Evanġeliku

A Gift to God

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000+01:00

I gave the first gift to my mother when I was in kindergarten. It was a small porcelain vase, and it is still displayed in my parent’s house after so many years.

Once my mum handed me some money to give to my teacher at nursery school. A few days later the teacher distributed parcels to all the children in class, and she told us to give them to our mothers.

Mum was happy with my gift. I now realize, of course, that she herself had paid for the present that I gave her.

Sometimes we speak of ‘giving’ our time, praise or service to God. But can I really give anything to the Creator and Lord of all? What can I give him other than that which he himself has given me in the first place? Even as the Scriptures say, ‘Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things’ (Romans 11:35, 36). We are completely dependent on God for our existence, life and every breath we take. ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28).

God is unlike us. He exists in and of himself, without beginning or end, and he is not in need of anyone or anything. He does not need angels or humans. He is perfectly happy in himself as he was eternally blessed before he made the universe. We cannot add anything to him who possesses all things. ‘Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything’ (Acts 17:25).

There was a time when I thought that I could earn my salvation by living a good life, praying, attending church, and work hard enough to deserve his favour. After all that’s how things go, let’s say, my employer is obliged to pay me for the work and service I give him.

But how can I even imagine that Almighty God could ever be indebted to his tiny creature? I needed to hear the Bible’s gentle rebuke, ‘Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’

If I’m perfectly obedient to the Lord, well, that is what I ought to do. That is my duty. Nothing special about that. Moreover I have often disobeyed his will; so if anything, I justly deserve his disapproval and punishment.

Amazingly, instead he gave me what I do not merit - God freely forgave my sins and received me in his loving arms. When he found me unworthy and guilty, he gave me the best Gift of all, his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for me.

What gift can I give to God? I can offer nothing but the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all his goodness and kindness towards me – for creating and keeping me alive, for my parents, friends, and for my wife and children who give me so much joy, but most of all, I thank him forever and ever for Jesus, my wonderful Saviour.

I realize that my gift – my own heart – he himself has purchased with the blood of his Son. Yet just as my mother rejoiced with ‘my’ little present, God also rejoices with the love of his children.

The Epic Movie

2011-12-01T22:32:00.000+01:00

My son, who is almost 4 years, had an unusual request. He wanted to see the future!

John was fascinated to watch a video of his mother during pregnancy and of himself as a newborn infant. At the end he asked, ‘Mama see DVD John big!’ He must have reasoned that since it is possible to see the past, why can’t we see the future as well? That’s interesting, but he can’t see it just yet since we are still working on that movie.

Futuristic movies are interesting, but of course, they are mere fiction. However there is one that is true and factual. God, the author of history who knows the end from the beginning, gave us a photo album with scenes from the past and others that are yet to come.

In the Bible we have a beautiful picture of the visit of the eternal Son of God to our world when he was born of the blessed virgin. Other scenes depict his moral beauty, amazing love and divine power, especially in his acts of kindness and mighty miracles. There are also dreadful scenes depicting the hatred and rejection of Christ by his own people, and of him in agony and bleeding to death on the cross. However the last photo in this album is not the grave - for Christ was resurrected and returned to the Father.

These events have already occured, but the Scriptures also foretell the future, revealing how Jesus is coming again, no longer in poverty, humility and obscurity, but in brilliant glory and the power of the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Then every eye shall see him, every knee shall bow before him, and every creature will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

When Christ returns, the dead will be raised, and he will judge the world, condemning the evil to hell, and rewarding those who love and trust in him. On that momentous day, Jesus will fulfill his wonderful promise to his people, ‘I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (John 14:3).

What part shall we play in that movie? That video is being filmed right now. Our role in that epic story depends on our current response to the Son of God. To those who receive him in his first advent, who entrust themselves to his care and follow him, Jesus will also receive them at his second coming. But those who ignore him and who are ashamed of him today, he will also reject on that day.

The disciples of Christ have a great desire to watch the final and best episode of the drama of redemption. We want to see the DVD of the future, for we are ‘waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13).

My sincere prayers and wishes of joy and peace to all the readers of this letter.

Pilgrims in Assis

2011-11-01T22:21:00.000+01:00

(Gospel e- letter - November 2011)

On the 27th October the Vatican organized a ‘Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world’ to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic gathering in Assisi, Italy, in 1987.

This year’s event was led by Pope Benedict and included representatives from several Christian denominations, non-Christian religions, including Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as non-religious people. The event included talks, a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Saint Francis and prayers.

God’s people are called in Scripture to pray for peace. Moreover Christians have a message of hope and peace to proclaim to the world, for we are ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why should there be so much trouble and injustice in the world? The Bible tells us plainly. Sin is the underlying cause of war and strife between nations, in our communities, in our families and even in our hearts. Sin is the root of all human misery for it separates us from God. There can be no genuine peace between us as long as we remain at enmity with the Creator. Even as Cardinal Koch rightly noted, “Let us remember that there is no peace without justice; that there is no justice without forgiveness”.

But where can we find forgiveness, justice and peace? Left to its own resources, humanity is hopelessly lost. Sinners do not naturally seek the Light; they rather run in the opposite direction into deeper darkness. Through its wisdom the world will never find God. Religion, fasting, prayers and meditations cannot make up for sin.

Our only hope is Jesus Christ. Only his blood cleanses the soul from sin. ‘No one,’ he said, ‘comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). He came down from heaven for this very purpose, that sinners may be reconciled to God by his death on the cross. There is no other way, even as the Apostle Peter said, ‘There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).

Sadly that was not the message given in Assisi. Instead the representatives of the world religions heard the Pope cry, ‘In the name of God, may every religion bring upon the earth justice and peace, forgiveness and life, love.’

Alas! Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, good will, religion, science or philosophy cannot save. Christ alone saves. He alone is the Saviour of the world. To seek forgiveness in human religion is like searching for water in a dry well.

We Christians are already satisfied by the living water that Jesus gave us. We cannot pretend to be searching for the truth we already possess, nor can we keep it to ourselves. The clear proclamation of Jesus as the only Saviour is the unique and absolutely essential contribution that Christians should make to address the desperate plight of humanity.

True, there could be no peace without justice, and no justice without forgiveness. But these – forgiveness, justice and peace – are found in Jesus Christ alone, and in no-one and nothing else.

Peace and Truth

2011-11-01T22:07:00.002+01:00

At the meeting in Assisi in October 2011, the delegates representing the various Christain denominations and non-Christian religions were invited to pray according to their religious traditions.

Can it be argued that the organization of an inter-faith prayer meeting is in itself a tacit approval of the non-Christian religions, or at least, a recognition that they have come some way along the ‘pilgrimage of truth’?

Yet many of them are ignorant or reject Christ's claims to be the Son of God, the only way to the Father, the only Saviour of the world.

Perhaps some of the Catholic and Christian delegates are not themselves so sure about the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ. They are shy to proclaim Christ as the only way. They hope that world peace can be achieved through good will, dialogue and everyone praying to their own gods!

Such efforts are bound to fail miserably.

Jesus Christ did not come to bring that sort of peace. ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword’ (Matthew 10:34). He preached God’s message faithfully without sacrificing truth for the sake of hollow unity and illusory peace.

Jesus demands and deserves our supreme loyalty and love. He would rather have a man turn against his father, or a daughter set against her own mother, if that is necessary to follow him. Many of us Christians have paid that painful price for our Saviour; and we know what it means to suffer for Christ’s sake. We are not ashamed of his gospel and we care very little about political correctness and the world’s approval.

The message that brought us peace with God is the only message that we desire to give to the world. Some people will receive it, others will reject it – whatever the response, the gospel remains the only hope to a troubled and lost world.

Upon This Rock

2011-10-01T12:32:00.000+02:00

Gospel e- Letter - October 2011

Most of us, both Catholics and evangelicals, have read Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 16: ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.’

As a Catholic you may wonder why many evangelical Christians still won’t believe that the church is built upon the apostle Peter. They are being obstinate, you may think, for Jesus’ words are plain and easy to understand.

But is this verse really that simple? The controversy centres on the exact meaning of ‘this rock’? Is it a reference to Peter, as Catholics insist, or to Peter’s confession (‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’), as many evangelicals say?

Those of us who were raised in the Catholic Church had been trained since childhood to understand the rock as a reference to the apostle Peter because his name means ‘a rock’.

This interpretation is absolutely necessary, though by no means sufficient, for the Catholic argument for the Papacy. If it cannot be established conclusively that ‘this rock’ must be the apostle Peter, rather than somebody or something else, then this scripture affords no proof to the claims of supreme and universal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome.

Consider for a moment the possibility that ‘this rock’ is a reference to Peter’s confession about Jesus rather than the apostle personally. The context is all about the identity of Jesus. ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ The Jews did not perceive the divine glory of their Messiah, mistaking him for one of the prophets, but Peter, speaking for the apostolic group, and inspired by God the Father, made that glorious confession: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’. It makes sense that the Church should be built on the foundational truth that Jesus is the Divine Son of God who was sent from heaven for our salvation.

As a Catholic you may be interested to know that this is not a novel or an improbable interpretation. There was no unanimous consent among the Fathers in the early church about its meaning; they expressed a variety of opinions, some equating the rock with Peter while others with his confession or with Christ.

For instance St Augustine wrote: ‘For on this very account the Lord said, On this rock will I build my Church, because Peter had said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. On this rock, therefore, He said, which you have confessed, I will build my Church. For the Rock was Christ; and on this foundation was Peter himself also built. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus’ (Augustine, Tractate 124, 5). So Augustine taught that the rock was Peter’s confession, that is, Christ himself.

Even more interesting is the plain admission by the modern Roman Catholic Church that the rock is Peter’s confession. ‘Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ On the rock of this faith confessed by St Peter, Christ built his Church’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 424).

That is exactly how evangelical Christians understand this verse: Christ built his Church on the rock of the faith confessed by Peter, namely, the truth that he is the Messiah, the Son of God. As a Catholic you should at least admit that this interpretation is not incorrect.

As for evangelicals, let us remember that we are built on Peter in the sense that we too embrace the revelation which he confessed. We also firmly believe that Jesus is the Son of God. If we depart from this truth, as some liberal ‘Christians’ have done, we can no longer claim to be part of the Church founded by the Lord Jesus.

Mama, What is Grace?

2011-09-01T18:12:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - September 2011)

My wife sings choruses to our son when she puts him to sleep. (He asks me to tell him a story about Fireman Sam but for some reason he never asks me to sing!)

One of his favourite songs is the first stanza of Amazing Grace,

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

John has practically learned it by heart, but this week he stopped his mum during the song and asked, ‘Mama, what is grace?’

Now that’s a good question! Grace is a common word in the Bible, and Christians often include it in their conversation. But what does grace actually mean? The apostle Paul illustrates its meaning in Romans 4:4; for clarity it is worth comparing different translations of this verse:

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due (ESV).

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt (NKJV).

Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt (Douay Rheims).

A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due (NAB).

The illustration is clear. The salary that I receive at the end of the month is not given to me as a favour. I have every right to the renumeration for which I had laboured. The employer is indebted to me; he owes me the payment.

Grace is the very opposite to the debt owed to a worker. If I deserve something, it is not grace! Grace is unmerited and unearned. In fact some Bible versions translate ‘grace’ simply as ‘gift’, for indeed, grace is a free gift.

The concept of grace is easy enough to understand but it is much more difficult to accept. We readily understand the biblical teaching that God rewards his children on the day of judgement for their good works (albeit he himself helps us to perform them). But we naturally offer resistance to the truth that salvation is by grace, an unmerited favour, a free gift.

We would rather think that salvation was the reward for our good deeds. Maybe that is why the Bible insists on different occasions that since salvation is by grace and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 11:6, 2 Timothy 1:9).

This truth is received only by a humble heart. When we seek God for salvation, we cannot approach him as if we deserve anything. We should come to him as poor beggars, pleading for his kindness and generosity. We must admit that we are guilty and deserving punishment, imploring only for mercy rather than justice.

But how do you explain these profound truths to a 3-year old boy? I like my wife’s explanation.

‘John, you know that mama and papa loves you. What do we give you when you’re a good boy?’

‘A present,’ he replied.

‘Jesus loves you much more than mama and papa. Jesus gives you a present even though you have not been good. Jesus gives you a gift simply because he loves you. That is grace’

John also liked his mum’s explanation, for he told her, ‘Sing, mama, sing!’

We too, when we we experience the amazing love of God in Jesus his Son, who saves us freely even though we are undeserving, we too will happily sing to the praise of the glory of his grace. His gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 6:23).

Works, Works, Works

2011-08-01T12:06:00.000+02:00

Is a person saved by faith, or by faith and works? Are good works necessary in salvation? These crucial questions are most clearly answered in Ephesians 2:8-10:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

There are three important truths to note in this passage.

1. Not of Works

Salvation is ‘not your own doing … not the result of works’. The Bible excludes our participation or contribution in salvation. Salvation is not the payment for our efforts and good deeds. This is hard for human pride to accept. We would like to think that we’re not that bad or that helpless. We would readily admit that we need God’s assistance, but we can help ourselves too – or so we vainly imagine. Spiritually speaking, we were ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. Cadavers don’t help themselves; they do nothing but rot and decay. We are in need of God’s supernatural power and grace to breath in us new spiritual life and save us from our desperate plight.

2. His Workmanship

Indeed that is the note of celebration in this scritpure. ‘For we are his workmanship!’ The salvation of sinners is a work greater than the creation of the entire universe. And that work was done by God, not us, through Jesus Christ his Son. He humbled himself and became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was risen and exalted to the heavens to secure the salvation of his people. That is why salvation is not our work - it is the work of another, God!

3. For Good Works

Not that good works are unnecessary or optional in the life of the saved! On the contrary, God liberates the slaves of sin so that they might freely live for him. First the Bible says, ‘not of works’, and immediately afterwards, it concludes that we’re saved ‘for good works’. In other words, works are not the cause but the result of salvation. That is God’s eternal purpose. He prepared beforehand, even before they were actually saved, the good works that the redeemed should do. Nor are good deeds an occasional thing for Christians; they are called to ‘walk in them’ – daily abounding in righteous, kind, good and merciful deeds.

What about me?

Two kinds of people claim to believe in Christ, but who are not really saved at all.

The first is the religious person who, in addition to faith in Christ, seeks to do good deeds to merit salvation. Such works are the negation of faith in Christ. In practice his works say, ‘I don’t trust in Christ completely, I must add something more myself!’

Equally deceived is the person who claims that he has faith while his life is devoid of good works, unchanged, and still entangled in sin. The lack of works is the evidence of the absence of faith, no matter how loudly he protests. His barren and dead faith will damn him to hell.

For salvation, come to Christ empty-handed, leaving all your works behind, bringing all your sin and shame, and by faith clutch onto the cross of Christ! He gives you freedom and life, and from thereon, do not cease from constantly doing good works in obedience and gratitude to our wonderful Saviour.

The Only Way

2011-06-30T12:24:00.004+02:00

(Gosepl e-Letter - July 2011)

What are we living for? What is the purpose of life? Oftentimes we are too busy and preoccupied with many cares to stop and reflect on this crucial question.

Or perhaps we are afraid to think deeply about the meaning of life because the prospect of death makes everything seem vain and futile.

We naturally rebel against such a thought. There is a spark of eternity in our soul. We are attracted to beauty, goodness, love and joy, and we continue to yearn for more and more of them.

But how can we know for certain? Maybe we are letting ourselves be deluded by our psychological needs; perhaps we’re just inventing sweet religious tales to satisfy our desires.

For those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus, the answer is right at hand. Jesus points to himself as the answer, “I am the way,” he declared. That is his mission, to take us to the goal for which we were made.

He told us plainly what the purpose is. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). To go to the Father - that is our purpose - to know God, to taste his sweet love and enjoy his beauty forever.

The human heart cannot find rest in anything else. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Salm 42:1). His gifts are precious – think of your family, friends, good food, health and the wonderful creation around us – yet even more precious is God himself above everything else. “Who have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Salm 73:25).

Jesus claims that he is the way, and indeed he insists that no-one comes to the Father except through him. He is the only way. That exclusive statment is offensive to many people in our day. The nineteenth century mystic, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, expresses the sentiment of our modern culture. He says that there are various ways to God, just as “a man can reach the roof of a house by stone stairs or a ladder or a rope-ladder or a rope or even by a bamboo pole.”

Ramakrishna may indeed reach the roof with his rope or pole. There he will meet other religious people with the same philosophical outlook, but will he meet God? God does not dwell on a roof, but in the highest heavens, “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16).

There is but one bridge that reaches the infinite distance between the glorious God and his sinful creatures. That mediator is Christ alone.

Jesus is the way because he is the perfect revelation of the Father, the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the way because he gave himself on the cross, the just for the unjust, to cleanse his people and to make them fit for heaven.

Friend, know the purpose for which you were created and do not exchange it for anything else. You were made for God; in him alone will you find fullness of life. Listen to Christ’s invitation. Come to God through him. He will cleanse your heart from sin, reconcile you to God, and you experience the inexpressible joy in an intimate love relationship with the Father.

For Better, For Worse

2011-05-26T22:41:00.004+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - June 2011)

As far as I know Malta (my country) and the Philippines are the only two states in the world where divorce is not legally permitted. Recently the Maltese people were asked to vote in a referendum on the introduction of divorce.

The extensive discussions were a fresh reminder of the suffering of so many people whose marriage has failed. For those who are happily married, it was an opportunity to reflect on the fragility and preciousness of their love.

I have been married for only a few years, and I can honestly say they were the best years of my life. I hope that the future will be even better. But marriage is not a fairy tale, and we may not necessarily live happily ever after. My wife and I will most likely face more tests and harder trials than we had until now. We are also painfully aware of our fallibility and weakness. We are no better than other couples whose romance and joy turned into bitterness and heartache.

I am grateful to my parents for modeling what marriage and sacrificial love is all about. My Father feared God, and for more than fifty years he endeavoured to fulfill the promise he made to his wife, ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.’

My parents had their fair share of problems, but for a solution they never entertained the possibility of going their separate ways. They learned to solve their problems whatever it takes, to forgive and forebear one another, and to work hard for their family. Even when he was elderly and frail, my Father cherished and tenderly cared of his wife until the Lord called him home.

Like my Father, I want to live in sincere reverence to God. Marriage is not a human invention, but a Divine institution. I believe that God had joined us together in one body, and therefore our relationship is more intimate and profound than any other. I cannot give more importance to my career or to any other interest. I cannot even place my children, whom I love more than life, before my wife. After God, my wife comes first.

I want to devote myself to my dear wife, to protect and provide for her needs, for God charged me to love her just as Christ loves his church. His love is amazing. Even when the church is unworthy and ungrateful, Christ loves her still. He loved her to the extreme, giving himself on the cross to secure her liberty and happiness.

In the imitation of Christ, I cannot shy away from pain and sacrifice in the commitment and dedication to my beloved. Neither should it be difficult for me to be patient with her and to forgive her little mistakes, when I remember how Christ has forgiven and received me in his loving arms despite my manifold stupidities and sins.

My wife and I do not know our future, but we do know him who holds the future; he can also secure the vows we exchanged before him. If we remain close to him, we will remain close to one another.

Deep in Church History

2011-04-28T21:34:00.002+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - May 2011)

John Henry Newman wrote, ‘To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.’

Does this often quoted statement imply, as many seem to assume, that to be deep in history is to commence to be a Roman Catholic? Are the teachings and practices of the modern Roman Catholic Church identical to the early church?

By the time of his death, Newman believed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. However papal infallibility was a mere theological opinion at the time of his conversion to Catholicism. A popular Catholic catechism at that time asked, ‘Must not Catholics believe the pope in himself to be infallible?’ The catechism answered, ‘This is a Protestant invention; it is no article of Catholic faith.’ (Keenan's Controversial Catechism, 1851).

A few years later, by 1870, the ‘Protestant invention’ was declared dogma by the First Vatican Council.

Did Newman accept new dogma on the evidence of history? He must have read the book, The Pope and the Council, by the influential Roman Catholic historian, Ignaz von Döllinger, a fully documented historical repudiation of papal infallibility. Yet Newman consented to the new dogma despite the historical witness to the contrary and he remained a faithful member of the Roman Catholic Church; Döllinger, the historian, left.

Yet Newman too must have experienced the tension. To a suggestion of setting up a Catholic historical review, he responded, ‘Nothing would be better than an Historical Review for Roman Catholics – but who would bear it? Unless one doctored all one’s facts, one would be thought a bad Catholic’ (The Month, Jan. 1903, p.3).

That is an amazing admission. Had he written an honest and factual historical account, he would have been considered ‘bad’ by fellow Catholics, unless he altered, falsified or tampered the facts of history. Another way of saying the same is this: To be deep in history is to cease to be a Roman Catholic - unless of course, one is happy to be considered a bad Catholic.

But perhaps we should ask a more basic question – should history be the judge and criterion of true religion? Undoubtedly church history is of great value, and we would be utterly foolish to ignore the lessons we can glean from our forefathers in the faith.

But then, their beliefs and practices did vary from place to place, and from time to time. Being changeable and inconsistent, history cannot be the gold standard for Christianity.

Jesus did not fault the Jews for not adhering to history; on the contrary, he rebuked them for bringing to naught the Word of God by their zeal to adhere to the traditions of their fathers. History tells us what ‘was’; it does not tell us what ‘ought’. The Word of God should be the rule of faith.

We rejoice when we read of the faithfulness of our forefathers to the teaching of the New Testament, but sometimes they went astray. We must have the courage to be different if need be.

And different we all are, whether Catholic or Protestant, for better or for worse, to a greater or lesser extent, to the Christians of bygone centuries. All of us will be judged by the Word of God; it is to that inspired and authoritative Word that we must constantly return and submit if we seek God’s approval and blessing.

Happy Easter

2011-04-19T12:17:00.000+02:00

I learn a lot from my children ... patience, for instance! But recently John, my three year old son, is teaching me some theology as well.

Last Sunday at church, while we were singing ‘Majesty’, he heard the phrase ‘Jesus who died’. He turned to his mother, evidently shocked, and asked, ‘Jesus died?!’

Poor child. We had taught him that Jesus loves you, Jesus takes care of us, Jesus is always with us ... and now he died!

Like my son, the apostles were also baffled when their Master was taken away. They hid, they went back to their fishing, they were at a loss. I would be utterly confused if Jesus remained dead, for with him all my hopes and meaning will be buried forever. Just as the Scripture says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17).

Thank God, Jesus triumphed over death. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!” My son – all of us - may rest assured that the Saviour is alive!

Hapy Easter!

He Died for Me

2011-04-01T01:00:00.005+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - April 2011)

Have you ever wondered why God the Father allowed his Son to be so unjustly condemned and murdered by his enemies? Clearly God could have prevented the envious Jewish rulers from taking hold of him. God could have used the Roman governor Pilate, who was convinced of his innocence, to save him from the crutches of his adversaries. But he didn’t.

Moreover Jesus begged his Father in unspeakable agony in Gethsemane to take away the cup, but God did not. Jesus had to drink the bitter cup to the very last drop.

Even more baffling is the fact that God did not merely ‘allow’ his Son to die, but the Father actually planned and willed his death, just as the prophetic scriptures foretold, ‘it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief’ (Is 53:10). Jesus himself confessed that he had been commanded by the Father to lay down his life (Jn 5:18).

