SACRAMENTUM ABSURDUM
The Roman Catholic
Religion is established on Sacramentalism. Rome believes
that Jesus Christ left for His Bride, the Body of
Christ, a system of religious rituals by which, if
followed, one can be saved.
“Sacraments
are the means appointed by God for the attainment
of eternal salvation. Three of them are in the ordinary
way of salvation so necessary, that without their
use salvation cannot be attained.”1
“As Christ
instituted the Sacraments and bound them up with the
communication of grace they are necessary to us for
the achievement of salvation even if not all are necessary
for each individual.”2
“The sacraments
are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible
to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the
power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously
the grace that they signify.”3
Rome teaches that
the operation of the Sacrament brings about the intended
result. In other words, the administration of the
word and action, by an official Romish minister, actually
brings about the thing signified by that very word
and action. Or, as Ott explains: “The Sacraments
operate by the power of the Sacramental Rite.”4
Lest we think that
the Sacraments are magical and work regardless of
the disposition of the person receiving the Sacrament,
Rome adds the following caveat. “Nevertheless,
the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition
of the one who receives them.”5
“If anyone shall say that the sacraments of
the New Law do not contain the grace which they signify,
or that they do not confer that grace on those who
do not place an obstacle in the way..”6
Distilled to their
essence, Romish Sacraments are said to have been given
by Jesus Christ, for administration through the Roman
Catholic priesthood, to bring about what they signify,
being necessary for salvation [though not all are
given to everyone individually] provided the person
receiving them cooperates. Specifically, Roman Catholic
Baptism is said to regenerate and initiate a process
of justification. Confirmation is said to bring down
the gift of the Holy Spirit. Penance is said to effect
forgiveness of post-baptismal sins.
The Roman Catholic
Eucharist, or Mass, is said to be the antidote for
daily faults and a preservative against mortal sins.
Marriage is said to confer grace. Extreme Unction
is said to forgive sins in preparation for imminent
death and relieve the sick. Holy Orders is said to
establish a priesthood which can offer the sacrifice
of Christ repeatedly, hear confession, set penance
and remit sins. Those who take Marriage cannot take
Holy Orders and vice - versa.
Foundational to
the entire Sacramental system of Rome is the presupposition
that salvation is incremental, justification progressive
and Rome is the dispenser of redemption. In addition,
the death of Christ has merely secured grace, which
is then infused from heaven through the sacramental
process. Heaven awaits those who have been sanctified
enough, through infused grace, via the sacramental
routine.
Purgatory is reserved
for those who have not been cleansed throughly enough
in this life. A Purgatorial cleansing yet awaits those
who land there. Un-Packing All of This The difficulty
in un-tangling a bag of ropes is knowing where to
begin.
To understand Rome’s
intricately woven Sacramental tapestry, we must start
with Rome’s presuppositions. Rome has always
presumed Peter to have been especially imbued by God
to be the preeminent apostle. In line with this is
the assumption that Peter was the first Bishop of
Rome, and left to his successor a primacy of jurisdiction
over all of Christendom.
Rome understands
Christian history as the unfolding revelation of the
primacy of the Roman Bishop culminating in modern
Papal infallibility. At heart, Rome believes that
Peter was both a preacher of the gospel and the most
able interpreter of the gospel. In line with this
is the development of Rome’s doctrine of Sola
Ecclesia or The Church Alone. Peter’s successors
soon came to assume a greater degree of influence
when it came to interpreting the Word of God. Rome
understands Christian history as the unfolding of
Rome’s dominance in the teaching of the Word
of God. Though appealing to various Fathers of early
Church history, and seeking biblical warrant for its
dogmas, doctrines, decrees and interpretations, Rome
has essentially emerged as Sola Ecclesia Romanus
i.e., only the church at Rome.
It should not be
surprising, given this milieu, that a sacramental
system has developed over the centuries. With the
presupposition that the bishop of Rome has the final
interpretation, we can expect no less than a system
of universal and “womb to tomb” control.
