Is the Pope a Christian?

Donald Trump (left) and Pope Francis

Many folks consider it sacrilege to question whether Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world's largest church, is an authentic Christian.

Why even ask that question? Because the pope recently questioned Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's faith. Why? Because if Trump's elected, he's promised to build a fence on America's southern border that would keep illegal immigrants from Central America out of the U.S. That's angered the pope.

When he was asked whether American Catholics should vote for Trump, the pope said this: 

I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not a Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.

The Bible never defines a true Christian as someone who encourages and abets illegal immigration. Nor does the word of God deny salvation and eternal life to those who build fences to keep illegal immigrants out of their nations. And yet Pope Francis claims that Trump can't be a Christian because he wants to build a border fence.

Is Donald Trump a true Christian? He claims that he is. But only God knows whether he is or not. Certainly, the pope claims to be a Christian, as do millions of people across the world. But what makes a person a true Christian, as opposed to someone who merely follows a cultural form of Christianity that mandates rituals, baptisms and works as essential for salvation and eternal life?

Let the apostle Paul explain it: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:9-14)

In his epistle to the church in Ephesus, Paul emphasized that rituals and works play no part in gaining eternal life in Jesus Christ: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Neither Pope Francis, nor his church agree with Paul. Rather, they promote a gospel that mandates a lifetime of works and sacraments that begin with baptism and end in purgatory before a person can be admitted into heaven. That's not biblical. 

The Catholic Church condemns anyone who believes that faith alone in the crucified and resurrected Christ is all that's required for eternal life. And that's despite the fact that Christ Himself revealed that salvation comes by strictly by faith alone: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) 

What does the Catholic Church teach regarding salvation? It teaches this:

If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because that he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema. (Council of Trent: Canon 14)

According to the Bible, Pope Francis isn't a true Christian. It doesn't matter what he calls himself, or what his followers call him, or what the numerous sellouts in the Protestant and Evangelical churches call him.

Unless he truly believes that salvation is a free gift from God that can only be received by faith rather than by works, then he isn't a true Christian. And neither are his followers.

If that seems radical, then consider that the scriptures were written long before the advent of the Catholic Church. And nowhere does the Bible reveal the Roman Catholic gospel. It's a false, man-made gospel that can't save anyone.

Concerning the veracity of the scriptures, the Bible says this: "Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn." (Isaiah 8:20) And that includes Pope Francis.

Where are the Miracles?

Just before He returned to heaven following the Resurrection, Jesus Christ gave His disciples and followers these commands: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16:15-18)

Christ gave His followers the power to heal the sick, a miracle that He often performed during His three year ministry in ancient Israel. Christ sighted the blind (Mark 8:22-25); gave hearing to the deaf (Mark 7:31-37) and even raised the dead (Matthew 9:18-26, John 11).

The gift of healing is but one of nine gifts of the Holy Spirit that the apostle Paul listed in his first of two letters to the early church in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) It was a gift that was quite prevalent in the early churches, but has essentially vanished from Christendom over the past 200 years.

The question is why? Why is there such a dearth of miracles in the modern church? The obvious answer is faithlessness. Much of the modern church has marginal faith, meaning that--yes--most Christians still believe in the virgin birth of Christ, His miracles and in His resurrection from the dead. But that's about it. They don't believe that modern Christians are endowed by God with the power to perform the type of miracles that prevailed in the early church age.

The modern church's faithlessness is enabled by a false doctrine that attempts to explain away the lack of miracles. Many evangelicals embrace Dispensationalism, a doctrine that claims that miracles were permitted by God in an earlier age (dispensation) but are no longer allowed in the current age. Dispensationalism teaches that the miracles ceased with the death of the "last apostle", whoever that was.

That's pure baloney. Nowhere does the Bible even hint that the miracles would cease before Christ returns. That was a point made by a preacher named John Alexander Dowie, the founder of Zion, Ill. in the 19th century, who blasted the tepid faith of church ministers during his day. While Dowie was considered a nut by some folks for his unusual dress and erratic behavior, he was on the mark when he pointed out the metastasizing faithlessness in the church during his time.

