Throwback Thursday: Roman Catholicism: A spiritual chain gang

Posted on by Tom

Welcome to this week’s “Throwback Thursday” installment. Today, we’re going to revisit a post that was originally published back on July 11, 2017 and has been revised.

Imagine believing that you had to obey the Ten Commandments perfectly in order to be allowed into Heaven. That’s right; no lying, no lusting, no stealing, no envying, no road rage, no gossiping, no pride, always putting God above yourself. And then believing that every single time you messed up and disobeyed God you had to see a priest and confess the sin in order for it to be cleansed away. Repeat cycle. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

1.4 billion people believe the above. They are called Roman Catholics.

Roman Catholics acknowledge that God the Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross of Calvary for their sins, but they also believe they must do their part by receiving the church’s allegedly grace-conferring sacraments and then by “cooperating with grace” and perfectly obeying the Ten Commandments. I could not perfectly obey the Ten Commandments for one day let alone a lifetime. Catholics would certainly resent the analogy of being a part of a spiritual chain gang, but that is their circumstance as day after day after day they attempt to merit salvation.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” – Romans 3:21-25

Go to the Lord, Jesus Christ, in prayer. Repent of your sinful rebellion against God and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior through faith alone. No one can be saved by trying to obey the Law. It’s impossible. He is the only One who lived a life worthy of Heaven. He desires to be your Savior. Won’t you trust in Him as your Savior through faith alone?

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” – Galatians 2:21

32 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday: Roman Catholicism: A spiritual chain gang”

  1. The last catholic I tried to talk to about their catholic religion said you have no authority to tell me anything these priests are ordained. I said yes by another person, but God ordains His people through His holy spirit of truth and they walked away. 😦

    Stay the course Tom, I so appreciate reading your insight of the largest religion drawing many away from the Lord they so desperately need.
    Julia

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    1. Thank you for the support and encouragement in the Lord, Julia! Yes, Catholics are trusting in their institutional church and their own supposed good works and not in Jesus Christ.

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    1. RE: ”If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
      The self-righteous rich young man in Matthew 19:16-22 protested that he kept all of the commandments. Jesus showed him that he did not, and neither do we.

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      1. Can you show me where in scripture it calls the rich young man “self righteous”? Where in scripture does it say that the rich young man did not keep the commandments as he said?

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      3. I asked two very specific questions, I read Luke 18:9-14 and it did not answer them. Can you answer my questions? Is it your position that it is impossible to keep the commandments?

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      4. I won’t be able to “successfully” answer any of your rhetorical questions because of your spiritual blindness and your Pharisaical attitude of self-righteousness. You call Jesus “the Savior” but reject the Savior and attempt to merit your salvation.

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      5. I asked you questions based on scripture and your own words. Your own words which you apparently can’t defend. You can’t successfully answer my questions because your theology is based on your own fallible opinion and is self contradictory and contradictory to scripture.

        I am righteous by faith, the same way Elizabeth and Zechariah were and they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:5-6.

        So, are you able to answer my questions or will you block this post as well? Where does scripture say the rich man was self righteous? Where does scripture say the rich man did not keep the commandments? Is it your position that it is impossible to keep the commandments?

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      6. At least the rich young man walked away sad, acknowledging he wouldn’t forsake his idolatry of wealth (so much for him successfully obeying the Ten Commandments). You walk away boastful and joyfully self-righteous in your supposed ability to obey the Ten Commandments and merit your way into Heaven. Your pleads of self-righteousness will be the evidence against you when you stand before the Holy and Righteous Judge.

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      7. “What then? Are we better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
        as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
        THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
        ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
        “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN TOMB, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
        “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
        “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
        DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
        AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
        “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
        Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” – (Romans 3:9-20 LSB)

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      8. Jesus said ”You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.“
        ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭48‬

        Was Jesus wrong?