The Protestant Reformation was ignited by men who
essentially mis-read Rome. They were under the delusion
that Rome’s ultimate presupposition was Sola
Scriptura i.e., the Bible Alone. It was the goal
of Luther, for instance, to show forth from Scripture
that the sale of indulgences was wrong. Little did
Luther realize that the confessing world of Christendom
had long ago relinquished Sola Scriptura
to Sola Ecclesia Romanus.
We cannot get to
the first thread of Rome’s Sacramental tapestry
without visiting the essential role of Peter. Everything
begins with the assumption of Peter being put over
the other apostles and his successors being given
the same status. Everything ends up with Peter being
put “over the Word” as the interpreter
of the Word and consequently, Rome “over the
Word,” with Rome the interpreter of the Word.
In straightforward
laymen’s language, somewhere in history, someone
in Rome began it all by saying, “We are in the
place of Peter and we give Peter the greatest place.
Hence, let us interpret with the same authority we
have given to Peter.” The bishops of Rome have
been doing just this for centuries. It is no wonder
that faithful adherents to the Roman Catholic Religion
go about their sacramental duties willingly without
question. They have been bred into their religion.
They have been told in every way possible that the
Roman Catholic religion is the successor of St. Peter
and all authority to interpret the Bible resides within
the Vatican. They have been taught to think of the
Pope at Rome as the Vicar of Christ on earth
and Infallible when speaking ex cathedra
[from the chair of Peter].
The sacramental,
incremental, dispensary religion of Rome amounts to
a blind trust in Sola Ecclesia. The way it
works in Rome is that Rome has the “say”
in what the Bible teaches. Those who surrender their
Bibles to Rome say “no” to Sola Scriptura,
the Bible only. They have set sail for a heavenly
eternity on the Sacramental Ship of Rome. They will
not arrive at their intended destination.
The Christian Response
When the sovereign God of the universe convicts a
poor lost sinner of his need for the righteousness
of Christ there is also put into that heart an implicit
trust in the Scriptures. The Lord brings the Word
to the convicted sinner and then feeds this new, born
again, creation with the Word for the rest of his
life. All Christians, everywhere, without exception,
take the Bible as the only Word of God and treasure
its teaching more than life itself. The Word of God
is the Bible and it stands over the believer and over
the community of believers. Every person born from
above embraces Sola Scriptura. The Bible
rules, not the Church. Rome despises the very thought
of Sola Scriptura. It does so because it
cannot imagine a world gone berserk with each person
holding onto his own Bible and becoming his own little
demagogue.
Rome thinks it absurd
that individual Christians should be allowed to interpret
the Bible on their own. This, they say, will certainly
lead to a thousand different denominations and millions
of individual interpretations. The misgiving is that
the world will be swamped with cults all operating
from their own peculiar interpretation of the Bible.
Theological chaos will mark the world. Or so it is
feared. Surely God would not allow this to happen,
say they. And yet this is exactly what God has done.
He has spread His Word abroad and given it out freely.
God has not feared those who would twist His Word
to their own destruction. God has not a worry about
a million denominations emerging all claiming to have
interpreted the Bible rightly.
What is to be dreaded
more is an elite company of men interpreting a select
group of passages from Scripture so as to give them
total control and power. We are reminded of these
sobering words from the Bible:
JOH 16:2 “They
will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an
hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think
that he is offering service to God.”
What makes one shudder
is the thought of a cradle to grave monolithic religion
which hides away the Word of God while holding captive
those who have been convinced to relinquish their
Bibles. A thousand denominations claiming legitimate
Christianity, holding their Bibles up high for the
world to see, is to be preferred over the menacing
unbiblical religion of Rome. For, despite all the
clamoring of the cults, the Christian is certain that
the Lord knows those who are His own. The Christian
is also convinced that the meaning and interpretation
of the Bible is not elusive in matters pertaining
to salvation and sanctification.
