Holy Year of Mercy Jubilee - A Wrong Understanding of God's Mercy! - Posted: April 11, 2015
In the document Holy Year of Mercy (Misericordiae Vultus), Pope Francis expresses his views on the relationship that exists in the Bible between mercy and justice.
Unfortunately, some of his conclusions are not only unbiblical, but form a foundation for spiritualism.
In one form, spiritualism is the practice of speaking to the dead. But since the Bible declares the "dead know not any thing" Ecclesiastes 9:5, then any communication with the dead is communication with devils. Demons teach mercy excuses disobedience to God's law. Devils communicate this lie to turn people from righteousness (right doing). Men who twist mercy to support disobedience to God's law practice spiritualism. The Bible says, Satan "is a liar, and the father of it" John 8:44. The teaching that God goes beyond justice with mercy is a lie. It is unbiblical. It is a distortion of Bible truth. Men distort the concept of Biblical mercy. In so doing, they teach people to give "heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy" 1 Timothy 4:1,2. Ministers and popes teach a false concept of mercy hoping to make the gospel more appealing to the masses of the world. When ministers and popes teach unscriptural principles not found in the Bible, they speak lies, the "doctrines of devils."
In his document on point fifteen, Pope Francis encourages people to "pray for the living and the dead." Pope Francis distorts Bible truth by emphasizing mercy over justice. This will lead people to think that God excuses disobedience to His commandments. The Bible calls it "doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy."
This is spiritualism.
In the Garden of Eden, God said to Adam and Eve -
Genesis 2:17 KJV
v.17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
But Satan came along and said -
Genesis 3:4 KJV
v.4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
God said disobedience to His command brings death.
Satan said disobedience did not bring death, but continued life.
Today this lie of Satan is continued by Pope Francis and others by suggesting that God excuses disobedience to His commands because of His mercy. Pope Francis virtually says, the disobedient will "not surely die" but through mercy live forever.
Twenty-five points are contained in the document of the Holy Year of Mercy Jubilee.
Here are five statements made by Pope Francis between points 20 through 22.
1. "This is why God goes beyond justice with his mercy and forgiveness."
2. "For his part, Jesus speaks several times of the importance of faith over and above the observance of the law."
3. "God's anger lasts but a moment, his mercy forever."
4. "God's forgiveness knows no bounds. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God makes even more evident his love and its power to destroy all human sin."
5. "Reconciliation with God is made possible through the paschal mystery and the mediation of the Church."
The Bible is very clear that mercy and justice are two equal attributes of God's character. One is not greater than the other. God extends mercy to men to accept Jesus Christ. Accept His grace. Stop sinning through the strength of the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life. Or receive eternal death, the just penalty of God's broken law. There is no in-between. God means what He says, "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. Because "sin is the transgression of the law" 1 John 3:4.
Let's review the five statements by Pope Francis above to the Bible.
Pope Francis says:
1 - "This is why God goes beyond justice with his mercy and forgiveness."
Comment:
Justice stands on the principle of truth and righteousness. Without truth and righteousness, justice does not exist. Notice how justice or truth is coupled together with mercy.
The Bible says:
Psalm 89:14 KJV
v.14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth [justice] shall go before thy face.
Psalm 25:10 KJV
v.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth [justice] unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 85:10 KJV
v.10 Mercy and truth [justice] are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Comment:
God doesn't go beyond justice with mercy as Pope Francis states. The scriptures above declare clearly that justice (truth) and mercy are equal attributes that "go before thy [God's] face." Mercy and truth meet together as equals.
Pope Francis says:
2 - "For his part, Jesus speaks several times of the importance of faith over and above the observance of the law."
Comment:
In the following verses below "works" is defined as "observance of the law."
The Bible says:
James 2:14,17-20,24,26 KJV
v.14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works [observance of the law]? can faith save him?
v.17 Even so faith, if it hath not works [observance of the law], is dead, being alone.
v.18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
v.19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
v.20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works [observance of the law] is dead?
v.24 Ye see then how that by works [observance of the law] a man is justified, and not by faith only.
v.26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Comment:
Pope Francis states that "faith [is] over and above the observance of the law." This is not scriptural. Faith and works (observance of the law) are co-attributes in the life of a Christian. Good works follow genuine faith.
The pope rightly points out the sinful practice of legalism, but wrongly equates love and obedience to God's law as legalistic. Obedience to God's law is not legalism. It is the self-righteous heart associated with obedience that constitutes legalism.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments" John 14:15.
This is not legalism.
Pope Francis says:
3 - "God's anger lasts but a moment, his mercy forever."
Comment:
What is Pope Francis trying to say here? Is God like a doting parent that gets angry for a moment when His children err and then through lovesick sentimentalism excuses their wrong act?
God revealed His character to Moses when He passed before him in the cleft of the rock.
