[BBC List] a make up for yesterday

[Mike Abendroth]

Are You Being Deceived?


If I were to insult you, you'd feel the sting immediately. If I were to
embarrass you, you'd be the first to know. But if I were to deceive
you...you might never know it! 

As painful as being insulted or embarrassed can be, at least you're aware of
what's taking place. But deception can be deadly because you don't realize
you are being betrayed, misled, seduced or ensnared. It's much more than a
clever slight of hand. 

Deceived people are not even aware they are being misled unless they are
confronted with the truth. Tragically, many go to their graves deceived
about their relationship with God. 

The Importance of Your Source for Truth 

What is your source for truth? Is it trustworthy? Will it protect you from
the schemes and lies of the master deceiver, Satan? 

The biblical prophet Jeremiah gave wise counsel for choosing who to trust.
He said if you put your trust in man you will be cursed like a withered bush
in a barren desert. However, if your ultimate trust is in God, Jeremiah said
you will flourish like a tree planted by the water (Jeremiah 17:5-8). 

Still many people today disregard Jeremiah's advice and in their search for
truth put their trust in man--religious leaders--instead of God. 

Who Will You Trust? 

Catholics, for example, believe that the pope and the Roman Catholic Church
teach exactly what Jesus and the Bible teach. But how do we know if the
popes' teachings or the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church are true? 

The only way we can be 100% sure is to do what the church of Berea did in
New Testament times. They examined the Scriptures to see if what the Apostle
Paul taught them was true (Acts 17:11). 

We must use the same scriptural standard for the teachings of all religious
leaders. Disregarding the objective truth of God's Word in favor of the
subjective teachings of men can be a tragic mistake. 

The Danger of Deception 

Would it surprise you to learn that many religious teachings go against the
Bible? Shouldn't that concern you, since your eternal destiny may depend on
such teachings? 

Here is how Catholic doctrine misleads people about God's plan of salvation:


*	All graces needed to attain eternal life can be merited (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 2027).
*	Catholics are reborn as sons of God and freed from sin through water
baptism (1213). 
*	Purgatory is a cleansing fire that achieves the holiness necessary
for heaven (1030-31). 
*	Jesus is offered daily as a sacrificial victim on Catholic altars
(1367).
*	Venial sins are not deserving of hell (1863). 
*	By performing acts of penance, Catholics can expiate their own sins
(1459,1477).

The Bible says man is saved by believing God's truth (Ephesians 1:13-14).
God can never deceive anyone (Titus 1:1-2). But man remains condemned if he
continues in deception. 

False religious systems hold people in bondage to deception by perverting
God's truth and grace. Any religion that teaches its followers that
salvation is obtained through human effort and merit is nullifying the grace
of God. Yet grace is the only means by which God saves sinners! The Bible
says "if by grace, it is no longer because of works; otherwise grace would
no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6). 

Misplaced Faith 

Some people blindly put their faith in religious leaders, assuming that
their leaders would never seduce anyone with a false plan of salvation. Yet
the Apostle Paul warned that "from your own group, men will come forward
perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them" (Acts 20:30). 

Other people simply choose not to respond or conform their lives to truth.
Instead they turn away to listen to teachers who say what they want to hear
(2 Timothy 4:2-4). 

Then there are people who have a zeal for God, but not in line with the
truth. Many people have been indoctrinated with false teaching and have
difficulty believing the truth. They fail because they refuse to let go of
unbiblical beliefs. 

It was disobedience to God, a lack of faith in His purpose, plan, and word
that separated Adam and Eve from Him. Instead they chose to put their faith
in the deceiver, which brought spiritual and physical death to us all. 

God uses the very instrument that separated us from Him--faith--to restore
us back to Him. By repenting of our dead works and turning to God in faith,
we receive spiritual and eternal life: "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" (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

God's Truth Determines Destiny 

The Bible makes it clear that: 

*	We are either children of the devil (John 8:43-45) or children of
God (John 1:12), 
*	We live as slaves to sin or as slaves to righteousness (Romans
6:16-18), and 
*	We will spend eternity under the wrath of God or in His loving
presence.

"Whoever believes in Him [Jesus Christ] will not be condemned, but whoever
does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in
the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). 

God has revealed that trusting in anything other than Christ and His Word is
evidence of deception. Those who choose to follow the traditions, opinions,
and philosophies of men will be condemned. Jesus said "Whoever rejects Me
and does not accept My words has something to judge him: the word that I
spoke, it will condemn him on the last day" (John 12:48). 

By contrast, how wonderful are the words, "to those who did accept Him He
gave power to become children of God to those who believe in His name" (John
1:12). 

Are you basing your life and eternal destiny on the eternal truths of God's
Word or on the Catholic traditions added to God's truth? How will you
respond to God's truth? Compare these essential teachings of the Bible to
the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church: 


God Teaches

The pope Teaches


Salvation is only through Christ (Acts 4:12).

Salvation is through the Roman Catholic Church and its sacraments (846,
1129). 


You are saved by faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

You are saved by faith plus works (1815,1821,2010,2027). 


All who rely on observing the law--commandments--for salvation are under a
curse (Galatians 3:10).

Obedience to the commandments is necessary for salvation (2068). 


Salvation occurs at the moment you repent and believe the gospel (Acts
20:21, Ephesians 1:13).

Salvation is a process from baptism through purgatory (161, 162, 1254,
1255). 


Only Jesus purifies sin (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:22).

Purgatory purifies sin (1030,1031).


You can know that you have eternal life (John 10:27-30, 1 John 5:13). 

You sin if you presume to be saved without merit (2090-2092). 


The sacrifice of Jesus is finished (John 19:30). 

The sacrifice of Jesus continues in daily Mass (611, 1405). 

As you can see, these teachings directly oppose each other. One is truth
that will set you free. One is deception that will hold you in bondage. 

Which teachings will you choose? Choose carefully. In this life you can be
wrong about a lot of things and still survive. But when this life is over,
if you were wrong about God's only provision for your sins, you will perish
in the lake of fire for all eternity. 

Mike Gendron 

Bible quotes: The New American Bible for Catholics, (c) Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine. Catechism references: Catechism of the Catholic Church,
(c) 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference--Libreria Editrice
Vaticana.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Charis,

 

Mike Abendroth

 

www.bbcchurch.org

 

2 Tim 1:2b  "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord."

 

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