A Catholic who is reconciled to God is
simultaneously reconciled to the Catholic church, the Catechism asserts:
"Forgiveness of
sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church." Pg. 367,
#1462
Again, the Bible and the Catechism are
at odds. God's Word does teach the necessity of being reconciled to God, but not
to a church:
"And,
having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself; by him..." Colossians 1:20 "And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation;" 2 Corinthians 5:18
Paul, the Apostle, prayed that people
would be reconciled to God, but never that they would be reconciled to the
Catholic church:
"Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20
This same Paul preached:
"And
that he (Jesus) might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby:" Ephesians 2:16
Theme of the Bible
The theme of the entire Bible is man
being reconciled to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is
foreshadowed in the Old Testament and illustrated in the New Testament.
The heart of the Christian faith is the
beautiful story of sinful man being reconciled to a holy and just God through
the blood of Jesus Christ:
"Therefore
as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even
so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life." Romans 5:18
Being reconciled to God is Biblical, but
being reconciled to the Catholic church is a tradition of men.
The Catechism threatens that if you are
not reconciled to the Catholic church, you might not go to heaven. Where did
they get the authority to create such a doctrine, since it is not found in the
Bible?
Is this but another man-made doctrine
designed to keep people in bondage to the Catholic church. While it sure appears
to be, you must make the final decision for yourself.
Who will you be reconciled to?
Today, even though the Bible declares
that our eternal destiny will be determined by whether or not we have been
reconciled to God, millions of Catholics live in mortal fear of dying without
being reconciled to the Catholic church, but have no fear of pass ing on without
being reconciled to God.
If God really meant what He said in His
Word, you, as a faithful Catholic, are making a mistake you will regret through
all eternity.
Conclusion
Here are three additional questions for
you to ponder:
1. If a person is already reconciled to
the God of the universe, does it really matter if he or she has been reconciled
to the Catholic church?
2. If your eternal destiny does rest
upon being reconciled to a church, would God omit such vital information from
His Word?
3. Why does Catholic doctrine once again
directly contradict Biblical doctrine, and even the very words of Jesus Christ?
What about you? Are you more concerned
about being reconciled to God, or to the Catholic church?
"For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10
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