Indeed Jesus could have easily saved himself from his murderers. They taunted him to prove himself to be the Son of God by coming down from the cross. He did not. Not because he couldn’t – he could have whispered a prayer to the Father and he would have immediately dispatched an army of angels to his aid. But he remained silent. ‘Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth’ (Is 53:7). He willingly offered himself to die.

He knew all along his life that the cross was his vocation. He did not come to be served but to serve, he said, and to give his life as a ransom for many. When the most prominent of his apostles, Peter, attempted to persuade him otherwise, Jesus rebuked him most severely. Christ was determined to go to Calvary.

As a child I have been taught that Christ died for our sins. I did not quite understand what that means. Somehow his death was related to my sins, but in what sense? Did I cause the death by my sins, like a murderer is guilty of shooting his victim?

No. Jesus death was no accident. It wasn’t a senseless murder. Jesus’ death was planned by God to achieve a noble end; Jesus died to fulfil his salvivic mission.

He did not die on account of his own sins, of course, for he had none. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He had no sin of his own, yet he was not without sin on the cross. He died for the sins of others, even as the Scriptures say that God laid on him the iniquity of his people. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace’ (Is 53:5).

Now I understand a little better the glorious meaning of the cross. He is not my victim; he is my saviour. He took my place. He took the death penalty which I deserved. He died that I may not be condemned to hell; he died to free me from sin; he died that I may live.

Dear friend, as you contemplate the cross, I hope and pray that you will take hold of Christ by faith, saying, He took away my sins and nailed them to the cross; I am now free, justified, forgiven. All because the Father willed that his beloved Son should die … for me!

God so Loved the World

2011-03-01T20:57:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - March 2011)

God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

My son’s first book was titled, ‘Most of all Jesus loves you.’ There is no lesson more important for him, and for his father, to learn and cherish.

It is amazing that God loves the world that has rebelled against him. Our first parents disobeyed their Maker, and we, their children, continue to do the same to this day. Every sin that we commit is, in effect, an act of disobedience and defiance to God. Yet the Bible tells us that ‘God so loved the world!’

Even more amazing is the measure of God’s love. God is so good to us, giving us breath, health, food, family and so many good gifts. But all that is nothing compared to the ultimate expression of his love. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son!’ God could not have loved his people more than he did, for his Son is infinitely more precious than all of creation.

God gave his Son when he sent Jesus to the world, to become a human just like us, and to live and dwell among us. Even more, God gave his Son when he offered him up as a sacrifice for sin on the cross of Calvary.

We could never have satisfied God’s righteous anger against our sins. We deserve his wrath and punishment in hell forever. Yet God, in his infinite love, provided Someone to die in our place, to take upon himself our guilt and penalty, so that we can be freed from our guilt. That Someone was none other than his beloved Son.

God gives his Son even today in the promise of the gospel - the good news that the world desperately needs, the message from heaven of love and life. ‘Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’

One of two destinies awaits each one of us – to perish in hell or to enjoy life in communion with God forever.

All depends on our response to the gospel message. We can ignore, reject and disregard God’s love, his Son, and his call to faith, to our detriment and doom. On the other hand, we can listen to the message of salvation, and believe in the Son of God, entrusting ourselves wholly in Jesus’ loving arms. We will not be disappointed for God keeps his promises; he will surely give eternal life to whoever believes in Jesus.

Do We Need More?

2011-02-03T12:38:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - February 2011)

The Bible does not record all that Jesus and his apostles said and did. The apostle John frankly admits that ‘Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book’ (John 20:30). Does this imply, as some argue, that the Bible is not sufficient, and that we need an additional source of revelation, namely Sacred Tradition?

I think it is crucial to make a very important distinction. We must not confuse ‘sufficient, enough, adequate, ample’ with ‘all, exhaustive, comprehensive’. Do we really need to know all that Jesus said and did, and all that the apostles taught and did? Even if God did provide us with that vast amount of data, could we handle the tsunami of information? If I’m thirsty, do I need to drink all the fresh water of the world? No, of course, not! A glass or two will be enough to satisfy my thirst.

Or, to give another illustration, when I diagnose a young boy with asthma, I spend time with the child and his parents to teach them about the condition, how to take the medicines, and what to do in case of an acute attack. I also give them an information booklet and a couple of good websites about childhood asthma. But I do not tell them all that I know about the subject. It is not necessary to burden them with loads of technical details. Nor do they need to know all that is known about asthma. It would literally take a lifetime to master all the knowledge and scientific studies on asthma. They do not need ‘all’ knowledge, but they need ‘sufficient’ knowledge to manage the condition well and even to play football.

The apostle John makes precisely this point about the principle of sufficiency. Immediately after saying that not all the signs that Jesus did are included in his writing, he says further, ‘but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’ (John 20:31). John had a purpose when he wrote his gospel account. He wanted to convince us that Jesus is the Son of God so that we may believe in him and have eternal life. He does not say, ‘I have given you some information but now you need to make further research and discover other crucial truths which I did not mention, and unless you find those other truths you don’t have enough evidence to believe that Jesus is God’s Son.’ On the contrary, he assures us that he wrote on selected episodes of Jesus’ life, and that it was enough for us to be convinced and believe in Jesus.

Thus, God did not need to give us one billion gigabits of information to communicate his message to us. It is perfectly possible for God to give us one book, the Bible, which has sufficient information to lead us to salvation and guide us during our pilgrimage.

Friend, if you are still uncertain about your salvation, learn and believe the good news written in the Holy Scriptures. It is enough, because the Bible reveals a perfect Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost those who come to him by way of repentance and a simple child-like faith.

If you’re already a disciple of Christ, rest assured that the doctrines, promises, laws and warnings of the Scriptures will give you the strength and wisdom you need for godliness and joyful communion with your Saviour. The problem with most of us is that we know so little of the Bible, and even the little we know, we often do not apply it to our daily lives.

I would not say that the Bible is sufficient … it is more than sufficient! There is an overabundance of good spiritual food to nourish our souls. What we really need is not a source of additional revelation, but a more serious and dedicated study of the Bible and a more obedient heart.

A Meaningful Life

2011-01-01T00:49:00.000+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - January 2011)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, the Bible tells us, and mourn with those who mourn.

It is not unusual that I have to do both on the same day, now rejoicing with the parents of a healthy newborn baby, and a short while later, grieving with the parents who have just lost their child. This week my wife and I celebrated the birthday of our son, John, but we found time to attend the funeral of a teenage boy who lost a long battle with leukaemia.

Life is like that. We must learn to laugh and cry on the same day. Life is a collage of sweet and bitter experiences, of joy and sadness. We can’t wait till all is well before we smile. That would be futile because it will never be ‘all’ right in this world.

Nor should we drown in the depths of gloom, for even in the darkest hour, there is always a glimmer of hope. Consider Jesus. During crucifixion, he was able to endure the cross for the joy that was set before him. Even during his agony, joy was not far from him.

So, whether we like it or not, life is a bed of roses - with thorns and all. We must learn, like Job, to receive both good and trouble from the Lord. In happiness, we should be thankful to God for all his good gifts. In trouble and distress, we should trust him all the more and hold on tight to him. As James tells us, Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

With God, joy is exceedingly joyful, while sadness, though still painful, is more bearable. That’s why Peter tells us to cast all our cares on him, knowing that he cares for us. On the other hand, without God, being alone, sadness leads to despair, and even ‘joy’ is mere folly.

This then is my prayer to the dear readers of this letter, that in the coming year we may learn to live ‘coram Deum’ – in the conscious presence of God. To walk with him, rejoicing, hiding in the shadow of the Almighty. Let the invisible hand of Providence lead wherever God wills – in green pastures or through the valley of the shadow of death. The only thing that matters is the comforting presence of God in every step of the way.

That is a life worth living; that is the only life that makes sense.

The Light came to the World

2010-12-01T01:13:00.003+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - December 2010)

For most people, Christmas has little or nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Worse still, many nominal Christians, along with the rest of humanity, do not know God and care very little about the incarnation of his Son.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (John 1:9-11)

Being a sinner by nature, man is antagonistic towards God. It is true, of course, that man is a religious being. He worships something or someone, but sadly, not the true and living God. He does not recognize or love his Creator, nor is he thankful for giving him life and for daily providing and caring for him.

The fault is his own, for God has clearly revealed himself. God is not hidden. The Light was in the world, but the world did not understand. Humanity is blinded by sin.

Indeed, when the Word – the perfect image of the invisible God - came to visit his own people, Israel, they cried out, ‘Crucify him!’ instead of welcoming their Lord and Redeemer. That is how much the world hates God! Man would murder his Maker and Master if he could lay his evil hands on him!

What can heal the malignant adversity of the human heart towards God? What can open the sin-blinded eyes?

Man, by himself, is impotent and helpless. He cannot and will not do anything to be reconciled with God. Whoever was born of blood, like the rest of humanity, is unbelieving. The will of the flesh, on its own, rejects God. The will of man, on its own, continues to refuse him.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13)

God must take the initiative. God must give new life, a new birth, a new beginning, a new heart. Those whom God touches, they gladly receive his Son. They willingly and happily embrace the Saviour and believe on the name of the Son of God. Hostility is changed into friendship, even more, they who were strangers are adopted as children of God.

They have nothing to celebrate who persist in unbelief, including those who ‘believe’ in Christ and live like the devil. Without Christ, they are not God’s children, they have no right to call him ‘Father’, and they will not share the joys of the Father’s house.

But if we have received Christ by faith, then we are members of God’s family, and we have every reason to rejoice, not just during this season but throughout the entire year. For ‘the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.’

Who do you say that I am?

2010-11-01T00:40:00.003+01:00

Christians ought to respect and love all people irrespective of their religious beliefs. That does not mean, however, that Christians should reckon other religions as true or that Jesus our Lord should be placed on a par with the founders and leaders of other religions. It is our sacred duty and joyful privilege to lift up the name of Jesus to the highest heavens, above all creation!

When Jesus asked his disciples what the people thought about him, he was not satisfied with the answer that they considered him a prophet. He therefore asked his disciples what they thought of him. It was at this point that the apostle Peter uttered the historic statement, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus is not a mere prophet. Many people today will gladly say that Jesus was a great moral teacher, while Muslims readily admit that Jesus was a prophet. Sadly they refuse to believe that he is the Son of God. The implications are most serious.

Since he is the Son of God, Jesus is a distinct person from the Father and submissive to him. This however does not imply that he has an inferior nature to the Father. My son is submissive to me, his father, and yet he is just as human as I am. In the same way, the Son of God shares the same divine nature as God the Father.

On one occasion, the Jews sought to kill Jesus because ‘he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.’ (John 5:18). Jesus confirmed that they had rightly understood his claim for he asserted that he could do all that the Father does. Indeed he further asserted that he is able to raise the dead, give life to whoever he wills, and that he will execute the final judgement.

Can any created being, whether human or angelic, irrespective of his greatness and power, make such claims about himself? Can a creature perform all the works that the Creator does? Can a creature raise the dead and judge the entire human race, including the secrets of the heart? Can a creature claim to be equal with God its Maker? For a mere man to utter such claims is the sure sign of blasphemy or madness.

Now if we don’t want to accuse Jesus of sacrilege or insanity, even as some of his contemporaries did, we must conclude that Jesus was speaking the truth, and that he is the unique Son of God, equal with the Father. Jesus, the son of Mary, is truly God.

This is the solid rock on which God’s people, the church, is built. Through the Son we have come to know the Father; when we received him, we received the Father, when we honour him, we honour the Father.

Jesus solemnly claimed equality with the God. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). His audience understood the implications and wanted to kill him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Those who did not believe accused him of blasphemy and eventually nailed him to a cross; whereas those who believed, entrusted their salvation to his care, submitted to him as Lord, and worshipped him as their God. This is our choice today!

Jesus blessed Peter when he confessed him as the Son of God. He will also bless us if we believe in him with all our heart. Indeed the gospel was written for this very purpose, that we should believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through faith we may have life in him.

Opinion Poll - October 2010

2010-10-31T00:10:00.000+02:00

According to Ephesians 2:8-10 we are saved ...

BY good works 4 (14%)
FOR good works 23 (85%)

Total votes: 27. Poll closed.
Comment

Ephesians 2:8-10 reads:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them" (NAB).

In another translation:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship,created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (ESV).

Works are the fruit (saved 'for' good works, saved in order to do good works) and not the cause of salvation ('not from works', not on account of our works). The work of salvation is done by Another, even God (we, the saved, are his handiwork, his workmanship).

The Invocation of Saints

2010-10-01T02:35:00.004+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - October 2010)

Is praying to the saints equivalent to asking other Christians to pray for us, as is often claimed by Catholic apologists? We can take a look at some prayers to check if this is so. I have selected a sample of prayers from a single source, the popular devotion by St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, to facilitate easy reference [link]. As you read these prayers, please ask yourself, Do I speak like this when I ask a fellow Christian to pray for my needs? Is this the right attitude and language when addressing someone other than God?

Oh Mary, I have the certain hope of being saved through thee (page 290).
To thee, then, oh Mary, I present myself today, miserable as I am, and to thee I give myself entirely (page 474).
Accept me, oh Mary, for thy own, and attend to my salvation, as I am thine own (page 38).
Oh Mary, if I put my confidence in thee I shall be saved; if I am under thy protection I have nothing to fear, for to by thy servant is to have the secure armor of salvation (page 328).
(Prostrated himself): Oh my queen, be my advocated with thy Son, who I dare not approach (page 153).
Oh mother of mercy, extend thy hand to raise a poor fallen creature who implores thy mercy. Oh Mary, defend thou me, or tell me to who I shall have recourse, and who can protect me better than thou? (page 224).
To thy hands I consign my soul, it was lost, but thou must save it. I always thank the Lord that he give me this great confidence in thee, which, notwithstanding my unworthiness, I believe will secure my salvation (page 239).
Thou are (my soul’s) ladder and way to paradise. Wilt thou obtain for me the grace of pardon and eternal rest? (page 317).
Save me, my hope, save me from hell; but first from sin, which alone can condemn me to hell (page 768).
Thou, next to Jesus must be my comfort in that dreadful moment (of death). Entreat thy Son that in his goodness He will grant the favour to die clasping thy feet (page 22).
Do not leave me until thou seest me actually safe in heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies through all eternity (page 333).

Friend, what do you think? Is it right to address another creature, however exalted, in this way? Have you ever said to a fellow Christian, ‘I have the certain hope of being saved through you’? I’m sure he will be taken aback! Or have you ever asked a Christian brother, ‘Save me, my hope, save me from hell’? Of course you haven’t; is it only appropriate to address such prayers to the Lord alone. I trust that you can see the emptiness of the excuse for the invocation of the saints.

Taking the Bible as our guide, we are taught to prostrate ourselves before God alone (Acts 10:25), call on Christ as our hope (1 Tim 1:1), place our confidence in him (Heb 10:19), implore his mercy (Psalm 51:1), and hide under his protection (Psalm 17:8), for he is the way to heaven (John 14:6), he is our comfort (Isaiah 49:13), and when death approaches, Christians calls upon the name of their Saviour (Acts 7:59), and in heaven, the redeemed sing of God’s mercies for all eternity (Eph 1:6).

Opinion Poll - September 2010

2010-09-30T04:54:00.001+02:00

According to the Bible, can bishops be married?

Yes 43 (79%)
No 10 (18%)
Don't know 1 (1%)

Total votes: 54. Poll closed.

Comment

All it takes is a simple reference to the Bible to answer this question, but apparently some people are too lazy to do so, or perhaps their blind commitment to their religion does not allow them.

Mary, The Disciple of Christ

2010-09-01T07:19:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - September 2010)

“All generations shall call me blessed,” said Mary, and indeed, she is blessed among all woman. There are two great reasons why Mary, the mother of our Lord, is forever blessed. St Augustine speaks about this in one of his sermons:

“But look here, my brothers and sisters, concentrate more, I beg you, on what follows, concentrate more on what Christ the Lord said as he stretched out his hand over his disciples: This is my mother and these are my brothers; and whoever does the will of my Father who sent me, that person is a brother to me and a sister and a mother (Matthew 12:49-50). Didn't the Virgin Mary do the will of the Father? I mean, she believed by faith, she conceived by faith, she was chosen to be the one from whom salvation in the very midst of the human race would be born for us, she was created by Christ before Christ was created in her. Yes, of course, holy Mary did the will of the Father. And therefore it means more for Mary to have been a disciple of Christ than to have been the mother of Christ. It means more for her, an altogether greater blessing, to have been Christ's disciple than to have been Christ's mother. That is why Mary was blessed, because even before she gave him birth, she bore her teacher in her womb.

“Just see if it isn't as I say. While the Lord was passing by, performing divine miracles, with the crowds following him, a woman said: Fortunate is the womb that bore you. And how did the Lord answer, to show that good fortune is not really to be sought in mere family ties? Rather blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27-28). So that is why Mary, too, is blessed, because she heard the word of God and kept it. She kept truth safe in her mind even better than she kept flesh safe in her womb. Christ is truth, Christ is flesh; Christ as truth was in Mary's mind, Christ as flesh in Mary's womb; that which is in the mind is greater than what is carried in the womb.

“Mary is holy, Mary is blessed, but the Church is something better than the Virgin Mary. Why? Because Mary is part of the Church, a holy member, a quite exceptional member, the supremely wonderful member, but still a member of the whole body. That being so, it follows that the body is something greater than the member. The Lord is the head, and the whole Christ is head and body. How shall I put it? We have a divine head, we have God as our head.” (St. Augustine, Sermon 72A).

So Mary is blessed, firstly, because she is the mother of Christ, the theotokos, the Mother of God according to humanity. This is a unique privilege among all people and in all generations, and no-one else can share it.

Though this privilege is unique and wonderful, Mary is even more blessed for yet another reason. She is more blessed for being a disciple of Christ, a member of his body, the Church, than for being his human mother. Mary is Christ’s disciple because she believed God’s Word and obeyed his will.

We cannot share Mary’s first blessing, but we all can, and indeed we ought to share, her greater blessing. The Gospel calls all people to repentance and faith in Christ for salvation. Those of us who believe God’s Word, trust in the Lord Jesus, and live in obedience to the Father are, like Mary, disciples of Christ and members of his body. What an unspeakable blessing that Christ should call us his brothers, sisters and mother! A greater blessing we could never enjoy.

Opinion Poll - August 2010

2010-08-29T07:14:00.001+02:00

Do Catholics bow down and kneel before graven images?

Yes 46 (51%)
No 43 (47%)
Don't Know 1 (1%)

Total votes 90; poll closed.

Comments

Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI are shown kneeling before the graven image of St Paul in Rabat, Malta, during their official visit to my country.

My Comfort in Death

2010-08-01T00:01:00.001+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - August 2010)

Death is a cruel and a inevitable reality. In my work as a physician I have seen scores of people die, including many children and babies.

One day I too must depart from this world. The prospect of death is fearful because I did not always do what is right, and I know that I have to give an account of myself to God, the righteous Judge of the universe. I should have obeyed him, but I did not, hence I cannot expect anything more than his wrath and condemnation in hell.

Is there any hope even for a sinner like me?

Anselm of Canterbury addresses the dying person in a series of questions and answers:

Question. Do you believe that the Lord Jesus died for you?
Answer. I believe it.

Question. Do you thank him for his passion and death?
Answer. I do thank him.

Question. Do you believe that you cannot be saved except by his death?
Answer. I believe it.

Having ascertained that the dying person truly believes in Christ, Anselm comforts him with the following words:

“Come then, while life remains in you; in his death alone place your whole trust; in nothing else place any trust; to his death commit yourself wholly; with this alone cover yourself wholly; and if the Lord your God will to judge you, say, ‘Lord, between your judgment and myself I present the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; I cannot contend with you in any other way.’ And if he shall say that you are a sinner, you say: ‘Lord, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my sins and yourself.’ If he says that you deserve condemnation, say: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my evil deeds and yourself, and I offer his merits for those which I ought to have and have not.’ If he says that he is angry with you, say: ‘Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between your wrath and myself.’ And when you have finished, say again: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between you and me.”

Those words are balsam to my soul. What was true a thousand years ago remains relevant for me today, for like our forefathers we too are guilty sinners; God is forever just, and Jesus Christ is ever ready to save completely those who come to the Father through him.

The Bible assures us who believe in Christ that “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath” (Romans 5:8, 9).

This then is my only hope. Christ died for me! On that day, the Lord will save me from the wrath to come, and the punishment I deserve, for God already counts me righteous on account of the blood which Christ shed for me.

Opinion Poll - July 2010

2010-07-30T15:26:00.004+02:00

"I place in you all my hopes; I confide my salvation to your care." Can this prayer be said to Mary?

Yes 16 (21%)
No 57 (78%)

Total votes 73. Poll closed.

Comment

This is in fact part of a "Prayer of Confidece in Mary" by St. Alphonsus. If however we take the Bible as our guide, we will call on the Lord Jesus and cry, "Lord Jesus I place in you all my hopes; I confide my salvation to your care." For it is written, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2). And again, "we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" (I Timothy 4:10); and simply, "Christ Jesus our hope" (1 Timothy 1:1).

I appeal from my heart to all those who place their hope in Mary, and who confine their salvation to her care, to do what Mary did - she entrusted her soul to God, her Saviour! Place all your hope in Chirst, the Son of God, who alone is the Mediator and Saviour of mankind. There is no other name given among us by which we must be saved.

Christ the Sole Mediator

2010-07-01T08:40:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - July 2010)

My father passed away two years ago; since then I cannot speak to him, nor can he talk to me. That is the painful reality of death, and that’s why it is futile to pray to the saints in heaven. We have no means of communication with them. Since God alone knows the hearts of all people, the Bible exhorts us to pray to him alone.
In response to the previous letter, a Catholic friend commented, “A sinner may feel that God will not listen to him, and that is why he may ask a saint to intercede in his behalf.” That is an honest admission why Catholics seek the intercession of the saints. Aware of their sinfulness, they appeal to the saints to intercede for them on account of their merits.

In his book ‘The Glories of Mary,’ St Alphonsus states plainly why we should seek intercession. He writes, “Hence St. Bernard exhorts every sinner to pray to Mary, and to feel great confidence in praying to her; because if he does not deserve what he demands, yet Mary obtains for him, by her merits, the graces which she asks of God for him.” (see below). Please note the reason why he exhorts us to seek Mary’s intercession. Conscious of his unworthiness, the sinner is taught to hope in her merits.

This point is rarely discussed by the defenders of the Catholic religion. Over the years I have observed how Catholic apologists side-step the core issue by shifting the discussion on matters of secondary importance. Thus if a Christian points out that the Bible says that there is one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, the Catholic apologist simply responds that the Bible itself commands Christians to intercede for one another, and surely that does not violate the sole mediatorship of Christ. In this we all agree.

But how does Christ’s mediatorship differ from our intercessions for one another?

Do we ever pray on account of our merits? Do we expect God to hear us because we deserve something from him? Do I ask a Christian brother to pray for me because of his superior merits? Or do we rather ask God on the basis of his grace, pleading for his mercies?

On what grounds, then, do we approach God? Surely it is not our ‘good merits’! We approach God in Christ’s name, confident in his infinite merits, for he alone is the mediator between us and our Maker. “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6). He is the one and only mediator for he is the unique God-man who fulfilled his redemptive mission by giving himself ‘as ransom for all’.

That is the only reason why God can be gracious to us; his Son gave himself and shed his blood on the cross to free us from sin and reconcile us to him. We do not approach God with our puny little merits, or the merits of the Saints, as if to say, ‘Hear me because I deserve it’, or, ‘Hear me because so-and-so Saint deserves it’! Away with such fancies! We come to God as we really are, at best, unprofitable servants; we are encouraged to pray to him only because he himself provided for us a Mediator who purchased our redemption.

