God's work?

Many believe that Salvation can be obtained by doing good things for others and for God. Some people even go to church and attend mass often as they believe their efforts are credited for heaven. There are also people who believe that by helping the poor and sharing their financial blessing to others would give credit to their salvation someday. But how sure are they that these things that they believe are true? Are these things give assurance for our salvation? Are we to do enough good works to be saved?

To answer this... Let us examine the scriptures:

First off, We cannot save ourselves because we are separated from God because of our sins. Infact God considered us His enemies apart from having reconciliation to Him through his Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:10-11
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages(payment) of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Yes that is true. All have sinned and the payment of sin is death. Death here refers to spiritual and physical death. Physical death is a condition where our heart stops pumping and our lungs is tired of supplying us oxygen. The principle is this... All will die because of sin. Spiritual death in the other hand refers to our separation from God. God is holy and we are sinful. This is the condition where we are considered spiritually dead. We are separated from God.

Sounds horrible right? We are sinners, we are separated from God and we are considered His enemies. We are doomed to hell.

But...... God loved us so much. He does not want you to suffer and to be separated from Him.

That is why He did His Work. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

This is God's work. To save us.
Luke 19:10 Jesus said, "For the Son of Man(Jesus Christ) has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 6:23b "... but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"

Because of Jesus we will be saved from the punishment of our sins only if we believe that He alone could save us and that we will accept Him in our lives as our Savior and Lord. He is the gift given to us by our heavenly Father. A Gift is something that we did not work to earn it.. it is given to us freely and the only thing we need to do is to accept it.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works(your works), so that no one can boast.

By faith through prayer, accept Him now as your Savior and Lord. Ask Him to come into your life and pray that He will make you the person He wanted you to be. Give your whole trust in Him like a sky diver who gives all his confidence that his parachute would carry him safe.

Could you follow this prayer and take it as your own. Please pray this sincerely.

"Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the person you want me to be."


1 John 5:11-13
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

Colossians 1:21-22
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—



To answer the question above.... its pretty obvious. :)

God Bless you reader.

Thank you for taking time to read.

The meaning of Christmas

What's the real meaning of Christmas? What is Christmas to you? Is it merely a celebration? Is it Sta Claus? Is it the reindeer and elves? Is it family celebrations and gifts? Sad to say that some of us forgot the true meaning of Christmas.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world(us) that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". Yes... God gave His only son for us, that is Jesus Christ.

Long time ago, there was a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. Unlike any other baby, the one born that night was unique in all of history. He was not created by a human father and mother. He had a heavenly pre-existence (John 1:1-3, 14). He is God, the Son—Creator of the universe (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means “in the flesh.” In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh.

Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did he become a human like us?

Simple... Its because of LOVE.... God knew that we cannot save ourselves from the payment of our sin. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Romans 6:23 "For the payment of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Let's take a deeper look at the word Gift..... What is a gift???? In my own words, a gift is something given to me that i should need to accept in order i could call it my own.

Jesus Christ was the gift given to us by God. The most precious gift that a man could ever receive. It's the gift that brings life, joy and fulfillment. It's a gift that all money in the world could not buy.

Had you already accepted the gift of God? the gift of eternal life? Do you want to accept it?
Please read my articles below, "the archer's faith" and "are you afraid to die?". It explains how to accept the free gift given to us by God.

Christmas will have its real meaning to the person who received Christ in their hearts as Savior and Lord. This is the very purpose why Jesus came to earth and why there is Christmas. Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved".

Merry Christmas to you....

Only One Life

Life without God is a meaningless life. We are just a pilgrim in this world. We are just passing through. Our life is so short that we need to live the most of it, for others and most of all for God. The word of God tells us that the moment we receive Christ as our Savior and Lord, we have eternal life... and that means we are eternal being.. and eternal being are suppose to spend their time and effort for eternal things.. and eternal things according to the word of God are the things which are not seen... things we do for God.. things that really matters and last for eternity. So... let us be careful on where we are spending our time and effort.. We have ONLY ONE LIFE...

ONLY ONE LIFE

It matters so little how much you may own.

The places you've been or the people you've known.
For it all comes to nothing, when placed at His feet.
It's nothing to Jesus, just memories to keep.

Only one life so soon it will pass.
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do his will.
So give to Jesus all your days
Its the only life that pays.
When you recall, you have
but one life.

You may take all the treasures, from far away land.
Take all the riches you can hold in your hand.
And take all the pleasures, your money can buy.
But what will you have, when its your time to die.

The days pass so swiftly. The months come and go.
The years melt away like a new fallen snow.
Spring turns to summer and summer to fall.
Atumn brings winter then death comes to call.

Afraid to die?

How do you define death? Is it the end of everything? Or just the end of our life here on earth? Some say they are not certain what will happen after they die. Others believe that death is the is the end of everything. On the other hand, the word of God says that there is heaven and hell waiting for us after death. Heaven, as defined in the bible, is the place where we spend our eternal life with God. And of course eternal life is for those who trusted, accepted and believed on Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, See article below(The archer's faith) ). Hell, of course is the opposite of heaven. It's the place of torment and suffering. This is eternal death as what the bible is telling us.

My question is: Are you 100% sure that your soul will go to heaven after you die? I mean 100%... really sure? If yes, then good.. but if not, i think your'e really in trouble. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", Romans 6:23 "For the wages(price/payment) of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord". All of us are ought to die because all have sinned. There are two kinds of death, the physical and spiritual death. In Romans 6:23, since all of us sinned, all of us will die (physical and spiritual). But there is a hope prepared for us. God said, but the Gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus . We need to accept that gift... but how? Click here .

That's the reason why am not afraid to die. Because i have the assurance of salvation. I'm sure of that because God promised it, that when I receive Him as my Savior and Lord, eternal life is waiting for me. God loves us.

Don't forget to see the link above.

Money Problems?

Here's the answer...

Heb 13:5 "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have."

Ps 37:7,16 "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way... Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked."

Prov 23:4-5 "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."

Usually the cause of our worries and problems is money. Without money, we usually think we are the least on this world. We study hard to find a good job and earn a big salary someday, we work hard for money, we spend our time looking for money instead of having time for our family. Is life all about finding money? Why do we worry so much about it. Did God not promise to supply our needs? God said, "I will supply all your needs according to my riches and glory". In Matthew 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all this things shall be added unto you". I am not trying to suggest that one will just sit and wait for the money to fall from heaven. My point is, do not worry so much. Just do your part. Balance life and seek first the kingdom of God. Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself upon the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. " then everything follows..

Phil 4:11-13 ...For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances may be. I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of eating well or going hungry--of facing either plenty of poverty. I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me.

May God bless you readers...

He is God

He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!

He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be ...
unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The people couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him, and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.

His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.

His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...

He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!

http://d21c.com/Seabird44/inspirations/heisgod.html