Exchangedlife.com: We Are the Righteousness of God

My husband has a new message up on his website, exchangedlife.com, called "We Are the Righteousness of God". This message goes along with the last post I did, in which I linked to an article by Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon; Bennett wrote partly about Cardinal John Henry Newman and his erroneous teachings on justification and righteousness. Eddie explains that the believer's righteousness comes from Christ, and is always there as imputed righteousness. Our righteousness is never our own. After justification, we are taught to abide in Christ so the word and the Spirit can sanctify us. We become holy or sanctified by daily crucifying the flesh and separating from worldliness. This does not make us more righteous, but takes the flesh out of the way and crucifies it, so the righteousness of God can shine forth. The flesh is like the bushel basket that is placed over the light. This must be removed so we can shine. This is the message of the gospel, that we by faith are given Christ's righteouness, and then the just walk by faith and God's grace to crucify the flesh and shine forth into the darkness as lights holy unto God.

A Question

I just read a new article on Berean Beacon called "Papacy Set to Recapture England". If you want to read it, you can download it by clicking on the title at the top of the website. While reading it, a question occurred to me: If one disagrees with the doctrines of justification and regeneration as taught by the reformed churches, as Cardinal John Henry Newman did, why does that make it necessary to run to Rome and swallow all the errors of Roman doctrine and practice, such as the Papacy, transubstantiation, Mary worship, etc.? Why not study the Bible and fellowship in a local church that teaches Biblical doctrine? No one has everything completely correct, but committing spiritual adultery with the Papal system is not an option. Their history is full of violence against God's people, and their so-called 'history' is full of outright forgeries, quotes from the Fathers taken out of context, and dependence upon the uninspired writings of mere men, rather than dependence upon the inspired scriptures interpreted by the Holy Spirit. And it seems that it is very important to some Catholics for you to admit that Mary is the 'Blessed Virgin' and 'The Mother of God' and to try praying to her. Why is that, I wonder? Because their religion is at heart a religion that places Mary between people and God, or in some cases replaces God with Mary. Again, why swallow poison mixed with a little goodness? Why do we have to choose between two corrupt institutions, when there are true churches right down the road from all of us?

The Normal Christian Life and Catholicism: Berean Beacon

Here is an article by Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon which compares and contrasts the Christian life of scripture with the general Roman Catholic experience.

The Legacy of the True Historical Patrick by Richard Bennett

Here is a historical account of St. Patrick that attempts to separate myth from truth. Following is the first part of the article.

Ireland has a very distinctive history. It was an island untouched by the Roman legions, and Patrick, the Evangelist, brought to it the Gospel of grace. Patrick was himself descended from a family that had been, for two generations at least, in Christ Jesus. His father, he tells us was “the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a presbyter, of the settlement of Bannaven Taburniae.”1 These facts are recorded in Patrick’s own testimony of faith. This authentic document is preserved in five manuscripts: one in the Book of Armagh of the seventh century, the second in the Cotton Library of the tenth century, a third in the French monastery of St. Vedastus, and two more in the Cathedral Library of Salisbury. This authenticated document is the main source of both the person and the mission of Patrick, and also his clear statement of the Gospel of grace.

Patrick was born in the year 373 in a town on the River Clyde in Roman Britain, now a part of Scotland. When he was sixteen years old, Patrick was captured by a band of pirates who sold him to a chieftain in what is now county Antrim in Northern Ireland. For six years he tended flocks. In his testimony he tells us, “I was taken captive before I knew what I should desire and what I should shun.”3 It was during the time of his captivity that he turned from his careless ways and came to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. He was convicted that he was a sinner. In his own words,

“before I was humbled I was like a stone lying in deep mire, and He that is mighty came and in His mercy raised me up and, indeed, lifted me high up and placed me on top of the wall. And from there I ought to shout out in gratitude to the Lord for His great favours in this world and for ever, that the mind of man cannot measure.”4

Patrick, like so many of the godly men of history, found God’s favor in the riches of the grace of Christ. This was the theme echoing throughout the testimony of Patrick, in his own words “I am greatly God’s debtor, because he granted me so much grace.”5 He then grew in the grace of God. Having believed on “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,”6 he directly received “of his fullness...grace for grace.”7 In his own words,

“More and more did the love of God, and my fear of Him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.”8

Patrick relates how, after six years, he escaped and after a difficult journey on land and sea returned to his people in Scotland. In his own words, “I was again in Britain with my family [kinsfolk], and they welcomed me as a son, and asked me, in faith, that after the great tribulations I had endured I should not go any where else away from them.”9