My response to my Catholic friend is simply this - A sinner rightly feels that God will not listen to him because God abhors sin. But thank God, he himself has provided a perfect Mediator, his Son Jesus Christ, and in his name we boldly come to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help. God will not turn anyone who comes to him in Christ’s name; God will turn away anyone else who comes to him presenting his ‘merits’ or that of anybody else, whether on earth or in heaven.

Opinion Poll - June 2010

2010-06-30T08:36:00.001+02:00

Are all Christians - men and women, young and old - priests?

Yes 44 (75%)
No 13 (22%)
Don't know 1 (1%)

Total votes: 58. Poll closed.

Comment

All Christians are priests. "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen" (Revelation 1:6).

Guess what this is?

2010-06-14T14:44:00.003+02:00

Guess what this is? And don't cheat! Hint: the picture was taken in 1956...

It's a hard disk drive back in 1956... with 5MB of storage.

In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first 'SUPER' computer with a hard disk drive (HDD).

The HDD weighed over a ton and stored a 'whopping' 5MB of data.

Do you appreciate your 2GB memory stick a little more now?

Praying to the Saints

2010-06-01T09:12:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - June 2010)

Someone wrote to me recently, ‘Just as I would ask my family and friends to pray for me, I would ask the Saints to pray on my behalf.’

That sounds reasonable. After all evangelical Christians regularly ask their brethren to intercede for them. Why can’t we also ask the saints in the presence of God to pray for us too? We will be wise to check our religious practices, including our prayers, by the standard of God’s Word. In the Bible we discover a wealth of information about prayer.

(a) There are numerous invitations to call upon the Lord God for our needs and petitions. (b) There are about six hundred prayers recorded in the Scriptures; all of which, without exception, are directed to the Lord. (c) Christians are encouraged to pray for other living Christians; there are many examples of believers making such requests. (d) There is no permission or example of prayers to the departed saints or to angels.

Clearly then, the Scriptures teach us that we ought to pray for each other, and that we should always address our prayers to God.

Please do not ignore the powerful testimony of the Scriptures even if you don’t uphold the Bible as the only infallible standard of Divine truth. What if you compile a book the size of the Bible on Roman Catholic history, doctrine and prayers, would you expect to find at least a few injunctions and examples of prayers to Mary and the saints? Or if you collect 600 Catholic prayers, is it not likely that some of them will include petitions to the departed saints? Of course you would, but don’t you find it strange that there aren’t any such references in the entire Bible? The silence is significant.

However you may insist that praying to the saints in heaven is equivalent to asking fellow Christians to pray for you. But there are very significant differences. I invite you to do these simple experiments, in which you play the role of a saint in heaven.

Have someone ask you to pray for him - on condition that he will not speak to you audibly or communicate in writing. He can only think in his mind and ask his requests silently. See if you can accurately know his heart.

Invite someone to tell you his prayer requests, this time he can speak out loud, but he cannot not speak in your presence. He has to be somewhere else, in another house, another city or another country. He can’t use email, text messages or phone, but he can pray in front of your photograph if he wishes. See if you get his message.

Invite a group of fifty people to ask you simultaneously to pray for their individual needs. They should speak to you all at once, everyone in his own language. See if you can understand and remember all their requests, or indeed, even one of them.

Keep in mind that the saints in heaven, though glorified, are finite creatures, and as creatures they are limited in their powers. They are aware of the general events taking place on earth, but they do not have the means of communication with us - on an individual basis or much less with a multitude of people all at once. Nor do they have the power to read our heart, as the Bible states, “[God] alone know the hearts of all the sons of men” (1 Kings 8:39).

I would rather pray to the One who is everywhere present, who knows all things, even the deep secrets of my heart, and who has graciously invited me to come to him through his Son Jesus Christ. For Christians, God is our Father, and he will certainly hear the prayers of his children!

Reference:
a) Psalm 50:15; 105:1; Isaiah 55:6; Romans 10:12; Philippians 4:6; Matthew 6:9-15.
b) Daniel 9:4-19; Isaiah 38:2-8; 1 Chronicles 4:10; 2 Kings 19:15-19; I Kings 18:36-39; 1 Kings 8:22-30; 2 Samuel 7:18-29; Genesis 18:23-25; Acts 7:59-60; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1:9-12; Ephesians 1:15-23; Philippians 1:3-11; Jude 1:24-25; John 17; Luke 18:13; Habakkuk 3:2-19; Ezra 9:5-15; etc
c) Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Hebrews 13:18; James 5:16; Ephesians 6:18.
d) http://www.justforcatholics.org/a137.htm

Opinion Poll - May 2010

2010-05-27T07:49:00.002+02:00

Is it necessary to renew the sacrifice of Christ?

Yes 14 (26%)
No 38 (71%)
Don't know 1 (1%)

Total votes: 53. Poll closed.

Comment

The Roman Catholic Church, of course, says yes, the sacrifice of Christ is "daily renewed" in the Mass; the “the work of our redemption is carried on"; Christ "daily offers Himself upon our altars for our redemption." (Catechism of the Council of Trent; Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church; Mediator Dei, Pius XII).

The Bible, however, speaks of a finished, once-for-all, sacrifice of Christ on the cross, with Christ sitting at the right hand of Majesty, having accomplished our redemption.

The Bible repeats over and over again that Christ offered His sacrifice "once" and "once for all." He "does not need daily to offer up sacrifices." He is in heaven "not that He should offer Himself often." Today "there is no longer an offering for sin." His purpose was achieved: by His once-for-all sacrifice, He "put away sin" and thus He "sanctified" and "perfected forever" His people.

http://www.justforcatholics.org/a102.htm

Reflections on Sexual Abuse

2010-05-01T20:12:00.001+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - May 2010)

1.

The Catholic Church is the target of a sustained and vicious attack by the international media. Why is the assault directed at the Catholic Church, and especially on the Pope? Is it likely that the secular media is really interested in the victims’ welfare – if so, why pick on Catholic clergy? Child abuse is certainly not the monopoly of Catholic priests! Children are also abused by teachers, youth workers, relatives and even their own parents. Moreover, the phenomenon knows no religious boundaries; it also occurs in other Christian denominations and in non-Christian religions. I can be mistaken, but I am convinced that there are media gurus who are bent against anything Christian, and understandably the Catholic Church bears the brunt of their animosity, not least for its stand on Christian values and against the moral and spiritual decay of our society.

2.

Irrespective of the media bias, the issue is most serious, and it must be dealt with squarely. The Catholic Church has admitted and asked forgiveness for the priests who have committed shameful deeds with young children and adolescents. Yet their individual guilt cannot be transferred to the entire clergy, much less to the collective Catholic community. Indeed it is prudent to remember that only a tiny percentage of priests have been accused of abuse; the vast majority have strived to fulfil their calling with honour and dedication to the Church and humanity, albeit they too have their sins, like the rest of us.

3.

In dealing with cases of child abuse, church authorities have often sidestepped the civil courts, and in effect the Church has acted as an autonomous state within a state. That is wrong. Moreover there were efforts at cover-ups in an attempt to safeguard the name and image of the Church, but in the long term, as these cases came to light, the credibility of the Church was seriously damaged. The present crisis can be a turning point in the way the Church looks at and addresses the problem of sexual abuse. Indeed the Vatican has recently published its current policy to involve the civil authorities in every case, which was not always done in the past. Moreover, a serious study of the circumstances in which abuse is more likely to occur so that effective measures are taken to safeguard children in the future.

4.

Is priestly celibacy the underlying cause of this problem? Frankly, I don’t think it is. Paedophilia is not cured by marriage. Clerical celibacy is a separate issue, and it is high time for the Vatican to review its policy. Obligatory celibacy may be the occasion of frustration, loneliness and fornication for many priests who would otherwise choose to marry if they were allowed. Some Christian ministers are indeed called to celibacy, like the apostle Paul, but others are called to marriage, like the apostle Peter. We should remember that the New Testament clearly allows the marriage of bishops and presbyters, as indeed was the case in the early history of the church, and in other Christian denominations.

5.

A word to victims of abuse. You may feel bitter anger in your heart against the priest who molested you; you may even be angry at the Church as a whole. Such bitterness may come to dominate your character and your entire life. You will find little help from psychologists and medicines. You will not rest if you see your offender locked behind bars. But you can be set free by Christ, for he too suffered at the hands of priests who condemned him unjustly to be nailed to a cross. Yet despite the pain and suffering, he cried to the Father to forgive them. God can give you a heart like that, and you will be able to pray to the Father, ‘Forgive me my sins as I forgive him who sinned against me.’

6.

A word to priests who erred. Do not be overwhelmed by the sense of guilt and failure. True, you have sinned against God. You have defiled the innocent. You have caused untold grief to the parents. You have brought shame and reproach to the church and the gospel. You wish you can change the past, but alas, you cannot. You may end up in prison. You may be rejected by the Church and society. But you are not beyond the grace and mercy of God. Turn to God; by faith grasp the cross of Jesus Christ and you will find forgiveness and peace in your heart.

7.

A word to Catholics. You may feel embarrassed, angered or confused about your faith. That is understandable, especially since you looked up to priests as models of holiness and integrity. They err, sometimes gravely, just like you and me. That is why we cannot trust in man but in Christ Jesus alone. He will never ever disappoint you. “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Opinion Poll - April 2010

2010-04-29T20:16:00.000+02:00

Should celibacy be obligatory or voluntary for church ministers?

Obligatory 20 (29%)
Voluntary 48 (70%)
Don't know 0 (0%)

Total votes: 68. Poll closed.

Comment

If celibacy should be obligatory, why did the Lord choose a married man, Peter, to be his apostle? Are we wiser than the Head of the Church?

The Mother of God

2010-04-01T23:17:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - April 2010)

The church rightly calls Mary by the title ‘Mother of God’. The term is rather ambiguous, though, and it can be easily misunderstood. Some Protestants may need a little explanation, whereas some Catholics may benefit from a gentle admonition against its misuse.

The Creed of Chalcedon, A.D. 451, includes the Greek term ‘theotokos’ to define the identity of Christ. ‘Theotokos’ literally means ‘God-bearer’, which is loosely translated into Latin ‘Mater Dei’ - Mother of God. The term was used to underline the fact that the child born of Mary was truly God, and thus to guard against the error that Christ was two persons in one body, rather than one person. This heresy, ‘Nestorianism’, was condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431.

The Creed states, in part, that Christ was “begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood.”

The creed does not teach that Mary is the mother of Christ’s divine nature. As God, Christ has no beginning and no mother. Indeed, the creed explicitly says that he was begotten ‘before all ages’. Moreover, the creed qualifies the meaning of ‘theotokos’ by the phrase ‘according to the Manhood’, or, in another translation, ‘born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of his humanness’. It is only Christ’s human nature that is ascribed to Mary, from whom he was descended and born.

Thankfully Catholics and Evangelicals are united on the doctrine of Christ. We believe that our Lord is a unique Person. He is eternally God; he also became man. Yet Christ is not two persons, nor is he divided, but he is one Person with two distinct natures, divine and human. Thus it is equally correct to call him both ‘God’ and ‘man’, and for this reason, we do not hesitate to call his mother, the Mother of God.

Sadly some have misused this title to attribute to Mary a role which the Lord never intended. Some Catholics think that Mary has a maternal authority over her Son, and therefore some ask Mary to plead on their behalf with her Son because they are convinced that he will never disobey his mother’s commands.

Amazingly, in his days of humiliation, the Son of God did not only become a babe, but as a child, he submitted himself to the authority of his creatures - his putative father, Joseph, and his mother, Mary. Of course he is no longer under such parental authority. Even during his earthly public ministry, he was led solely by the Holy Spirit to do the Father’s will. Following the resurrection and ascension, Christ is now seated at the right hand of Majesty, and he has all power over his church and all creation. Mary does not have authority over Jesus; on the contrary, Jesus is Mary’s Lord and Saviour.

Let us therefore keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Let us remember that for our salvation he was born of the blessed virgin mother, and was made human like us, so that he could be nailed to a cross to shed his innocent blood for our redemption. Let us also remember that the man Christ Jesus is none other than the eternal Son of God. He is not inattentive to the cries of his people, nor is he reluctant to save to the uttermost those who come to the Father through him. Let us confidently come to Christ. We ought to trust him with our souls and worship him as our God.

PS

I received replies from several Catholic readers of the Gospel e-Letter saying that I misrepresented the Catholic teaching on Mary when I wrote, 'Mary has a maternal authority over her Son, and therefore some ask Mary to plead on their behalf with her Son because they are convinced that he will never disobey his mother’s commands.'

I refer you to the popular devotion, The Glories of Mary, by St Alphonsus Liguori, to show that this is what some Catholics really belive.

Excerpts:

Moreover, once Jesus Christ has deigned to make her His Mother, He was then obliged to obey her because He was her Son.

At the command of Mary, all obey, even God … God grants the prayers of Mary as if they were commands.

We are all under obligation to God for whatever we have, because everything is but a gift from Him, but by taking flesh from Mary and becoming Man, God was put to put Himself under obligation to her.

Although Mary obtains favors by asking, yet she asks with a certain maternal authority, and therefore we ought to feel confident that she obtains all she desires and asks for us.

The prayers of the Blessed Virgin, being the prayers of a Mother, have in them something of a command; so that it is impossible that she should not obtain what she asks

As thou hast, O Mary, the authority of a Mother with God, thou obtainest pardon for the most enormous sinners; since that Lord in all things acknowledges thee as his true and spotless Mother, he cannot do otherwise than grant what thou askest

Thou, O Mary, being Mother of the most high God, canst save all by thy prayers, which are increased in value by the maternal authority.

I hope that you do not receive this teaching, but that like Mary, you submit yourself to the authority and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and life.

Opinion Poll - March 2010

2010-03-28T23:17:00.003+02:00

Can someone be saved as long as he refuses to believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

Yes 11 (11%)

No 78 (80%)

Don't know 8 (8%)

Total votes: 97. Poll closed.

Comment

The Bible gives a clear answer to this important question: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). Let us not entertain false hopes of salvation. If you have heard the gospel message, you can either trust in Jesus, the Son of God, or reject him. If you believe in him, you have eternal life; if not, you are lost.

God's Final Word

2010-03-01T09:08:00.002+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - March 2010)

What is God’s ultimate message to the world?

In the past God spoke to his people by the prophets; ultimately he spoke to us by his Son. “This is my beloved Son;” declared the voice from heaven, “Listen to him.” The Lord Jesus reveals the Father because he is the living Word, the perfect image of the invisible God.

Thus when the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus answered: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14:9). Whereas he warned the Jews who refused to believe in him that they did not really know God. “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19).

This then - our attitude to Christ - is the dividing line between Christianity and the heretical sects and other religions. Christians believe in the eternal Son of God who also became man for our salvation; we therefore entrust our souls to his care and worship him with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Whereas non-Christians deny the Deity of our Lord and refuse to bow down before him.

Islam claims that God’s final word was given by the prophet Mohammed some 600 years after Christ. Therefore Islam must deny the unique dignity of Jesus as the Son of God so that it won’t be seen as a regression from God’s final revelation. Indeed the Qur’an says that Jesus is just another prophet, and it specifically denies that he is the Son of God. “The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah … Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son” (Sura 4:171). [1]; “The Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them” (Sura 9:30). [2]

Clearly Jesus and Mohammed could not be both correct. If Jesus is not the Son, than he is a liar, a false prophet, and he is not worthy of any honour but the cross. But if Jesus is the Son of God, then Islam defames and blasphemes him.

On one occasion the Lord asked his disciples what the people thought of him. Some people, they answered, thought that he was another prophet. But when Jesus asked the disciples what they believed, Peter uttered that inspired declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus blessed Peter for his faith, as he blesses all those who confess him as the Son of God.

Following the teaching of the Qur’an, Muslims pray that Allah destroys Christians because we worship Jesus as the Son of God. Another translation renders the same text, ‘God fight them!’ [3] and yet another translation, “God's curse be on them.” [4]

We are convinced that the vast majority of Muslims have been misinformed about Jesus. They may curse us, but we, following the teaching of our Master, we bless them, pray for them, and seek every opportunity to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, the Son of God. For he is the only hope for Muslims, as well as for us all, and the rest of sinful humanity. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

All depends on our attitude to the Son.

Opinion Poll - February 2010

2010-02-27T06:34:00.002+01:00

According to 1 Kings 8:38-39 who can hear our prayers from heaven?

God alone 46 (68%)

God and the saints 21 (31%)

Total votes: 67. Poll closed.

Comment

"Whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind."

Why should God's people pray to God? Because God alone knows our hearts.

The Useless Cross

2010-02-01T08:23:00.002+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - February 2010)

It is unthinkable that a Christian would set aside the grace of God or denounce the death of Christ as useless. Yet this sin is as common today among religious people as it used to be among the Jews and some professing Christians in the apostolic era.

These people do not reject grace by living in gross immorality, but paradoxically, by their misguided zeal for the Law of God. To be sure, grace is despised by someone claiming to believe in Christ, who turns Christian freedom into libertinism. But it is equally damning to attempt to become right with God by personal efforts and works.

‘I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing’ (Gal 2:21 NAB), or, in another translation, ‘I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain’ (NKJV).

The Law

Why does the apostle speak like that about the law? Surely the gospel does not nullify God’s Law, and every Christians is under moral obligation to obey his Lord.

But here the apostle Paul has one and only one aspect of the law in mind, namely its abuse by religious people. They presume that righteousness can be obtained by the works of the law – that is, by their efforts to fulfill its demands. However, the law was never intended for justification; it has never justified anyone and it never will. On the contrary, the law exposes our utter failure and shameful guilt.

But someone may argue, was not Paul referring to the Law of Moses? Yes, he was, Paul was referring to the Law of Moses with all its ceremonies and moral precepts. The Jews were attempting to become righteous in God’s sight by their obedience to the Law of Moses, rather than by placing their faith in the Son of God.

Yet the same principle applies to us today, for if they could not be justified by the works of the perfect Law of God, why should we think that we can be justified by any other law, or the precepts of any church? Why, if justification could somehow be achieved by our efforts, it cannot be of grace: ‘if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace’ (Romans 11:6).

The Son of God

Moreover if it were possible that we could become righteous by our works, or in any other way apart from faith in Christ, then the cross was a fiasco. Calvary would have been unnecessary; Christ would have died without a true reason or a just cause.

Dare we say, Christ died in vain? We may not say it with our mouth, but we may well imply it unwittingly by our attempts to attain justification by our works. ‘But I do give great value to the death of Christ,’ someone may protest, ‘Apart from his cross, nothing that I do has any value before God. My good works are meritorious because they are united with the merits of Christ.’

Still, in addition to Christ, you’re seeking righteousness by your works. The apostle Paul, however, contrasts the law and Christ as two opposing ways to righteousness. He does not say ‘by law and Christ’. Righteousness cannot be obtained by the law, but by Christ alone for ‘if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.’

We have only two alternatives. We can either renounce the merits of our works, and believe in Christ for justification; or else, we can work hard to obtain righteousness by our labours -- and deny the grace of the Son of God. We can either clutch to the cross for righteousness and be cleansed by Christ’s blood, or else, attempt justification by the works of the law -- and be crushed by its curse and condemnation.

Opinion Poll - January 2010

2010-01-27T23:25:00.007+01:00

A person who has accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour will go to heaven even if he lives an ungodly life.

True 28 (23%)

False 76 (63%)

Don't Know 15 (12%)

Total votes: 119. Poll closed.

Comment

Those who continue to live an ungodly life after they had accepted Jesus as personal Saviour will burn in Hell forever. Their sentence? ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' Their evil life is the proof that they never knew Christ, no matter what they claim and how many "sinner's prayers" they had parroted!

Two Destinies

2010-01-01T21:47:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - January 2010)

One of two destinies await each one of us -
Death or eternal life.

The Bible says,
“The wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The ultimate payment for sin is death.
We earned death by our sinful disobedience to God’s Law.
Yet God, who is rich in mercy, does not mete out the punishment deserved by his people,
But frees them from guilt for Christ’s sake.
He gives them what they do not deserve – eternal life.
To them who are united by faith in Christ Jesus,
God gives life as a gift, freely, gratis!
For Jesus, the sinless one, paid their debt by his own blood,
And by his perfect obedience
He merited for them eternal life.

Death is not a state of non-existence.
It is existence without purpose, without meaning, without joy.
Death is thirst without water.
Hunger without food.
Death is to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time
And endure the wrath of God forever.
Death is the soul in solitude and darkness,
The heart devoid of love,
Separated from God.
Death is hell.

Death is the cross of Calvary.
Death is the corpse lying in a grave.
Life is the empty tomb,
The throne in glory.
Life is Jesus.

Life is the heart overflowing with love,
The joy of walking with Christ,
Of suffering for a moment for righteousness sake,
Feeding on the Bread from heaven,
Drinking the living water of the Spirit.
Life is heaven,
Face to face with God
Enjoying and praising him for eternity.

Opinion Poll - December 2009

2010-01-01T21:36:00.003+01:00

"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25).

John 21:25 (see above) is a strong argument against the sufficiency of Scripture (Sola Scriptura).

True 32(56%)
False 24 (42%)
Don't Know 1 (1%)

Total votes: 57. Poll closed.

Comment

A typical argument, taken from the Internet, goes like this: "Matt. 28:20 - "observe ALL I have commanded," but, as we see in John 20:30; 21:25, not ALL Jesus taught is in Scripture. So there must be things outside of Scripture that we must observe. This disproves "Bible alone" theology."

This kind of argument is often make by Roman Catholic apologists to undermine the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures (a doctrine sometimes known by the Latin motto, sola Scriptura, or Bible alone). They want to suggest another source of revelation, Sacred Tradition, which supposedly brings to us the unwritten teaching of Jesus and the apostles through the succession of Catholic bishops.

Well, first of all, by sola Scriptura we do not mean that the Bible contains everything about what Jesus and the apostles ever did or say. Of course it doesn’t. We would need libraries of books to record all the details. By the way, the so-called sacred tradition does not tell us everything either. In fact, it does not tell us anything substantial at all. Ask someone who believes in Tradition to give you only one sentence that Jesus said which is not recorded in the Bible. He wouldn't know.

The point however is not whether the Bible contains everything but whether the Bible contains enough for our salvation and life. In His wise providence, the Lord God moved certain holy men to write the books of the New Testament, and led his people to recognize them as His Word. He did not give us exhaustive information. But we do not need that kind of knowledge. I don't need to know the physical appearance of Jesus, or every counsel he gave to every man and woman he met. I don't need to know every miracle He ever performed to be convinced that He is the Son of God.

God gave us enough to understand who Jesus is, and the significance of his cross, resurrection, His exaltation and His return. He also gave us abundant teachings and instructions as to how we should live. Yes, the Bible is enough. It is sufficient. The Bible is able to make us wise unto salvation which is by faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

But I should write in more detail about this later on...

JESUS: He Saves His People

2009-12-17T14:42:00.006+01:00

Ever since my childhood, I never cease to be amazed by the momentous event of the first Christmas. The angel told Joseph not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because what was conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. “She will give birth to a son,” he told him, “and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The Son of God, who was eternally with the Father, and by whom all things were created, became a man and came down from heaven to our world. The eternal King was clothed in humility and dwelt among us; the infant of Bethlehem is Emmanuel, God with us!

