Why I Can't Return to Being a Roman Catholic

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Some people tell me that I should just return to the Roman Catholic institution. They tell me that I'm just misinformed. Aside from the ugly history of Roman Catholicism which has been well hidden from the laymen but there's also the Scriptural truth to why I can't return to Roman Catholicism. I won't return to Roman Catholicism because I can't return to it. I can't return to it because I'm already saved.

Former churchmates tell me I can still return to becoming a Roman Catholic but here's my answer. There's one thing you have to know about true conversion. Even if a Christian isn't perfect and may struggle with old habits but they don't indulge in sin. They may be weak with the faith but there's one absolute truth in 1 John 2:19. If you're truly saved then you're always saved. The evidence of eternal security is continued fellowship and unity in Christ. Even if a Christian may suffer from ups and downs. Christians may still have their problems with sin but they don't indulge in it. When they sin they still struggle and wish it was gone forever. False converts just want to sin all they want.

One of the biggest problems I have with Roman Catholicism is that many of its members change their stance more often than not. At one moment they say that I'm teaching a license to sinful living but another moment they say I'm a killjoy because I don't live like the rest of the world. It makes me think, "Will you please make up your mind?" How can I teach a license to sinful living when I don't want to live like the rest of the world? The answer is it's very contradictory. If you love holiness then you must hate sin. If you hate sin then you must hate holiness. 

Unfortunately, some Roman Catholics I know live sinfully from Monday to Friday, go to confession on Saturday and go to Mass on Sundays then it's time to rinse and repeat. There's no real sanctification but only fake holiness. These good works are just dead works because they proceed from the foulness of one's lost condition. They may think that as long as they do the sacrament of confession to the priest, that the priest can save their souls then they're okay. Unfortunately, God's Word has a huge warning about treating God's grace as a license to sin (Jude 1:4). What's disturbing is that many religious Roman Catholics live like they have a license to sin. No surprise there... a lot of priests have their priestly scandals. Still insisting that priests save souls and Christian pastors damn souls?

Let me tell those who make fun of my status as a born again Christian as this. I'm not born again because I supposedly joined Billy Graham's group neither was "born again" established during the 1970s. What's even more stupid is that the people who say Graham "founded" born again Christianity may ignore his alliance with the Popes. I guess some Roman Catholics who say that prosperity gospel is part of being born again ignore the fact many quack preachers are also aligned with the Vatican. 

I can agree with them that the Greek says "born from above" but it doesn't change the fact that you must be born again. Being born again is not through infant baptism or Roman Catholic's convert baptism as they claim. Being born again means you establish a life changed by God by His grace. To be born again of water and of Spirit doesn't refer to water baptism. Rather, baptism is administered because first people believed and they were baptized (Acts 4:11). Even if some Christian groups like the Presbyterians do practice infant baptism but they don't teach it as a requirement for salvation. It's very different from the Roman Catholic context where they teach infant baptism supposedly washes away sin. They misquote Acts 2:38 without knowing the real context that it is a call for baptism after you're saved not before. Sad to say but so many people today even foolishly believe water baptism saves the sinner.

I don't really care if there are over five billion Roman Catholics worldwide. I don't care if the numbers are increasing. Matthew 7:13-14 warns about joining in the majority in fear of rejection. The way to life is narrow and the road to destruction is broad. There are more people who reject God than those who fear Him. The truth of the matter is I persevere not because of me but by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). Titus 2:11-14 says that God's grace brings forth righteous character. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 teaches that true salvation changes character. It may not be instantaneous but it happens. I think only God's effectual calling got me out of that sinister system (John 8:44). Right now He's still calling His Elect out of Babylon calling them as His people (Revelation 18:4). 

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