Indeed, miracles are for today, as they were 2,000 years ago. Here's one example: Several years ago I shared the gospel with a Jewish man named Richard Krause. He admitted that he was willing to accept Christ into his life if God would show him a miraculous sign. I told him to ask God to provide him with that sign.

A few months later, Richard informed me that he had accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior because he received his sign. What was that sign? Richard revealed that he had suffered since childhood from Hepatitis B, a chronic, incurable and sometimes fatal illness.

Richard told me that after a routine examination, his doctor revealed that he no longer showed any trace of the disease. It was completely gone. Richard was healed. Was that a miracle? Indeed it was. And Richard became a believer.

Certainly, not everyone gets healed. Faith isn't a science where you say a simple prayer and you get results. If that's how it worked, then it wouldn't be faith. Rather, it would be witchcraft. Why don't some folks get healed? The best answer is that some folks are unwilling to let go of the sin in their lives that brings problems and curses.

And certainly, there are a lot of sham ministries out there that prey upon desperate folks by promising them miracles for money. They're despicable and too numerous to list, and they're a stench in God's nostrils. They've done almost as much harm to the church as the many pedophile scandals of the Catholic Church.

If you still have doubts about God, Christ and miracles, then I want you to ask the Lord for a sign just as Richard Krause did. Be sincere and be patient because you may not see it right away. But you'll see it.

And don't ask for selfish things such as vast wealth, material goodies or your favorite sports team to win a championship. Those are wants and not needs. If you have a health problem, or a marital problem, or a problem with family members, co-workers etc., or a serious financial or legal problem, then give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it. And He will.

Above all, get out of sin because that cuts you off from God. If you don't know what that entails, then here's a good reminder from Paul: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21)

Go ahead and ask God for sign. He's waiting to hear from you. And He won't let you down.

When Eternity Beckons

Francis Cardinal George

Certainly, the late Francis Cardinal George will be remembered as a man of strong faith who defended his church against the forces of secular humanism that sought to damage and destroy what many people believe to be the only legitimate church of Jesus Christ on earth.

George died Friday (April 17) after a lengthy battle with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). Unlike other more aggressive types of the disease, kidney cancer is a relentless and painful form that slowly kills its victims. Though it was obvious for quite some time that cancer was destroying George's life, the former archbishop of Chicago never complained publicly about his fate.

In many ways, George spoke like a bible-believing Christian. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the Catholic Church, George quoted the bible--and frequently--when discussing matters of faith. However, for those who are not familiar with the Roman Catholic Church, the Bible usually takes a back seat to church tradition concerning spiritual matters. 

George spoke as though he believed in Jesus Christ the person rather than in Jesus Christ the ancient historical figure. That's an important distinction to make because those who view Christ merely as an ancient historical figure are far less likely to embrace His teachings than someone who sees Christ as an eternal being. 

If George embraced the Bible, did he believe its declaration of Sola Fide? That is, salvation strictly by faith alone in the crucified and resurrected Christ for the sins of the world? Or, did he defer to his church's teaching that salvation is a lifelong process of works? 

If he believed in the former, he kept that to himself because he understood what happens to clergy members who defy church doctrines. They get disciplined. And if they continue to defy the church's authority, they get excommunicated.  If he believed in the latter, then right now he undoubtedly wishes he'd believed in the former.

The Catholic Church not only teaches an unbiblical gospel of works, she condemns those who believe in the biblical gospel of salvation strictly by faith. In 1544, the Catholic Church declared and codified this statement of its teaching on salvation at the Council of Trent: "If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema." (Canon 9)

And the church reiterated that with this statement: "If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because that he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema." (Canon 14)

Here's what the Bible declares concerning salvation: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'" (Romans 10:9-11)

Concerning eternal life, Christ said this: "For God so loved the world that he gave his One and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Concerning works, the apostle Paul said this: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It's important to understand that the Bible was completed long before the advent of the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Catholic gospel is a manufactured gospel rather than the one that came from heaven and was revealed to men. Concerning man-made gospels, Paul issued this caveat: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8)

There are those who truly believe that Cardinal George was a born again Christian. That is; they're convinced that George accepted Christ on His terms rather than on the Catholic Church's terms. And maybe he did. 