Jesus came to fulfill a mission that no one else could perform; he came to save his people from their sins.

For we have broken God’s Law, we are guilty before him, we deserve his punishment and wrath in hell. Thankfully Jesus saves sinners from the guilt and dominion of sin, from death and hell.

Sadly Christ is of no benefit to some people, for he saves his people but they do not belong to him.

Therefore I ought to ask myself, do I belong to Jesus, am I a living member of his church? Have I repented of my sins, am I walking with him in obedience to his Word? Am I trusting wholeheartedly in him for the salvation of my soul?

If I do, I can be confident that he will save me also from my sins. He saves me because he is God, and God is all powerful. He saves me became he became human, was nailed to a cross and shed his blood to pay my debt in full. He took upon himself what he never had, sin; and gave to me what I never had, a clean heart and eternal life.

I hope that you too experience the forgiveness and peace that Jesus alone gives. He saves his people from their sins.

God Speaks to Us Today

2009-11-30T20:58:00.002+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - December 2009)

The Bible is a collection of old writings by several authors over a span of many centuries, originally addressed to the Jews or the early Christians. Why should we put our confidence in this old book? Is it still relevant to us today?

The Lord Jesus gives us a good insight on the value of the Scriptures. During a debate with the Sadducees (who denied the resurrection), Jesus said, ‘But about the resurrection of the dead -- have you not read what God said to you, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” He is not the God of the dead but of the living’ (Matt 22:31, 32).

Let us focus on the very significant phrase, ‘Have you not read what God said to you?’

We learn, first of all, that Jesus regarded God as the author of the Bible. He knew of course that the book of Exodus, from which he quoted, was written by Moses. But Jesus looked beyond the human author. ‘Have you not read,’ he asked, ‘what God said to you?’

God is the ultimate author of the Bible, for as the apostle Peter explains, ‘prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’ (2 Peter 1:21).

So the Bible is not merely a human work – if it were so, we would be fools to hang our eternal destiny on its message. The Bible is ‘God-breathed’ – the words coming out of the mouth of God. Therefore we can trust the Scripture because God, its author, cannot err or deceive us.

We learn, moreover, that Jesus taught that the Bible was not written only to the original audience but to others as well. The book of Exodus was originally written to the Jews that came out of Egypt. Yet Jesus told the first century Jews that through that book, God was speaking to them also: ‘Have you not read what God said’ – not to your forefathers, but – ‘to you?’

Even though that scripture had been written fifteen centuries before, Jesus told the people of his generation that God was communicating with them in their day. Through the Bible, God speaks today. The Scripture is ever relevant and up-to-date. ‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever’ (1 Peter 1:24, 25).

Similarly, the apostle Paul, speaking to Christians about the events recorded in Scripture, wrote, ‘These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us’ (1 Cor 10:11); and again, ‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us’ (Rom 15:4). God had us in mind when he composed the Bible, and when we read it, God speaks to us!

This then is what Jesus taught. God is the author of the Bible, and he wrote it to all people in every generation. The Scriptures transcend culture and time. Through the written Word, God speaks; God speaks to us; God speaks to us today!

If we truly desire to correct our errors and to know God’s message, the Lord Jesus counsels, ‘Have you not read what God said to you?’

Opinion Poll - for Catholics only

2009-11-28T06:34:00.004+01:00

Did Christ die in place of his people to pay the penalty for their sins?

Yes 60 (90%)
No 4 (6%)
Don't know 2 (3%)

Total votes: 66. Poll closed.

Comment

This poll was reserved for Roman Catholics. Thankfully most affirmed that Christ died in place of his people to pay the penalty for their sins. A few, who know better their Catholic religion, denied this precious truth. I thank God that many Catholics are influenced by evangelicals and have come to know this blessed truth about Jesus' work on the cross.

Opinion Poll - November 2009

2009-11-28T06:31:00.003+01:00

Historically the Catholic Church forbade the laity to read the vernacular translations of the Bible.

True 50 (62%)
False 28 (35%)
Don't Know 2 (2%)

Total votes: 79. Poll closed.

Comment

This example should suffice...

"Since it is clear from experience that if the Sacred Books are permitted everywhere and without discrimination in the vernacular, there will by reason of the boldness of men arise therefrom more harm than good, the matter is in this respect left to the judgment of the bishop or inquisitor, who may with the advice of the pastor or confessor permit the reading of the Sacred Books translated into the vernacular by Catholic authors to those who they know will derive from such reading no harm but rather an increase of faith and piety, which permission they must have in writing. Those, however, who presume to read or possess them without such permission may not receive absolution from their sins till they have handed them over to the ordinary. Bookdealers who sell or in any other way supply Bibles written in the vernacular to anyone who has not this permission, shall lose the price of the books, which is to be applied by the bishop to pious purposes, and in keeping with the nature of the crime they shall be subject to other penalties which are left to the judgment of the same bishop. Regulars who have not the permission of their superiors may not read or purchase them." (Council of Trent: Rules on Prohibited Books, approved by Pope Pius IV, 1564).

Thank God the modern Catholic Church encourages its members to read the Bible in their language. May God be pleased that through the reading of his Word, many dear Catholic people will discover the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus.

The Birth of Our Daughter, Elisabeth

2009-11-23T15:51:00.006+01:00

Dear Friends,

My wife and I would like to share our joy with you for the birth of our daughter, Elisabeth! She was born this morning 23rd November 2009 at 11 am, at 39 weeks gestation, weighing 3 kg. She cried immediately and within a couple of minutes she was already breast-feeding.

We are so thankful to God for his wonderful gift; we now dedicate her to Him. Our desire is that she may grow to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, her Saviour.

Her name, Elisabeth, means ‘The Promise of My God’ – a reminder that God promises eternal life to all of us who believe in His Son. Praise his holy name!

Joe, Joanne ... John and ELISABETH

Open Letter to Anglicans

2009-11-02T06:31:00.002+01:00

The Vatican has opened an express way to Anglicans, unhappy about your church’s policy on woman bishops and gay clergy – to convert to the Roman Catholic Church. Many Anglicans were stunned, others were angered by the Pope’s move.

You shouldn’t be. All the ecumenical talk is but a façade to the Vatican’s ultimate aim, namely, to lure Christians in other denominations to Rome. It couldn’t be otherwise. The Roman magisterium has never changed the claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the one and only true church of Jesus Christ. The Catholic magisterium is simply being consistent with its fundamental beliefs.

What should Anglicans do?

Over the years I have observed the sad decline in the Anglican and Episcopalian churches. The Anglican church has fallen away from its historic stand on the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. The Thirty Nine Articles states:

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

The God-inspired Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. Please ask yourself whether the Anglican church has largely ignored the teaching of the Bible on moral issues – the ordination of woman and the acceptance of homosexual bishops are but symptomatic of the substitution of the Word of God for the humanistic opinions of our godless culture.

However you will not be helped by joining the Roman Catholic Church. Rome officially rejects 'Sola Scriptura' - not only by the addition of an undefined body of 'Holy Tradition', but by sitting in absolute authority over all people as the only authentic interpreter of the Word of God. In effect, by joining the Catholic Church you will be bound to submit your mind and will to the teaching of the Vatican.

In particular, consider the doctrine of justification, for this article is the heart of the gospel message. Historically, the Anglican Church taught that:

We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort.

This is the great gospel truth cherished by Anglicans and all Protestants. We are accounted righteous ONLY for the merit of our Lord Jesus, and not on account of any good works of ours. Moreover we are justified through faith ALONE, and not through some other mediator, be it the Catholic priest, the intercession of Mary, rituals or the fire of Purgatory.

Yet Rome categorically denies this blessed gospel truth. In the Roman Church you will be told to work and do religious deeds to merit grace and to merit eternal life; you will be required to do penance to make satisfaction for you sin.

As for me, and I hope you too, dear brethren in the Church of England, we stand by faith alone on Christ alone for justification. He is our merit, our righteousness and our satisfaction for sin. We are justified by God’s grace alone and not on account of our deeds. Having renounced all confidence in ourselves, acknowledging our guilt and demerit, we wholly lean on the Lord Jesus by faith. He has never lost one of his sheep!

As for church membership, make sure that your local church is "a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance". If your local Anglican church fits this description, remain therein, while praying fervently and working earnestly for its reformation. If not, seek and join a local congregation of believers that uphold the teaching of the Bible on justification and the other precious doctrines of the Gospel.

I have been praying for the Anglican church these past days, may God raise people like Thomas Cranmer and J.C. Ryle to reform the Anglican Church. May the remnant of God’s people in the Anglican community be preserved and vindicated by their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Christ the Sin Bearer

2009-11-01T05:32:00.000+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - November 2009)

Can God be merciful to sinners while being absolutely just and upright? Justice demands that sinners should be punished, while mercy allows the guilty to go free. If justice prevails, mercy is refused; but if mercy triumphs, justice is undone. Is there a solution to this dilemma?

Thank God, the gospel message is the answer! The Bible reveals God’s infinite wisdom in finding a way to be both just and the justifier of the ungodly who believes in Christ.

The Bible teaches that we were under God’s wrath because we are law-breaker. ‘All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’ (Galatians 3:10). None of us obeyed God’s Law perfectly; therefore all of us were under divine condemnation.

But God sent his Son to the world to take away our sin. The sinless One became sin for us; the blessed Son became a curse for us. ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’ (Galatians 3:13). Christ redeemed – that is, he liberated us – from the curse imposed on us by the Law when he offered his life as a sacrifice. He took our curse upon himself. No curse remains anymore on those who believe in Christ, but rather the blessings of God.

Sadly many people do not accept the biblical teaching on the death of Christ. Someone wrote to me, ‘I just can’t understand the concept of person "A" committing a sin and having it transferred to person “B” who is punished instead of the other. If I rob a bank, the police don't arrest my daughter or my father. They arrest me. Yet the Bible teaches that Jesus died for our sins. This concept of transferring sin from a guilty party to an innocent party seems so immoral.’

Indeed it would be immoral if the punishment is imposed on an innocent person instead of the guilty party. But it would be an act of pure love and generosity, and certainly not immoral, if someone voluntarily accepts to pay the penalty for another.
I first understood this concept of transfer of punishment before I opened the pages of the Bible. It was my fifteenth birthday. Without permission and without a driving license, I drove my father's tractor on a busy road and I was involved in traffic accident. I caused hundreds of pounds worth of damages to the brand new van involved in the collision.

I was guilty; my father was not.

Yet my father paid all the damages for me. I did not pay a cent.

That is, in essence, what the Bible teaches about the meaning of Christ's death. I broke the Law; he paid the death penalty in my place. He bore my sins. He took away my curse. He took my punishment. And he did so voluntarily. ‘I lay down my life,’ Jesus said, ‘No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord’ (John 10:17-18).

The cross of Christ is the manifestation of the justice and the mercy of God in perfect unity.

Therefore with all God’s people I rejoice in the wonderful truth that Christ ‘was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5).
We acknowledge our guilt and that we deserve punishment; but we rejoice in the grace of God who spared us the punishment because he laid our penalty upon his suffering Servant, Jesus Christ.

Opinion Poll - October 2009

2009-10-28T05:18:00.003+01:00

'Work out your salvation' (Phil 2:12) means that we should merit salvation by our works.

True 2 (5%)
False 34 (95%)

Total votes: 36. Poll closed.

Comment

In Phil 2:12 the Apostle Paul does not contradict what he states so clearly in Ephesians 2:9, namely that salvation is not of works. Yet so many Catholic defenders irresponsibly appeal to Philippians 2 to support the Roman Catholic doctrine of merit.

Paul is not telling the saved to merit by their works what God gives by his grace! No, but he appeals to the saved, to work, for that is God's purpose for his people, even as Paul explains in Ephesians 2:10.

See: Work out your salvation

Catholics Misunderstand Sola Fide

2009-10-09T10:28:00.001+02:00

[Gospel e-Letter - October 2009]

Catholics continue to accuse Protestants of antinomianism, as if we teach that ‘faith alone’ implies that believers are not obliged to obey God’s moral law and abound in good works. Catholics hear us speak of justification by ‘faith alone’ but they do not listen when we insist that the faith that justifies is never alone in the life of the Christian, but is a living faith, working through love!

The Westminster Confession summarizes the Protestant doctrine clearly, '[Faith] receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.’

If the Catholic charge were correct, it would be utterly fatal to Protestantism -- sola fide would be a false gospel -- for Christ Jesus certainly did not come to save sinners from the guilt and punishment of sin only, but from its power and pollution as well. He saves his people from their sin, not in their sin! So if someone professes to be a believer and yet is not sanctified, he is not a believer at all, and is not anymore justified than the devil himself.

But why do Catholics persist with their charge against us?

They know that faith without works is dead, as the Scripture so clearly teaches, and they often hear Protestants speak of justification by faith alone apart from our works. They rush to an unwarranted conclusion (faith alone = antinomianism) even though we explain that ‘apart from works’ means ‘apart from the merit of works’ and not ‘apart from the presence of works.’

Moreover they hear some Protestants, who misunderstand Protestantism as much as they twist the teaching of the Apostle Paul and the rest of Scripture, teaching ‘easy-believism’. These wolves in sheep’s clothing in Protestant pulpits assure those who ‘put their faith in Christ’ (which often means no more than parroting the so-called ‘sinner’s prayer’) that they are saved and eternally secure, ‘once saved always saved,’ even though there is no hard evidence that their faith is genuine and even though they continue to wallow neck-deep in sin. Still these false teachers insist that such people are saved by faith; that discipleship and holiness are desirable goals but not necessary for salvation; and that ‘worldly’ and ‘backslidden’ Christians will ultimately be saved nonetheless.

Their deception of these blind teachers will be exposed and the delusion of their blind followers will be shattered on that Day when the Lord solemnly declares to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

We join Catholics in condemning easy-believism and antinomianism, but sadly we must part company when it comes to the ‘purpose’ of the works that follow after faith. For Catholics these works merit grace and eternal life; for us, works are the fruits and signs of justifying faith, for which God also rewards his children.

But justification per se, the legal status of right standing before God’s tribunal, is not based on our works at all, neither in the beginning, nor in the end, or at any other time in between. We are justified by faith alone on account of Christ alone, and not on account of anything that we did or will ever do.

Yet this faith is not a cheap, worthless, putrefying counterfeit that is so often passed as true faith. The faith that justifies is the gift of God -- a pulsating, living faith in Jesus Christ that bears much fruit. Good works are the necessary outcome and evidence of true faith, but then, true faith never ever deviates its attention from Christ to anything else, not even to the good works that result from the vital union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in us. For justification, the Christian relies by faith 100% on Christ alone, and 0% on the Christ-wrought works in and through the believer.

A true Christian believes in Christ. A true Christian believes in Christ alone for justification! His works show! They show that his faith is real. They show, moreover, because he relies not on them for justification, but continues to hold on to Christ alone till his last breath.

Opinion Poll - September 2009

2009-09-29T23:01:00.002+02:00

God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy; he hardens whom he wants to harden.

True 42 (84%)
False 8 (16%)

Total votes: 50. Poll closed.

Comment

This is a humbling truth because it shows our unworthiness and complete dependence on the grace of God. Moreover, God is sovereign, he does what he wants, he has no obligation to anyone, indeed he does not have to show mercy on any of us sinners. The wonder of wonders is that God shows mercy on some of his unworthy, rebellious creatures, and adopt them as his children.

Dialogue with a Muslim

2009-09-24T11:18:00.007+02:00

I wonder how you would respond to this letter from a Muslim. Please add your comments below

I read your article and some of the statements are untrue. Because jesus peace be upon him we believe he is a mighty messenger sent by allah . Born miraculously, spoke to men in the cradle, helped the blind and the leper by gods permission. Jesus nowhere in the bible says i am god worship me. As far as his died for peoples sins that is a myth and forgery . In a court of law you cannot kill someone else for his sins. The perfect worship for god is he is unseen , there are no idols of him nor is there anything like him he is one , neither he begets and was begotten he is the creator of all things and humans he does not belong in the creation he is above all things. As a muslim myself this is how god is the perfect creator and owner and master of judgement day. If you are searching for god then research the quran , its not about numbers of catholics or muslims in the world ,but it is the individuals who will stand trial on the day of judgement so we are obliged to seek the truth. Verily god created mankind for the purpose of worship.

My reply:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your letter and your thoughts about religion.

I agree with you that God created us to worship him, and as a corollary, to know and enjoy him forever. God is eternal, all-powerful, just and kind. God is invisible and we should not make any material representations of him or worship him through images (as sadly some people wrongly do in some Christian traditions like Catholicism). We ought to seek God in truth.

As a Muslim you have been thought that Jesus is not the Son of God, that he did not accept to be worshiped, and that he did not die for our sins.

However you believe that he was a prophet and a good man.

Would a prophet and a good man lie? For Jesus said over and over again that he is the Son of God? Moreover he claimed to be equal with the Father, and received worship from the people, just as he continues to be worshiped today by millions of Christians. See http://www.justforcatholics.org/d09.htm

You said that 'In a court of law you cannot kill someone else for his sins.' True enough. But what if someone else voluntarily chooses to pay the penalty for something that you have done? Once, when I was a young teenager, I drove my father's tractor on a busy public road without a license, and I was involved in an accident with a van. I caused extensive damages that amounted to hundreds of liri. I was taken to court and found guilty and ordered to pay an extensive sum of money.

But at that point my father paid all the fine for me. He, of course, had no guilt. I was guilty. I should have paid. But I did not. He paid on my behalf. And I am grateful for being kind to me.

In the same way, I broke the Law of God so many times by disobeying to my parents, lying, foul language, stealing, immorality and hatred, and I admit that I am guilty before the Judge.

The good news of the gospel is that God the Father sent his Son, who is one nature with him, and he became a man, yet without sin, to take upon himself the guilt and the punishment for my sins. He died on the cross so that I will not be sent to hell forever.

You find that hard to believe, but you shouldn't do since you believe in God who is all-powerful and kind. All all-powerful God could do what he wants -- to show mercy to sinners like me, and to remain just and righteous when he justifies me and frees me from condemnation.

Friend, like me, you too have broken God's Law. Do you know of something or somebody else who is able to cleanse you from sin and take away your guilt? You believe that God is righteous and just, therefore he will not be able to declare you righteous on that Day (even though he desire to show you mercy) if you have the slightest sin. Would you consider a judge at the court of law as good, just and honest if he gives a sentence of 'not guilty' to robbers and murderers because he want to be kind to them? We call such a judge 'corrupt'! We can be sure, however, that God is not corrupt. He is true and honest and just, and he will by no means free the guilty ... unless their punishment has been paid to the full by Someone else.

INTERVIEW: Indebted to Catholics

2009-09-13T10:50:00.009+02:00

Joe Mizzi of Just for Catholics talks with ROCK Ministry (RM) about his country, his life and the Roman Catholic Church.

RM: Just to clarify, are we doing this interview to spew out some anti-Catholic, judgmental and unloving rants? Are we going to misrepresent and misunderstood the Catholic Church here?

Joe: I have no such intentions. I honestly love Roman Catholics – most of my dearest friends, relatives and colleagues are Catholics. I simply desire to share the Gospel with them. It is with an attitude of sincere love that I speak or write – even when I criticize certain aspects of the Catholic religion.

RM: I never heard of Malta. I know it is mentioned somewhere in the New Testament. Very recently I saw a video about it being a great and peace loving country -- low crime rates, peaceful people and low illiteracy rate! Can you tell about your country? Is it a Catholic country like the Philippines? How is the spiritual state of Malta?

Joe: You make it sound like Malta is another name for Paradise. We have out problems too, believe me! Malta is mentioned in the Book of Acts; the apostle Paul and Dr Luke were shipwrecked on our shores. Most Maltese (>95%) are Roman Catholics, at least in name. When I was young, over 90% of the entire population attended Mass on Sundays; now it has dropped to about 50%. The onslaught of secular humanism is taking its toll. Sadly many Maltese people live as if God does not exist, but there are others who are truly religious and devout.

RM: Tell me about your upbringing in a Catholic family. Are there things from your Catholic past that still help you now that you have become a Bible-believing Christian?

Joe: We were six children in our family; my parents insisted that all of us learned Catholic doctrine, attended Mass on Sunday and on most days of the week, and that we said the Rosary together every evening. I thank God for my parents’ discipline. They taught me by their example to be a hard-working person and what faithfulness in marriage is all about. Moreover they taught me the fear of God. I was taught that I always lived in the Presence of God, even when I was alone, and that I am responsible to him for all that I do and say. The Gospel message of salvation, which I learned in its purity from the reading of the Bible, made sense to me because I was aware of my accountability to God.

RM: I was myself a former Catholic and I had no sense of peace that when I die I will go to heaven. How about you, Joe, what did you do to overcome the fear of death?

Joe: I went through childhood thinking that I was not too bad to go to hell; and yet not good enough to go to heaven either. The prospect of spending time in the fires of purgatory was something that I tried to get out of my mind. Each time I went to confession, I committed myself to a new start, but of course, it was a futile exercise. I failed and failed again. I attended Mass regularly, did the penance prescribed (usually saying a few prayers), and said the Rosary with the hope that purgatory would be as short and bearable as possible. But I could never find peace as long as I looked to myself, my achievements and failures, rather than looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.

RM: Then your brother became a Christian, saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross. What was your reaction? How about your family?

Joe: I thought my brother, Paul, had done the worst mistake that he could possibly do by leaving the Roman Catholic Church, the one true church of Christ. My parents were also worried about the situation, especially when you consider that Malta is an intensely Roman Catholic country. Leaving Catholicism is like committing social and cultural suicide; you isolate yourself from the rest of the community.

RM: In your testimony you said that he shared the gospel with you; he was trying to convert you to his religion. How did you react? Was your attitude like, ‘I was born Catholic and I will die Catholic!’?

Joe: No, not really, I was genuinely interested in the message of the Gospel. At that time I was entirely convinced that the teaching of the Catholic Church is true and perfectly consistent with the Bible. The thought of leaving the Catholic Church did not even cross my mind. My brother’s intention may have been to convert me, but mine were equally clear - I wanted to convert him back to Mother Church!

RM: You went to the Bible for two years to study it. This became your task to help him get back to the fold of the ‘one true church’. Can you tell me about the process you went through? What did you found out?

Joe: I read the New Testament, and especially the Gospel of John, and Paul’s letters to the Galatians, Romans and Ephesians. I often consulted my Religion teacher, a priest, asking him the same questions that my brother used to ask me. I discussed and debated with my brother on several occasions. But eventually I came to realize that the Roman Catholic distinctives have little or no support in the Bible, and in some instances, some doctrines seem to contradict the Scripture.

But eventually my interest shifted from the Catholic/Protestant debate, and away from my brother, to my personal relationship with God and the salvation of my soul. One day, after finishing the Gospel of John I realized that God wanted me to believe on his Son to have eternal life. In a way I had already ‘believed’ in Jesus, but mere intellectual consent was not enough. By God’s grace, I entrusted my soul, my salvation, my eternal destiny in Jesus’ hands. No longer would I do religious works to merit eternal life, or call on the name of Mary to help me obtain salvation. From then on I trusted in Jesus Christ, wholly and completely, relying solely on him for the salvation of my soul.

I lost the argument with my brother, but thank God, I was then won over by my Saviour, Jesus Christ.

