Jack and Jill,
Went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down,
And broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Jack and Jill,
Went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down . . .

But, I repeat myself, why?

The Roman Catholic teaching about salvation is that way. According to them, you can never be sure of your salvation. You hit a “scratch” in life—sin—and lose your salvation. You have to get saved over and over again and then pay for your sins by spending an interminable amount of time in a hot spot called Purgatory. This cycle of salvation, sin, salvation will become apparent as we study some of the sacraments individually.

In the sacraments we will see how the Roman Church teaches that one can achieve salvation. You achieve things through work. This achievement raises the questions: Can Roman Catholics be “saved,” believing what they believe? Can man be saved by works? Can anyone be saved in the Roman Catholic system? Well, maybe not, as what is achieved is only temporary at best.

God established the way of salvation. As recorded in John 14:6, Jesus Christ said,“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by me.” As we will see there are multiple passages in the Gospel of John that show salvation is by faith. Other passages throughout the New Testament reveal that all man can “achieve” by his works is damnation!

Yet, the Roman Catholic Church has established a mechanical, or magical, means of salvation that rejects Christ’s statement recorded in John 14:6. A Roman Catholic ritual entitled The Adoration of the Pope involves raising the pope high enough so that the “altar of Christ” becomes his footstool. In short, the Pope replaces God, thereby posing the question: Is man God?

In a recent book, two priests attempt to answer the question: Are Catholics Christian?

Yes, Catholics are Christian, as are Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians. A Christian is someone who professes the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He is the Savior of mankind . . . (The Catholicism Answer Book, Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PHD, THD, & Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PHD).

The answer above appears to be an expression of faith in Jesus Christ, alone, as Savior. But it cannot be, for if it were, the writers would be held as heretics and damned if tried under canon law. Here is what the Roman Catechism says:

If anyone says that by faith alone the impious is justified . . . let him be anathema.

Note the word “professes.” It allows the answer they have stated, but still enables them “wiggle room” to get back to sacramental works.

What is my objection here about the word profess? Notice that they state “profess to believe.” Why profess to believe? Why not just say that “we believe.” Why “profess to believe?” Or simply we profess Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind? Webster’s New World Dictionary gives this description for the word profess: “to claim to have (some feeling, an interest, knowledge, etc.) often connoting insincerity or pretense.”

Sure, a profession could be a sincere and real expression of one’s belief.However, a profession can be pretended and in this case, such is the fact. Remember, the Bible states that we must believe in Christ as our Savior and Lord alone, to be saved.The Roman Church requires belief in many things and people.

In our examination of the sacraments, we will see how Roman belief is really in the mechanical or magical aspects of the sacraments. The Roman Church does not believe in the divine actions of God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit in changing man from the first Adam to the second Adam and thereby becoming an eternal child of God.

The quote from the previously cited book was rank double talk. It is opposite of what the final definer of truth for the Roman Catholic says about this. Who is the final definer? According to Roman Canon law, it is the Pope. Pope Benedict recently stated that no one can be saved outside of the mother Church, which is the Roman Catholic Church. If you cannot be saved outside of the Roman Catholic Church, you are not a Christian, so said the Pope,while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. This was restated in July, 2007 as Pope. By the way, to be a Christian you have to be “saved,” which means born again.

The Vatican’s current position was affirmed by the Council of Trent when they established their catechism.Pope Benedict’s words are the historic position of Roman Catholicism. It was reaffirmed by Vatican II. According to these resources, to be a Christian,you must be a member of the Roman Church and participate in the sacraments. If you merely trust in your “profession” of Christ, you are damned.

The purpose of this book is to show the means of salvation. For the Roman Church, some of those supposed means are the sacraments we are examining now. Does the Pope or the Vatican have a clue? Is everyone else damned or are those who believe Roman Catholic Theology damned? The Pope has put this issue on either or terms. Well, not really, it is God who has spoken; He has dictated the terms.

One more comment about this term “profess.”The demons also believe, and tremble (see James 2:19). Belief has to be according to the requirements laid down in Scripture. Further, belief cannot be mixed with the works of man or mechanical, magical, means of salvation. Belief, or faith, is in Christ alone, His finished work and Lordship. Belief is this:“for by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Remember, the Roman Church professes to change one from the outside in with the sacraments.God says this is false because we need to be changed from the inside out and only He can do this. Consider Jesus’ own words from the Book of Luke:

Now as he spake, a Pharisee asketh him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first bathed himself before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, now ye the Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. Ye foolish ones, did not he that made the outside make the inside also? (Luke 11:37-40 ASV).

God did make both the inside and the outside. God is the only one that can clean up the inside. He does this through our faith and spiritual re-birth, not through sacraments. The process is called sanctification and it is accomplished by the indwelling Holy Spirit.