Many today think that the Roman Catholic Church is just another part or denomination of Christianity.Is this true? What evidence is there for this claim?
well we see that there are a few essential doctrines or teachings of the true church, it doesn't matter what denomination you are, it just matters that you have acknowledged your depravity and sin and repented and trusted in the God man Jesus Christ alone for your salvation from God's wrath for sin.
Jesus Christ being the only way to salvation for all people is an essential truth that must be held too. The trinity is another, that God is three distinct persons in one, co equal, co eternal. That salvation is by Grace through faith alone. That brings us to something called imputed righteousness. This means that God became a man in Jesus Christ and satisfied his own Justice by keeping the Law for us and willingly taking the wrath for us for our sin. Read Isaiah 53.
what Jesus did on the cross is credited to our account as a free gift,he gains our sin and wrath, we gain his rightness with God. we don't work with it by getting baptized, etc.Many say you must be Baptized in order to be saved, that is heresy, works salvation.
Does the Catholic Church believe in this essential truth? NO they do not. They believe in something called infused righteousness. That is heresy I'm afraid, that is the difference between God doing it all and us helping him along.
also believing that the Bible is the inspired infallible word of God is very important, Catholics exalt tradition over the Bible and have the Pope as infallible, not being able to make mistakes and being able to give people time off from purgatory, something that is not in the Bible, if they buy indulgences from him, he has done that this year.
even mass is blasphemous because they believe they summon down the literal body and blood of Jesus every time they take it. Like Jesus' sacrifice was not enough, once for all upon the cross as Hebrews declares.
Hopefully these links will help as well, words have meanings. two opposing truths cannot both be true, it is infused or imputed,the Bible declares imputed,
so which will you believe the Bible or the Pope? traditions, etc
can a catholic be saved? yes of course, but the overall structures of that Church are not biblical.
http://www.carm.org/catholic/testimonies.htm
http://www.carm.org/catholic.htm
http://www.carm.org/catholic/saved.htm
I pray that all will serve God and not traditions of men
in Christ,
Marty.