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      9. You’re getting closer my friend. Think it through. Pray to the Holy Spirit for illumination. Jesus Christ was the ONLY Person Who walked this Earth Who achieved the perfect righteousness referred to in Matthew 5:48. He imputes His perfect righteousness to all those who trust in Him through faith alone.

        2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:2-4

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      11. Certainly. Repentance is part of trusting in Christ as Savior through faith alone. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation…” -2 Cor. 7:10.
        Repentance (Greek, metanoia, “change of mind”), means turning from our rebellion against God, agreeing with Him that we are depraved sinners with no hope, and accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior through faith alone.

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      12. Is turning to God and intending to no longer sin part of repentance? Do the justified have an obligation to refrain from sin? Or are the justified free to sin?

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      13. After we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, we follow Him as Lord and Shepherd in joyful obedience, albeit imperfectly. This side of eternity we believers still retain our sin nature. For an excellent examination of the differences between Roman Catholicism and Gospel Christianity I suggest to you “Same Words, Different Worlds: Do Roman Catholics and Evangelicals Believe the Same Gospel?” by Leonardo De Chirico, which is only 160 pp. and readily available at Amazon.

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      15. Amen Jesus gives us His righteousness, we believe we can keep the commandments because of the strength of Christ working on us and through us

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      16. You say “Jesus gives us His righteousness” and then turn around and admit you’re on a mission to establish your own righteousness. Pray to the Holy Spirit that He reveals to you the depth of your depraved sinfulness and your absolute need for Jesus Christ to save you through faith in Him alone. Accept Christ. You and I can’t obey the commandments for one day (consider thoughts, attitudes, omissions) let alone a lifetime.

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      17. Part of your problem is when you read that we have to keep the commandments, we read we need our own self righteousness.

        What I am saying is we are righteous by Christ and that His righteousness in us is why a person can even keep the commandments in the first place.

        The order is become justified, then you are to follow Christ, take on His yoke, and keep the commandments. His yoke is light and the commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3.

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      18. I meant “Part of your problem is when you read that we have to keep the commandments, *you* read we need our own self righteousness.”
        My mistake, I do not know how to edit a comment.

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      19. Nate, I realize it’s impossible for the unsaved, unregenerated religious person to conceive of salvation that is not merited. I have responded to EIGHT of your queries/rhetorical questions. If you are truly sincere in seeking after the Lord, I again suggest that you read “Same Words, Different Worlds.” I can’t devote my limited time to responding to queries/rhetorical questions from zealous Catholics determined to defend salvation by merit. I do pray that the Holy Spirit opens your blind eyes to salvation in Jesus Christ through faith alone.

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  3. In my dialogues with catholics on this issue they don’t have a full grasp on what their church teaches on salvation. Even their apologists either ignore it or keep it hidden. I have never heard a convert to catholicism mention what you wrote here either.

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    1. Thanks! Yes, it is extremely difficult to find on the internet a succinct summary of “How to get to Heaven” according to the Catholic church. Today’s Catholics strongly object to the term “merit” being a part of the formula although the term was used quite commonly in my younger days as a Catholic. Today’s Catholics will say salvation is all by grace, but will quickly qualify that by adding a person must also “cooperate with grace” and successfully obey the Ten Commandments. Despite popular Catholicism’s reluctance to reference merit as part of the salvation process, the official catechism is quite unapologetic:

      “Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life.” – CCC 2010

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  4. While I was attending Catholic school in the 1st or 2nd grade the nun taught us that every time we sinned we were to put a nail in a board and every time we did a good thing we were to take a nail out I remember giving up on my hope of pleasing Him… I probably would have run out of nails and wood within a few weeks 🙂

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    1. Thanks for the personal anecdote. I can relate. Most Catholics would say they do a decent job with the sin “whack-a-mole” process. But when the Holy Spirit reveals our utter sin depravity is when we cry out to the Savior.

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  6. Its sobering thinking about how many Catholics there are; thet’s a lot going to hell!

    The imagery of spiritual chain gang is very fitting; thanks for this post, may God use it!

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