Today we were knocking on doors sharing the Gospel in a nearby neighborhood. My partner was talking to a young girl approximately 20 years old when her mother came to the door and started saying that Mary "suffered with Jesus" and that Mary was "sinless." She was quite adamant about this and I asked her if that were so then why did she need to make a sin offering after the birth of Jesus? She wasn't aware of this and about that time her husband came to the door and told us in not so many words to leave. Firstly, the Bible says that "ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Rom 3:23)." This "all" would quite certainly include Mary. (As an aside this includes the Pope too. The Bible is the only thing that we can trust, not man.) We also see that in Luke 2:22-24 Mary offered a sin offering. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luk 2:22-24). The meaning of this sacrifice is spelled out in the Old Testament as follows: "And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest" (Lev 12:6). Mary was a SINNER! The Catholic Church has elevated Mary to the level of goddess and it is a place she does NOT want to be. Jesus was careful NEVER to have called her "mother" because, being God, He knew that there would come a time when false religions would elevate her above what should be. In Matt 12:46-50 someone said, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee" (v47). His reply was, "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!" He then said, "whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Mat 12:50). Jesus pointed to His disciples and elevated them above His own mother, in the sense that He regards those who do His will to be above those who don't even if they are of His own family. (I am not saying that Mary didn't do His will, just that He counts everyone that does His will as equal.) Additionally, on the cross Jesus said, "...unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!" (Joh 19:26-27) Jesus called His mother "woman" and not "mother." Again Jesus didn't want to elevate her. Finally, we see the story of the wedding at Cana when Mary told Jesus they had no wine. He said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come(Joh 2:4)." But then the Bible says, "His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (Joh 2:5). We need to listen to Mary here. "Whatsoever he saith...do it." This is a command from "the Mother of God." What did Jesus say? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (Joh 14:6). It is not by religion that we come to God. Neither is it by our good works. It is ONLY through Jesus that we can go to heaven and have our sins forgiven. Jesus ALONE suffered for our sins. The Bible says, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb 2:18). Finally, the Bible says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Ti 2:5). Jesus ALONE suffered, Jesus ALONE is the way to heaven and forgiveness of sins, and Jesus ALONE is the ONLY mediator between God and man. Don't believe men (i.e. Popes and priests) who are sinners, believe the Bible for it is God's Word. Please forsake your false religion and pagan traditions and call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:13)
No comments:
Post a Comment