RM: But isn't the Catholic Church founded on Peter? Catholics can trace their church back to the time of Christ. They are rich in history. As for us, Protestants, we just ‘protested’ or got tired of the Roman Catholic Church because we wanted our own thing and interpreted the Bible our own way …

Joe: The church is built upon Peter and the other apostles if and when the church is obedient to their teaching in the New Testament. The history of the Roman Catholic Church goes back to the time of the apostles – that’s almost two thousand years; and that’s a very long time for the leaven of false doctrines to infiltrate the system and cause the havoc that it did. The Protestant reformers did not want to start something new, but simply to go back to the teaching and practice of the early apostolic church, free from the burden of human tradition and superstition. Our desire today is much the same, even if we do not conform to the popular religion of our day.

RM: But aren't Catholics good people? How could one billion Catholics be wrong?

Joe: There are ‘good’ Muslims and ‘good’ Hindi and ‘good’ atheists and so on – but that does not make Islam, Hinduism or atheism true. Moreover, one must come to realize that he or she is not ‘good’ – God alone is good. It is only after admitting that I was not good, indeed that I am a sinner, that I begun to feel the need to come to Christ for salvation. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners; he will not save ‘good’ people.

Moreover, truth is not determined by numbers or the majority vote. A million Muslims could be, and indeed are wrong in their denial of the blessed Trinity. The great majority of the people in Jesus’ days thought that he deserved to be crucified. He alone was right; all the rest were miserably wrong. A million Catholics believe that they ought to merit the graces to obtain eternal life, as they have been taught; but that does not change the biblical truth that eternal life is a free gift and that salvation is received by faith and not obtained by our works.

RM: Was it difficult for you to leave the Catholic Church? How did your family react? How about your brother?

Joe: It was not easy to leave the church I had grown in, and even now, I still cherish the good things I received from the church, not least the Bible, the creeds, the knowledge of God and Christian ethics.

For me Catholicism was more than a religion, it was a way of life. So leaving Catholicism was like stepping out of a cultural and social nest into the unknown. Yet I was constrained by my conscience to take the painful decision. Soon after my conversion, I was listening to the sermon during Sunday Mass. The priest was speaking about the importance of good works to merit salvation. I did not know much of the Scripture at that time, but I knew Ephesians 2:8, 9. I turned to my friend and said, ‘Have you heard what he just said about meriting salvation by our works? The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith, and not of our works!’ When I left Mass that day, I had left the Catholic Church for good.

My parents tried to force me to go back to Mass, but I was resolute, and I respectfully refused to act against my conscience. Eventually they too trusted in Christ for salvation! My brother, well, I guess he was happy to see me turn to Christ for salvation. His prayers, and the prayers of many others, were answered.

RM: Will a Catholic still find salvation in the Catholic system?

Joe: No, salvation is not found in any system, Catholic or otherwise, but in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. There is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. My hope and prayer is that despite the many errors of Catholicism, some, or perhaps many Roman Catholics, are given the gift of faith by God to entrust their soul in Jesus’ care, even though they remain entrapped in the system.

RM: There is a sort of revival, the charismatic movement, in the Catholic Church. What can you say about this group? Some claims that they are born again and saved by faith. Do they need to separate themselves to Roman Catholic Church?

Joe: Again I sincerely hope that there are many true believers in the Catholic renewal, and in other Catholic groups, that have come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Whether they should come of the Roman Catholic Church is an entirely different issue. If they claim to be saved by grace through faith apart from the merits of their works, as the Bible teaches, it is inconsistent for them to remain faithful members of an institution that denies this blessed truth.

RM: What’s the difference with Joe the Catholic and Joe saved biblically?

Joe: Both are undeserving sinners; the first tried to make up for his sins by doing penance and to merit eternal life by his works; the other despaired of himself and trusted himself wholly in the loving hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first worked to be loved by God, the second works even harder and cheerfully because his heart is full of gratitude for the infinite love of God.

RM: Thanks Joe, now please tell us about your family, your profession and your Internet ministry.

Joe: I am married to a wonderful woman, Joanne … she’s God’s special gift to me; I don’t know what I would do without her. We have a precious son, John, and he’s quite a character! A few weeks ago we were sitting at table with the grandparents, and as we bowed our head in prayer before dinner, John also eagerly bowed his head … right down into the spaghetti. When we said ‘Amen’ his nose and face were covered with tomato sauce. We laughed, and I think that Jesus also smiled in heaven.

As a pediatrician, I simply love working with children. There are moments of joy and moments of profound sadness, especially when a baby or a child dies.

As for my website, ‘Just for Catholics’, it is my gift to the people I am indebted so much. My purpose is certainly not take away their faith, but that they may purify it from the dross of human tradition, that they may entrust themselves wholly in the hands of Christ the Lord and enjoy the abundant life that he freely gives. I invite your readers to take a look at the website for themselves.

Sincere thanks for the opportunity to talk about the Gospel.

Justification and Works

2009-09-01T07:54:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - September 2009)

Do you believe that faith leads to justification?

Faith does not only lead to justification, faith in Christ actually and really justifies the ungodly. The Bible states that "everyone who believes is justified" (Acts 13:39), the sinner is justified “through faith” (Romans 3:25), “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28), God justifies “by faith” and “through faith” (Romans 3:30), we are “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1); one is justified “by faith” and again, “justified by faith” (Galatians 2:16), God justifies “by faith” (Galatians 3:8), righteousness is received “through faith” and “by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

Do you believe that justification leads to good works?

Yes, justification inevitably and most certainly leads to good works. We are not justified before God on account of the merits of our good works, but, having been justified by faith, we are at peace with God, and therefore God is pleased by our moral and spiritual sacrifices. A person who is not yet justified is at enmity with God and therefore nothing that he does can ever please him as long as he remains an outlaw and rebel against the throne of heaven. Good works are impossible unless one is already justified by faith.

Does this mean that the person who is justified never sins and will always do good works?

No, it does not mean that the justified never sin, nor does it mean that the justified are always and constantly doing good works. As Christians we readily confess and admit our many failures. When we read in the New Testament about the life of the early believers, we discover that they too endeavored to act righteously and shun every sin, and yet they too were not as fruitful as they could have been, and sometimes they sinned against their God and Father.

If the justified person does sin, what’s the difference between a sinner without faith and a sinner with faith?

There is all the difference in the world. A sinner without faith is under the curse of the law. With every sin he increases the weight of guilt and punishment that will be meted out to him on the Day of Judgment. When a saint sins, he is still a saint and a child of God; he is still in Christ; he is still justified on account of his blood. The disobedient child incurs the displeasure and discipline of God his Father and is moved by the Spirit to repentance. The consequences of sin in the believer are many – the disobedient son displeases God the Father, loses the joy of salvation, suffers personal misery and spiritual weakness, hurts others, tarnishes his testimony, and loses rewards that the Lord gives when he comes again -- but the believer does not loose his legal right-standing before God.

If it is true that the believer is still justified when he sins, it would make faith in Jesus is a license to sin.

This is the accusation that has been made against the gospel of justification by grace through faith ever since the beginning (‘Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?’ Romans 6:1). Does faith in Jesus imply a license to sin? No! A million times, no! Faith in Christ is the first place, the ONLY way we can be freed from the guilt and condemnation of sin, as well as giving us a right relationship with God, which is the basis for our sanctification, the work of the Spirit in the justified, teaching us to abhor and avoid evil, and to love and practice righteousness.

Don’t think that the only motive that will keep people from sin is the threat of hell; the believer has a purer motive -- the glory of God his Saviour. The believer is moved by love to the one who loves him with infinite love! What makes me treat my wife with kindness and gentleness, seeking to bring her joy and not sorrow – is it the fear that I will be brought to court and sentenced to prison? No, rather I am moved by love – her love to me and my love to her. Does that mean that I never offend her or that I always treat her in the best way possible? No, but loves gives hope of change, growth and maturity in our relationship.

Am I correct in stating that under your concept of justification, that once a person is justified, the intent is to do good works because you love God and want to please him, but always doing good works is not possible or is not a requirement?

God intends that all his children, who were justified on account of Christ’s blood and righteousness, should do good works in response to the grace they had received. We love him, says the Bible, because he has first loved us.

Whether it is possible to ‘always’ do good works, to live a perfect moral life on this earth – I answer that on this side of eternity all Christian fail to reach moral perfection. Indeed, we must confess in the words of the apostle John, ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.’ Our Lord taught to ask the Father for forgiveness in the same breath that we pray for our daily bread.

Whether good works are a requirement or not, it is important to qualify that question – a requirement for what?

If you ask whether good works are optional or obligatory in the life of the justified, then the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’ - good works are obligatory and commanded by God! While the Bible excludes personal works for salvation, the same inspired text informs us that we are saved for that purpose, ‘unto good works’ that we should walk in them.

But if you ask whether good works are required for our justification, i.e. to be justified on account of personal merit, the answer is plain, no! For justification personal merit must be excluded. The Bible says that it is him who does not work but believes in God who justifies the ungodly that his faith is credited for righteousness. We are justified freely by grace, through faith, on account of the perfect obedience and the shed blood of our Redeemer.

We ought to be careful not to allow what is good (‘good works’) keep us from fully relying by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for our justification.

Opinion Poll - August 2009

2009-08-28T13:00:00.008+02:00

The Church is ...

Visible 15 (17%)
Invisible 13 (15%)
Both 58 (67%)

Total votes: 86. Poll closed.

Comment

The theological terms 'visible' and 'invisible' are rather confusing, but they point out an important distinction. The church, composed of all true believer, is only known to the Lord (and as such, it is invisible to us); yet his people are manifest in this world in visible congregations, though the latter may be an admixture of true and false believers. The church is both invisible and visible. All Christians ought to be members in visible local congregations, but some Christians are outside the visible organisation, whereas some false brethren are within. Augustine said of the visible church, 'Many sheep are without, and many wolves are within.'

Malachi and the Mass

2009-08-01T08:19:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - August 2009)

Some Catholic apologists claim that the prophecy in Malachi 1:11 is fulfilled in the Roman Catholic sacrifice of the Mass. A footnote in the New American Bible says that this verse is a reference to ‘the pure offering to be sacrificed in messianic times, the universal Sacrifice of the Mass, as we are told by the Council of Trent.’

The scripture reads:

My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD Almighty. (NIV)

A Catholic translation of the same verse reads:

For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; For great is my name among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. (NAB)

The Jews and their priests despised and profaned God’s name by offering blemished animals while keeping the best animals to themselves. God was dishonoured by their half-hearted service and their hypocrisy. God foretold a time when he would call the Gentiles to worship him. He will be glorified among the nations, ‘from the rising of the sun to its setting’, from the east to the west. His people will not be restricted to a single nation, but he will have worshippers ‘in every place’, implying the catholicity or universality of the church.

The incense offered to God is our prayers, as the Psalmist says, ‘May my prayer be set before you like incense’, and again, the Book of Revelation identifies the incense offered before God as ‘the prayers of all the saints.’ (Psalm 141:2, Rev 8:3).

Moreover, the New Testament explains how the church offers a ‘pure offering’ to God. ‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased’ (Hebrews 13:15, 16). Our prayers and good works are an offering to God.

The Eucharist is the prominent prayer of the church because during the Lord’s Supper we praise and thank God for the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Our English term ‘Eucharist’ is derived from the Greek word ‘eucharistia’ which means ‘gratitude, thanksgiving.’ Jesus gave thanks (‘eucharisteo’) when he took the bread and the wine (Matthew 26:27, Luke 22:19). In this sense the Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

Thus, Malachi’s prophecy finds its fulfillment in our good works and prayers, especially the Lord’s Supper celebrated by God’s children from the four corners of the earth. The Didache and the early church fathers also rightly identified the Eucharist as the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy.

What about the sacrifice of the Mass? Surely the Mass is offered in every country of the world, and it has been celebrated since the times of the apostles. Sadly that is not the case because the significance of the Eucharist has changed over the centuries from a sacrifice of praise to a propitiatory sacrifice, that is, a sacrufuce to satisfy the justice of God for the sins committed against him. Malachi is not speaking about that kind of sacrifice.

Much has been written on the translation of the term ‘qatar’, rendered ‘incense’ in all the major Protestant Bibles, and ‘sacrifice’ in the Catholic versions. Both renderings could be correct, though the former is more likely. The basic meaning of the word ‘qatar’ is ‘to smoke, to burn’. A Catholic commentator states that various forms of the word ‘have to do with any kind of offering which gives off smoke, but in postexilic texts precise enough to let us see what is being offered they have to do with incense or other aromatic substances.’ (The New Jerome Biblical Commentary - click on image below).

Whether ‘incense’ or ‘sacrifice’ is preferred, the term does not mean a ‘sin offering’ and there is nothing in the context that compels us to understand it as a propitiatory sacrifice. That is the crux of the matter. In fact the same Catholic commentator concludes that the terms translated ‘incense’ and ‘pure offering’ do not have the to with animal sacrifices.

To prove the claim that Malachi is prophesying the Sacrifice of the Mass, it must be shown that he is speaking of a sin offering. To my knowledge that has never been done. On the contrary the study of the text leads us away from that conclusion.

During the Lord’s Supper, God’s people remember Christ and proclaim his death, giving thanks to God for providing a perfect redemption in the death of his Son. They praise God for Christ who ‘entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.’ (Heb 9:12). But according to Catholic teaching, during the Mass the sacrifice of Christ is carried on, perpetuated, renewed, re-presented and re-enacted. In this shift in the meaning of the Eucharist, God is neither pleased nor honoured. Christ is seated on the right hand of God, having obtained our redemption; he does not ‘constantly enter’ the sanctuary to carry on what he has already done once for all.

Abortion in China

2009-07-30T15:11:00.003+02:00

According to the BBC, at least 13,000,000 abortions are carried out in China every year. [Link] That means that 25 babies are slaughtered in their mother's womb every minute; 35,000 unborn children are killed every single day. And that in China alone!

All this innocent blood is shed in the face of Almighty God. May God be gracious and grant us repentance, or else, he will quickly visit us with swift judgement!

Opinion Poll - July 2009

2009-07-29T08:07:00.005+02:00

According to the Catechism (para 424), the Rock upon which the church is built is:

St Peter as Pope 60 (53%)
The Faith confessed by Peter 52 (46%)

Total votes: 112. Poll closed.

Comment

The result of this poll is a sad commentary on our laziness to check things out for ourselves. Our bias will not let us see the plain facts. (I'm sure that Catholics do not have a monopoly on this 'virtue'!) All it takes is one minute to look up the Catechism (it's online for those who don't have a hard copy), and read the paragraph in plain English.

Why Suffering, Lord?

2009-07-01T06:02:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - July 2009)

Why is there sickness, suffering and death? You are all-powerful and merciful, why then do you withhold healing, Lord? Could it be that you don’t hear our groans or you don’t notice the tears upon our cheeks?

In the beginning you created everything good and perfect. You formed us in your own image and called us to enjoy your fellowship and sweet love. You also warned us that sin brings forth death. But our first parents disobeyed and rebelled against your rule, and we too, by our sins, persist in that rebellion against our Maker.

Consequently, today we do not see a beautiful garden, but thorns and briars, drought and corruption. Enough beauty remains that we may be reminded of your goodness. But now our joy is mixed with sorrow, health is endangered by sickness, and life is threatened by death, so that we may never forget how hideous is our sin in your holy eyes, and how bitter is its fruit.

You had warned us in the beginning, and you warn us again and again. If we remain obstinate and unrepentant, there will be far worse sufferings in the unquenchable fire of hell. Teach me, O Lord, to walk in your fear, to despise what you despise, to hate sin which has brought such widespread destruction and misery. Grant me a repentant heart, to shy away from every form of evil, and take up the narrow road that leads to everlasting life.

When you visit me with sickness, Lord, grant me faith that I may trust in you, because you have ever been and remain in perfect control of everything. A sparrow will not fall to the ground unless you will it, even so my life is in your hands, Lord. If you desire, you can heal me; if not, may your will be done. You do not capriciously put me to the test, but in wisdom you are able to overrule my sufferings to accomplish you good purpose for my welfare and for your own glory.

When I lack understanding and my sight is blurred by tears, teach me to remain silent and to refrain from uttering a single word of protest against you. When you will have me pass through the valley of the shadow of death, you will surely remember your promise. You will not leave me alone in the darkness of the night. Be close to me, O Lord; you are my help and my only comfort. I kiss your invisible hand that guides me, and wholeheartedly worship you, the only blessed God.

Draw me closer to the cross, o Lord, for you are not a stranger to suffering and pain. Lord, you left heaven’s glory, and willingly chose to serve rather than be served. You were crowned with a crown of thorns, O my King; they stripped you and nailed you to the accursed tree. You, the holy and pure, did not deserve to suffer and die; but you took upon yourself my sickness and my sin. You accepted the punishment that was due to me. Your cross, O Lord, is my healing; your blood cleanses me from all my blemishes and shame.

So I look forward with hope; the grave isn’t the final stop of this short journey. Just as you conquered death and arose victoriously from the grave, O Lord, I will live again when, by your powerful word, you will call me back to life. You will clothe me with an incorruptible body, wipe away every tear from my eyes, heal me from every disease and make me completely whole. On that day, O Lord, I will ask no more about suffering.

Poll - June 2009

2009-06-29T22:41:00.002+02:00

Did Christ redeem the whole world?

Yes 36 (62%)
No 21 (36%)
Don't know 1 (1%)

Total votes: 58. Poll closed.

Comment

The Bible defines 'redemption' as the 'forgiveness of sins'. Now if Christ redeemed the whole world, the sins of every single person who ever lived or ever will live, are forgiven. Which is clearly not the case. Therefore Christ did not redeem the whole world. Christ redeemed his people, his church, and nobody else.

Carmen Christi

2009-06-01T16:00:00.002+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - June 09)

‘Carmen Christi’ (or ‘Hymn of Christ’) is the traditional title of a wonderful passage of Scripture, Philippians 2:6-11, which speaks of the humility of Christ and his subsequent glorification. We are exhorted to have the same attitude of Christ...

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Before his conception in the womb of the virgin Mary, the Son existed eternally in the form of God, ‘being in very nature God.’ We exist in human form because we are human; Christ exists in the form of God because he is truly God.

His divine glory was manifest in heaven and he was served and worshipped by all the angels. Yet he made an incredible choice. He ‘did not consider equality with God something to be grasped’ even though he fully deserved such honour. He set aside his divine rights and privileges in order to serve us and accomplish our redemption. The Maker and Master of creation ‘made himself nothing’! Deity was veiled in humanity. ‘He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.’

The Lord took the form of a servant; he came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Moreover, the Law-giver ‘became obedient’ and was born under the Law. Finally, he lowered himself to the very bottom by submitting himself to crucifixion, the most degrading form of execution known to the ancient world reserved for the worst criminals. Even more, the cross is the symbol of divine judgement for the Scriptures say, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’

Behold Christ in his humiliation -- from the divine glory of heaven, coming down to earth as a man, a servant and sin-bearer. Life was killed; the Blessed was cursed; the Holy One was made sin for us!

But the story of Christ does not end with his burial. Indeed if Christ was not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. Praise God, the final act of the drama of redemption takes us to the highest heaven.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Previously, ‘it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer’, but now, ‘God exalted him to the highest place.’ Previously ‘he was despised and we esteemed him not’, now God ‘gave him the name that is above every name’.

As Christians we rejoice to see our Saviour so exalted above the heavens because we know who Jesus is – God incarnate – and what sufferings and humiliation he had to go through for our salvation. But the Father insists that every rational creature shall recognize and confess that he who once was nailed to the cross is the Lord of lords, ‘that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow’. Every man and woman, whether saved or lost, all the angels and even the demons, must give divine worship to Jesus Christ. For the Lord God had said,

By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
(Isaiah 45:23).

Do you acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and your God? Have you turned to him for salvation? Are you living in obedience to him? Do you gladly bow your knees before Christ in adoration? I sincerely hope that you do so with exceedingly great joy.

Poll - May 2009

2009-05-30T15:55:00.003+02:00

Do you think that the Second Coming of Christ will happen in our generation?

Yes 20 (40%)
No 12 (24%)
Don't know 18 (36%)

Total votes: 50. Poll closed.

Comment

I pray that the Lord will come soon, but I don't know when he is coming back - the Bible simply does not tell us. In the meantime, today is our opportunity to be holy and work for Christ and the gospel. That is the best preparation before we meet with him in the air.

Poll - April 2009

2009-04-29T19:21:00.003+02:00

Can anyone see the Lord without holiness?

Yes 11 (23%)
No 33 (70%)
Don't know 3 (6%)

Total votes: 47. Poll closed.

Comment

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

The Blood of His Cross

2009-04-20T07:42:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - May 2009)

On Good Friday several parishes in my country hold processions to mark the passion and death of Christ. As part of this religious pageant, men carry heavy wooden crosses on their shoulders or drag heavy iron chains fastened to their ankles. They do so to fulfill a vow and as a form of penance, that is, to make satisfaction for their sins.

Their zeal and religious devotion is evident, and we should not doubt their seriousness and sincerity. Conscious of their failures, they are making a heroic effort to cleanse their souls and please God.

Sadly their zeal is not according to the knowledge of the gospel. The apostle Paul addresses a similar situation in his letter to the Colossians. Some Christians in that church had taken it upon themselves to follow certain ascetic practices which were not commanded by Christ or the apostles. But Paul denounced them as mere “commandments and doctrines of man”; he declares that, “these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

God is not impressed by our religious creativity nor is the harsh treatment of the body of any spiritual value. On the contrary human traditions distract our attention from the one and only remedy for sin. God has exhibited his Son, nailed on the cross, as the all-sufficient font where sinners can be thoroughly washed from their sins.

On the eve of his passion, the Lord Jesus declared that the new covenant is sealed with his blood “which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). God set forth his Son “as a propitiation by His blood, through faith” (Romans 3:25); the faithful are assured that we are now “justified by His blood” (Romans 5:9); “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7); and that we are at peace with God “through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).

Furthermore the Bible teaches that the blood of Christ, who offered himself without spot to God, cleanses the conscience; and that his people have boldness to enter heaven by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:14; 10:19). The apostle John puts it beautifully: “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is no wonder that the saints in heaven will forever sing in praise of Christ’s sacrifice, saying, you “have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

This then is our choice; we can either listen to the Word of God or approach him through our own religious inventions. We may have never carried a cross on our shoulder or dragged a chain for long, painful hours to make satisfaction for sins. But the concept of penance is an integral part of the Catholic religion; if you are a Catholic, your confessor must have told you, as he told me so many times, to say prayers, fast, or do some other religious act, as a form of penance.

But the Bible tells us to look away from ourselves and fix our gaze on the sinless Man that was nailed between heaven and earth. Let us cease from our puny efforts to justify ourselves; let us call on the name of Christ and trust in Him alone for salvation. Truly the blood of Jesus cleanses our soul from every trace of sin.

They Shall Never Perish

2009-03-27T21:03:00.002+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - April 2009)

The Lord Jesus tells us, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” He goes on to give us this wonderful promise, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27, 28). More blessed words of comfort and reassurance have never been uttered!

The security of the sheep is guaranteed by the faithfulness and omnipotence of our Good Shepherd. Since he promised that they shall never perish, we can be sure that not even one of his sheep will ever be lost. There is no stronger creature in the universe that is able to open the protecting hand of the Lord and steal away one of his own.

However some Christians think that a true believer can end up in hell for one reason or another. They reject the assurance of eternal life because they fear that it will encourage presumption and reckless living.

Such fears are not groundless. There are indeed many nominal Christians that shamefully abuse the promise of Christ. They imagine that they will go to heaven even though they live like the devil, because, they say, ‘Once saved, always saved’. On the Day of Judgement, they will discover their delusion and folly when it is too late.

