The most important subject in the entire Bible to learn about is salvation or how to get eternal life. If one is teaching wrongly about that, everything else he declares is worthless, as far as getting one into God’s kingdom. Regarding that subject and eternal life, the Roman Catholic church teaches even more error:
Bogus Catholic Eternal Life
According to the teaching of Holy Writ, eternal life is the reward for the good deeds performed in this world
(Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Dr. Ludwig Ott, 1974, p. 268)
Ott cites Mt. 19:29; 25:46; Rom. 2:6 and James 1:12 for support, but none of those verses are solid backing for this Roman Catholic teaching about eternal life. What he claims is from Holy Writ (the Bible) isn’t in the Bible at all! As a former Roman Catholic, I can testify their gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is without the needed power to change a person from within and set him free from his sin addictions. Their unfounded and dangerous emphasis on Mary, the sacraments, being a Catholic and good deeds has misled even the most sincere Catholics.
Catholicism is blinded to the fact that everlasting life is a present-tense possession for true believer’s (followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:47; 1 John 5:12,13; etc.). Catholicism is also unaware that Jesus is eternal life (1 John 1:2). If their Eucharist, which they “worship as God,” was really the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, then when they “receive” it (swallow it without chewing), they would be receiving eternal life, but they surely aren’t. John 1:12 says we receive Christ when we believe on him, referring to the type of faith James wrote of in James 2:14,17, etc. If good deeds could result in eternal life, as nearly 1 billion Catholics are told to believe, then there was no need for Jesus to die in such a horrible way for our salvation. He could have stayed in heaven and been spared the terrible misery he went through for us.
Eternal Life Truths
Even some non Catholics are misled about saving faith and its inseparable connection with good deeds. Some free grace people (antinomians) think one can have saving faith and eternal life without any good deeds or even repentance, while the Catholics (and others) have gone to the other extreme with much too little emphasis on having personal faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation. They know about Jesus in a sense, but their other doctrines have detoured them away from the Biblical 100% trusting and faith in him for salvation and everlasting life, as they obey Jesus. [Dan Corner is a former Roman Catholic, who got saved. He now has a burden for those in Catholicism.]
