Mark 7:6-7, “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Mark 7:6-7 in our text verse above perfectly describes the Roman Catholic Church. They draw near to God with their mouths, but their hearts are far away from God. But you say, “How do you know that their hearts are far from God?” Verse 7 tells us, that is, because they teach for doctrines the commandments of men.
The infamous “Seven Sacraments” of Catholicism aren't even mentioned in the Bible. They are in fact the commandments of men, and not God. The Bible very clearly says that Catholics are worshipping the Lord IN VAIN!!!
Some of the biggest and most beautiful church buildings in the world are Roman Catholic, yet they are houses of sin. I was admiring a beautiful giant, white, long Catholic church building this evening from the outside. The bright lights from the grass landscape shined upon the church, illuminating the all white exterior. It is very gorgeous and has stained glass windows around the front entrance, a glorious sounding bell that rings throughout the day on the hour, and a magnificent interior which can partially be seen through the large clear glass doors in front. I could see much gold trim and exquisite handiwork within at a glance. They spared no expense. As I admired the architecture I couldn't help but feel remorse, that all it's several hundred faithful members are all headed straight for the Lake of Fire in their manmade traditions. The Seven Sacrament are of the Devil.
The Bible does NOT even teach sacraments, let alone seven of them. Roman Catholicism is a deadly cult. One of the saddest things I can think of are entire cultures saturated with Roman Catholicism. What are the seven Sacraments anyway? According to AmericanCatholic.org...
The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred." The seven sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Christians. They are special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence. That's what theologians mean when they say that sacraments are at the same time signs and instruments of God's grace.
SOURCE: The Seven Catholic Sacraments | Seasonal Feature | American Catholic
By “God's saving presence” they mean salvation, that is, you have to keep the Seven Sacraments to get to Heaven. There's nothing in the Bible about sacraments, let alone being used as instruments of God's grace. These are manmade fabricated traditions by the Vatican over the centuries.
Here's
a list of the Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic religion:
- Water Baptism (infants and adults)
- Eucharist (Holy Mass)
- Reconciliation (also known as Penance, which includes the confessional booth)
- Confirmation (receiving the Holy Spirit)
- Marriage (must be to another Catholic)
- Holy Orders (or Ordination)
- Anointing Of The Sick (formerly known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction)
Click here for a detailed explanation of each sacrament from a Catholic perspective
Please understand that the sacraments are unscriptural in every way. Although the Bible does teach believer's baptism by immersion in water, the Bible does not require baptism for salvation. Baptism is an ordinance instituted by the Lord, not a church sacrament which bestows God's grace upon the recipient. The Bible teaches that every Christian believer receives the Holy Spirit the very second we are born-again. In fact, you couldn't be born anew by the Spirit of God if there were no Spirit of God. It is clear from the heresy of the Seven Sacraments that Catholics view salvation as a PROCESS instead of an instantaneous new birth.
Salvation is a spiritual birth, just like the physical birth, and it's just as remarkable and life-awakening. Although a person who gets saved may not show significant outward evidence of being born-again, a whole new world has been introduced to them We learn in 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” From the time that I was born anew by the Spirit of God at age 13 many decades ago, I have had the powerful presence of God's Holy Spirit in my life guiding, comforting, encouraging, rebuking, teaching, convicting and helping me as a child of God. Literally, the Holy Spirit is the Godhead living in me. Jesus promised that He and the Father would come make their abode (home) within us. John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
I have worked with Roman Catholics all my life. I've had Roman Catholics for neighbors all my life. I've witnessed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to more Roman Catholics than I can remember. Yet, a few disturbing things which I've always noticed about Roman Catholics are:
- The Spirit of God is not in them
- They are woefully ignorant of the Word of God
- They are worldly in their living
- Many are saturated with religious chants, rituals and superstitions
- Even after clearly presenting the gospel
to them, they refuse to get saved and still hold to a works view of
salvation
Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone, But By Every Word Of God
Words
are powerful, so powerful in fact that Jesus said man must live BY EVERY
WORD. Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God.”
John 8:32 and 36, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The world is bound in chains of darkness and unbelief, but the truth of the Word of God sets us free. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-3,14; Revelation 10:13).
