How is being 'Roman Catholic'
different from being 'Christian' ?
By Henry Velez ; Editor

Both believe in;

Roman Catholic church teaches:

Penances: In addition to the blood of Jesus, one must do penance (good works and/or ‘rosaries’) in order to receive forgiveness from God. This is not taught anywhere in the Bible.

The Bible teaches:

Forgiveness: It is with Jesus’ one sacrifice that we can now have complete forgiveness of our sins and that there is nothing we need to ‘add’ to His sacrifice. Trying to add "works of the law" to His blood is an offense to God for it says that we consider the blood of Jesus not to be enough.

Ephesians 1
⁷In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

1 John 1
⁹If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Galatians 2
¹⁶know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 5
⁴You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Conclusion: Jesus’ salvation is complete and there is nothing we can add to it. The Roman Catholic church teaches that the blood of Jesus is not enough when it says we must add our own good works, prayers or suffering in order to receive grace. To do so separates us from God’s desire for us that we come to Him by mercy, not by works.

Roman Catholic church teaches:

Human Effort: The Roman Catholic church teaches that it is by our own human effort to be ‘good’ and by doing ‘good works’ that we have a chance of salvation with God. It views the Holy Spirit as an outward influence, the Persona of God, whom we can only ‘hope’ to someday have communication with after death.

The Bible teaches:

Being ‘Born Again’ is Mandatory: Jesus was very, very clear that unless a person is ‘born again of water and spirit’ they shall not see the kingdom of heaven. Being born-again is when the Holy Spirit of God enters within us, causing our spirit to "come alive" for the first time so that we can then hear from, understand and have our hearts changed to be more like the character and heart of God.

John 3
³In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again"
⁴"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
⁵Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. ⁶Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[2] gives birth to spirit. ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You^[3] must be born again.'

John 14
¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[1] in you.

Romans 8
¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,^{[1] 2}because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,^[2] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.^[3] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,^{[4] 4}in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
⁵Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind of sinful man^[5] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷the sinful mind^[6] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Conclusion: Under the Roman Catholic system, people are taught to relate to God as though His grace and acceptance could be ‘earned’ by what we do. The Bible teaches that the only way we can have a relationship with God is to be ‘born-again’ as His children and live by the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Our relationship with God is based on trust in His sacrifice and adoption of us as children, not based on our ability to "earn our own way".

Roman Catholic church teaches:

A human ‘priest’ stands between God & men: The Roman Catholic church teaches that in order to seek and receive forgiveness we must attend ‘confession’ with a human priest and attend the Mass. It is taught that the human priest is the ‘mediator’ (reconciler, lawyer or go-between) between men and God. The Roman Catholic church also teaches that in addition to the human priest we should pray to either Mary or the dead saints in hopes they will speak to God on our behalf.

The Bible teaches:

One Mediator, Jesus Christ: Jesus is the only Person we need to turn to, directly, to ask for a new life in God and for forgiveness of sins. Jesus is now and forever the only High Priest who stands before God to secure the eternal forgiveness of all believers. No one else has this authority, not Mary, not dead saints and not angels. To pray to anyone else is to commit idolatry.

1 Timothy 2
⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

Hebrews 7

23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵Therefore he is able to save completely^[3] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
²⁶Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Conclusion: Before the time of the crucifixion and resurrection, God appointed men as priests as a hint of what Jesus would one day come to do personally.. offer a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. But men and the blood of animals was only temporary. Because Jesus is God, His one sacrifice of His eternal blood establishes Him now as the eternal Priest who presents and eternal sacrifice. When the Roman Catholic church teaches that we must approach God through them for forgiveness, they are wrong to do the job that God the Father has given to Jesus as our only Priest in front of God.

The Bible teaches:

Come to God humbly, as a sinner.: We are all sinners, in need of forgiveness for all we have ever done sinful, past, present and future. Our total relationship to God has to be based on His mercy, which we believe He is willing to extend if we ask Him for it.

Ephesians 2
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^[1] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

By faith, accept Jesus as your Savior and as your Lord.: We cannot remove our own sins, it must be done by the blood of Jesus, once and for all time. By this you call upon Jesus as your Savior. In giving your life to God, you are repenting (turning away from) your sins and turning towards God.. by this you are giving Him Lordship in your life. By faith in Jesus’ sacrifice and the mercy of God.. He promises to make you born-again in Spirit and forgive you of all sins (past, present and future) so that you may know God both now and forever, never separated from Him ever again!

Pray directly to God, ask Him to be your Lord and Savior.. turn away from your sins and let His Spirit direct you through the Bible. God is faithful in His promise then to accept and protect you forever.

Referencias en Espanol:

Efesios 1
⁷ en quien tenemos redención por su sangre, el perdón de pecados⁽¹⁾ según las riquezas de su gracia, ⁸ que hizo sobreabundar para con nosotros en toda sabiduría e inteligencia,

1 Juan 1
⁹ Si confesamos nuestros pecados, él es fiel y justo para perdonar nuestros pecados, y limpiarnos de toda maldad.