The Lord’s speech is clear and we have no excuse to misunderstand him. He said clearly who are they that will never perish. The Lord does not give assurance on the basis of church affiliation, baptism or some other religious act.

Some members of the Catholic Church will be lost, just as some members in evangelical and Protestant churches. There will be many baptized people in hell, whether they had been baptised as infants or adults, by pouring or immersion. Many who made “a decision for Christ” and prayed “the sinners’ prayer” will never make it to heaven. And many who call themselves “Christians” will be disowned by Christ on that Day.

The sheep that belong to Christ’s flock are characterized by two marks, one on their ears and another on their feet. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” These then are the characteristics of Christ’s sheep, they hear and follow the Shepherd. They heard his call to repentance and his invitation to come to him for spiritual rest. They continue to hear his Word every day, and consistently walk in obedience to his commandments in holiness and love.

We should not ask whether his sheep can ever be lost; that is an insult to the Shepherd, and a disbelief in his faithfulness and power. We should rather ask whether we are truly his sheep, that is, if we sincerely love him with all our heart. Only then we can be confident that we belong to Christ and that we have life everlasting.

Poll - March 2009

2009-03-05T05:25:00.007+01:00

Does the Catholic Church teach that fasting is a way to make satisfaction for sin?

Yes 46 (50%)
No 38 (41%)
Don't know 7 (7%)

Total votes: 91. Poll closed.

Comment

The Catechism of the Catholic Church includes fasting as one form of penance (paragraph 1434). The same catechism defines penance thus:

"Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin; he must 'make satisfaction for' or 'expiate' his sins. This satisfaction is also called 'penance'." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph. 1459).

Therefore the Catholic Church definitely teaches that fasting is a way to make satisfaction for sin. It does not teach that satisfaction is the only purpose -- for instnace, in the Cathecism of Pius X, three reasons are given: "Fasting serves to dispose us better to prayer; to do penance for past sins; and to preserve us from sinning again." Still, one of the purposes, is to do penance or satisfaction for past sins.

This is contrary to the Bible; the Word of God does not teach that our fasting, or anything we do, makes reparation to the justice of God for our sins. The Bible teaches that their is only one way of reconciliation and propitiation: the cross of Jesus!

Today in Paradise

2009-03-01T13:00:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - March 2009)

One of the two men that were crucified with Jesus is now in heaven. His relatives and friends did not need to offer prayers and sacrifices in suffrage for his soul after his death. There was no need because he was with the Lord on the same day he left this world. We know this because the promise of Christ cannot fail. Since Jesus told him, ‘Today you shall be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23:42, 43), we can be certain that ‘today’- the day of his death – he was with Christ in heaven.

But why did he go to heaven? Was he without sin? Was he a righteous man who had lived a good and holy life?

Whether or not he was without sin, the Bible tells us plainly that he was a criminal; he was a thief! He openly admitted his sinfulness and that he deserved the death penalty. He rebuked the other thief, ‘We are punished justly,' he told him, 'for we are getting what our deeds deserve.’ So he did not enter the glory of heaven because he was without sin; on the contrary he is in paradise despite his many sins!

Can we say, perhaps, that after his conversion, he lived such a godly life that he deserved eternal life? No, by no means, for this man repented on the very last day of his life. He did not have the opportunity to dedicate his life in obedience to God. If he had the opportunity, undoubtedly, his lifestyle would have radically changed because God gives a new heart to those he forgives and empowers them to walk in holiness. But in the particular circumstances of this man, it is clear that he had few good works to take with him. He is in heaven despite the lack of personal merit.

Here then is a man burdened with guilt and devoid of any merits, and yet he is in heaven. Where can we find the reason for his salvation? He did not find it in himself, or in anything he did, but in the Man crucified in the middle, in Jesus Christ! The sinner appealed to the sinless one, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He found pardon and merit in the Lord, and we, if we do likewise, we will find our redemption in Christ too. For he bore our sins in his body on the tree; he who is just, died for us the unjust to reconcile us to God.

Ask yourself about your hope of salvation. ‘Will my hope stand fast on my deathbed?’ Maybe I will be able to say, ‘I merit heaven because I’m not a sinner,’ or perhaps, ‘I merit heaven because I’m a righteous person’? No, most definitely no! Like the thief on the cross, I confess, and will continue to confess to my last breath, I am a sinner, I’m guilty, I deserve condemnation and hell; and with the apostle Paul, and with all those who had the privilege to live many years in the service of the Lord, I will confess, ‘he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy' (Titus 3:5).

What will my confidence be as I walk the dark valley of death? My confidence is Jesus, the Lord Jesus is my only hope! I have called on his name, ‘Jesus remember me’, and I am convinced that on that day the Lord will not forget me; he will remember me; he will take me with him to heaven. For glorious and true is his promise, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’

Poll - February 2009

2009-02-28T12:15:00.007+01:00

Are all Christians saints?

Yes 57 (76%)
No 18 (24%)

Total votes: 75. Poll Closed.

Comment

To most Roman Catholics, the Saints are the comparatively few departed Catholics who had been canonized by the Vatican. But the Bible says that all true believers are saints. For example, the apostle Paul writes, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse.” He addresses Christians by the titles “saints,” “faithful” (believers), and “brethren.” Clearly he considered all believers in Christ as saints.

When are they called saints? Rome says, only after their death, when their case is studied and an official proclamation is made by the Pope. The Bible says, all Christians are saints during their lifetime. On innumerable occasions the living Christians are called “saints” in the New Testament, even though they were subject to error and sin.

Why are they saints? Rome says, because they practiced heroic virtue. They attained their own salvation by their prayers and good works. The Bible says, all Christians are “sanctified (made saints) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). They are saints because of the work of Christ for them, not because of their religious efforts. Christians are called to live holy lives not to become saints but because they are saints already.

How are the saints recognized? Rome says, you need an infallible magisterium to identify true saints, and that only after a complicated and lengthy procedure is followed which includes the proof of miracles. In the Bible the disciples of Christ freely call each other “saints.” They are not recognized by some supernatural power but by their faith in Christ, godliness and love for one another.

Dear reader, I ask you in all seriousness, “Are you a saint?” I hope you can answer with confidence, “Yes, I am a saint, by the grace of Christ.”

Faith and Grace

2009-02-01T07:36:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - February 2009)

Why is it that in God’s plan, salvation is by faith and not in any other way? Why not include our good works and our obedience to his law, in addition to faith?

The Bible gives us a clear and direct answer. In Romans 4, the apostle Paul shows how Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise. The same applies to all believers, all are justified by faith, and not on account of obedience to the law. Paul concludes that, ‘Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring’ (Romans 4:16).

This then is the reason: it is ‘by faith, so that it may be by grace’!

If God had conditioned justification on our obedience, his justice could not accept anything less than perfect and complete obedience to his law. That would have meant our doom and damnation, for no-one, except Jesus Christ, has ever kept the law perfectly. Elsewhere the same apostle reasons this way:

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."

Do you want your works to count for justification? Make sure that you ‘continue to do everything’ the law demands - otherwise you are cursed. But if you honestly look at yourself in the law of God and realize that you are a law-breaker and guilty before him, then you must seek salvation in an altogether different way, through God’s determined means, namely by faith.

God justifies the ungodly by faith so that it may be by grace. God gives salvation as a free gift. Not that salvation is cheap! Our redemption is infinitely valuable for it was purchased by the precious blood of his Son. Yet God gives it to the undeserving freely. ‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.’ (Isaiah 55:1).

But why is it that faith corresponds to grace? It is because faith says,

I am unworthy sinner;
I am helpless and powerless;
I plead guilty and I have no defence;
My righteousness are filthy rags;
I merit God’s wrath, condemnation, hell!

Faith despairs of self, but faith does not despair of God! Faith fixes its gaze confidently upon the Lord Jesus Christ, saying,

You are worthy, for you shed your precious blood on the cross;
You are powerful, for you arose victorious from the grave;
You are gracious, kind and compassionate;
You promised rest to all who come to you;
So Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I am your sin, you are my righteousness.
May I never boast save in the cross of Christ my Lord;
And forever glory in the grace of God.

My Father Passed Away

2009-01-31T22:26:00.006+01:00

Today my Father, Joseph, passed away aged 82, on the last day of January 2009. I was beside him at the hospital just before he lost consciousness. He asked me to tell my Mum to pray for him. Then we said the Lord's Prayer together, just as he did every night with my Mum before they went to sleep. 'Our Father in heaven ... forgive us our trespasses...' I am certain that God heard his prayer and that right now he is in heaven with the Lord in whom he entrusted his soul.

I thank God for giving me such a Dad. He taught me the value of hard work, and what it means to be a faithful husband and a dedicated father. But most importantly he taught me from my infancy to fear the Lord.

I will miss him sorely, but I am comforted knowing that he is at home with his Saviour.

Please remember my family, especially my Mum, in your prayers.

Poll - January 2009

2009-01-30T09:09:00.003+01:00

What does God do in justifying the ungodly?

He makes them inwardly righteous 7 (18%)
He declares them righteous for Christ's sake 24 (63%)
Other 7 (18%)

Total votes: 38. Poll closed.

Comment

To word 'justification' means a legal declaration acquitting the person and setting him free from all condemnation. The judge does not 'make righteous' the person he justify but pronounces a sentence on his state.

As for us, sinners, God can only delcare us just on account of Christ; he paid our legal debt, and his righteousness is imputed to believers.

Christ was made Sin

2008-12-31T05:49:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - January 2009)

As responsible creatures we are under obligation to keep the Law of God - but we did not; as law-breakers we are under the condemnation of the same law. We have no title to eternal life, but rather we are in danger of death in hell forever.

Thanks be to God for he did not leave us in our helpless state. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is a profound statement on the gospel message: God justifies the ungodly through his Son Jesus Christ because he fulfilled the Law for us by obeying all its precepts perfectly and endured its awful penalty. “For He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” May the Spirit of God help us understand and appreciate God’s work of reconciliation through his Son.

Made Sin for Us

The Lord Jesus is able to free us from sin because he himself was sinless. The Bible is emphatic on this point. Jesus was tempted in all points yet “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15); in him “there is no sin” (1 John 3:5); he “committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22); Jesus is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26).

The apostle Paul declares that he “knew no sin”, but what he says next is truly astonishing. God made his sinless Son “to be sin for us”. The Righteous was made sin for us!

In what sense was Jesus made sin? We can be sure that this does not mean that God made Jesus a sinner, for Christ never committed the least sin in word, thought or deed. He lived a perfect life.

But what does that mean – made “sin” for us? The prophet Isaiah says that “the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”; he was stricken “for the transgressions” of God’s people; his soul was made “an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53). The New Testament similarly teaches that Christ “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24)

Our spiritual debt was transferred to Christ; he became legally responsible for our guilt – in this sense he was “made sin”. Christ did not suffer and die on the cross for any sin of his own, but to pay the full penalty for the sins of his people, as the prophet had foretold: “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.”

The Righteousness of God

God did not only free us from guilt and punishment; he also gave us the title and right to heaven. God gave his Son “that we might become the righteousness of God in him” – that we, sinners and enemies of God, might become righteous and just in his sight.

But what is this righteousness which gives us the right legal standing before the Divine Judge? The Bible tells us that it is not our own righteousness produced by our obedience to the law or by our works. It is the righteousness “of God” provided for us in Christ, wrought for us by Christ’s obedience (Romans 5:18, 19), and received by faith. Elsewhere the apostle Paul explains how he counted his own merits as rubbish in order to be found in Christ “not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is
from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

Just as Jesus was not made “sin” on account of his personal sins, but because of our sins, even so believers are made “righteosness” on account of Christ’s perfect obedience and not our own. What a wonderful exchange: he took our sin; we share his perfect righteousness.

Righteous In Christ

But who is actually reconciled to God? They are at peace with God whose sins are not counted against them and who had been given the gift of righteousness. This grace is bestowed to those who are “in him” – in Christ Jesus. Please note the last two words of the phrase, “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We must be united to Christ by faith to be freed from sin and made right with God. Those who remain outside of Christ can expect nothing but wrath, condemnation and hell.

This, then, is the gospel. God treated Christ as if he had committed all the sins of all his people and punished him on the cross instead of punishing us in hell forever. Moreover God now reckons us who are united with Christ as if we had lived his perfect obedience, declaring us righteous and fit for heaven for his sake.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Poll - December 2008

2008-12-19T07:01:00.007+01:00

Is the modern Catholic Church still teaching indulgences?

Yes 66 (79%)
No 13 (15%)
Don't Know 4 (4%)

Total votes: 83. Poll closed.

The modern Roman Catholic Church still holds on to its doctrine on indulgences; the Vatican, as well as local dioceses, continue to grant indulgences to the faithful Catholics under certain ‘defined conditions.’ (See for instance a recent example - click here).

An ‘indulgence’ is ‘the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven’ - which is rather confusing! In Catholicism, God forgives and yet he punishes the forgiven in this world and in purgatory. With the help of the Catholic Church, it is claimed, one may avoid that punishment by means of an indulgence.

See Catechism of the Catholic Church 1471-1479 and Code of Canon Law 992-997.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

2008-12-14T05:31:00.003+01:00

Jesus Christ came down from the glories of heaven to perform a work that no one else could do; the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us to accomplish our salvation. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

Please note, first of all, that Christ came to save sinners. Sin is our problem, and salvation is our greatest need. You may ask, "Am I also a sinner?" Yes, we are sinners because we have broken God's Law by our disobedience and sins. God’s verdict on us is terrible: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12).

Do not fool yourself, saying: "I'm a respectable person; I am good at heart." You are not. You are guilty before God and unless something is done about your sin, one day you'll suffer the terrible consequences. Jesus warned us about the coming judgement and the eternal fire of Hell.

It is humbling to admit your sin and guilt; but if you do, you will be well on your way to freedom because Christ came to save sinners!

Note, secondly, who is the One who came to our rescue. "Christ Jesus came to save sinners." The Savior is Jesus, the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is the Savior, and there is none other. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The saints, Mary or the church cannot save you. Only Christ saves, because He is the Savior appointed by God. The Bible says that Jesus came "to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45) – he shed his blood on Calvary’s cross to secure the freedom and forgiveness for his people. No one else did.

And finally, please note Christ's mission: he came to save sinners. The work of salvation is performed by Christ, not by the sinner. Don't think that you can contribute anything to your salvation such as doing good deeds, praying, attending church, giving to the poor, and generally trying to live a moral life. The Bible clearly states that salvation is by grace - an undeserved favour, a free gift. Salvation is not earned by good works or our efforts, but received by faith in Christ. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

You cannot boast because you cannot do the least thing to save yourself. Salvation is of the Lord and therefore Christians give all the glory to Him. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).

Are you burdened by sin and guilt? Do you feel helpless? There is forgiveness and hope for you! Believe in Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died and rose again on the third day. Come by faith to the living, reigning and merciful Christ. May God grant you an obedient heart, that you may repent and trust in the Son for your salvation. For Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Pope Benedict on Justification

2008-12-01T00:28:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - December 2008)

Pope Benedict said that Martin Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone is correct if ‘faith is not opposed to charity.’ The Pope said this during a general audience in a speech on St Paul’s teaching on justification. (November 2008 link)

I am glad that the Pope corrected the false idea popularized by some irresponsible apologists that ‘sola fide’ (faith alone) implies freedom from doing good and license to sin (‘antinomianism’). The Reformers vehemently resisted and opposed the antinomian heresy. The Protestant concept of justification by faith alone never excluded good works in the life of the believer. On the character of genuine faith, Luther wrote: ‘Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn't stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever.’

Moreover the Pope also said that faith means to trust in Christ. ‘Faith is to look at Christ, to entrust oneself to Christ…’. In traditional Catholic theology, faith is defined as the assent of the intellect to divine truth. Protestants emphasized trust (‘fiducia’), in addition to knowledge and assent, as the essential element of saving faith. It is not enough to know God’s Word, or even to be convinced that it is factually true – to be saved, one must entrust himself to Christ, resting on him alone for salvation.

The Pope noted that the apostle Paul ‘places at the center of his Gospel an irreducible opposition between two alternative paths to justice: one based on the works of the law, the other founded on the grace of faith in Christ.’ In other words, one cannot be saved by faith in Christ if he also attempts to be saved by ‘works of the law’. This is exactly what Protestants mean when we speak of ‘sola fide’ – we are justified by trusting in Christ and not on account of our works.

By Faith and Works

Does this mean that Catholics and Protestants are now in agreement on the doctrine of justification? Unfortunately this is not the case. The Pope’s speech highlights the sad reality that the modern Catholic Church is still insisting on the Council of Trent’s doctrine on justification by faith and works. The divide between the two religions remains as wide today as it was in the 16th century.

On one hand the Pope endorses Paul’s teaching of justification by faith, apart from works of the law; on the other, he insists that we can really be just in the eyes of God on account of our love for God and neighbor. That is justification by love, or, justification by human works, for how can we express love apart from doing good works?

The Pope argues that faith unites us with Christ, enabling us to love God and others, and in so doing, we fulfill the law and become really righteous. He said that ‘the double love of God and neighbor the whole law is fulfilled. Thus the whole law is observed in communion with Christ, in faith that creates charity.’ He concluded his speech by saying that ‘transformed by his love, by love of God and neighbor, we can really be just in the eyes of God.’

To be sure such works of love are not done by our natural abilities; we must have faith, we must be united with Christ to really love. But ultimately, it is on account of these personal works that we are justified by God, according to Catholicism.

Works of the Law

How does the Pope resolve the contradiction between Paul’s teaching and Catholic doctrine? Didn’t Paul clearly state that ‘we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law’? (Romans 3:28).

In effect the Pope says that Paul was only referring to the Torah, the first five books of Moses. The Torah included rituals and cultural observances, in addition to ethical and moral principles, which distinguished and guarded Israel from the false religions of the pagans. But since the coming of Christ, those observances are no longer necessary. Thus when Paul says that we are not justified by the works of the Law, he was really saying that we are not justified by the Law of Moses, but he does not exclude that we are justified by the works of love. That’s the Pope’s argument in a nutshell.

The Pope rightly points out that in his epistles Paul discusses the division between Jews and Gentiles, and that now all believers are united in Christ irrespective of the ethnic background. But that was not his only concern. Paul also addresses the universal human tendency to self-righteousness, that is, our attempts to gain favour with God on account of personal works and merits.

We agree that when Paul spoke about the Law, he was thinking particularly of the Torah, the Law of Moses, and not of the law in general. But that does not mean that we can dismiss his argument as irrelevant since we are no longer required to obey to Jewish ceremonies and rituals. The Torah did indeed include ceremonial and civil precepts, but it also included moral laws. Jesus summarized the Law of Moses as the supreme love for God and love for our neighbor, and said that ‘on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ (Matthew 22:37-40).

What then, if the Mosaic Law - with its ceremonial, civil and moral laws – could not justify, how can we now become just in God’s eyes if we take away the ceremonial and focus on the law’s moral teaching, namely love? Can we obey the law perfectly?
The problem is not with the Law of Moses; Paul declares that ‘the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good’ (Romans 7:12). The problem is with us, sinners by nature, and even after regeneration, the remaining corruption prevents the most mature Christians from reaching moral perfection on this side of eternity. If the Jew could not be justified by the works of the perfect Law, no-one could be justified by the works of any law. After all did not the Gentiles, though ignorant of Moses, also have ‘the law written in their hearts’ (Romans 2:14)? Yet they too were unable to be justified by works.

The Law of Moses served the purpose of keeping God’s covenant people, Israel, distinct from pagan idolatry, as the Pope said. But the moral aspects of the law, whether written on tablets of stone or on the human conscience, also served to expose our depravity, guilt and helplessness. ‘Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin’ (Romans 3:20).

By Faith, Not Works

Moreover Paul could not have limited the concept of ‘works of the Law’ to the Torah. He presented the Patriarch Abraham as the primary witness to his doctrine. He wrote:

'What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness' (Romans 4:1-5).

In this context ‘works’ could not refer exclusively to obedience of the Torah, for Abraham lived many centuries before Moses. It is therefore wrong to force Paul’s concept of ‘works of the Law’ exclusively to the Law of Moses. Clearly Paul applies the same principle to works in general. Abraham could not boast before God because he was justified faith and not by works. The same applies to us all.

Paul then gives an example from ordinary life – when a worker receives his payment at the end of the month, could it be considered as grace, a free gift, a favour? Certainly not! The worker has every right for the money he earned by his labour.
But justification is not based on the principle of merit. The very opposite is true. Justification is by grace, pure and underserved grace. Only he is counted as righteous by the divine Judge who ‘does not work’ but ‘believes’ God. That is grace!

Faith Working Through Love

Once more it must pointed out that the question is not about the propriety and necessity of good works in the life of believers. On this point, Paul, Luther and the Pope are in agreement. The question, though, has to do with the purpose of such works.

In Catholicism, the faithful are urged to do works in the hope that they will eventually become ‘really’ just in the eyes of God on account of their ‘love to God and neighbour’. In Paul’s teaching, we are not justified on account of any personal works, but by faith; good works follow after faith and justification. In Catholicism faith is insufficient; it must be supplemented by works to really justify. In biblical Christianity, faith is sufficient, faith truly justifies the beliver on account of Christ’s blood and righteousness, and having justified the sinner, faith then works by love (Galatians 5:6) to the glory of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Catholicism justification is by faith and works – therefore it cannot be of grace (Romans 11:6); in biblical Christianity justification is by faith, that it might be of grace (Romans 4:16).

Here then is the dividing line between Luther and Trent, Protestantism and Catholicism, the true gospel and its counterfeit. May God give us the grace to believe in Jesus his Son, and being justified by faith alone, to give ourselves to love God and our neighbour from our hearts.

Poll - November 2008

2008-11-27T06:53:00.006+01:00

Does the Bible allow Christians to divorce and re-marry?

Yes 33 (28%)
No 76 (64%)
Don't know 8 (6%)

Total votes: 117. Poll closed.

Most – but definitely not all Protestants – hold that Christ permitted divorce in the case of adultery. Evidence for this is sought from Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:1-12. The argument hangs on the meaning of the Gk word ‘porneia’ – usually translated fornication.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Except for fornication?” Did he mean “Except for adultery”? That view is certainly not the only possible interpretation. He could simply be referring to unlawful marriage (on account of consanguinity, for instance) or to the breach of the marriage contract during the engagement (Joseph wanted to divorce Mary when he found out that she was pregnant). The idea of divorce on account of adultery was developed by Erasmus in the 16th century and it was accepted in some Protestant traditions. The early patristic testimony is almost unanimous that re-marriage is not permitted after divorce.

Humanly speaking, I wish that God allowed divorce and remarriage, for the sake of those who are suffering after their marriage failed. But I can’t convince myself that the Bible permits re-marriage after divorce. When I study the following passages, God’s ideal is absolutely clear to me.

The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:2-12).

“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.” (Luke 16: 18).

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (Romans 7:2, 3).

Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.” (I Corinthians 7:10, 11).

My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord

2008-10-30T15:00:00.001+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter November 2008)

God has shown great favour to the virgin of Nazareth. Through her the eternal Son of God became human and came to the world for our salvation. The church rightly calls her the “Mother of God according to the manhood”. It is no wonder that wherever the gospel is proclaimed, God’s people call her blessed.

