It is to be noted that Luther did not want to leave Roman Catholicism…he simply wanted the church to clean up its act and get rid of its clearly unbiblical teachings and actions…..it took great courage to pin his thesis to the church door….outlining the way the church was indulging itself in unchristian doctrines and teachings. He knew that the hierarchy were behaving like Pharisees and he wanted change to begin with them….it never did, but it did at least one good thing…..it put God’s word back into the hands of the people so that they could at least follow through in their own studies like the ancient Boereans and check out the teachings for themselves in God’s word. (Acts 17:10-12) Having that advantage gives the church members no excuse for the cultivated ignorance that permeates the church, even today.
It is by and large a performance based religion that makes sure that no one asks the hard questions and follows through by simply turning up to Mass and taking the wafer...trusting that these church leaders are actually who they say they are….”by their fruits” Jesus said we would recognize his true disciples.
The fruitage of this church system is appalling…..the majority of the so called “Christians” can be homeless and starving on the streets and no one knows or cares for them. That is NOT the “Christianity” that Jesus promoted….
Paul wrote at 2 Cor 8:12-15…
”For if the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has,
For if the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.
13 For I do not want to make it easy for others, but difficult for you;
14 but that by means of an equalizing, your surplus at the present time might offset their need, so that their surplus might also offset your deficiency, that there may be an equalizing.
15 Just as it is written: “The person with much did not have too much, and the person with little did not have too little.”
Christianity is a brotherhood where those who believe come together as a family, united in worship. Those who take the lead in the congregation “know” the sheep and are under instruction from God and his Christ to care for every one of them…..if a lamb is lost they were instructed by Jesus to leave the 99 and go search for that lost one and bring them home…..
Rhere could be no poverty threatening any Christian’s life because their brother would make sure that they had enough to eat…even going without themselves to share what little they had. This is how you identify genuine Christianity…..not just by how they treat their neighbors, but how much they do for those related to them in the faith. (Gal 6:10)….so that “The person with much did not have too much, and the person with little did not have too little.”
If only people could see the deception…..it goes way back….
There is no excuse for anyone today NOT to know more than an indoctrinated Catholic priest did in the 16th century.
So many versions of “Christianity”….but common sense tells us that they cannot all be correct…there can only be ONE TRUTH…..there cannot many correct versions of it.
In “the time of the end”, just before he was to come as judge, Jesus said he would appoint a “faithful and discreet slave” who would feed his fellow slaves, their “food at the proper time”….(Matt 24:45) interestingly, Jesus introduces this “slave“ by asking “who then is this faithful slave”? So we must first identify “him” and then sit at his table to feed with all the other slaves…..the same “food” served at “the proper time”. It’s not a buffet where we can serve ourselves, but a complete spiritual meal that all enjoy together with no one refusing any of it as not provided through the Master’s appointed slave. “He” is under instruction from his Master to serve the same food to all. That is what unites the. (1 Cor 1:10)
Jesus said that his “food” was doing the will of his Father….(John 4:34)