Why I am not a (Capital C) Catholic

I am a catholic because the church is universal. The Reformed Protestants are not the only believers professing Christ, which is the only basis for salvation. I am not a Catholic for the Vatican teaches salvation by works. Luther, Calvin, and the myriad of reformers correctly saw the need for gospel revival and reformation within Rome. Christ did not preach that he came to give grace infused with the keys of the kingdom (which Rome teaches are given to the church), nor is salvation given through the sacraments. Christ builds the church, not us. The bride grows in grace by Christ’s grace alone.

M. Horton offers advice to those who would consider leaving the protestant realm (traditionally evangelical) to Rome (traditionally not evangelical)

Here’s how I would counsel such a person: Start with the gospel. The gospel creates and sustains the church, not the other way around. If the Evangelicalism familiar to you has been a constant stream of imperatives—moral exhortation, whether in rigid and legalistic or warm and friendly versions—the antidote is not to follow different rules for attaining justification, but a constant, life-long, unremitting immersion in the good news that Jesus Christ’s obedient life, death, and resurrection are sufficient even to save miserable Christians.

That is what the Reformation was all about, and it is why we need another one, even in Protestantism as much as in any other tradition. If our salvation depends on anything done by us or even within us by the Spirit, then our situation is hopeless.

[Between Two Worlds]

Salvation: To live is Christ

It is a lovely and blustery Irish day here at Grove City, and colds to go around if you are interested.

Lately one thing caught my attention, it is a subject that I ignored months ago when reading Beeke's Overcoming the World, it is our union with Christ. it is an awesome thought. The truth that our identity is found in Christ, and that Christ's identity was found in us is awesome. God loved us, His people, so much that He sent His son to become the God-Man just to pay the price for our sins to ensure our salvation. The redemption from our sins. God, the Father, saw the Son, Jesus Christ as a sinner. His identity was ours. My sins were beaten on that cross, God's holiness demands that. Romans 6 is clear that by our baptism we are united to Christ's death and resurrection. But our salvation does not stop at the cross, God moves on to the resurrection. And this is where our salvation becomes even more awesome. It pleased God to give His people new life. I tell you, I am one of the greatest sinners I know, and Scripture refers to me as a harlot. (Hosea) Christ, God the Son died for my sins, and in his resurrection I have new life. I can say NO! to sin, temptation and Satan, because I am dead to them.

the Psalmist declared, "As far as east from west is distant, He has put away our sins." When God looked at Christ upon that cross - He saw my sins. Now, when He looks at me - He sees Christ. "To live is Christ, to die is Gain."

One Way.

In a world of idolatry, and when people do whatever is right in their eyes, the gospel of Christ faces extreme pressure to relax the message of Christ. Often we Christians are told to tolerate other people, to love people and their sins. We are called to coexist, as a popular bumper sticker puts it. But that is not the message of the gospel. The good news is when the holy God shows grace, forgiveness, compassion to His creation that is in rebellion against Him.

This relaxation in proclaiming the gospel manifests itself in two unbiblical ways: pluralism (all roads lead to heaven), and inclusivism: (that people are saved by Christ figures whether it be in Hinduism, Islam or Aslan). Pluralism is easily dismissed as unbiblical. Yet, some popular Christians advocate an inclusivist gospel. Particularly my favorite writer, CS Lewis.

But neither of this is the good news. Christ tells His disciples that the way to eternal life and joy is narrow, an exclusive and particular word. Not everybody walks down this narrow path. Christ came to die for my sins, to give me new life, restore meaning and purpose to life. I am not working for the money, instead I live for the purpose of the gospel, I serve other people for the gospel. “Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him.” Romans 10 lays it out quite clearly that no one is saved outside the preaching of the good news. The tone of the passage is desperate and urgent out of a passion for Christ’s love.

To close, JI Packer responds to the question, "Might it not be true of the follower of some other religion that the God of all mercy had worked in his heart by His Spirit, bringing Him in some measure to realize his sin and need for forgiveness, and enabling him, in his twilight as it were, to throw himself on God's mercy?" (he answers yes.)

"If we are wise we shall not spend much time mulling over this notion. Our job, after all is to spread the gospel, not to guess what might happen to those whom it never reaches. Dealing with them is God's business... In the meantime, let us keep befoer our minds humanity's universal need of forgiveness and new birth, and the graciousness of the whosoever will invitations of the gospel. And let us redouble our efforts to make known the Christ who saves all who come to God by Him." pg 54 of JI Packer Answers Questions for Today.

Frogs are better then men

I have heard it said, "God did not die for frogs. So He was responding to our value as humans." This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs, they have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in our lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They are not bad enough. We are. Our debt is so great only divine sacrifice can pay it.

-John Piper from For Your Joy