The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. It is Jesus' favorite title of Himself. I chosen this title because Jesus loved this title of Himself. We ought to never forget that Jesus is fully God and fully man: two natures in One Person. He is the God-man, the Incarnate Second Person of the Trinity. May we mediate on His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension that we may be conformed to the image of the divine Son of Man! This blog web site will be a Christian defense of the Reformed doctrines of the Incarnate Son of Man. May all glory be to His name!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Are There True Believers in the Church of Rome?

I believe there are true Christians in Roman Catholicism.  I believe they have the true grace of God that St. Paul spoke of in his writings.  They repent and believe the gospel on a regular basis.  I believe the same is true for the Greek Orthodox Christians. 

I think these people are saved in spite of their Church's teachings and because of the biblical gospel.  No one was ever saved apart from the biblical gospel.  All of us have the personal responsibility to repent of our sins and embrace the gospel of forgiveness.  However, the Cross is where Jesus died for our sinful selves.   He took complete and full responsibility for our sins at the Cross. 

The Cross is the center of the Christian faith.  It is where all hope lies and we must trust Jesus who died there.  There is no hope apart from the Cross.  The centrality of the Cross is key to living an honorable Christian life.  We must repent through the Cross of Christ alone. 

We are to add nothing to it.  The Cross is all-sufficient in how we are right with God.  However, Rome says that Mary suffered redemptively at the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I think it is biblical to say she indeed suffered but to say she suffered redemptively is a far cry from the biblical picture of Christ suffering at the Cross.  I think the moment we add something to the Cross we make it a false religion.  Amen.