To keep her from vainglory and pride, the Lord adorned Mary with a wise and humble character. To the greetings of Elizabeth, Mary answered, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” As for herself, she was amazed that God would look favourably upon “his handmaid’s lowliness”. Her only desire was to glorify and praise the Lord God Almighty, and certainly not herself.

Sadly, throughout church history specious titles were attributed to Mary, totally ignoring her own desire. Some call her ‘the gate of heaven’ and even ‘our life’ and ‘our hope’. But the Bible calls Jesus alone our door, our life and our hope.

In 1854 and 1950 the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption even though the Bible is silent about these doctrines. The Bible explicitly teaches that Jesus was conceived without sin (Hebrews 7:26); and being perfectly holy, just and undefiled, he was qualified to die for us, the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

Moreover, after the shame of the cross, God the Father raised up Jesus and received him into the glory of heaven. God demands that every knee should bend at the name of Jesus. At this very moment, along with all the saints and angels, Mary is praising and worshipping the Lord Jesus. We too ought to join with the mother of our Lord and the heavenly hosts to give Christ the Lord our undivided devotion, for he is worthy to receive thanks, honour and praise forevermore.

His Mercy is from Age to Age

In my childhood days, my religion teachers presented a distorted image of God. They told us that the Lord is a stern Judge and we should not dare approach him directly. We were advised to pray to Mary, the kind-hearted mother, so that she will intercede for us before her Son. Surely Jesus would not refuse anything his mother asks him, we were told.

Mary refutes such foolish arguments. Mary gloried in the goodness of the Lord, insisting that “his mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.” After all who made mothers sweet and kind? Should we then doubt the kindness of the Creator, the font of all blessings?

Mary experienced the kindness of the Lord. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, even a short time before his death, he was concerned about her well-being after his departure. He commanded his close friend and disciple John to take care of her. “Woman, behold, your son,” he told her, and to John he said, “Behold, your mother,” implying that it was his responsibility to care for her as a son cares for an aging widow. We are told that from that hour the disciple took her into his home (John 19:26, 27).

Mary wants us to appeal to him in our needs. At the wedding in Cana, when Mary noticed the problem, she prayed to Jesus for help, and she told the servants to do whatever he tells them. We ought to do the same. We ought to pray to the Lord for our needs and intercede for others too. After the Lord returned to heaven, Mary prayed with the disciples to the Lord. Nowhere in Scripture do we find an example, permission or commandment to pray to Mary or the departed saints after their death. If you truly respect Mary, follow her example and always seek the Lord in your prayers.

The Lord Jesus himself invites us to go directly to him. He promised, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus never turned back anyone who came to him. His disciples tried to keep away the kids, but he said, “Let the little children come to me.” The people tried to silence the blind man, but Jesus heard his cry and restored his eyesight. Jesus reached out to the lepers, the outcasts of society, touched and healed them. With stones in their hands, the mob was about to stone the adulterer, but Jesus -- the only one who could have condemned her -- forgave her. Even at his very last hour, he promised a place in heaven to the repentant thief.

Friend, do you suppose that the Lord will not keep his promise, or that his heart has become hard? Do you think he will not receive you if you sincerely turn to him? Come then, come to Jesus today.

Come to Jesus for he alone is the bridge that spans the infinite gap between the holy God and sinful man. “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6). Mary gained heaven by his power and merit, and so will you if you believe Mary's testimony about the mercy of God, and by faith rely on him for forgiveness.

Poll - October 2008

2008-10-30T09:15:00.003+01:00

Is Mary the Mother of God?

Yes 83 (61%)

No 52 (38%)

Total votes: 135. Poll closed.

Comments: Mary is the Theotokos (lit 'God-bearer', or loosely translated, 'The Mother of God') because her Son, Jesus, is one Person, and his divine and human natures cannot be divided. The Council of Ephesus (431) rightly affirmed this truth against the Nestorian heresy. The Definition of Chalcedon (451) states: "as regards his manhood [he was] begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer."

My Spirit Rejoices in God My Saviour

2008-09-26T23:27:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter October 2008)

In my childhood I used to call on the name of Mary every night and commit my soul to her care. I also remember praying, “Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls.” I was mistaken. Today I am concerned for the millions of Catholics who continue to call on the name of Mary for salvation.

A popular Catholic devotional says, “Let us then, 0 devout reader, beg God to grant us, that at death the name of Mary may be the last word on our lips.” It concludes with a prayer to Mary, “I ask thee, 0 Mary, for the glory of thy name, to come and meet my soul when it is departing from this world, and to take it in thine arms.”

In Scripture, Mary never invited sinners to come to her for salvation. On the contrary, Mary recognized God as her saviour. “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” she said. Should we then dishonour the blessed Mother of our Lord by calling on her name to save us? Or should we rather follow her godly example and turn to the Lord for our salvation?

No one can save except Jesus. The apostle Peter declared that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

There is one name, and that name is not the name of Mary. The only name by which we can escape the fire of Hell is the precious Name of Jesus. For he alone is God and man. He alone is the Christ, appointed by God the Father to rescue his people. He alone shed his immaculate blood to free his people from their sin and the wrath to come. Mary did not die in our place. Mary cannot save, but she needed to be saved. Nonetheless if you trust yourself in the hands of the Lord, just as Mary did, then you can share Mary’s joy, and sing with all the redeemed, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”

God promises salvation to all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Many people simply ignore the promise of the gospel because they would rather continue to indulge in sin. Others reject God’s promise because don’t really believe him or his Word - that we are saved by his mercy and not on account of our righteous deeds (Titus 3:5). They expect to merit heaven by their righteousness and religion. God will have nothing to do with them.

I beg you, come to God. Come, even though you are helpless and burdened with sins and guilt. Come with full confidence in his goodness and kindness; the cross of Jesus is the proof of God’s love for undeserving sinners. Don’t attempt to approach God on account of your personal merit or through Mary or anybody else. Come to God by faith, through the one and only mediator, Jesus Christ. “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

The Catholic devotional tells you to call on the name of Mary even with your last breath. But that is not what the Bible tells us. When the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was about to die, he called on the name of Jesus. “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59).

What, then, is your decision? Would you follow the Catholic teaching or the Bible? What would you say?

I trust in the Name of Jesus and the name of Mary for my salvation, even though the Bible warns us that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

or

Like Mary and all Christians, I trust in the Name of the Lord Jesus alone, for it is written in the Scripture that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Along with Mary and all the redeemed, I rejoice in God my Saviour.

Poll - September 2008

2008-09-26T23:14:00.007+02:00

Can we call on the name of Mary for salvation?

Yes 18 (14%)

No 108 (85%)

Total votes: 126. Poll closed.

Comments: The Catholic Church encourages the faithful to call on Mary for salvation. Here's a few quotes from a popular Catholic devotional:

"We often obtain more promptly what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus."

"Glorious indeed, and admirable, exclaims St. Bonaventure, "is thy name, O Mary; for those who pronounce it at death need not fear all the powers of hell." [Link]

"There is not such powerful help in any name, nor is there any other name given to men, after that of Jesus, from which so much salvation is poured forth upon men as from the name of Mary."

"The name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven in the hands of those who devoutly invoke it."

"I ask thee, O Mary, for the glory of thy name, to come and meet my soul when it is departing from this world, and to take it in thine arms" [Link]

The Bible teaches otherwise:

Christians are distinguished as those who in "every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:2).

They call on his name for salvation for God promises: "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom 10:13).

The do not call upon any other name because the apostle Peter declared, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

The Twenty-Third Channel

2008-09-03T08:21:00.001+02:00

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want.
It makes me to lie down on the sofa.
It leads me away from the Scriptures.
It destroys my soul.
It leads me in the paths of sex and violence for the sponsor's sake.

Yea, though I walk in the shadow of my Christian responsibilities There will be no interruption; For the TV is with me.
Its cable and its remote control they comfort me.

It prepares a commercial before me
In the presence of my worldliness.
It anoints my head with humanism.
My coveting runneth over.

Surely laziness and ignorance shall
Follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.

[Author unknown]

Faith and Repentance are Gifts of God

2008-09-01T16:49:00.000+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter September 2008)

The gospel calls everyone to repentance and faith, promising salvation to those who convert to Jesus Christ. It is our duty and privilege to turn away from sin and trust in the Name of Jesus. Yet we, being sinners by nature, would rather continue to wallow in sin and spurn the gracious promises of God.

We should turn to God but we simply won’t - unless God changes our hearts. The Lord Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”, and again, “no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:44, 65). “No one can come” and yet some do come to Christ but only because of God work in them. God enables sinners to come to Christ for salvation by giving them repentance and faith.

Repentance is a gift of God. The apostle Paul said that the Lord’s servant should gently instruct unbelievers “in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25). Similarly, the Apostle Peter declared that God exalted Jesus to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour “that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel” (Acts 5:31). Both forgiveness and repentance is given by God. In another occasion when the Jewish believers heard about the conversion of the Gentiles, they “praised God, saying, ‘So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life’” (Acts 11:18). All people who turn to the Lord, whether Jews or Gentiles, do so because God gives them repentance.

Faith too is a gift of God. The apostle Paul reminded Christians that they have been saved "by grace through faith" as a gift of God and not of ourselves; he insisted that faith comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8,9; 6:23).The apostle Peter also said that Christians have received faith through Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). Elsewhere, Christians are described as those "who by grace have believed" (Acts 18:27) and that they have been "granted" to believe in Christ (Philippians 1:29).

We must therefore acknowledge that the Bible teaches plainly that repentance and faith do not originate in us; rather they are given to us by God. This does not mean however that we are not responsible to repent and believe. On the contrary we are commanded to repent and believe in Christ, and we cannot be saved unless we do both. God does not repent for us, nor does he believe on our behalf. We must repent; we must believe!

On the other hand, we should be greatly humbled when we consider our utter spiritual helplessness. Let us realize that by ourselves we cannot seek God or come to Christ. We are completely dependent on the God whom we offended and despised by our sins. Unless he chooses to be merciful to us, we are eternally damned. He must heal and strengthen our paralazed arms before we can take hold of the gift of salvation.

Are you a believer in Christ? Praise him with all your heart! I can never cease for praising God for his amazing love, turning me from sin and giving me a new heart to trust in his Son.

But perhaps you are not yet saved. May the Lord grant you the gift of repentance and faith in Christ for your salvation. May God place in your heart and on your lips an honest and earnest prayer, "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned."

Poll - August 2008

2008-08-31T13:30:00.000+02:00

Where does saving faith come from?

Ourselves 4 (8%)

God 43 (91%)

Total votes: 47. Poll closed.

Comments: The Bible teaches that faith is a gift of God. In the Sept Gospel e-Letter, I wrote: The apostle Paul reminded Christians that they have been saved 'by grace through faith' as a gift of God and not of ourselves; he insisted that faith comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8,9; 6:23). The apostle Peter also said that Christians have received faith through Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1). Elsewhere, Christians are described as those 'who by grace have believed' (Acts 18:27) and that they have been 'granted' to believe in Christ (Philippians 1:29).

The Father’s Will to Crush His Son

2008-08-01T05:53:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter August 2008)

Before we were created and even before we sinned against our Creator, in eternity past, God planned to send his Son to the world to die on the cross to redeem a people for himself.

Speaking to the Jews, the apostle Peter said, “This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:23). It was the greatest act of betrayal by Israel, the covenant people of God, to reject and murder their Messiah. But in so doing, they were unwittingly fulfilling God’s eternal plan for his Son, according to “God’s set purpose and foreknowledge.”

The early Christians were fully conscious of this truth. They prayed to God: “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen” (Acts 4:28). The Jews and the Romans did not surprise God or frustrate his plan by their evil behaviour. On the contrary, they did what God’s “will had decided beforehand should happen.” The crucifixion of Christ had been determined God.

Elsewhere the apostle Peter explained how “God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer” (Acts 3:18). For instance the prophet Isaiah had written some 700 before the birth of Christ that “it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer” and that the LORD would make “his life a guilt offering” (Isaiah 53:10).

The cross was the central and ultimate goal of Christ’s ministry. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,” he told his disciples, “and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came to give his life for us.

During his public ministry Jesus repeatedly told the disciples that he should suffer and die. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21). He must be killed, because it was so determined by God in eternity. He must be killed, because by his blood, God’s eternal plan for our redemption would be accomplished.

Elsewhere he said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). The prospect of the cross troubled his soul, but he was resolute to embrace the cross and obey the Father’s will. "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"

Famous people achieve their great accomplishments and discoveries during their lifetime; for them death is the end of everything. Christ accomplished more than anyone in his life, but his crowning work, his opus magnum, his divine mission was accomplished in and by his death on the cross. He came for that reason, he came for that hour, he came to die for our sins according to the plan and purpose of God.

Poll - July 2008

2008-07-29T14:03:00.016+02:00

How can we eat the flesh of Jesus according to the context of John chapter 6?

Eating the Eucharistic Bread 54 (64%)

Believing in the Lord Jesus 30 (35%)

Total votes: 84. Poll closed.

Comments: The context of John 6 clearly favours the latter option. We 'eat' and 'drink' of Christ's body and blood by believing on him. The Eucharist, as important as it is in the life of the church, is not the focus of Jesus discourse and indeed it was not as yet established (at the Last Supper).

The unbelieving Jews understood Jesus' words incorrectly. They misunderstood him because they would not believe in him as the Son of God sent from heaven. Augustine puts it vividly:

It seemed unto them hard that He said, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, ye have no life in you:’ they received it foolishly, they thought of it carnally, and imagined that the Lord would cut off parts from His body, and give unto them; and they said, ‘This is a hard saying.’ It was they who were hard, not the saying (Augustine, Psalm 99).

Eating and drinking is not with the mouth and the digestive organs of our bodies, but the reception of God’s grace by believing in Christ, as He makes abundantly clear by repeating the same truths both in metaphoric and plain language. Compare for example the following two verses:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life (verse 47).

He who eats this bread will live forever (verse 58).

“He who believes” in Christ is equivalent to “he who eats this bread” because the result is the same, eternal life.

The parallel is even more striking between verses 40 and 54:

Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day (verse 40).

Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (verse 54).

Seeing and believing in Christ is equivalent to eating and drinking His flesh and blood, for the result is the same: possession of eternal life and resurrection at the last day. We would not be mistaken if we follow Jesus' own explanation of what it means to eat and drink - Jesus teaches us to believe in Him, the Messiah, the Son of God sent from heaven by the Father for our salvation. Augustine gives us good advice here:

This is then to eat the meat, not that which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life. To what purpose dost thou make ready teeth and stomach? Believe, and thou hast eaten already (Augustine, Tractate 25).

The Wrath of Jesus

2008-07-01T09:29:00.003+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter July 2008)

Someone wrote to me recently because she was offended that I mentioned the wrath of God. To her, and many modern Catholics and Christians, the very idea of an angry God is unthinkable. She said, “I believe in God's mercy. I believe Jesus never said that we should receive wrath.”

I also believe in the God of mercy, grace and love, but he is also a God of justice, holiness and wrath. Indeed he shows both mercy and wrath; mercy to his elect, wrath to the wicked, both now and for eternity in hell. Even when he shows mercy, God does not ignore his justice. God can only justify sinners by faith because Jesus paid the penalty for their sins on the cross.

The Bible warns unbelievers that they are already under the wrath of God. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). Elsewhere the Scripture says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18).

Sadly, many remain hardened in unbelief and impenitence, not realizing that they are stocking up wrath which will be poured on their heads on the day of judgement:
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed … for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:5, 8).

We would be fools if we ignore God’s warning of the coming judgement: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6). The Bible gives us a glimpse of the terrible retribution upon sinners on that day. “They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!’” (Revelation 6:16).

We don’t often hear these days of the wrath of the Lamb; many people prefer the soft and affable caricature of ‘Jesus’. Notwithstanding such fantasies, the Lord Jesus will execute God’s wrath on the world. “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Revelation 19:15).

The same Lord Jesus is the only cover and protection against God’s righteous wrath and indignation for us sinners. We who truly believe in him can rest assured that since “we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9). We are not terrified by God’s judgement, for we wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—“Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10); “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

On that momentous day, what will the Lord Jesus show you? Mercy or wrath? Will he take you in his arms or will he stamp you under his feet?

Poll - June 2008

2008-06-30T09:20:00.000+02:00

Why do some people stumble on Christ and refuse to believe in him?

Disobedient 30 (49%)

Destined 3 (4%)

Both 28 (45%)

Total votes: 61. Poll closed.

Comments: The apostle Peter says: "Now to you who believe, this stone (Jesus) is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’ and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for" (1 Peter 2:4-8). Click here for a discussion on Predestination

New Questions and Answers

2008-06-20T14:21:00.003+02:00

The Rapture
Spirit Baptism and Speaking in Tongues
The Sabbath
Do Jews Go to Heaven?
Do Muslims Go to Heaven?
The Meaning of Justification
Immoral Popes
Predestination
Mixed Marriages
Penance and Repentance

Open Invitation for an Debate on Sola Scriptura

2008-06-18T08:27:00.002+02:00

[To Catholic apologist, John Martignoni]

John,

I would like to invite you for a written debate on your objections to Sola Scriptura.

Some of your readers sent copies of your two sets of questions on epistemology. My answers were brief; the subject merits a more in-dept discussion. A debate will serve as a level playing field for both of us to present and defend our views.

I propose the following conditions:

1. Title: Objections to Sola Scriptura
2. Four rounds, starting with your introduction (presenting your objections), followed by my response, and three other rounds, i.e. 1. John – Joe; 2. John – Joe; etc.
3. Maximum 600 words per round.
4. Maximum 1 week to respond to each round.
5. Contributions are simultaneously posted on both our websites.
6. The debate may be advertised, but no additional comments can be made on our websites or newsletters during the course of the debate.
7. The debate in its entirety and without additional comments shall be posted on our sites for at least one year after its completion.

John I assure you that I’m not interested in an ad hominem confrontation, nor am I eager to defend myself. My purpose is to promote the sufficiency of Scripture for our salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; my motive is the love of the Bible, the Church, and all Catholic people.

I hope that you accept my invitation.

Regards,

Joe.

http://www.justforcatholics.org

Unworthy Apologetics Tactics

2008-06-15T16:04:00.003+02:00

(Or, How to stifle genuine religious communication)

Keep on asking questions
Inundate your opponent with questions of all kinds on many different subjects. It doesn’t matter if you repeat different versions of the same question over and over again. When he answers, launch a new set of questions – preferably similar to the previous ones. This approach guarantee that your opponent will ultimately become exasperated… when he gives up, claim victory – see, he lost the argument because he cannot answer! Even better, you can even predict the outcome.

Insist on chapter and verse
Pretend that an answer is truly biblical only if it is a direct quotation from the Bible complete with chapter and verse. Disregard the fact that Satan was not at all biblical when he quoted directly from Scripture to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Ignore the fact that the foundational Christian doctrine of the Trinity is robustly biblical even though we can’t give a single chapter and verse that defines and proves the doctrine in its entirety.

Demand a Yes or No answer
Ignore the fact that a bare ‘yes’ and ‘no’ cannot adequately answer loaded and complex questions. Follow the Pharisees who insisted with Jesus to give them a yes or no answer as to whether it is right to pay taxes to Caesar. Ask trick questions like, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” – a yes answer implies that he used to beat his wife; a no answer means that he is still beating her! You win either way!

Answers to Catholic Arguments on Authority

2008-06-10T00:09:00.009+02:00

The following six questions were asked by a Catholic apologist, John Martignoni.

1) Could the Holy Spirit, through the universal Church (which is the Body of Christ), have enabled believers – particularly the Bishops (the successors of the Apostles), in the first few hundred years of the Church, to faithfully and accurately pass along the traditions Paul taught by “word of mouth”? Yes, or no?

Yes. But they could have also mixed the apostolic teaching with much error, just as God's people of old did before to the teaching of the Prophets. "Could" implies possibility not certainty! Could God have created a 3-legged creature on Pluto? Yes. Did he? Perhaps he did, but I'm pretty sure he didn't.

2) Are you infallible in your interpretations of Scripture? Was Martin Luther infallible in his? Or John Calvin? Yes, or no? (Note: this question concerns not your personal infallibility, but the infallibility of your scriptural interpretations.

No, no, no, and so will any sensible Christian, and especially Christian teachers, say. We are not infallible. We can all make mistakes in our understanding and explanation of the Bible.

3) Is the canon of the Bible infallible? In other words, does the Bible contain exactly the number of books, and the correct books, that it should contain? Yes, or no?

If by “infallible” you mean “correct”, yes, I am convinced that the Bible contains the correct and exact number of inspired books.

4) If you answered, “Yes,” to #3, then by what authority do you believe this to be so? The Bible, or oral tradition?

By what authority? By God’s authority who’s character and purpose are revealed in the Holy Scriptures. In his wise providence, God has so directed his people (fallible and imperfect as they are) to recognize his Word. The Good Shepherd promised that his sheep would hear his voice, and that they will not be mislead by the voice of a stranger - and that is exactly what happened, and what continues to happen today. “My sheep hear my voice!”

Historically God gave the inspired Scriptures to Israel and the early church. God's people then passed on the sacred writings to future generations, and they were received as such by believers, to this very day. The canon is not a doctrine to be deduced from the Bible. The Christians in the early centuries simply collected the canonical books on the basis of the internal and external evidence that they are indeed Holy Scripture.

Did the church receive the canon on the presumed authority of some “infallible” declaration of an ecumenical council or pope? No, and neither did the Jews for centuries, nor did Catholics for 15 long centuries, nor do Christians to this very day.

How then could we be certain? We can be certain because we rely ultimately on God who alone is infallible, and who in his all-wise providence uses very fallible and weak instruments to fulfill his eternal purposes.

5) If I were to deny that the Letter of James was inspired Scripture, by what authority would you declare me to be wrong? Does the Bible say James is “God-breathed?” Yes, or no?

The church does not determine the canonicity of a particular book on an inspired contents page! If you doubt the inspiration of James, as some early Christians did in the first centuries, and even Luther in the 16th, I would seek to convince you on the basis of the internal and external evidence, just as the church did in the formation of the canon. Notwithstanding his doubts, Luther included the Epistle of James in his translation of the Bible and gave it to the German people in their native language; something the Roman Church failed to do until after the Reformation.

6) If Bible-only Christians can get it wrong when it comes to their interpretation of the Bible in regard to traditions, as you stated can be the case, then can they get it wrong when it comes to their interpretations regarding doctrines? Yes, or no?

Whatever the preamble means, we do not hesitate to admit that we can be wrong in biblical interpretation; we can be mistaken in some of our beliefs and doctrines. If it were not for the grace of God, we would not believe a single truth rightly.

But being fallible does not imply that one is necessarily mistaken. I am fallible when it comes to mathematics. My math teacher used to remind me of my fallibility each time she corrected my homework. But that does not mean that I got all my sums wrong! Long before the bishop of Rome asserted himself as the infallible head of the universal church, the saints of the Old and New Testaments believed and cherished Gods truth, albeit their many false beliefs and mistakes. Think of the Corinthian church. Where they Christians? Yes. Did they believe the true gospel? Yes. Did they also hold false teaching? Oh yes! Evangelical Christians are happy to continue in the tradition of our forefathers in the faith, and we invite Catholics to return to the roots of our most holy faith.

We may be wrong on many things, but we are most certainly right when we exalt Jesus as the only Name given in the world by which we must be saved. We preach Christ crucified. We preach Christ resurrected, glorified, Lord of heaven and earth. We trust our soul solely to his care. We have no other desire but to glorify our Beloved by living in obedience to his Word. May the Sovereign God open all our minds to understand the Scriptures, and grant us the grace to believe in his Son for our salvation.

