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Which Jesus?
The Catholic
one or the real One?
Introduction
In the many years since I became saved by the grace of God
and left the Catholic church, I have had an opportunity to talk
to many Catholics about their faith. The one thing I noticed that
they all had in common, without them ever realizing it, is that
they all believe in a different Jesus than the Jesus of the
Bible. Now "wait a minute!" you say. Our Jesus is the
Jesus of the Bible. And to you I respond: Oh really? The Jesus of
the Bible condemned many of the things that Catholicism approves
of and teaches. Here are just a few examples for you to
consider...
The Jesus of the Bible condemns idol
worship:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate me"
[Exodus 20:4-5]
The Jesus of the Bible only needed to
be sacrificed once, not every day during mass:
"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on high" [Hebrews 1:3]
"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God"
[Hebrews 10:12]
The Jesus of the Bible is the head of
the church in heaven and on earth, not the
pope:
"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the
dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: And hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church" [Ephesians 1:20-22]
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ
is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the
body." [Eph 5:23]
The Jesus of the Bible is not a wafer
made with human hands:
"Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but
almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned
away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made
with hands" [Acts 19:26]
The Jesus of the Bible does not need
and does not want any help from his earthly mother or dead
"saints" to hear a person's prayers and petitions:
"For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" [1 Timothy 2:5]
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" [1John 2:1]
The Jesus of the Bible had a mother
who was a sinner who needed a Savior:
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." [Luke
1:46-47]
The Jesus of the Bible had literal
brothers and sisters:
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary,
the
brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not
his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But
Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his
own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."
[Mark 6:3-4]
"But other of the apostles saw I none, save James
the
Lord's brother." [Galatians 1:19]
"While he yet talked to the people, behold,
his
mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak
with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy
brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he
answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and
who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his
disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!"
[Matthew 12:46-49]
The Jesus of the Bible condemned men
for trying to appear holy by wearing religious costumes:
"Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long
robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest
seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts"
[Luke 20:24]
The Jesus of the Bible is not pleased
with people praying repetitious prayers like the Rosary:
"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the
heathen do: for they think that they shall be
heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto
them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before
ye ask him." [Matthew 6:7-8]
The Jesus of the Bible does not
forbid church leaders from being married:
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one
wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to
hospitality, apt to teach" [1 Timothy 3:2]
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God
hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which
believe and know the truth." [1 Timothy 4:1-3]
The Jesus of the Bible is capable of
saving men's souls without the help of Catholic priests and
without anyone's help, including yours:
"... he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings
and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said
he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first,
that he may establish the second. By the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and
offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take
away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" [Hebrews
10:8-12]
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them." [Hebrews 7:25]
The Jesus of the Bible did not suffer
and die on Calvary just to "enable" all Catholics or
all people to be saved but rather to pay a complete and terrible
ransom for all the sins of all of His people:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
[Matthew 1:21] ... "Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many." [Matthew 20:28] ... "But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed." [Isaiah 53:5]
The Jesus of the Bible did not come
to build the Roman Catholic church. He came to die for ungodly,
hell-deserving, hopelessly lost sinners who will end up in hell
if Christ does not save them:
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness." [Romans 4:5]
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time
Christ
died for the ungodly." [Romans 5:6]
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually." [Genesis 6:5]
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?" [Jeremiah 17:9]
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and
all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away." [Isaiah 64:6]
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost." [Luke 19:10]
The Jesus of the Bible setup a Church
of saved sinners united by and under the authority of the Holy
Spirit, not a church united by human tradition or under the
authority of a human hierarchy in Rome:
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit." [1 Corinthians
12:13]
"For through him we both have access by one Spirit
unto the Father." [Ephesians 2:18]
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said
unto you." [John 14:26]
The Jesus of the Bible does not care
if your religion satisfies you. It must satisfy Him and His
demand for perfection:
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect." [Matthew 5:48]
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all." [James 2:10]
"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am
holy." [1Peter 1:16]
The Jesus of the Bible credits the
account of guilty sinners with His own righteousness so that they
are prepared to meet God on Judgment Day:
"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" [Philippians 3:9]
Which Jesus is YOUR Jesus?
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