Real Security
Roman Catholic Claim
Rome begins with a “characterization”
of Christianity. Rome thinks that evangelicals
teach “security” regardless
of lifestyle. This summary statement
below was sent to us by a Roman Catholic who
borrowed it from a Roman Catholic apologetic
web site. Here is the exact citation. Notice
that this Roman Catholic wishes to throw down
a belief that he considers to be popular among
evangelicals. Here we see that Rome distorts
Christianity and then demolishes a “christianity”
of her own making.
“Some people promote an especially
attractive idea: All true Christians, regardless
of how they live, have an absolute
assurance of salvation, once they accept Jesus
into their hearts as "their personal
Lord and Savior." The problem is
that this belief is contrary to the Bible
and constant Christian teaching.” (emphasis
ours)
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Christian Response
Immediately we must
burn up this “straw man” that Rome has
fashioned in this opening salvo against the security
of God’s elect. True Christians would never
make the claim that heaven is theirs “regardless
of how they live.” So, Rome begins by objecting
to a position that no true Christian regards as biblical.
Christians by the very nature of regeneration are
repulsed by the notion that they can sin freely because
they are secure in Christ. Christians are well aware
of the apostle Paul’s warning:
ROM 6:1 What shall
we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace
might increase?
ROM 6:2 May it
never be! How shall we who died to sin still live
in it?
And again:
GAL 5:13 For you
were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn
your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.
By arguing against
something not even believed by Christians, the Roman
Catholic apologist presents a poor characterization
of Christianity. Rome misses the point that all true
Christians have a high regard for the work of the
Holy Spirit being accomplished within a Christian
as well as the promises of God in Christ Jesus. These
promises include giving to Christians the mind of
Christ, a growing loathing of personal sin and the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
In reality, the
critical difference between Christianity and Roman
Catholicism is that Roman Catholicism insists that
true believers can be ultimately lost. As proof they
point out hypocrites who assert they are Christians
but in reality live for the devil. The true Christian
would see this same hypocrisy and say that hypocrites
are not true believers in the first place.
Because Rome views
salvation to be dependent upon man, Rome is able to
threaten the very elect of God with a loss of salvation
should they stumble and sin. Such is the theology
of all man-made schemes of salvation. If man gets
himself into heaven by his righteousness then man
can surely get himself out of heaven and into hell
by his own sinning. In Rome, salvation is “of
the man.”
In contrast, Christians
believe that they are put in Christ by God and are
protected by the power of God for a sure and certain
eternal salvation bought with the eternal blood of
Christ. If God puts a man in Christ then God will
keep him there.
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