They Must Be Carried

2008-06-09T15:55:00.001+02:00

Apparently this incident occurred in a Catholic church in Canada. I wouldn't be surprised that there were some fellow Maltese there!

When I first saw the video, I could not help but think of what the prophet Jeremiah (10:5) said:

Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.

The prophet Isaiah (41:7) said something similar:

The craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with the hammer
spurs on him who strikes the anvil.
He says of the welding, "It is good."
He nails down the idol so it will not topple.

The Psalmist (115:3-8) too pours scorn on idols:

Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;
they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;
they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

Of course the Bible is speaking on the pagan idols, not about Christian statues. But evidently the Christian statues are not much better. They too must be nailed down and carried along; they too have feet but cannot walk.

Christians would do well to turn away from human traditions to worship God in Spirit and truth, as our Lord instructed. It is high time that we take heed to God’s second commandment (Exodus 20:4, 5) which prohibits his people from bowing down before or serving man-made images.

Immoral Popes

2008-06-01T00:05:00.004+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter June 2008)

The authority of the Roman Catholic Church depends on the apostolic succession of the Pope. The Pope should be obeyed as the universal and infallible ruler because his authority has been transmitted over the centuries from the apostle Peter in an unbroken lineage of Popes.

Let us then briefly examine this claim from a historical and biblical perspective. It is not particularly edifying to go through all the filth and corruption of papal history. A few examples should suffice.

Pope Honorius was condemned as a heretic by the Sixth Ecumenical Council. Pope Christopher became pope by forcibly dethroning his predecessor, Leo V, and putting him into prison. He was then driven from the chair by his successor, Sergius III. Pope John XII was a coarse, immoral man, whose life was such that the Lateran was spoken of as a house of prostitution, and the moral corruption in Rome became the subject of general odium. Pope Benedict IX sold the papacy to Pope Gregory VI for a large sum of money. Pope Clement VI imposed taxes, sold beneficiaries and squandered the church riches on pompous banquets and receptions. Pope Alexander VI was known for murder, bribery, and selling positions of authority in the Catholic Church. Pope Gregory VII and his successors used forged documents to expand the power of the papacy.

The Bible warns God's people against false prophets. Our Lord Jesus told his disciples: "Beware of false prophets." He also told us how to identify them: "You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15, 16). The apostle Peter mentions their covetousness: "In their greed these teachers will exploit" the church (2 Peter 2:3); Jude mentions their immoral character: "ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness...walk according to their own ungodly lusts...sensual persons" (Jude 1:4, 18, 19); while the apostle Paul describes the character of a genuine bishop: "blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money" (Titus 1:7).

We do not suggest that all popes were immoral like the ones mentioned above; in fact, most of them were not. Nor do we suggest that immorality only infects the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Pastors and teachers in evangelical churches, as well as Catholic popes, bishops and priests, have been exposed as hypocrites.

But there is a crucial difference. As evangelical Christians we identify and honour a pastor as a worthy minister of Christ if he faithfully preachers the apostolic message and if his life is consistent with his message. We do not hesitate to identify immoral and greedy ministers as false teachers no matter what they claim to be. They are false teachers!

But Catholics cannot follow the guidance of Scriptures to expose false teachers. They are not allowed by the magisterium. If a Pope had been lawfully elected, he must be considered a true Pope, the Vicar of Christ and head of the entire church, no matter how morally and spiritually decadent. One Catholic author wrote in all seriousness: "Even a bad and immoral Pope cannot be deposed. The faithful can only pray for his conversion of heart or that Saint Joseph bless him with a happy and speedy death if his behaviour becomes scandalous."

Benedict XVI is the 265th Pope according to the current list of Popes – and these include the apostates mentioned above and others like them. They cannot take them out of the list, of course, even though they admit that they were grossly immoral; otherwise the Vatican would have nothing to hang its claim to apostolic authority. The chain must be intact.

But what good is a chain if even one of its link is corroded, let alone if there are a score of rusty links? The chain still breaks down at the weak links and the claimed apostolic authority of the papacy falls to the ground and breaks in pieces.

Poll - May 2008

2008-05-31T18:30:00.006+02:00

Catholics who deny the ‘anathema’ statements of the ecumenical councils are automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

Always 41 (56%)

Sometimes 18 (24%)

Never 14 (19%)

Total votes: 73. Poll closed.

Comments: The ‘anathema sit’ statements of the ecumenical councils should be received as truths of the Catholic faith. According to the Code of Canon Law: (1) Those who obstinately deny or doubt these statements are guilty of heresy (751). (2) With some exceptions (1323), a heretic incurs automatic (a latae sententiae) excommunication (1364).

Anathema Sit!

2008-05-02T07:32:00.004+02:00

Veneration of Images
If anyone does not salute such representations as standing for the Lord and his saints, let him be anathema.
- Second Council of Nicaea, 787.

The Scriptures

If anyone does not accept as sacred and canonical the aforesaid books in their entirety and with all their parts, as they have been accustomed to be read in the Catholic Church and as they are contained in the old Latin Vulgate Edition, and knowingly and deliberately rejects the aforesaid traditions, let him be anathema.
- Council of Trent, Session 4.

Justification

If any one says, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema. (Canon 12).

If any one says, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema. (Canon 24).

If any one says, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema. (Canon 30).

If any one says, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. (Canon 32).
- Council of Trent, Session 6.

Sacraments

If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but are superfluous, and that without them or without the desire of them men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification, though all are not necessary for each one, let him be anathema.
- Council of Trent, Session 7, Canon 4.

Baptism

If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema.
- Council of Trent, Session 7, Canon 5.

Eucharist

If any one denies, that, in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are contained truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but says that He is only therein as in a sign, or in figure, or virtue; let him be anathema. (Canon 1).

If any one says, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denies that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema. (Canon 2).

If any one says, that, in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is not to be adored with the worship, even external of latria; and is, consequently, neither to be venerated with a special festive solemnity, nor to be solemnly borne about in processions, according to the laudable and universal rite and custom of holy church; or, is not to be proposed publicly to the people to be adored, and that the adorers thereof are idolaters; let him be anathema. (Canon 6).

lf any one says, that Christ, given in the Eucharist, is eaten spiritually only, and not also sacramentally and really; let him be anathema. (Canon 8)
- Council of Trent, Session 13.

Penance

If any one denies, either that sacramental confession was instituted, or is necessary to salvation, of divine right; or says, that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the Church hath ever observed from the beginning, and doth observe, is alien from the institution and command of Christ, and is a human invention; let him be anathema. (Canon 6).

If any one says, that God always remits the whole punishment together with the guilt, and that the satisfaction of penitents is no other than the faith whereby they apprehend that Christ has satisfied for them; let him be anathema. (Canon 12).

If any one says, that satisfaction for sins, as to their temporal punishment, is nowise made to God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, by the punishments inflicted by Him, and patiently borne, or by those enjoined by the priest, nor even by those voluntarily undertaken, as by fastings, prayers, almsdeeds, or by other works also of piety; and that, therefore, the best penance is merely a new life; let him be anathema. (Canon 13).

If any one says, that the satisfaction, by which enitents redeem their sins through Jesus Christ, are not a worship of God, but traditions of men, which obscure the doctrine of grace, and the true worship of God, and the benefit itself of the death of Christ; let him be anathema. (Canon 14).
- Council of Trent, Session 14.

The Mass

If any one says, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or, that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema.
Council of Trent, Session 22, Canon 3.

If any one says, that there is not in the New Testament a visible and external priesthood; or that there is not any power of consecrating and offering the true body and blood of the Lord, and of forgiving and retaining sins; but only an office and bare ministry of preaching the Gospel, or, that those who do not preach are not priests at all; let him be anathema. (Canon 1).

If any one says, that, in the Catholic Church there is not a hierarchy by divine ordination instituted, consisting of bishops, priests, and ministers; let him be anathema. (Canon 6).
- Council of Trent, Session 23.

Indulgences

…the use of indulgences, most salutary to the Christian people and approved by the authority of the holy councils, is to be retained in the Church, and it condemns with anathema those who assert that they are useless or deny that there is in the Church the power of granting them.
- Council of Trent, Session 25, Decree Concerning Indulgences.

Celibacy

If any one says, that the marriage state is to be placed above the state of virginity, or of celibacy, and that it is not better and more blessed to remain in virginity, or in celibacy, than to be united in matrimony; let him be anathema.
- Council of Trent, Session 24, Canon 10.

Papal Supremacy and Infallibility

Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was not appointed by Christ the lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole church militant; or that it was a primacy of honour only and not one of true and proper jurisdiction that he directly and immediately received from our lord Jesus Christ himself: let him be anathema. Therefore, if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the lord himself (that is to say, by divine law) that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole church; or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema.

So, then, if anyone says that the Roman pontiff has merely an office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole church, and this not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in those which concern the discipline and government of the church dispersed throughout the whole world; or that he has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate both over all and each of the churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema.
- First Vatican Council.

Immaculate Conception

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

Hence, if anyone shall dare -- which God forbid! -- to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment; that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith; that he has separated from the unity of the Church; and that, furthermore, by his own action he incurs the penalties established by law if he should are to express in words or writing or by any other outward means the errors he think in his heart.
- Ineffabilis Deus, Apostolic Constitution, Pope Pius IX , 1854.

Assumption

The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.
- Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII, 1950.

Quote: On James 2

2008-05-01T10:16:00.003+02:00

James does not here imply the possibility of true faith existing apart from deeds, but merely of the making of such a claim ... James is not opposing faith and works, but living faith and dead faith ... What was true in the case of Abraham is true universally. 'by works and not by faith alone': As is clear from the context, this does not mean that genuine faith is insufficient for justification, but that faith unaccompanied by works is not genuine.

Leahy T. W. 'The Epistle of James,' The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Roland E. Murphy (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 2000), 912-913.

St James: Not By Faith Alone

2008-05-01T10:12:00.002+02:00

There are two kinds of faith - living and dead. The former is genuine; the latter is a counterfeit, the mere assent to Christian doctrine. Living faith saves; dead faith is useless and powerless to save.

James (chapter 2:14-26) helps us distinguish between the two. James argues that obedience is the proof of living faith, whereas dead faith is exposed by the absence of good works. He puts forward this challenge: “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” True faith is verified by good works. Otherwise, if it is alone, it is exposed as a dead and useless imitation. Three times he repeats: “Faith without works is dead.”

While he does not dispute that salvation is by grace through faith, James is concerned about the man who professes to have faith when in fact he does not. He asks, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” When this man who calls himself a believer meets a brother in need, all he has to offer are a few hypocritical words of comfort but he does not lift a finger to help. This man may claim to have faith as much as he likes, but since his life is devoid of good works, his so-called faith is dead and will not save him.

Take Abraham as an example. He believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15). He was not accepted as righteous because of his faith plus the merits of some works he had done or would do (Romans 4). Yet the reality of his faith was not manifested until some 30 years later when God put him to the test. Abraham offered his son Isaac, proving without a shadow of a doubt that he really believed God’s promise. His faith was genuine (Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17-19). In this sense Abraham was justified by works, i.e. his faith was shown to be right because it was accompanied by obedience (James 2:21-24).

The same is true for each one of us. We may profess to believe in the Lord Jesus (Protestants express this by the slogan ‘faith alone’ by which we mean that our trust is in Jesus Christ alone, and in nobody and nothing else). Now what if our claim to faith is not substantiated by works? We would be fooling ourselves because faith alone (in the sense James uses this phrase, that is, a profession of faith without the evidence of good works) does not save. Words are cheap; we who claim to believe in Jesus can only be justified (demonstrated to be right) by our works.

James’ teaching is altogether different from the doctrine of the Roman Church on justification. The Council of Trent teaches that good works are not merely the fruit and signs of justification received by faith, as James teaches. The Roman church goes way beyond that: the Catholic is called to performs good works to maintain and increase personal righteousness by which he is ultimately accounted to have fully satisfied the Law of God and allowed into heaven (Trent, session 6, chapter 16 and canon 24). Instead of demonstrating faith, his religious works done with the intent to gain merit only goes to show that he does not really trust Jesus for salvation.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ for salvation? And do you have works to justify your claim? I pray that every one of us would answer both questions with a bold and sincere yes!

You Shall Not Bow Down

2008-05-01T08:44:00.002+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - May 2008)

Catholics and Protestants divide the 10 commandments differently. Following the early catholic church and the Orthodox Church, Protestants consider the prohibition against other gods and the prohibition against images as separate commandments. The Jews however considered them as a single commandment, and from the time of Augustine, the Latin church has also followed that tradition.

That does not mean that the Catholic Church has removed the second commandment. The Church does not delete the prohibition against images from Catholic Bible versions or its major catechisms.

But the prohibition against image worship is left out, and effectively hidden, in the abbreviated lists of the 10 commandments commonly used to teach children. While it is perfectly acceptable to summarize the commandments to facilitate memorization, it is wrong to present the abridged form as if it is the whole commandment. Many Catholic children, including myself, grew up without ever having heard that such a prohibition is part of God’s law.

Unlike the Jews (who do not worship images), the Catholic tradition contradicts the plain meaning of the commandment by permitting and encouraging the faithful to make, bow down before, and serve images. The Second Council of Nicea goes as far as condemning with a curse (anathema) those of us who do not salute such representations as standing for the Lord and his saints. [1]

Someone might object along these lines:

Catholics do not worship the Cross or images or relics. They use these physical objects to remind themselves of Christ and his special friends, the saints in heaven. The man who keeps a picture of his family in his wallet does not worship his wife and children, but honours them. (Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism, Ignatius, 1988, pp 40, 41).

This kind of argument is popular and easily understood. Who would think that keeping a picture of your family is wrong? Surely Protestants too keep pictures of their loved ones. Why then should anyone object to pictures or statues to remind us of Christ?

I have often been told that an image of Christ is like a picture of my wife that I keep in my wallet to remind me of her. The analogy is misleading. The pictures of Christ are not really pictures of Christ; they are but the imagination of the artist. What is called “Christ” is not a likeness of Christ at all. My wife would not be particularly delighted if I keep a picture of another woman, kiss it, and call her my wife!

Besides, the popular argument for images is evasive and irrelevant; it does not do justice to the Catholic doctrine. It claims that “Catholics do not worship the Cross or images”, but St Thomas Aquinas states otherwise. “[The Cross] it is worshiped with the same adoration as Christ, viz. the adoration of latria.” And again, “we give the adoration of latria to the image of Christ” (Summa Theologica, Third Part, Question 25). [2]

As a Catholic, you do not use images merely to “remind” yourself of Christ and the saints. There’s nothing wrong with having pictures and statues to remind us of King David or the apostle Paul. But that is beside the point. You are called to do more than just remember. You are called to kiss images and even to bow down before them.

…because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which they represent, so that by means of the images which we kiss and before which we uncover the head and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ and venerate the saints whose likeness they bear (Council of Trent, Session 25, On the Invocation, Veneration, Relics of Saints, and Sacred Images.) [3]

Your intention is undoubtedly right and noble -- you want to worship Christ. But our good intentions are not good enough when our actions contradict the clear teaching of God’s Word. God commands us how to worship and we would better listen: “You shall not carve idols for yourselves ... you shall not bow down before them or worship them.”

When the people of Israel were gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai, and Moses was delayed on the mountain, they demanded a visible representation of God. When Aaron produced the golden calf, the people acclaimed the appearance of their God: “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32 NAB) [4] They knew that the Lord God had delivered them from the slavery in Egypt, and accepted the newly-formed image as a representative of their powerful Redeemer. Evidently Aaron shared their belief because he went on to build an altar and proclaim a feast “to the LORD (Yahweh)”.

Immediately after those events, the Bible records God’s intense displeasure with his people because they worshipped “his” image. He had told them not to bow down before statues – how could they delude themselves in thinking that they would please God by contradicting his will?

We would be wise to learn from the mistakes of our forefather. If we bow down before the images of Christ and the saints, irrespective of our good intentions, we would be disobedient to the commandment of God: “You shall not bow down before them”! If we truly love our God, we should worship him only in the way he has revealed.

Poll - April 2008

2008-04-29T05:24:00.016+02:00

According to the Bible, whose faith is accounted for righteousness?

He who does not work but believes (33) 29%

He who works and believes (79) 71%

Total votes: 112. Poll closed.

Comments: The biblical answer is found in Romans 4:1-8, especially verse 5 (in bold).

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

The Second Commandment

2008-04-01T07:16:00.011+02:00

(Gospel e-Letter - April 2008)

You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments (Exodus 20:4-6).

How is the second commandment different from the first?

The first commandment ("You shall have no other gods before Me") forbids the worship of false gods, whereas the second forbids the false worship of God. The first tells us whom to worship; the second tells us how to worship him.

What is required in the second commandment?

The commandment forbids us to make and worship images of God. We are called to know God as he revealed himself, and to serve him according to his ordinances, not in any other way devised by human wisdom. "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32).

Does the second commandment prohibit the making or use of all images?

The second commandment does not prohibit paintings and sculptures which are not intended to be used in the worship of God. This is clear from the words "you shall not bow down to them nor serve them". Moreover, shortly afterwards giving the Ten Commandments, God instructed Israel to make two cherubims of gold for the Ark of the Covenant, and later on, a bronze serpent (Exodus 25:28; Numbers 21:9). Solomon decorated the temple with twelve oxen, and its walls with carved images of cherubims (1 Kings 7:25; 6:29). In all these instances, the Israelites were not called to "bow down" or "serve" the images. When the Israelites began to burn incense to the bronze serpent, the godly king Hezekiah broke it to pieces.

Can we make an image of God?

We should not make any image of God. When God made a covenant with Israel, the Lord spoke to the people, and they heard the sound of his voice, but they did not see any form. God did so on purpose. "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female…" (Deuteronomy 4:15, 16). Elsewhere the Scripture reproves us, "To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?" (Isaiah 40:18).

Can we make an image of Christ since he was made flesh?

No, not least because we do not know how he looked like. The hundreds of different pictures of Jesus testify against each other that they are false images. What is called a picture or a statue of Christ is not his true likeness. Like the idols of old, the modern portrayal of the Lord is "a teacher of lies" (Habakkuk 2:18).

Moreover, Jesus is the true God, and therefore the only appropriate response to seeing his image is worship and adoration. Sadly, the "Jesus" imprinted on the mind by artistic creations is "another Jesus" – an idol. False images lead to false worship.

Did God give us an image of himself?

God has revealed himself in his Son; "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Christ is the perfect icon of God.

But then, how can we know Christ in truth? The Lord himself answers, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). We know Christ in Scripture, not in the imaginations of sculptors.

During our pilgrimage on earth, we are called to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The apostle Peter reminds us that we believe and rejoice in him even though "now you do not see him"(1 Peter 1:8). Yet we have a living hope. Eagerly we await that glorious day when "we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). Then our joy will be complete.

Why should we obey the second commandment?

God threatens severe punishments on those who disobey and promises great blessings on the obedient. If we love God, let us worship him as he has commanded. If however we attempt to worship him by graven images, contrary to his commandment, we are found to be haters of God and worthy of his wrath.

Poll - March 2008

2008-03-31T07:09:00.032+02:00

Is it biblical to worship images of Christ?

Yes (8) 9%

No (75) 90%

Total votes: 83. Poll closed.

Comments: While most respondents think that it is not biblical to worship images of Christ, a few (most probably Catholics who know their religion well) think that it is. They will do well to study the second commandment (April Gospel e-Letter) and reconsider the Catholic apologetic arguments for images (May Gospel e-Letter, DV).

Do Catholics Worship Images of Christ?

2008-03-01T09:17:00.036+01:00

(Gospel e-Letter - March 2008)

An article posted on a Catholic website begins with these striking words:

"Catholics worship statues!" People still make this ridiculous claim. [1]

Some Protestants continue to allege that Catholics worship images despite their constant denial. I happen to be one of those Protestants. Without referring to the Bible, I invite you to look at official Catholic sources, to show that the Catholic Church does in fact promote the worship of images.

So, what does the Catholic Church teach about images? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2132) is a good place to start:

The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honour rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it." The honour paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone: Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends towardthat whose image it is.[2]

We should note several important points:

1. We understand that Catholics are not supposed to honour the image itself, as a mere physical object that would be crass idolatry. However, they are called to venerate the image not as a thing, but only as far as it is an image. Can this distinction be made in practice; this is another point for further discussion.

2. The Church teaches that the honour given to the image passes on to the person represented by the image; or perhaps we can say, Catholics honour the saints and angels through honour rendered to their images. The Council of Trent (session 25) explains:

... the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which they represent, so that by means of the images which we kiss and before which we uncover the head and prostrate ourselves, we adore Christ and venerate the saints whose likeness they bear. [3]

3. The church distinguishes between the worship and adoration of God (latria) and the lesser form of honour, or veneration (dulia), given to saints and angels. Thus a statue of St Paul should not be worshipped (latria) but simply honoured (dulia). On this account, it would be contrary to Catholic teaching to worship the image of a saint. The image of St Paul should be venerated, not worshipped. "The honour paid to sacred images is a 'respectful veneration,' not the adoration due to God alone."

At this point, a series of questions springs to mind:

What about images of Christ, who is God incarnate?

If the veneration given to the image of a saint passes on to the saint, what kind of honour should be given to the image of Christ?

Surely, Christ deserves more than mere veneration of the dulia type. Being God, Christ deserves to be honoured with the highest form of worship and adoration (latria). If Christ's image is merely venerated, isn't that honour far less than the adoration he is worthy to receive?

Shouldn't then the image of Christ – if Catholic theology is correct – be honoured with the highest form of worship (latria), given that this worship to the image passes on to the Person represented?

In other words, if saints can be honoured (dulia) by honouring (dulia) their statues, should God incarnate by worshipped (latria) by worshipping (latria) his image?

That seems to be the logical conclusion!

Someone may say, "That's only your fallible interpretation, you are misrepresenting Catholic teaching." Well then, look again at the sentence quoted above from the Catechism.

Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate.

This statement denies images are worshipped "in themselves" and "as mere things". That is quite obvious: Catholics do not intentionally worship wood and stone, but the same sentence continues to affirm that images are worshipped "under their distinctive aspect as images". Images of God incarnate are worshipped according to the Catechism.

The Catechism is actually quoting from St Thomas Aquinas. In the same paragraph, Aquinas concludes that "religious worship is paid to the images of Christ." [4]

In his discussion of the question, "Whether the image of Christ should be adored with the adoration of latria", Thomas Aquinas is even more explicit. Excerpts:

The honour given to an image reaches to the prototype, i.e. the exemplar. But the exemplar itself--namely, Christ--is to be adored with the adoration of latria; therefore also His image.

Consequently the same reverence should be shown to Christ's image as to Christ Himself. Since, therefore, Christ is adored with the adoration of latria, it follows that His image should be adored with the adoration of latria.

Whereas we give the adoration of latria to the image of Christ, Who is true God, not for the sake of the image, but for the sake of the thing whose image it is.

Among these traditions is the worship of Christ's image. [5]

One would hope that Catholic apologists would be as clear and honest as Thomas Aquinas in saying publicly, "we give the adoration of latria to the image of Christ." What they call "ridiculous" is in fact the teaching of their own Church! I appeal to Catholics and Evangelicals alike, not to be deceived by a watered-down version of Catholicism presented by modern apologists.

I have not tried to show from Scripture whether it is legitimate to worship images of Christ – that, Lord willing, we'll do another time.