I want to take a close look at the Bible today. You will find this very interesting. Most of you here know that you’re saved, and you have everlasting life all because of Jesus Christ. You know that you aren’t saved by your own good works.
The True Source of Salvation Revealed
But, there’s many people out there, Catholics especially, who call themselves Christians but they believe in themselves to get to heaven. For them, it takes more than the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for them. They spit in the face of Jesus Christ.
Just as the people spit on him when he was going to the cross, the Catholic religion of devils spits on the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want you to see what the Bible clearly says here.
Hebrews 10:7-9
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
In the Old Testament, they would offer sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, sin offerings, and more. The Bible says God didn’t take pleasure in those sacrifices and offerings. They didn’t appease him. They didn’t please him.
Those things don’t take away sin. When you do something good, this doesn’t forgive you of sin that you committed.
What does forgive sin? What is the offering for sin? What can we offer up for our sins?
Why Our Works Can Never Erase Sin
Hebrews 10:10
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
By the will of God, we are sanctified or saved through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
You can’t give offering to be forgiven of your sin. You can’t buy heaven. You can’t purchase the forgiveness of sins. You can’t do good works to forgive you of all your sin. The only offering that God accepts is the body of Jesus Christ. And it only has to be given once for all.
Hebrews 10:11
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
So, you can work all your life, like the Catholics will tell you, and you can offer and offer and offer all these things of yours, and those things will NEVER take away sins.
Maybe your momma tells you, “Boy, if you don’t act right you’re going to hell.” Maybe your momma says, “Girl, if you don’t go to church you’re going to hell.” Hey, those are lies. Acting right is something you do. It’s good to act right. But it doesn’t get you to heaven.
That’s not the payment for sin. Going to church doesn’t pay for your sin. Repenting of sin doesn’t delete sin from your account. You are in debt because you’re a sinner. You can never take away your own sins. You can’t pay for them. You can try to do good. You can try and try and try. And that will never take away sins.
One Perfect Sacrifice for Eternal Forgiveness
Hebrews 10:12-14
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
But this man. What man? The Lord Jesus Christ. But this man, after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE for sins FOREVER. His sacrifice is “THE PAYMENT” for all your sins. And I mean all of them. There’s not one sin he didn’t pay for. He paid them all.
And when he was done paying for them, do you know what he did? He sat down on the right hand of God. You know why? Because the payment is finished. And he sat down. It’s done. It’s over. It is finished.
One Offering is All That’s Required
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” How many offerings does it take for you to be saved forever? ONE. One offering. That offering is equal 100% to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other offering for sin. Nothing else but the Lord Jesus Christ.
God in the flesh. Offered up once for the sins of the whole world. There’s nothing left for you to do to get to heaven. He did it all. He paid it all. There’s nothing else required.
Simply put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Know that he is “THE SAVIOR” of the world. There is no other Savior. The Catholic church can’t save you. They’ll send you straight to hell.
Your sacrifices can never take away sins. Your good works can never take away sins.
Examining Catholic Doctrine vs. Biblical Truth
I want to go over what the Catholic Church believes will get them to heaven. Once you know the Bible, their beliefs are absolutely from Satan himself. In Catholic theology, salvation or being saved from your sins involves faith, grace, and works together.
I have asked so-called “good” Catholics what it takes to get to heaven. I say, “Don’t you want me to get to heaven? What must I do to be saved?” And they tell me it would take too long for them to go over it with me. Well, I’m going to tell you what they should answer based on Catholic theology. They don’t answer because they don’t know.
Catholics will tell you that you must be baptized. They believe that baptism washes away original sin and is necessary for salvation. They think being born of the water is being baptized in water. Infants are baptized even though they have no idea what’s happening. And then they say adults must have faith before being baptized but they don’t even know what faith in Christ means.
They say you must have faith in Jesus while teaching you have to do all these other things. They say believing in Jesus isn’t enough. Faith alone isn’t enough. Jesus isn’t enough according to them. Imagine saying the sacrifice of God himself, the Creator of all things, isn’t enough. God says that it is enough, but the so-called “CHURCH” says it isn’t.
Jesus is Enough to Pay Your Sins
God says the sacrifice of Jesus is enough. The Catholic devil infested church says the sacrifice of Jesus isn’t enough. Who do you believe?
The Catholics will say that you must remain in the Catholic Church and follow its teachings to get to heaven. You must be a good Catholic to get to heaven. According to them, all of us who have put all our faith in Jesus Christ, are going to hell. That’s what they say. That’s what they believe.
Hey, I put it all on the Lord Jesus Christ. If God asks me why he should let me into heaven, do you know what I’ll say? I’ll say one word. That one word? Jesus.