His Direct Mission from the Lord

Like the Apostle Paul, he received a clear and personal call from the Lord to preach the Gospel in the land of his former captivity. He described his call in these words,

“I saw a man whose name was Victoricus coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: ‘The Voice of the Irish’, and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: ‘We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall walk again among us.’ And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke. Thanks be to God, because after so many years the Lord bestowed on them according to their cry”10

He speaks of being called again in dream another night, but makes it clear how he interpreted what was happening by the Scriptures. He wrote, “‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we know not how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for utterance.’” And again, “‘The Lord our advocate intercedes for us.’” Thus, Patrick relies on Scripture to understand his experience and to see that it was the Lord Himself who was calling him. In his own words, “‘He who gave his life for you, He it is who speaks within you.’”11 He understood that Christ Jesus, who had died for his sins, was the One who was calling him to work as an evangelist in the very island where he had been held captive.

A second historical document from Patrick’s own hand is his letter to Coroticus. In it he explains his assignment from God to a foreign nation for the glory of eternal life that is in Christ Jesus. His own words are the following, “Thus I am a servant in Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”12 This is a major factor in understanding Patrick. He knew himself as a sinner and found salvation where only sinners find it, “in Christ Jesus our Lord.”13 The first words of his testimony read, “I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many.” Likewise, in the beginning of his letter to Coroticus he states, “I, Patrick, a sinner, unlearned, resident in Ireland”. Quite clearly Patrick saw himself as a sinner. He did not look to some spark of life from within himself or to some ritual; rather, he looked unto Christ Jesus. Patrick’s words, “unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” shows his distinct and personal comfort and courage in Christ. Totally unlike religion that looks to rituals, Patrick had his eyes set on the Lord. Catholicism now, and to some extent even in Patrick’s time, looks to sacraments as necessary for salvation.14 Patrick saw himself only as a sinner saved by grace in Christ Jesus. Patrick’s message is that salvation is totally in Christ alone — a message utterly diverse from that of Roman Catholicism then and now.

There is more here on Wikipedia about the 'two Patricks theory'.

Slovakia and the Political Influence of the Catholic Church: Berean Beacon Video

Here is a new video from Berean Beacon about the political influence of the Catholic Church in Slovakia.

The Pope’s Plans on Organizing Political, Economic and Religious Activities Worldwide: Richard Bennett

Here is an article by Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon called "The Pope’s Plans on Organizing
Political, Economic and Religious Activities Worldwide". Here is a link to the Vatican document, Caritas In Veritate.

Richard's concerns may seem far-fetched, but it was not so long ago in history that the papacy had much more political power than it has now. Time will tell, and prophecy already has foretold these things. See my series of posts on 'The Harlot Church'. This false church that has left her husband and linked with worldly governments, first as her protectors and then also in order to gain power for herself, has been seen before and it is prophesied that she'll be seen again at the end, persecuting the true church whose faith will be tested and perfected by the trials she endures. The Lord tells all believers who recognize the Great Whore of Babylon to “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." Revelation 18:4-5 This first of all means to come out of any church that has killed or persecuted believers in Christ in the past, or is doing it in the present. The Roman Catholic Church is not the only one who has done this, though it far exceeds any other in this. Many protestant churches have histories of this as well. It means to recognize our sins and repent of them. See Revelation 2 and 3 which contains Jesus Christ's judgments and commands to the churches. We shouldn't assume that we are innocent without examining ourselves and our churches in light of God's word. Please read and pray with the fear of the LORD.

Slovakia, the Gospel, and False Ecumenism: Berean Beacon video

Berean Beacon has a new video in which Richard Bennett interviews 2 men from Slovakia about their personal testimonies, the gospel, and how false ecumenism of the Roman Catholic church is affecting their nation. The men's testimonies are powerful and moving, showing the power of the gospel to convict of sin by the Holy Spirit and God's word.

From Polish Catholicism to Trusting Christ Alone: Berean Beacon video

Berean Beacon has a video testimony by Peter Slomski, who is also in the earlier video post here on my blog, telling of how he was raised as a Roman Catholic and later came to faith in Jesus Christ by being convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit through God's word; he realized that it is Christ's righteousness alone that saves, not his own, and not the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church.

History of the Biblical Faith in Poland: The Berean Beacon

The website, bereanbeacon.org, has a new video called True Polish Christian History in which Richard Bennett interviews Peter Slomski, a Christian whose parents came from Poland to England, where Peter was raised. They discuss the history of Biblical faith in Poland beginning in the middle ages.