Justification by faith no 1

“JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH #1”
Introduction and Questionnaire

The four great threats to the Pauline doctrine of sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, and sola Christo, are humanism, Pentecostalism, charismaticsm, and ecumenism with Rome.

We now live in a time when, for most people, there is very little difference between Catholicism and Christianity.

I remember a few years ago, when, if you asked a Catholic if they were a Christian, you were met with a very quick response of “No, I’m a Catholic” … as if quite offended.

How times have changed.

In the minds of most, the only difference between Christianity and Roman Catholicism could be classed as sentiment or prejudice.

For most Catholics and Christians, there has been a blurring of the boundaries regarding faith alone, grace alone, scriptures alone and Christ alone.

Nowadays, many Christians are Catholic in their religious outlook without knowing it … and this can come as a surprise.

Why only last year, local Baptist church members were encouraged by their Pastor to pray together with the local Roman Catholics about world peace … you know … the common denominator being Jesus Christ.

The central issue of the Christian Reformation of the 16^th century was JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

As Luther stated many times that “If the article of justification by faith is lost, everything is lost”

Just as there was a zero passage between Lazarus in Abrahams’s bosom and the rich man in hell, so is the 100% impenetrability between Christianity and Romanism … a great gulf fixed (Luke 16:26)

As you will read in our upcoming daily teachings, there truly is an impossible bottomless trench that is fixed between Roman Catholic and Reformation doctrine.

Dear Reader, you will see from the Bible why there can be an absolute 100% no compromise between the two beliefs.

For starters Dear Reader, complete the questionnaire below … “Are you a Christian or a Catholic?”

ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN OR A ROMAN CATHOLIC?

In each of the following 10 choices, mark either (a) or (b), whichever us correct.

Answers are on JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH #2
(no peeking)

1	(a) God gives a man right standing with himself, by mercifully accounting him innocent and virtuous. (b) God give a man right standing with himself, by actually making him into an innocent and virtuous person.	6	(a) We achieve right standing with God, by having Christ live out His life of obedience in us. (b) We achieve right standing with God, by accepting the fact that he obeyed the law perfectly for us.
2	(a) God give a man right standing with himself, by placing Christ’s goodness and virtue to his credit. (b) God give a man right standing with himself, by putting Christ’s goodness and virtue into his heart.	7	(a) We achieve right standing with God, by following Christ’s example by the help of his enabling grace. (b)We follow Christ’s example, because his life has given us right standing with God.
3	(a) God accepts the believer because of the moral excellence found in Jesus Christ. (b) God makes the believer acceptable, by infusing Christ’s moral excellence into his life.	8	(a) God first pronounces us that we are good in his sight, then gives us his Spirit to make us good. (b) God sends his Spirit to make us good, and then He will pronounce that we are good.
4	(a) If a Christian becomes “born again” (regenerate, transformed in character), he will achieve right standing with God. (b)If the sinner accepts right standing with God by faith, he will then experience transformation in character.	9	(a) Christ’s intercession at God’s right hand, gives us favour in the sight of God. (b) It is the indwelling Christ that gives us favour in God’s sight.
5	(a) We receive right standing with God by faith alone. (b) We receive right standing with God by faith which has become active by love.	10	(a) Only by faith in the doing and dying of Christ, can we fully satisfy the claims of the Ten Commandments. (b) By the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we can fully satisfy the claims of the Ten Commandments.