The Bible says:
Exodus 34:7 KJV
v.7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
Comment:
Yes, "keeping mercy for thousands", but God "will by no means clear the guilty." If we exhaust God's mercy by continuing to sin - God will destroy us.
Both God's mercy and His justice will last forever. God's anger is executed against injustice. Injustice is in opposition to truth. However, praise God! Injustice will one day be fully eradicated from the universe and "affliction shall not rise up the second time" Nahum 1:9.
Pope Francis says:
4 - "God's forgiveness knows no bounds. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God makes even more evident his love and its power to destroy all human sin."
The Bible says:
Revelation 14:10 KJV
v.10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;
Matthew 12:31 KJV
v.31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Hebrews 10:26 KJV
v.26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.
Comment:
If God's forgiveness "knows no bounds", why will God one day pour out His wrath in the seven last plagues "without mixture" (without mercy)? Why should God ever punish the disobedient? God will destroy both sin and sinners that choose disobedience to His law.
There is no sin that God cannot forgive except repetitive sin that leads to "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost." Because "if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for [our] sins." Therefore, no sin is too great for God to forgive, but if the sin is not given up then the sinner places himself beyond the reach of God's forgiveness. This unpardonable sin of "blasphemy of the Holy Ghost" is done by man, but determined by God.
Wrongly, Pope Francis continues to dwell upon forgiveness and love as the chief attributes of God's character without giving equal consideration to His justice. In so doing, Pope Francis weakens God's love to a mere sentimental love where obedience to God is not as important. This is subtle, but very evil. Love and justice are equal attributes of God's character.
However, Pope Francis must weaken the attribute of God's justice executed against disobedience in order to align with sinful lifestyles such as his ambivalence towards the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) movement. And in addition, create an ecumenical bond with all religions that differ in creed - creeds that conflict with Bible truth. In so doing, Pope Francis reveals his shrewdness as a political figure. Yet he compromises Bible truth and shows disloyalty to God. Pope Francis stands as the head of "The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth" Revelation 17:5.
As human beings, we tend to make light of any deviation from God's express will when it requires a sacrifice on our part. However, no deviation from the strict path of obedience is acceptable to God. Indeed, it is hateful to God.
Adam and Eve may have thought that such an innocent deviation from God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would not be punished with death. They were wrong. And look at the evil that this world has experienced from that one wrong choice!
Today, the compromising position of religious leaders with the sin of same-sex unions within the LGBT community is alarming.
Even President Obama commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia states, "We take this opportunity to reaffirm that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are human rights, to celebrate the dignity of every person..."
In point fifteen, Pope Francis expresses an open heart to those living on the "fringes of society" who are our brother and sisters "denied their dignity." Pope Francis and President Obama use the same language. Pope Francis makes a final appeal in point twenty that "observance of the law must not prevent attention from being given to matters that touch upon the dignity of the person." There is no dignity in the sinful lifestyle of homosexuality. There is no dignity in any sin, only shame. Pope Francis weakens God's abhorrence toward same-sex unions and so declares it as nothing more than a mere sentimental choice that God may overlook.
Does God love people who are deceived homosexuals? Yes, absolutely! But God abhors the sinful practice of homosexuality. God loves us as people not our sinful practices. Christians who love God hate sin in their own lives and earnestly seek God's strength to overcome. Through Jesus Christ, Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit to stop sinning. They turn away from the sinful lifestyles that once controlled their lives. This is what it means to be a Christian. In Christ is victory!
Even though Pope Francis may mitigate God's justice by overstating mercy and forgiveness, history shows the Catholic Church is no stranger to injustice. Popery has murdered millions in the Dark Ages that dared to disagree with her.
"From the birth of Popery in 606 to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family, have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery."
-- Dowling, "History of Romanism," pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871.
Pope Francis says:
5 - "Reconciliation with God is made possible through the paschal mystery and the mediation of the Church."
Comment:
I needed to point out this last statement by Pope Francis that is central to Catholic teaching and more or less other Christian churches, but is nonetheless evil.
Christians are NOT reconciled to God through the "mediation of the Church." Christians are reconciled to God through the mediation of Jesus Christ exclusively!
The Bible says:
1 Timothy 2:5 KJV
v.5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV
v.5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Comment:
Christians reconcile to the Father through Christ and not "the mediation of the Church", as Pope Francis states. Christians must determine based on the Word of God if Christ dwells within them. It is much more than a feeling. It is a living active principle of obeying God out of love because Christ dwells within us.
If Christ is in us than we are reconciled to God. Christians are not reconciled to God by church affiliation, but by a personal relationship with God based on obedience to His law from a heart filled with love to God and one another.
It is a fatal mistake for Christians to believe that they can break God's commandments because their church sanctions it and reconcile with God through this false concept of mercy.
Pope Francis is eloquent. But he does not speak according to Bible truth.
References:
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/04/11/full-text-of-pope-franciss-proclamation-of-the-holy-year-of-mercy/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/16/obama-lgbt-rights_n_7298510.html