But even if he did, there's still a problem. If George believed in Sola Fide, then why did he continue to promote a counterfeit gospel that saves no one and is condemned by scripture? That's a serious problem that can't be dismissed. Was God's grace sufficient only for him but not for others? 

Only God truly knew George's heart when he drew his final breaths. And only God knows where George is right now on the other side of life. That's not for us to decide. 

But remember Paul's words concerning false gospels: "As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than the one you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:9)

As the Insanity Increases

From faith in God to faith in psychology

Mental illness is a very serious problem that affects hundreds of millions of folks throughout the world. For many centuries, those who possessed a Judeo-Christian worldview trusted God to help them overcome their emotional problems brought on by mental illness.

But since the 19th century, more and more people have been turning to other sources to help them cope and ultimately deliver them from emotional afflictions and stresses. Not coincidentally, the Christian church began to lose its influence in the world about the same time because it abandoned the Bible in favor of empty, humanistic ideologies.

One of those ideologies was humanistic psychology that grew from the ashes of the decaying church. With God's word deemed archaic and irrelevant, the world needed a new source of spiritual nourishment to define the human existence and deliver folks from the misery of emotional anguish.

While the Bible clearly identified sin as the root cause of all our emotional problems, psychology denied that and placed the blame for mankind's emotional woes on neuroses and psychoses caused by painful memories that were suppressed and stored in the so-called unconscious section of the mind.

According to the worldview of humanistic psychology, you are today what you experienced earlier in life, going all the way back to your mother's womb. And so, those who grow up to become violent adults must have been beaten by a violent parent or parents in their childhood who destroyed their self-esteem. Those who become pedophiles in adulthood must have been sexually abused as children by adults. And so it goes.

Certainly, there's a correlation between dysfunctional families and people who come from those families. However, many people overcome bad parents or childhood bullying and lead successful lives. While mass-murderer John Gacy's evil was attributed to his father who was a violent drunk, Gacy had a sister who didn't become a sadistic murderer when she became an adult.

Though Ted Bundy was a sadistic mass-murderer, he refused to blame his parents for his behavior and took full responsibility for his actions. Jeffrey Dahmer was yet another sadistic murderer who had siblings who didn't turn out like him. Thus, evil is the choice of the individual rather than the consequence of a bad childhood. If psychology's theories are correct, then everyone who comes from a dysfunctional family should have serious emotional problems. But many folks overcome.

However, it's becoming harder to overcome emotional problems these days when many people are told to place their hope and trust in psychotropic drugs rather than in God through His Son Jesus Christ who overcame the world 2,000 years ago on the cross. Andreas Lubitz, the pilot who purposely crashed a Germanwings jetliner into the French Alps, killing himself and 150 people on the plane, was reportedly taking psychotropics for depression and a psychosomatic illness.

Lubitz was obviously a brilliant but troubled young man who either didn't believe in God or didn't believe that God had the power to deliver him from his problems. And so, he turned to a psychiatrist who in turn placed him on mood-altering drugs.

The problems with psychotropics have been well-documented. While they provide relief to some people, they not only don't help others, but they can cause dangerous mood swings that can lead to erratic, violent behavior including murder and suicide.

According to his associates, Lubitz complained of vision problems that he feared could end his flying career. It's not known what type of psychotropics Lubitz was taking, but drugs such as Tricyclic antidepressants can cause vision problems. Ironically, Lubitz's associates claim the young pilot was depressed about his vision. If so, then the pilot's vision problem and resulting depression may have been caused by the very medication that was supposed to make him feel better.

Psychology has become a counterfeit faith for millions of people that's replaced true faith in God. Like all false religions, psychology ultimately fails to deliver on its lofty promises to make people emotionally healthy and happy. The true antidote for depression and mental anguish is repentance from sin and a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

That comes by faith in God rather than by faith in the failed theories of humanistic psychology, psychiatric therapy or psychotropic drugs. As the apostle Peter stated 2,000 years ago: "Cast all your anxiety on him (Jesus Christ) because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) Amen.