To be sure there
are myriads of interpretations centering around a
profusion of constructs and concepts stemming from
the Bible’s vast array of revelation. But there
is only one Gospel message for salvation. That message
is clear. God justifies the ungodly through faith
in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is confidence
in God’s promise to forgive all sins solely
on the basis of Christ’s death. Trust in the
finished work of Christ excludes all works of personal
righteousness and religious rituals for acceptance
before God.
“For by
grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as
a result of works, that no one should boast.”
EPH 2:8,9
Just as David also
speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons
righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed
are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the
man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
ROM 4:6,7,8.
We wonder, what
part of “you are saved by grace through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of
God; not as a result of works” is difficult
to understand? The New Testament sets forth clearly
salvation through faith alone, as a gift of God, by
the finished work of Christ alone. The Bible is clear
enough that salvation does not depend upon works of
the law or good works done in righteousness, or religious
ceremonies nor any other sacrifice offered by man.
Let us eavesdrop
on an imaginary, yet realistic, conversation between
a Roman Catholic and a Christian. “The Bible
does not set forth a sacramental, incremental salvation
portioned out by a so-called Mother Church.”
preaches the Christian. “Who says so?”
asks Rome. “We say so,” says the Christian
with his Bible opened to Ephesians 2:8,9. “What
gives you the right to interpret the Bible differently
than those who have been given the seat of Peter?”
asks Rome. “Ah, there is the rub, we do not
believe that you have been given the seat of Peter;
and even Peter was obligated to obey the Word,”
says the Christian, now clinging to Galatians 2:11-14.
“You have a morbid interest in personal interpretations
and are responsible for founding thousands of cults!”
cries Rome. “Not so,” says the Christian.
“We are only reading what is given directly
to us in the Bible,” now clutching Romans 4.
“You have no authority to interpret the Bible
and your interpretations are wrong!” thunders
Rome. “How then shall we be saved?” asks
the Christian as he holds fast to Titus 3:5. “Through
the sacraments of Rome,” comes the reply. “Never,
not now and not ever,” laments the Christian
as he presses his Bible tightly in his hands and wonders
at those who have given it up to Rome.
Everyone, everywhere,
must understand that the battle with Romish Sacraments
starts with the battle for Sola Scriptura.
The battle for Sola Scriptura starts with
the role of Peter and Rome’s insistence on Apostolic
Succession. If Rome is right on Sola Ecclesia,
then Rome can interpret the Bible anyway it wants
and all are bound to follow. If Rome is wrong, and
we do not doubt it for a second, then Rome is to be
removed from any consideration as a part of The Body
of Christ.
Sacraments-What are they good for?
The word sacrament
is not found in the Bible. Although Rome mistakingly
translates musterion in Ephesians 5:32 [see
Douay-Rheims]as “sacrament.” The word
musterion means mystery, or secret doctrine.
It is translated as “mystery” throughout
the New Testament. The word “sacrament”
is a Latin term meaning, among other things, to sign
on as giving an oath or to pledge allegiance. Evidently,
this Latin term was picked up by Rome to illustrate
for them that God was giving an oath of some sort
in its religious rituals. Hence, the name “sacrament”
is used. It is, however, foreign to the Bible both
as a term and as a concept.
Sacraments are not
necessary to secure the promises of God in Christ.
-
Sacraments are not necessary
to experience God’s wondrous grace: 2TI
1:9 “who has saved us, and called us with
a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was
granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”
-
Sacraments are not necessary
for justification: GAL 3:8 “And the Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles
by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,
saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed
in you.’”
-
Sacraments are not necessary
to be a son of Abraham: GAL 3:7 “Therefore,
be sure that it is those who are of faith who
are sons of Abraham.”
-
Sacraments have no part in
the preaching of the Gospel for salvation: 1TH
2:4 “but just as we have been approved by
God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak,
not as pleasing men but God, who examines our
hearts.”
-
Sacraments are not necessary
to be called sons of God: GAL 3:26 “For
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus.”
The Sacraments of
Rome are gouged out of Scripture by the most sinister
means of Scripture Twisting this side of Mormonism.
