I have an old classic book titled “The Bible And The Roman Church” from 1946
in my collection, authored by Evangelist Joseph C. Macaulay (1900-1982). The
following excellent quote exposing the religious whore of Catholicism is
quoted from chapter 7 titled, “Rome's Way Of Salvation”:
The Gospel of Jesus Christ says, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). But Rome puts between the believing sinner and that free gift, the exercise of the sacraments, the “heaping up” or merits, the multiplying of good works. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” but Rome steps in between the sinner and Jesus Christ our Lord saying, “Yes, it comes through Him, but you cannot receive it, save by way of the Church, the Priest, the Sacraments, and the rest of it!”
So every one of our great gospel passages is taken up by Rome, drained of its immediacy, its assurance, its freeness and subjected to the inventions and occupations of a sacramentarianism which makes the grace of God of no effect by its system of merits, and gives the finished work of Christ a dubious place in the background of the salvation picture, while the works of men fill the canvas. How, then, shall we counteract Rome's false counsel, “Go to the Church; go to the priest; go to Mary; go to Joseph; go to the sacraments?” We must do this by ringing out our Lord's blessed invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), And His equally blessed assurance, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
SOURCE: J.C. Macaulay, “The Bible And The Roman Church,” pp. 93-94; Moody Press, ©1946.
Amen Brother! I couldn't have said it any better. Frankly, Roman Catholicism is straight out of the pits of Hell. The Holy Bible teaches in 1st Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Only Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the one Mediator between God the Father and man. Since God the Father is holy, and man is unholy, God and man are at enmity. Therefore, God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to die on the cross, to pay for our sins with His precious blood.
When Jesus raised up from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, sprinkling His literal blood upon the heavenly Mercy Seat in the presence of the Father, the price for sin was eternally paid (Hebrews 9:12, 24; 12:24). The price for the Church is the blood of Jesus! The place where the blood needed to be applied is the Mercy Seat in the heavenly Holy Place. The price has been paid! Thus, forgiveness of sins is a gift that man need only freely receive by faith. Jesus doesn't forgive sins, He paid for them with His blood! Eternal life is a free gift to whosoever wants it! When you BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, you receive God's gift of forgiveness. You don't have to “ask” God to save you, because He has already promised “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:31). Simply BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, Oh sinner, and you will be immediately, securely and forever saved!
Jesus is the God-man, 100% God and 100% man! As such, man can communicate with the man Christ Jesus, and then Jesus as deity can communicate with God. This is why Jesus is called the “one mediator” between God and men in 1st Timothy 2:5. The Catholic Church cannot mediate between God and man. Neither the Catholic priest, nor the Lutheran minister, can forgive sin. Sacraments are not mentioned in the Holy Bible. There is only one way to Heaven, which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Christ DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and He bodily RESURRECTED three days later. This is “the Gospel” (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Believe the Gospel (Good News) and you are saved! Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
The Bible teaches that Jesus died on the cross as the perfect, sinless, acceptable, sacrifice for the sins of mankind, which is why Jesus is called “the Lamb of God.” Christ died for all men, not just a select few. 2nd Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.”
John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” We often think that Jesus died for man, but actually, Christ died for God the Father, to appease God's wrath. This doctrine is called “propitiation” in the Bible. The modern corrupted Bible revisions completely remove this beautiful word. Jesus Christ is every believer's High Priest. Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” If Christ only died on the cross, but didn't raise up from the dead, then we would have a dead Lamb (a sacrifice) without a High Priest. Jesus had to resurrect from the dead, so that He could ascend into Heaven and sprinkle His literal blood upon the Mercy Seat, and intercede on behalf of every believer. As our heavenly High Priest, Jesus is our Mediator.
I feel sorry for the billion Catholics around the world, who have been deceived by Satan to think that some sinful priest can absolve their sins, or that some sacraments can wash their sins away, or that the religious prisonhouse of Catholicism can get them into Heaven. My friend, the Word of God plainly teaches that THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS!!!
