"Why I am not Catholic" (or "Why I am going to buy brother Martin a beer when I get to heaven")

If you’ve ever read any of my blog posts before, it is most likely completely obvious to you that I am a Protestant Christian - even an Evangelical Christian if you will… but that I am certainly not of the Catholic persuasion.

If pressed to answer the question, “Why are you Protestant?” I might respond with a simple, “Because I’m not Catholic.” And to a prodding, “Why, then, are you not Catholic?” I would probably retort with a resounding, “Uhh…”

Needless to say, this is not exactly in the Berean spirit. When Paul and Silas brought to the Bereans the good news of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for the sins of those who would believe in him through faith, the book of Acts tells us that the Bereans “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Ah, so that’s what that big Book is for!

So, when a friend recently asked me why I am of the Protestant faith, and determinedly not of the Catholic faith, I decided to become a Berean on this matter. And let me tell you… it has been a very eye-opening experience for me, to say the least! Not only has my belief in the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to my eternal being been strengthened, but I had no clue how much our God has revealed to us in His Scriptures concerning this matter!

What will follow in the next couple of weeks is a six-part blogging session on “Why I am not a Catholic” (alternative title: "Why I am going to buy brother Martin a beer when I get to heaven"). I will attempt to look at many Scripture references, but these are only the ones that I was able to find in a single night of searching. After compiling six whole pages of texts, I finally decided to give up, figuring that what I have found might be sufficient to “give a defense for the hope that is within me” (1 Peter 3:15). But trust me: there is much more to be found!

The six parts will be “Man has no righteousness of his own”, “Righteousness is not obtained through works”, “Righteousness is obtained through faith”, “Faith is a gift”, “Christ’s righteousness justifies, not man’s”, and “Perseverance of faith”.

I invite anyone who might be reading this (do I hear crickets?) to dialog with me as I present what I believe to be God's plan for salvation, as it is revealed in the Scriptures to be the righteousness of Christ's active obedience to the law, imputed to us by grace, through faith.

I’ll leave you with the following verse to chew on before tackling these topics in the coming weeks:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
-Colossians 2:8

Our pardon is an act of justice

There is probably no passage in the Scriptures in which the doctrine of justification is more concisely or clearly stated than [this]. Our sins were imputed to Christ, and his righteousness is imputed to us. He bore our sins; we are clothed in his righteousness... Christ bearing our sins did not make him morally a sinner... nor does Christ's righteousness become subjectively ours, it is not the moral quality of our souls... Our sins were the judicial ground of the sufferings of Christ, so that they were a satisfaction of justice; and his righteousness is the judicial ground of our acceptance with God... [so that] our pardon is an act of justice.

-Charles Hodge, on 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Gospel is for believers!

Now, here's the point that feels most important to me this morning:

I want you to see that the Gospel is the power of God... for all of that! Not just for conversion, not just for justification; for salvation, for the whole thing!

And so we need to hear the Gospel again, and again, and again, because it is not only the power of God that converts us. It is the power of God that sanctifies us! It is the power of God that sustains us! It is the power of God that keeps us persevering in the faith!

Faith comes from hearing the message, and that doesn't just meant justifying faith. Sanctifying faith comes from hearing the message! Persevering faith comes from hearing the message! And that's why Paul said in verse 15 that he is so eager to preach the Gospel to believers! The Gospel is for believers!

-Mike Shea, on Romans 1:16

The Gospel is the POWER of God!

Now, does not this understanding of the Gospel motivate you to proclaim it? Don't you just wanna tell it to someone?! Just to see what happens?! I became more liberated to preach the Gospel when I came to understand that the Gospel is not a product that you pitch! It is the power of God!

I don't wanna overstate the point, and say that all persuasion and apologetics is unnecessary, but primarily your job is not to persuade, and convince, and cajole people into believing! Your job as an ambassador of Christ is simply to deliver the message, and the message is able, all by itself, to give sight to the spiritually blind, and awaken the spiritually dead!

-Mike Shea, on Romans 1:16

God's response to Moses's request to see His glory

Another snippet from Mike's second sermon:

"So in chapter 9 Paul will teach us about God's election with these words:

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

Now, that's a quotation from Exodus 33, which tells the story of Moses going up on the mountain to intercede for the salvation of idolatrous Israelites and to receive the new tablets of the law. And while he's up there enjoying God's presence he makes a bold request. I'll read from Exodus 33:18 and 19-

Moses said, "Please show me your glory." And [God] said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name (for the sake of His name)... my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Now get this; get this! ...

Moses asked for glory... and God showed him election!"

God is the Gospel

So, I haven't had much time lately to do much reading outside of preparing for my M.A. exams (ahh!! next week!!), but I have been able to listen to some sermons on the way to/from school. I thought I might start posting some excerpts of stuff that I hear. Right now, I'm starting from the beginning of the several-year series on Romans that my pastor is currently doing. Here's something he said during the second sermon:

"In Isaiah 48:11, God says:

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.

We're going to encounter some difficult doctrines as we go through the book of Romans: total depravity, election, predestination. But the glory of these difficult doctrines will begin to appear to you when you understand that God does everything for the sake of His name! The Gospel is not ultimately the gospel of salvation, it's the gospel of God. It's all about His glory among the nations... and He saves people in a way that maximizes the display of His splendor!"

Daily employing the Spirit and new nature

Not to be daily employing the Spirit and new nature for the mortifying of sin, is to neglect that excellent succour which God hath given us against our greatest enemy. If we neglect to make use of what we have received, God may justly hold his hand from giving us more. His graces, as well as his gifts, are bestowed on us to use, exercise and trade with. Not to be daily mortifying sin is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin