Dear Heavenly Father, please grant me the right spirit to speak graciously and truthfully. And please work in the hearts of the audience, as we explore evaluating Rome.
Why now?
Today's topic is we want to graciously open the conversation about evaluating Rome. If there ever were a time in history to evaluate Rome and its philosophy called “Romanism”, it's right now.
Why? Because all the eyes of the world are upon the position of the pontiff, the bishops, the cardinals, the college. There's much discussion about the validity and the direction of someone new coming into this position of power, similar to the world of politics. Most people have an opinion, or at least they're following what other opinions are.
Part One: The Need for Rigorous Examination
So we jump into the fray by stating, let's be rigorous. Let's not be lethargic. Our evaluation of the history and the structure of Romanism must be robust, meaning we can't ignore it.
We have to figure out why. Why 1.4 billion people on Earth are associated with this structure that was originally founded upon the thinking of the philosophers of Roman Catholicism.
Is it because there's something deep inside human nature that's attracted to the mindset of Rome? What about Rome is so exciting and magnetic? Is it really just the beauty of liturgy and ceremony, where people want to feel like they're connected to something that has nostalgic value?
Enduring through the centuries is that the massage of the soul and mind that we're aiming for here? Can it really be just that simple that people like old things? Kind of like we enjoy hanging around our grandparents. Is this one of the magnets of Rome? Stained glass, artwork, artifacts, high ceilings, trinkets and jewelry.
Part Two: Intellectual Comfortableness and Spiritual Stagnation at the Risk of Resistance
I think it needs to be at least explored. The possibility that Romanism encourages a position of intellectual comfortability whereby people feel safe not to continue exploring because they have found something that makes sense.
It resonates with their pattern intellectually, where they can park their curiosity car and just believe the system. So yes, I'm implying the fact that perhaps it's healthy.
Is it healthy to yield our curiosity nature in exchange for compliance with the hierarchy? At what point do we just stop allowing for higher, cleaner, better, pure truth to be revealed?
It seems as though Roman philosophy appeals to humans nature in such a way that people hesitate to continue exploring, and that right there might be dangerous. When we stop asking questions, are we growing?
I reveal a lot about this person in the mirror. When that person says I'm done. I don't want to learn anymore. I found the final answer. I definitely am not enthusiastic to talk about it. I do not want to talk about it, but I know that. I know that I found the truth and it's an off limits topic.
When faith becomes extremely personal, I do not delight to explain it to you. It's not open for discussion because I cannot handle rigorous evaluation. This is a significant weakness of the Roman mindset. That is a red flag, and only recently has Rome risen to the occasion by launching a volley of apologists to give a parroted, superficial answer to some of the excruciatingly clear distinctions that compare the Roman philosophy mindset to the heartbeat and the mind of God, as expressed through Scripture.
The Roman philosophy sings lullabies and rocks the constituency into a rhythm of sloth, trust the final authority as decreed by Rome. Stop thinking, stop asking. Believe you have achieved the final level. But what sayeth the Scripture?
The Biblical Exhortation to Continue Growing
Let's intake some King James Bible verses that encourage us to continue growing in our faith, and not to trust in the traditions of men or man made tradition.
2 Timothy 2:15 study to show thyself approved before man. No, it does not say that. Study to show thyself approved unto God. Mm mm. That's good. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed before God, rightly dividing the word of truth with God's help.
Acts 17:11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily. Whether those things were so. This is evaluation, reflection, connection with Scripture versus he said. She said.
Colossians 2:8. We're going to unpack this a little bit. Word at a time. Do a little word study. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Oh so beautiful.
We know it's a danger. Which means the first word. Beware. It's very possible that this could happen. Why would God warn us not to fall into this trap? If the trap were not compelling and legitimate. It's a genuine trap.
So beware, lest any man spoil. The word “spoil” means to carry off as a captive in war, to make a slave, to lead away from the truth and to become subject to sway or to seduction. Mm. Let's not become spoil.
It's the philosophy. Okay, now the next word. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy. So philosophy can cause us to get carried away. Here it is, the love of wisdom. Maybe the over love or the fascination. The fixation on man made wisdom either used of zeal.
You know what kind of philosophy are they talking about? Well, it's a zealous. It's a zealous exploration of art, science, any branch of knowledge or thinking. Um, you can read the rest of the instructions there on the screen.
So the word deceit. Let no man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit. The word deceit means delusion. It's to cheat, to beguile, to bring feign facts or fake news. It's highly alluring because it appears to be true. But it's a nasty rabbit trail.
Vain deceit. The word “vain” means empty. Devoid of the key truth. Substance. Which. The reason why we are so compelling and urgent and enthusiastic is we genuinely want to see you. And we want to be together 100 years from now.
The only way to transition accurately into the presence of God is through simple faith in Christ. Plus nothing, minus nothing. And we only care for your soul. That you receive the gift of eternal life singularly through God's plan, with no distraction, no confusion. We just want you to be there.
The word vain means something that is empty, containing nothing like an empty head or an empty jar empty-handed. It's metaphorical. Metaphysical means destitute of spiritual wealth. One who boasts of his faith as a transcendent possession, yet is without the fruit of that faith of genuine.
He is not overflowing with love, and outreach to the world cannot explain the gospel to others. Apart from eat this cookie, drink this juice. Okay, now you have what I have. That's not the answer. Vain deceit acts that result in nothing fruitless without effect. Vain. No purpose. Barren.
Now the verse continues here. Uh. Let no man spoil you. After the tradition of men. We know what that is. That's Romanism after the rudiments of the world. So the rudiments means any first thing from which the others belong to some series or composite whole. Take their rise. It's a sequence. The element of first principle.
And here's how Rome benefits from rudimentary progression. Rome claims that it is first in divine authority that it holds the keys to hell. Rome claims for itself to be the rudiments, the foundation, the fundament, the undergirding. The originator of Scripture. Rome controls and brought to birth the Scripture.
Rome claims for itself to have unbroken succession. It is the holder, the singular source of all power. Rome claims to be exclusive both in the supply and the distributing of salvation, and it does so through physical means, which is so strange because salvation is spiritual. It has to do with your spirit and your soul.
It is not a tangible, touchable smell. Taste. Touch. Feel. But yet Rome distributes salvation in a touchable, tangible taste format. So is salvation a sensation? Is salvation something to be discerned with the eyes and the ears and the mouth, the tongue, the fingers. Is that how we obtain salvation is through physical means.
We walk by faith, not by sight, not by the five senses. Oh, no. But yet Rome claims that they exclusively have the power to distribute this means of physical justification that somehow impacts the spirit world. But how does water wash away the sin of one's soul? Certainly we're we're confused if we think the physical washes away the spiritual.
Here it is. Colossians 2:8. Beware lest any man spoil you. Carry you away captive. Through philosophy. The worship of mind. And vain deceit. Empty deception. After the tradition of men. After the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.
So pursue Christ adamantly with 100% fervency and fire. With all your heart. First your mind. Second, your soul and your body. Pursue Christ, and you can maybe escape from Rome. If God will help you.
Mark 7. How? Be it in vain do they worship me just as Christ speaking. Teaching for doctrines. The commandments of men. The worship of church fathers. God never elevated or proclaimed as amazing or significant or worthy anyway.
Yeah, for laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. Amazing. The only thing equally powerful or substitutionary. They lay aside the clear instruction of God. And instead take hold fast on the tradition of men as their ultimate confidence. Including physical things. Washing of pots and cups. He's making fun of them.
And many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, full well. Reject ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition, loving historical patterns and rhythms and cadence, and feeling safe and sleepy. Mm.
First Peter 2 starts with wherefore laying aside all malice. Now, before we get to the good stuff, sometimes God starts with the negative. He has to tell us no. Like a two year old. Stop. Don't no.
So when we lay aside malice, the word malice you can see below. Below. Means malignity. Malignant means it's infectious. It's growing like a cancer. It's ill will. It's. It grows into a desire to injure. Malignity. Oh, man, I just wish I could. Something bad would happen to that person. Malice, laying aside all malice.
Perhaps that's one of the barriers to getting to spiritual maturity is malice and all guile. The word guile means to decoy, to trick, to trap, to put out bait, a fake duck. It's using craft and subtlety to attract attention in the wrong direction. It's guile.
We need to put away all guile and then the word hypocrisy. We think we know what it means, but it actually means the acting out of a stage player under a feigned identity. Getting into character. Presenting yourself as authentic when actually hiding inside someone else.
Laying aside malice. Laying aside all guile. Laying aside hypocrisies and laying aside. Envies the word envy. It's a tough word. We know what it means on the surface, but it's sometimes good just to hear the definition.
It means to feel uneasiness or discontent at the sight of superior excellence. Wow, that person's excellent. And how does that make you feel? Well, I don't like it. Okay. That's envy. To feel uneasiness or discontent at the sight of superior excellence, or superior reputation or happiness enjoyed by another to recoil.
At another's prosperity, to fret or grieve oneself at the real or supposed. Superiority of another, and to hate him on that account. Do you know Scripture says that for envy. They crucified Christ. They couldn't tolerate that. He was so gifted, so powerful, so obviously the Messiah, that he attracted the attention of the crowds that he had, the thing he had, the aura that they didn't have.
So we need to lay aside envy and all evil speaking. And then here's the positive. He says, once you get rid of these one, two, three, four, five, 5 or 6 things, then we can start fresh as newborn babes. He's speaking metaphorically. He's not talking to AA1 hour old child. He's speaking to us spiritually. God talks a lot to our spirit. We need his spirit to help us understand.
These are spiritual words. He's not talking to an infant at the hospital. He's speaking in the spirit world, which is ethereal. Ethereal means beyond the flesh. It means up in the atmosphere. It means halfway between here and heaven, he says as newborn.
Now, in order to be newborn, you have to be born again, genuinely in the spirit, as newborn babes desire baby's desire when he says, as he's using an illustration, it's a story. Please, I beg you. You have to be able to hear what God is trying to explain, he says.
Just like a newborn baby. Not not the actual newborn baby. But as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word nutrition from the language of God that ye may grow thereby. Where do you grow in your spirit, your soul, your mind, your personality? If so, be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Now why is that all? One sentence. So if we were to summarize it down and put it into simple modern American, it would say, put off five layers of garbage. Develop an appetite for spiritual nutrition. If after once you have tasted of the spiritual goodness in other word, gracious in.
Once you taste something and you love it, then your appetite is even grown more so. The word gracious here means suitable fit for use. Useful if you've tasted that the Lord is gracious, virtuous, a source of virtue. Helpful. Is the Lord helpful? Manageable. That's interesting. Mild. Pleasant as opposed to harsh or sharp or bitter? Pleasant. Kind. Benevolent. Giving something that's able to be received.
You know, what's interesting is most people don't change their opinion until they find someone who presents the position with an excellent disposition, meaning they won't switch from standing over here to standing over there until they have found someone who is over there, who can say it with a good demeanor.
So once we've discovered that the Lord himself is gracious in his delivery, his tone, his compassion, then we have a desire. Then we can grow in our attribute, sorry, in our appetite. If you're still paying attention.
Historical Perspectives
Consider these historical observations that align with today's concept. John Wickliffe, born and lived in the 1300, said, trust wholly in Christ. Rely altogether on his sufferings. Beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by his righteousness.
I added the word his supreme righteousness. He is significantly signature righteousness. The righteousness of Christ is not just normal, human level, tainted, stinky righteousness, but here, I mean, this is a man who obviously was crushed, killed, burned by the Roman mindset.
He says it is strongly advised. Sounds like he's preaching to trust completely. W H O L L Y holy like the whole person with your whole being placed, all of your confidence in Christ rely altogether on his sufferings for your salvation. Beware of seeking to be justified before God by any other way than by the supreme righteousness of Christ.
What does the Holy Spirit witness when you receive such things? What does he say internally? Now here's what the audience might think or say. It sounds like you're attacking tradition. Well, here's a better position.
We're not attacking genuine faith, or sincere believers, or even humble students who have just not really considered before. We are examining systems that might hinder your spiritual development. Is there a better way?
A second answer or an objection might be. Well, I mean, every denomination has some kind of structure that's valid and true. And also there's a significant difference between order and spiritual hierarchy that claims exclusive authority over the truth. Power over the truth is dangerous.
Some will say, well, this sounds divisive. You sound like you just want to argue and you want to be contentious. Christ spoke so lovingly and yet so clearly to the scribes. Notice it's the scribes was his primary audience. What's wrong with being a scribe?
The scribes did not accurately reveal the genuine. Expression of who God was. They were redefining and redefining key concepts of God and holding back from the people the meaning of Scripture. Don't we don't want the Bible in clear language? That was the scribes.
Jesus called out the scribes publicly, compassionately, clearly, and courageously. They're snakes. They're a brood of vipers. So, yes, there's a device, a division. Truth seeking should not be confused with unnecessary contention or division. We are encouraging examination.
We're not trying to condemn people. We're trying to evaluate the validity of a system of belief that was based 700 years. This was founded 700 years before Christ came to earth. The philosophy and the mindset of Rome was deeply entrenched in the Roman religious system is significantly centuries before Christ. That's the enemy.
Catholicism is not the enemy. The Roman influence over Catholicism is the enemy. But what about all the good that Rome has done? Well, Rome might have rebranded. Rome might have got a different haircut. Rome might have started going to the gym and working on personal development. However.
Yes, we can acknowledge historical contributions, the appearance of good with all the schools and all the outreach and the orphanages. And is it wrong to evaluate roots group root structures and their impact on the next world? Faith? Next world faith means I need faith that will get me from this world to the next world.
And my faith needs to find a solid, safe resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever living one. His blood for me shall plead. I need no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me. Sufficient.
It is not Christ plus anything that equals salvation. God himself provided himself as the Savior. He is the ultimate. Pathway, and Satan would love to distract us from placing our full faith and confidence in the Eternal Son to get the job done.
Either Jesus pays the bill or the bill cannot be paid. There's no other currency sufficient or acceptable to the judge above and beyond what the son has already provided. Calvary covers it all, my sin with its guilt and shame, my sin and despair. Jesus took on him there, and Calvary covers it all.
Let's Put a Bow on It
Reaffirming our goal is not attacking, but to awaken curiosity to encourage continuous spiritual growth and development. Children ask continuous questions on purpose because they're growing. We don't want to become a lethargic, contented teenager who is no longer curious to learn the nature of God and the essence of Scripture.
I want to put my head right on the heartbeat of Christ and listen to him, not seven layers of distance between me and my Savior through some system of hierarchy and liturgy. So we don't want to settle in to intellectual and spiritual complacency.
You know, a person is complacent when they just don't have the energy to talk about. I don't want to talk about religion. I don't want to talk about my relationship with God. Oh, it's not a topic of interest. It's not something that's exciting.
So the call here is to be like the noble Bereans of Acts 17, always searching the Scriptures, knowing and growing in the spirit, and then for the purpose of overflow to the blessing of others in useful ministry right alongside Christ, fulfilling his great commission.
So one of the questions to ask, how? How am I working with Christ to fulfill the Great Commission? The alternative is resting. Resting confidence in the flexible, flowing manmade traditions. Let's elect a new guy. He'll be more conservative. The last guy was to a little too edgy.
You know, we're placing our faith on a on a fluid, flexible flotation device rather than the solid rock. The cornerstone, the one who made all the mountains. Why not just trust Jesus? What is so difficult? What? What is causing the resistance?
Rome exalts human thinking in opposition, direct opposition to the Spirit of Christ, which is based on faith, simplicity, clarity, humility. Receive Christ as a little child with no complications. Do not be removed away from the simplicity that is in Christ.
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