Asking for forgiveness in all the wrong places

Canadian Broadcasting Company's show 'the current' featuring host Anna Maria Tremonti outlined the synopsis for her January 16th show:

"Today's guest host was Sheila Coles in Regina. It's Friday January 16th."

"For the first time ever the Vatican will allow the public a peek into its supersecret tribunal of conscience, a sanctuary where the gravest sins are confessed to...and where only the pope can give absolution."

"Currently, Vatican officials say most of the requests for confessions are coming from Washington DC, and are post-dated for January 21st. This is the Current."

Evocative. Two things here. It is poignant that our country's leaders must make decisions and choices so difficult that they feel they need to request a papal audience. I feel great compassion for the leaders who will be kneeling in front of the self-proclaimed representative on earth, seeking absolution for what they feel are heinous sins. One can only imagine what their mind and heart are burdened with: torture? covert killings? Legal defiance? It is a heartbreaking time.

Secondly, it is especially poignant that they seek this absolution, forgiveness, audience with the wrong person. They need Jesus, not the Pope. Why? Catholicism is a false religion. It is an untruth that "only the pope can give absolution."

As Got Questions explains: "The most crucial problem with the Roman Catholic Church is its belief that faith alone in Christ is not sufficient for salvation. The Bible clearly and consistently states that receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, by grace through faith, grants salvation (John 1:12; 3:16,18,36; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-9). The Roman Catholic Church rejects this. The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that a person must believe in Jesus Christ AND be baptized AND receive the Eucharist along with the other sacraments AND obey the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church AND perform meritorious works AND not die with any mortal sins AND etc., etc., etc. Catholic divergence from the Bible on this most crucial of issues, salvation, means that yes, Catholicism is a false religion."

These unnamed people have their heart in the right place. Unfortunately their soul is in peril. Pray for all those who seek forgiveness from the wrong place, that their heart would be turned toward the Bright Morning Star: the ONLY person who can forgive sins: Jesus Messiah.

Look at these two pictures. When it comes right down to it, whom would you rather trust? An earthly man, chosen by men, through a man-made process? Or a heavenly man, chosen by God and whose life will never end? How would you rather seek forgiveness? By expensive and difficult travel to Vatican City, and beg for a difficult to obtain audience at a certain time and place, and hope it goes well? Or kneel by your bed at any moment, and simply fold your hands and ask the Messiah of everlasting Hope to forgive?

Your very soul depends on the answer.

1 Timothy 6:20-21
Chris Powers, artist, FullofEyes.com, music video
The Word of the Cross.

Comments