There’s nothing else. “Well, I helped people. I preached the Gospel. I went to church. I read the Bible many times. I studied the Scriptures. I dedicated my life to you.” No. Wrong answer. “I was a Catholic. I helped people in need. I loved people.” Wrong answer. If you believe that, you haven’t put it all on Jesus Christ.
God asks you the question: “Why should I let you into heaven?” Easiest answer of all time. One word. Jesus. And that better be your answer. Jesus. Just Jesus. Nothing else.
Baptism is the “START” of Salvation?
But, in the Catholic “faith” (they do have faith but it’s not the right faith) they say baptism is the start of salvation, then faith in Jesus and faith in the Church, follow the Catholic ways, follow their teachings, and then they add work to grace.
They say that salvation or being saved is by grace, but good works play a role in cooperating with that grace. They teach that you must follow the Seven Sacraments. You must take part of the eucharist. They believe, during the Lord’s Supper, that the bread and wine actually turn into the actual flesh and actual blood of Jesus Christ.
They think you literally have to eat his flesh and drink his actual blood to get to heaven. They believe bread turns to flesh through a miracle. They believe wine turns to blood through a miracle.
Catholics believe you must go to a priest and confess your sins. These are all good works you are required to do to get to heaven. You must go through a confirmation. You must go through last rites before you die.
You Must Avoid Mortal Sins?
They also say you must avoid mortal sins such as murder and adultery. If you do those things you must confess those sins to a priest and repent of those sins.
If a Catholic dies in a state of grace, they say, but still has sins, they believe they go to purgatory to be purified before they can enter heaven. Catholics pray to Mary and other people they call saints asking them to intercede to God for them.
They think the Pope and the Catholic church teachings guide them in faith and morals.
And that’s not all. There’s more you must do to get to heaven. They believe that your sacrifices will make you good and worthy for heaven. You must give. You must sacrifice. You must d good works. You must earn your way to heaven. This is what they are teaching in the Catholic church.
The Bible’s Clear Teaching on Salvation by Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
You are saved by grace. You don’t earn it. That’s what grace means. It’s given when you don’t deserve it. Grace. Grace. Grace. Not of works. Not of works. Not of works.
Lest any man should boast. Catholics hate Baptist because we won’t boast about ourselves as they do. They love to boast about the great things that they do. They are the greatest people to ever live. We are not. We know we aren’t. We know that we are sinners deserving of hell. We deserve the penalty of death and hell. They don’t. They do so many great works.
They boast in themselves. We do not. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace and Works Are Opposites
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Grace and works are opposite but they say we are saved by grace but we need to do the works. They don’t understand the definition of grace. If we are saved by grace, and we are CLEARLY, then is it NO MORE of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. In other words, grace and works are opposites. They can’t be combined.
If anyone tells you that they are saved by grace but we’ve got to do the works too, then they aren’t saved by grace. And not being saved by grace means not saved. A Catholic who believes in the Catholic way to heaven isn’t saved.
They are trying to make the payment for their own sins.
Why We All Need Christ’s Payment for Sin
Look, we are sinners. Obviously. Who here believes they sin against God by not doing everything he tells them to do? I am a sinner.
1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
The Apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy through the Holy Spirit of God. If you don’t think you sin, then you think you’re better than the Apostle Paul. He sinned. “Jesus Christ came to save sinners,” Paul says, “of whom I am chief.”
Romans 4:4-5
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
If you try to work your way to heaven, you are in debt.
Your good works are not the payment for your sin. Your sacrifices are not the payment for sin. Your sacrifices can never take away sins. Your goodness doesn’t exist. Jesus Christ is the only good one. He’s the only perfect one. It is no one else.
You might look at someone else and say, “I’m better than them.” That’s what Catholics do. Baptist are the trash of the world if a “real” Catholic would actually reveal what’s in their heart. This is what the Catholic religion will do to you. This is what any of the works based religions will do to you. They create a proud and arrogant person.
Look, we are all in debt to the Lord God Almighty. He doesn’t owe us anything as some TV preachers like to say. We are in debt to him. We are sinners. He says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Since we are in debt, our payment is death. It’s the first death. It’s the second death. It’s death. It’s hell.
Understanding the Eternal Consequences of Sin
Our payment must be paid before we die. If we die and the payment has not been made, we will be making the payment ourselves. And the payment will be made in hell. For how long? Forever. That’s the payment for sin that God requires if we have to pay it ourselves. It will be forever in hell and in torments.
But there’s another option to make this payment. And it’s free to you. Someone else did all the hard work. Someone else already paid. It’s all finished. All you have to do is take the free gift someone else paid for already.