I love Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Bible is the greatest Book on psychology in existence, mapping out the human soul and showing us who we truly are. Incredibly, the Bible can even discern our deepest thoughts and intents on a changing individual basis. Although you and I may be quite different in our souls, the Bible can still discern our individual hearts and analyze who we really are.
Catholics live by every word of sinful man.
They totally set aside the Commandments of God to follow their own
traditions. Catholics are steeped in willful ignorance of the Word of God
and absolute arrogance toward Baptists who reject the pope and the Catholic
catechism entirely.
Outward Righteousness Is Not Faith
Catholics
remind me much of the religious Pharisees, who, although they knew that
murder and adultery were horrible sins punishable under God's Laws, they
didn't see any harm with hating their brother or lusting upon women. Jesus
rebuked them for lack of inward righteousness. Matthew 5:28, “But I say
unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart” Jesus plainly taught that a man
is defiled by that which cometh from within, and not that from comes from
without. This is because of man's wicked heart. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart
is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
It is out of man's evil heart that wars, adulteries, lies, murderers and
blasphemies originate. Think about that, all wars start in the human heart.
What an ugly thought!
Hence, adulterous Hollywood movies don't turn people into adulterers; but rather, as I once heard a young black preacher say from the pulpit, “Adulterous producers make adulterous movies that inspire adulterous people to commit adultery.” Matthew 15:11, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” Then human heart is incredibly dangerous and distrustful. It is a frightening thing how people can become monsters and find justification for just about anything and everything evil, unholy and sacrilegious. From legalizing same-sex marriage and abortion, to justifying the worship of statues of the virgin Mary and el papa over in Rome—the human heart is set on fire of Hell below.
Carefully notice that the Catholic Church teaches these seven CEREMONIES are the means of obtaining the gift of eternal life. In sharp contrast, the Bible teaches that FAITH is the means by which salvation is obtained...
Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.”
From the cradle-to-the-casket, the Catholic Church offers a religious package second to none. Instead of KFC's famous slogan, “We do chicken right!”; the Vatican should advertise, “We do religion right!” Unfortunately they do everything else wrong! Jesus taught the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:24 that God absolutely MUST be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The Bible is truth, the inspired Words of God (John 17:17).
We are living in an American culture of deceit and lies. Everything is bogus these days. The mainstream news is saturated with fabricated lies. Politicians, local and national are always lying to the public. Businesses lie to get your money, legally manipulating the public with shady fine print, deceptive advertising and disclaimers. Realtors withhold vital information (a form of lying) to sell a home. Preachers lie when they say that human effort is required to get to Heaven. People lie when they promise in their marriage vows to stay with someone until death. Lawyers lie everytime their lips move. What a nation of liars! Roman Catholics have been sold a lie, and they've bought into it hook, line and sinker!
All
around the world, there are entire cultures that are predominantly Roman
Catholic, all hellbound in unbelief and sin. They have been deceived by the
Devil as 2nd Corinthians 4:4 teaches. The Bible says that if born-again
Christians don't shine their gospel light to the lost world, then sinners
won't see the gospel and can't get saved because Satan has blinded them.
2nd Corinthians 4:3-4, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Satan blinds people's minds with established humanistic worldly
philosophies, Darwin's theory of evolution and literally thousands of false
religions. Please don't go to Hell. The choice is yours alone to make. Of
all the Catholics I've witnessed to in my life, they were cold and
unresponsive to the Gospel. It was almost as if their fate was sealed and
they were never going to get saved. That's what I felt each time because of
their hard heart. Catholics don't take Bible doctrine seriously. They really
don't care. All that matters to them is going to Catholic Mass and
confessing their sins to some man who calls himself father, but dresses like
a mother.
We Need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
To
get to Heaven you and I both need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, We read in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.” I read Matthew 6:33 my
entire life and misunderstood its meaning. I thought it just meant going to
church as a Christian, tithing, soul-winning, and staying busy for God
serving Him faithfully.
But a few years ago the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart with this Scripture and opened my eyes to its true meaning, and it is so beautiful. All I fear is God's disfavor, and all I desire is Christ's righteousness!!!
The Gospel
(Salvation Is By Grace Through Faith Plus
Nothing)
Where The Burden Rests In Salvation
(Biblical salvation rests
solely upon Jesus Christ)
