Expert: Sal - 7/15/2008

Question
This is not a question but a mere comment. I read your post in response to Jacqueleine wherein you advise,
"Just stick close to the Catholic Church and believe on her and you will be safe from the deceptions of the antichrist".  This is heresy. Nowhere in the Holy Bible does it teach that our salvation or protection comes from the Catholic Church or any religion for that matter. Our salvation lies in believing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Redeemer, that He was crucified, died and was resurrected and He lives today. Our protection comes from God alone through His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells believers and empowers us with discernment to guard against deception. No man-made religion or church does this. No religion or church has the ability to save any soul but only the one true God whose blood was shed for our salvation. In fact every biblical reference on religion, save for one, proves religion to be negative and a stumbling block. The Lord rebuked the Saducees and the Pharisees for their legalistic thinking and rules which did not bring glory to Him but rather served to enslave the people and keep them in bondage. Having said this, I fully support people going to church as we are commanded not to forsake ourselves from fellowship and I believe a good church with biblically sound doctrine is integral to a believer's spiritual growth.

What you should have told this woman was to continue to seek and mature in her relationship with Christ and to invoke the spiritual gifts for discernment and protection over deception and false prophecies.

Prayerfully,

Answer
Dear Suzette:

I agree with your definition of salvation. However, God did give us one Church, the one that is led today by the successor of St. Peter, the Pope. God only founded one Church, the Catholic Church (Mt. 16:17-19). All other Churches are false, man-made counterfeits. The Holy Spirit guides the Catholic Church to teach truth which does protect those that hold fast to these truths (Jn. 16:12-13). The history of Protestantism proves that we humans cannot discern God's truth that is why there are literally thousands of Protestant denominations today. They all claim to teach sound biblical doctrines, yet they all disagree with each other. In order to avoid this confusion God gave us a teaching, authoritative Church, the Catholic Church.

God Bless You,
Sal