Look, God requires the correct payment for your sins. If you are going to avoid hell, there’s only one payment that God will accept.
The correct payment is required.
For example, you go to McDonald’s and you order food. The cost is $20. The payment required is twenty dollars. You bring in used bicycle to pay for your food. The attendant says, $20 please. And you put the bike up on the counter. Here’s the $20. The attendant says, “That’s not $20. I said twenty DOLLARS.”
They only take dollars. They don’t take used bicycles. That’s the wrong payment. You won’t get your food. Wrong payment.
Jesus is the Only Payment for Our Sins
God only takes Jesus as the payment for your sins. If you try to add something else to Jesus, he won’t take it. He will reject your payment and send you to hell.
Jesus is not equal to Jesus and your works. You can’t add works to the payment. If you try, you have the wrong payment for your sins. God only accepts Jesus Christ as your payment. There’s no other way. Jesus is the only payment.
Let’s say a business only takes cash. You try to pay with a credit card. They say, “We don’t take credit cards. We take cash.” And you say, “Well all I’ve got is a credit card.” And they say, “Maybe you aren’t hearing us. We don’t take credit cards. We can’t take your credit card. We only take cash as the payment.”
God only takes Jesus as the payment for your sins.
Let’s say you owe someone money. Let’s say it’s $1,000. As you visit McDonald’s every day for lunch, you save napkins for a year. You take a handful of napkins every day for a year. The person you owe one thousand dollars to comes to you and wants the money. You try to pay that man in napkins that you’ve kept from your visits to McDonald’s.
That man doesn’t want napkins. He wants money. You owe him money. You can’t pay him in napkins. Money, one thousand dollars, is the only payment he will accept.
God Won’t Accept Any Other Form of Payment
God won’t accept any other payment but Jesus Christ alone. If you try to add anything else to Jesus, you are spitting in the face of Jesus Christ. You’re saying that he alone is not enough to save you from your sins. You act like your goodness is a part of the payment for sins.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Notice what that says exactly. “To give his life, HIS LIFE, his life, a ransom, A RANSOM, a ransom for many.”
A Ransom is Payment to Set You Free
Jesus came to GIVE his life a ransom for many. He gave his life to save you. You don’t give your life to save you. His life is perfect. He gave his life for you. What does ransom mean?
Let’s say your wife, husband, daughter, son, friend, dad, or mom was kidnapped. The kidnappers want you to pay one million dollars to get them back. This would be a ransom.
A ransom is a payment made to set someone free. Jesus came to give his life a ransom for many. All who believe in him will be saved. All who put it all on Jesus Christ will be saved. Many will be saved.
Most will not be saved. Why? Because they attempt to make a different payment than Jesus Christ. Your payments can never take away sins. Your offerings cannot take away sins. Nothing you try to offer but Jesus Christ will take away your sins.
Hebrews 10:11
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
A Catholic Pope or Priest Can’t Take Away Sins
A Catholic priest can’t take away your sins. The Pope can’t save you. Mary can’t save you. Paul can’t save you. The so-called first Catholic pope, Peter, can’t save you. Only Jesus can save you. And that’s what you must believe to be saved from all your sins once and forever. One sacrifice for sins forever. That one sacrifice is Jesus Christ.
Once you put it all on Jesus Christ, it’s finished.
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Hey, just believe “IN” the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is enough to save you on his own. You don’t need anyone or anything else, especially the Catholic Church to save you. A false religion won’t save you.
They add to the word of God. Don’t trust them. Trust the word of God. Jesus forgives you once of all trespasses when you believe in him. He blots out all the ordinances that were against us, which were contrary to us, and he nailed it to his cross. Not ours. He paid it all. Jesus paid it all. Your sacrifices cannot save you.
You Are in Debt and Jesus Can Pay It
You are in debt. You cannot pay for sin when you are in debt. You owe too much. Let’s say you owed someone a billion dollars. That’s less than what you owe God. But let’s say you owed someone a billion dollars. You are in great debt. 1 billion dollars. How will you pay it?
You won’t. You can’t. Why? You don’t have it. You are in debt. You are not positive. You’ll never get the billion dollars. Same thing with your sins. You don’t have the payment. You can’t pay for it on your own.
But Jesus has the payment. He is the payment. And he says if you’ll just believe in him, trust him, put your faith in him that he will save you from all your sins. That’s it. Why can he pay? Because he isn’t in debt. He’s not a sinner. He’s got the payment.
Believe in him right now. He pays it for you. It’s over. You’re debt free. Just like that. God is great.
Let’s pray.
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