Being baptized and raised as a Catholic, although I am not practicing; I still believe quite a lot, but I am very confused about dogma and what the Pope just said. The last Pope said (a profane word) so I couldn’t stop my son from saying it. The new Pope said, “Anyone can go to Heaven, whether, they believe in God or not, but by good deeds alone!
Listen: 54 Question 2
Regardless of your background, I hope we can agree on this one thing: the Bible is the authority we live by. There is a stern warning in scripture to those who would seek to change its message. Revelation 22:18-19 says, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Although these words are in direct reference to the book of Revelation, we can be assured that it is applicable to the complete Word of God.
What does the scripture say is the way of salvation? The Lord Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The Apostle Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-10, “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.” The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:10-13, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Could it be any clearer or any simpler? Salvation comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. It is the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary that allows us access to God as we read in Hebrews 10:19-22 which says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Now let’s look at Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” This is a severe warning to any that would teach a Gospel that is different from the scriptures. Our eternal destiny relies on the truth of the Gospel. If someone perverts the Gospel, and teaches an alternate way to Heaven, then he will be cursed.
These are harsh words, but they are the words of the Lord. Romans 3:4 tells us, “…let God be true, but every man a liar…” When the Lord, through His Word, says one thing, and man says something different, then it is God that is telling the truth. The one who speaks in opposition to the Word of God is a liar. I pray that we can all have a great awareness of the seriousness of teaching things that are unscriptural. If it’s the Pope, or a revered minister, or a famous evangelist; it really doesn’t matter: if a man teaches a way of salvation that is contrary to the Bible, then that man is a liar and he will be cursed. May we all be faithful to weigh what we hear against what the Word of God says. As we read in Acts 17:11, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” May we be as those that search the scriptures to see if what we have heard is the truth.