Is it Finished?

Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30

When I was in Minnesota visiting my sister’s family the week before my sister died, I was asked a question that I have been asked many times before. One of my nieces asked, “So, Uncle Mark do you believe that Catholics go to heaven when they die.” My answer was the same as I give to everyone; religion does not save you, but Christ does. My question is, how does one know they will spend eternity with God?

Since I was raised as a Roman Catholic, I know that it is a false religion. The doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church are not compatible with Scripture. It is a works-based false religion.

The following are some of the teachings of the Catholic Church:

 

1. Baptism-Is required for salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (ccc) 1274 teaches, “The Holy Spirit marks us at baptism with the seal of the Lord for the day of redemption.” However, there is no security in this seal, for the baptized Christian must be “faithful” to keep the seal “until the end.” Only then will he “be able to depart this life in the hope of resurrection.”
2. Confession of sin- The Catholic Church teaches that for your sins to be forgiven, you must get absolution from a priest. From Catholics Come Home, “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament of Confession so that we as sinners, can obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and the Church. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ.”
3. Purgatory-According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life.
4. Mary Worship- The Catholic Church teaches Mary’s perpetual virginity and that she never had any other children. They also  teach to pray to Mary to ask her to intercede to her son on their behalf.
5. Last Rights-Known as extreme unction. This is administered when a person is extremely ill or dying. A priest will forgive the individual of any unconfessed sin.
6. Transubstantiation – “The Council of Trent summarizes the  Catholic faith by declaring: ‘Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole  substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. These changes the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.'” In other words, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that once an ordained priest blesses the bread of the Lord’s Supper, it is transformed into the actual flesh of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of bread); and when he blesses the wine, it is transformed into the actual blood of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of wine).

 

All six of the teachings mentioned here are nowhere found in Scripture.

 

1. Baptism- Is not a requirement for salvation. Is an outward sign of the conversion that takes place when a believer repents of their sins and acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of        yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9).
2. Confession of Sin- No need for a priest. Found only in the Gospel of John, the Greek word translated “it is finished” is tetelestai, an accounting term that means “paid in full.” Jesus paid it all once for all.
3. Purgatory- When an unbeliever dies, they do not get a do-over. When a believer dies, they will in the presence of the Lord forever. “We are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).”
4. Mary Worship -Mary, the mother of Jesus, was highly favored and blessed. She is in the presence of our Savior, just like every other believer who had died. But she needed salvation just like every other person.
5. Last Rights- Not necessary for a believer because Roman 8:1 declares, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jesus paid it all on the cross. He declared, “It is finished.”
6. Transubstantiation- We do not turn the bread into His body nor the fruit of the vine into His blood. We partake of the elements of the Lord’s Supper as a reminder of what He has done for us.

The Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian Church as described in Scripture. It has perverted the Gospel, and it is sending millions to hell with a false sense of salvation. There is only one way to be saved by God’s grace, through faith, in Christ alone. Paul warned us, But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the Gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8)!”

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark