Roman Catholics get so much right; like Monotheistic Trinitarianism and the Hypostatic Union. A little Leaven, leavens the whole Loaf. They get several things wrong, such as the examples given so far; but they spin it. They will say they revere Icons and don't Worship Idols, etc. But the real test is what they say about the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
Grafting ~ by ReverendRV * May 6
Romans 11:24 KJV; For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
I was having a discussion with a group about how Roman Catholics and Evangelicals present the Gospel of Jesus Christ; what’s the difference? One Catholic offered the conclusion of the Council of Orange from A.D. 529 as their view of the Gospel. Since I don’t have the space to reproduce it here, it was similar to the Good News of the Evangelical Gospel. I responded by saying that the Protestants agree with much of what the Councils of the early Church stated; but the differences come up because of the later Councils. A Lutheran spoke up and said that if this is the Roman Catholic Gospel, then they owe an apology to the Reformer Martin Luther for Excommunicating him for believing the Gospel that the Church used to profess. ~ This gave me cause to think of our topic verse. It is a symbol of the difference between the people of God, the Jews; and the people of God, the Church. The Horticultural practice of grafting in branches from one tree into another tree is used as a symbol of Gods ‘Favor’ for his people over time. First it was Israel and when they Fell, God favored the Gentiles. ~ But you ask, “What does this have to do with now?”
Something similar has happened in modern times. The early Church had the Gospel but there came a time another branch was grafted into it by the Religion of men. These Horticulturalists trained the Gospel tree’s shape by twisting it in such a way that this added branch now seemed to be the tree’s trunk, and the true trunk appeared to be the spurious branch. You ask, “Why is this new branch a problem?” Because the branch they added is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and the tree that it was added to is the Tree of Life! The Bible teaches us these two trees were in the Garden of Eden, and that the Tree Adam and Eve ate from first would control their destiny. The Tree of Knowledge bore fruit that killed them when they ate it; this Tree is symbolic of the Ten Commandments. God intended the Ten Commandments to be used to show people they are Sinners; have you ever Trespassed and picked an apple from someone else’s tree? That’s Stealing, and God punishes Sinners by sending them to a Devil’s Hell. ~ World Religions like Judaism and Catholicism, and Cults like Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses Graft this poisonous branch into the Gospel by saying we are Saved by our good Works. But the Bible says that if we want to be Saved by Works, then Grace is no longer Grace. The remaining good branches of this religious tree stop bearing the fruit of Life; because that good tree is now made bad. ~ Prune things you think you can do to earn your way to Heaven, and make the tree Good…
The Bible says there is coming a day when Israel will be grafted back into the good Olive Tree, but room for them will need to be made by cutting off the Gentiles; your time is ticking. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Tree of Life; here is its fruit! God sent his Unique Son to be born of a Virgin, so that he could be the Sinless sacrifice that Atones for our Iniquity. He shed his blood on the Cross for the Remission of Sin, was buried, but conquered death by rising from the grave! By Grace are ye Saved, through Faith in Jesus as your Lord God and Savior; this is not by Works so that no one can boast in themselves. If you can boast, then your tree does indeed have a branch from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Its fruit is meant to show you naked before God; be ashamed. Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord God and be clothed in his Righteousness…
Matthew 12:33 NIV; "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
