Righteousness by good works is an excellent specialty of the Roman Catholic Church. Redemption and salvation come to man through his good deeds. This traditionally false heresy is being warmed up again by an auxiliary bishop.
Inhalt / Content
Autonomous Catechism of the Church of Rome
In another “catechism podcast” of the catholic magazine “Die Tagespost” Auxiliary Bishop Schwaderlapp explains to the people how the Catholic catechism understands the work of salvation of God or Jesus and also tries to convey this to their gullible believers.
In the introduction, the Auxiliary Bishop makes the reader understand that the name “Jesus” has a specific meaning, as was customary at the time. Jesus means “God saves”. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the mother of Jesus, Mary, received the instruction to give the divine Son the name Jesus, since He would redeem His people from their sins. Peter also said that “there was no other name under heaven given to us men by which we should be saved”.
Already the first deviations from the gospel
Already in the first sentences of this account of the Catholic bishop there are various inconsistencies in order to avoid the word “untruth” or even “lie”.
It is correct that the name Jesus means “God saves”. In the Old Testament the Lord announced the coming of Jesus Christ and His name will be Immanuel, as in Isaiah 7:14:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Critics might now object that Jesus is not Immanuel. But the name Immanuel also has a meaning and this means: “God with us”. It is therefore about the same Messiah as he was announced many times and ultimately also appeared in Jesus Christ.
The problem with the auxiliary bishop’s narrative, however, is the supposed message to Mary to name her son Jesus. Perhaps that’s why the Catholic clergyman refrained from citing the passage from the Bible so as not to be “tempted” to quickly check it.
Mary receives “place of honor” again
In fact, the name to be chosen was not told to Mary but to her fiancé, Joseph. Easily verifiable in Matthew 1:19-21:
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The Mary is simply too important in the Catholic world to leave such messages to others. Such a reach into the bag of tricks has a very long tradition in the Church of Rome. By the way, the quote used by the auxiliary bishop of Peter is to find in Acts 4:12.
Man is in need of redemption
The auxiliary bishop continues his presentation by regarding the people as in need of salvation. The problem here, however, is that not everyone recognizes or considers themselves to be in such need. This also applies to everyday life. “We” live in a country “in which many things are going well” and no real hardship has to be endured. But nobody can escape death and only when the time comes do people feel their need for redemption. “No power in this world can defeat death,” said Schwaderlapp. It is the Lord himself who wants to save us “from the terror of death”.
The auxiliary bishop is correct here
Humanity in its fallen nature is indeed in need of redemption. And at this point the auxiliary bishop is right that not every person recognizes this for themselves. Sadly, this may even be true for the vast majority of people. Carefreeness within relative prosperity makes it easy to forget one’s own helplessness and dependence on God. This is no longer communicated in society even by the churches. The proclamation of the gospel has been replaced by “colorful world”, “woke” and “climate rescue”. The future no longer consists of a court that arrives safely, but of a happily united human family within an “Alice Wonderland world”.
Good deeds are counterbalanced by sins
The auxiliary bishop continues with the possible way out of the dilemma. Something terrible can happen to people regardless of death. Schwaderlapp asks how many sins can man commit and cause suffering to others?
According to the Catholic priest, human good deeds stand in opposition to sins. Even the smallest good deed is a fruit of salvation through Jesus. This same of the “outstretched hand of Jesus”. We only have to seize these, even if we are not constantly aware of this. God’s work is happening every moment. It is up to the people themselves to let themselves be saved. However, according to the bishop, people are in the persistent error of being able to create and do everything themselves.
Without God’s help we are lost, fragile as we are made. Only human insight was missing. This is the only way the rescuer can actually save us in our lives, and also at this moment, according to Schwaderlapp.
The tragedy of righteousness through works
Then the auxiliary bishop reached into the purely Catholic dogma box, which completely deviates from the gospel. No human being is able in any way to blot out or undo sins once committed. God’s righteousness is eternal righteousness, as in Psalm 119:142. Death follows sin, as in Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Statements like “good deeds and works blot out sins” are not found in the entire Bible. The righteousness of God is based on the law defined by Him and it only knows black or white. There are no gray areas. Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). The Laws are the 10 Commandments as described in Exodus 20. But the Catholic Church has even taken hands on the laws of God. Anyone who has broken any of the laws committed a sin and is therefore sentenced to death. Where else should the righteousness of God start here? A theft is settled by accompanying grandma to church twice? The law defines a sharp edge. Anyone who has stepped beyond this has forfeited their life. Off the mouse! But there is the way of salvation through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
Good works bring absolutely nothing
With the false doctrine of works righteousness, the Catholic Church lets its believers consciously or unconsciously (the former more likely) hit a brick wall. The redemption by grace that is clearly recognizable in the gospel is based on faith therefore not coincidentally massively defamed and attacked. Only through the grace of Jesus can man be saved. He bought the right to do so by taking upon himself the sins of men and thereby shedding His own blood and suffering death.
Even on this detail, the Church of Rome presumes to be able to make its own rules. According to Catholic dogma, Jesus Christ provided a counterbalance to human sins through his “inexhaustible good deeds”. Since this does not seem to be enough for the Catholic Church, it also fills the works of Mary and those of the “saints” on top of it in its virtual “good deed pot”. The Pope has exclusive access to this virtual pot and is therefore also able, thanks to “his divine mandate”, to forgive sins and also to “finance” indulgences by reaching into the pot. The Church of Rome has a whole other set of blasphemous teachings in stock.
Life is solely a gift from God
Only because of the atoning death of Jesus is it possible for God to lawfully exercise mercy despite His eternal justice. It’s not as if God can’t fix everything with a snap of his fingers, but the “rest of the universe” should be able to see His justice and love for His creation.
With “good works” man presumes to be able to build up a credit account in order to claim his salvation. God doesn’t owe anyone anything. It is His grace because of His love for His creation. Life is a gift from God and not a reward for any “good qualities” in man, which He has given free will along with life.
As insignificant as the auxiliary bishop’s statement about the “opposite good deeds” may appear, this teaching is just as devastating.
Bible verses from King James Version