Baptismal regeneration is yanked out of the third
chapter of John’s Gospel and tossed in with
Colossians 2:11-13 and 1 Peter 3:21 to “prove”
one is born again by water! Infants are said to qualify
for this “water regeneration” by contorting
Acts 2:38,39, along with the household baptisms of
the New Testament, to bring on board infant baptismal
regeneration.
Confirmation is
gouged out of Acts 8 where Peter and John lay hands
on believing Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit.
Holy Orders is wrenched from John 20:23 where our
Lord breathes upon His disciples and gives them authority
to remit and retain sin. Penance is fabricated from
Matthew 16:19 under the “power of the keys”
given to Peter by our Lord. The re-presentation of
Christ on an un-bloody Roman altar is wrested from
John 6 where our Lord says to His disciples that they
must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Extreme Unction
is clawed out of James 5 where James encourages the
sick to call for an anointing from the Elders.
Keep in mind, if
Rome has the Scriptural “say” in all of
this, then we are utterly against Christ and His Gospel
and His Church in devoting our time trying to save
some out of Rome. We are, in fact, condemned. There
is no middle ground. Either Rome is right, or Rome
is wrong. Either we have interpreted the Bible correctly,
or they have. There is every indication that the apostle
Paul ran into the same “either/or” proposition
with his countrymen according to the flesh, his own
nation Israel. But far from backing down, Paul stood
erect with the rest of the New Testament writers.
Even Peter came along in time, to declare that they
had seen a greater city than Jerusalem. They had been
released from the tyranny of the law of Israel and
gone off to pursue the City of God. In so doing, they
lamented the “zeal for God without knowledge”
so prevalent in Israel. But they were convinced by
God that Christ was the end of the law for righteousness.
They could not stay in a system which knew not the
righteousness of God [Christ’s righteousness
through faith alone] and sought to establish its own
righteousness. Likewise, today, we set off for the
City of God leaving behind the zealous sacramental
righteousness of the religion of Rome.
ROM 10:3 “For
not knowing about God’s righteousness, and
seeking to establish their own, they did not subject
themselves to the righteousness of God.”
Christians begin
and end by faith alone in the finished work of Christ
alone. For in the Gospel the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith to faith. The Christian does
not put his faith in a man-made system of religious
rituals. A million gallons of water anointed by a
million Romanist priests cannot and will not wash
away one stain of Adam’s original sin nor any
personal sins. A million gallons of oil mixed with
a million gallons of Balsam extract could not make
a chrism [anointing] sweet enough to call
down the Holy Spirit. A million Romanist priests chanting
hoc est enim corpus meum could not change
one tiny piece of bread into even a drop of sweat
from the Savior’s brow.
I recently wrote
an article entitled: “When
is Too Much Not Enough?” In that article,
I explained that believing the wrong things about
the Gospel ultimately ravages the Gospel. Roman Catholics,
much like their Jewish predecessors, have a zeal for
God but not in accordance with knowledge. Thinking
that they are pleasing God, Romanists have heaped
up a mountain of things to do and believe which ruins
the Gospel. By “faith”, Romanists believe
that God has given them a sacramental system. It matters
not to the Romanist that to believe in a sacramental
system for salvation annihilates true faith and the
free gift of salvation, which God gives through faith
in Christ alone without the need for sacraments.
All of Rome’s “faith” in rituals,
symbols, priests, popes, Mary, purgatorial cleansing,
self atonement for sins and the constant representation
of Christ as a victim on a bloodless altar annihilate
any real faith in the promises of God. Rome’s
“faith” in their own sacramental system
simply obliterates the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It
is another Gospel. QL
1 Fundamentals
of Catholic Dogma. Ludwig Ott. Pgs. 340, 341.
2 Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Ludwig
Ott. Pg. 340
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church. Paragraph
1084.
4 Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Pg. 329.
5 Catechism of the Catholic Church. Paragraph
1128.
6 The Sources of Catholic Dogma. Henry Denzinger.
Pg. 262 and Paragraph 849. |