Gálatas 2
¹⁶ sabiendo que el hombre no es justificado por las obras de la ley,⁽¹⁾ sino por la fe de Jesucristo,⁽²⁾ nosotros también hemos creído en Jesucristo, para ser justificados por la fe de Cristo y no por las obras de la ley, por cuanto por las obras de la ley nadie será justificado.

Gálatas 5
⁴ De Cristo os desligasteis, los que por la ley os justificáis; de la gracia habéis caído.

Juan 3
³ Respondió Jesús y le dijo: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de nuevo, no puede ver el reino de Dios. ⁴ Nicodemo le dijo: ¿Cómo puede un hombre nacer siendo viejo? ¿Puede acaso entrar por segunda vez en el vientre de su madre, y nacer? ⁵ Respondió Jesús: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de agua y del Espíritu, no puede entrar en el reino de Dios. ⁶ Lo que es nacido de la carne, carne es; y lo que es nacido del Espíritu,^[1] espíritu es.

Juan 14
¹⁵ Si me amáis, guardad mis mandamientos. ¹⁶ Y yo rogaré al Padre, y os dará otro Consolador, para que esté con vosotros para siempre: ¹⁷ el Espíritu de verdad, al cual el mundo no puede recibir, porque no le ve, ni le conoce; pero vosotros le conocéis, porque mora con vosotros, y estará en vosotros.

Romanos 8
¹ Ahora, pues, ninguna condenación hay para los que están en Cristo Jesús, los que no andan conforme a la carne, sino conforme al Espíritu. ² Porque la ley del Espíritu de vida en Cristo Jesús me ha librado de la ley del pecado y de la muerte. ³ Porque lo que era imposible para la ley, por cuanto era débil por la carne, Dios, enviando a su Hijo en semejanza de carne de pecado y a causa del pecado, condenó al pecado en la carne; ⁴ para que la justicia de la ley se cumpliese en nosotros, que no andamos conforme a la carne, sino conforme al Espíritu. ⁵ Porque los que son de la carne piensan en las cosas de la carne; pero los que son del Espíritu, en las cosas del Espíritu. ⁶ Porque el ocuparse de la carne es muerte, pero el ocuparse del Espíritu es vida y paz. ⁷ Por cuanto los designios de la carne son enemistad contra Dios; porque no se sujetan a la ley de Dios, ni tampoco pueden; ⁸ y los que viven según la carne no pueden agradar a Dios.

1 Timoteo 2
⁵ Porque hay un solo Dios, y un solo mediador entre Dios y los hombres, Jesucristo hombre, ⁶ el cual se dio a sí mismo en rescate por todos, de lo cual se dio testimonio a su debido tiempo.

Hebreos 7
²³ Y los otros sacerdotes llegaron a ser muchos, debido a que por la muerte no podían continuar; ²⁴ mas éste, por cuanto permanece para siempre, tiene un sacerdocio inmutable; ²⁵ por lo cual puede también salvar perpetuamente a los que por él se acercan a Dios, viviendo siempre para interceder por ellos.
²⁶ Porque tal sumo sacerdote nos convenía: santo, inocente, sin mancha, apartado de los pecadores, y hecho más sublime que los cielos; ²⁷ que no tiene necesidad cada día, como aquellos sumos sacerdotes, de ofrecer primero sacrificios por sus propios pecados, y luego por los del pueblo;⁽¹⁾ porque esto lo hizo una vez para siempre, ofreciéndose a sí mismo. ²⁸ Porque la ley constituye sumos sacerdotes a débiles hombres; pero la palabra del juramento, posterior a la ley, al Hijo, hecho perfecto para siempre.

Efesios 2
¹ Y él os dio vida a vosotros, cuando estabais muertos en vuestros delitos y pecados, ² en los cuales anduvisteis en otro tiempo, siguiendo la corriente de este mundo, conforme al príncipe de la potestad del aire, el espíritu que ahora opera en los hijos de desobediencia, ³ entre los cuales también todos nosotros vivimos en otro tiempo en los deseos de nuestra carne, haciendo la voluntad de la carne y de los pensamientos, y éramos por naturaleza hijos de ira, lo mismo que los demás. ⁴ Pero Dios, que es rico en misericordia, por su gran amor con que nos amó, ⁵ aun estando nosotros muertos en pecados, nos dio vida juntamente con Cristo⁽¹⁾ (por gracia sois salvos), ⁶ y juntamente con él nos resucitó, y asimismo nos hizo sentar en los lugares celestiales con Cristo Jesús, ⁷ para mostrar en los siglos venideros las abundantes riquezas de su gracia en su bondad para con nosotros en Cristo Jesús. ⁸ Porque por gracia sois salvos por medio de la fe; y esto no de vosotros, pues es don de Dios; ⁹ no por obras, para que nadie se gloríe. ¹⁰ Porque somos hechura suya, creados en Cristo Jesús para buenas obras, las cuales Dios preparó de antemano para que anduviésemos en ellas.