According to today’s online edition of the UK Independent, Pope Francis has made the cross of Christ irrelevant regarding the forgiveness of sins. Here is an excerpt from the article:
“Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.
In addition here is the link to the actual reply by the Pope to La Repubblica:
http://www.repubblica.it/…/the_pope_s_letter-66336961/…
The Pope’s letter is long. While there are many qualifiers and explanations, the point quoted below still stands. It is the work of Christ according to the Scriptures that is the basis of salvation and not the exercise of the conscience.
Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.
“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”
Scripture is clear. The first and best lie of the enemy is that there is more than one way to heaven. There is no greater lie than to strike at the heart of the gospel. Listen to what Jesus says to Thomas in John 14:6:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In the post-modern world there are no absolutes. Sadly, for Pope Francis, this includes what the Bible says about the necessity of faith in Christ. Contrary to what Christ teaches, the Pope has provided another path to forgiveness – obeying your conscience.
This will, no doubt, enhance Francis’ reputation as a “progressive” pope. It will certainly be welcomed by those concerned with political correctness; as the headline for the article states, “You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven.” Francis’ words will be viewed as compassionate, inclusive, and progressive. There is just one problem, they are not the truth.
Prepare your children for the hostile world that awaits them. Believing what the Bible says about salvation is extreme. The stakes are high. Have the courage to teach your children the pure gospel. Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life.
15 thoughts on “The Pope declares Man can save himself”
words fail, it’s another gospel and another Jesus to go with it !
You said that ” as the headline for the article states, “You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven.” ”
The headline for the article on the 13th of Sept 2013 is ”
Pope Francisco writes to La Repubblica:
“An open dialogue with non-believers””
So, did they change the headline?
The letter the pope wrote isn’t that long – it just seems long because he rambles on in an indirect and vague manner. He does not teach plainly, as Christ did. So I wonder if Christ is really in him.
I wanted to not believe the title of your blog post, so I read the article. However, it seems to be accurate. Why else would the pope end a paragraph about Gods forgiveness of unbelievers with the question of whether or not they perform good deeds and actions? He should have just said that “God saves people from Hell if they believe upon Jesus Christ. Unbelievers are going to hell, believers will go to heaven.”
So the choice the pope made, while he makes it in an unclear manner, is clear. He has chosen good works. I can’t believe it!
Apparently, the headline was changed.
oh,so sad that the pope is being deceived himself,what about people whose conscience is seared,im sure this will make him popular to many,but will never affect my belief,
and we will see at the end that man could not save himself!
Dear Sir, The post is not based upon the newspaper report but on the Pope’s own words, which I will post below. The Pope is clear, it is the conscience that makes the difference, not faith or the work of Christ. Here is the Pope’s quote in context from his letter to La Repubblica: “As for the three questions you asked me in the article of August 7th. It would seem to me that in the first two, what you are most interested in is understanding the Church’s attitude towards those who do not share faith in Jesus. First of all, you ask if the God of the Christians forgives those who do not believe and do not seek faith. Given that – and this is fundamental – God’s mercy has no limits if he who asks for mercy does so in contrition and with a sincere heart, the issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience. In fact, listening and obeying it, means deciding about what is perceived to be good or to be evil. The goodness or the wickedness of our behavior depends on this decision. “
I read the entire translation from Italian into English, and without speaking Italian I can only comment on what I read within the translation. I’m not sure the Pope is proclaiming a path to God the Father is threw obeying your conscience or not because he is not very clear about fait in what as a means of salvation. To me it seems he is talking a great deal about Christ Jesus’ actions have provided a means to the loving relationship available in God. I’m left with an uncertainty in this translation if that relationship to God is granted by “Faith in Christ Jesus alone” and His atonement. Or if Christ has provided a means or a door or a faith where by works (following Jesus’ example) that gives man a means to travel under his own steam to a relationship with God.
An obvious flaw in the statement “The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.” is that obeying your conscience is not a means to God’s salvation, it is a means to death and separation from God; “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”
If obeying your conscience was a means to salvation then Islamic martyrs who kill dozens of people in the name of their faith are no less loving than Christ Jesus who died on the cross to save them from their sins.
God clearly teaches the conscience and heart of man is corrupted and not to be trusted. This is one reason why Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except ‘through me’.” ; because He, Christ Jesus the Lord and only Savior, knows man’s conscience will lead him astray.
We all knew this was coming sooner or later. Jesus Christ is my Lord! End of discussion.
Youre right, hes trying to be a “New Age, POPE! Hes a false prophet.Hes trying to please man and not God!
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Acts 5;29
Galatians 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
This is what the Pope actually said:
the issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience.
I linked to the Pope’s entire response in the post. These words apparently are what the Pope believes but they are not consistent with Scripture. No attempt to be unkind – just accurately review what was actually said. Hope this helps.
What are to do is to reach out with biblical truth, not a new doctrine of salvation by virtue of what our conscience believes. This is what the Pope said:
The issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience.
The Pope said, “the issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience.”
Biblically, the issue for who do not believe is the saving work of Christ demonstrated by faith and repentance.
Incredible! And because the pope said so, 1000’s of weak faithful will be swallowing it hook, line and sinker. This is just a clear indication of the “falling away” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 gaining great momentum.
I believe the writer of this article has completely misunderstood the pope’s statement. I am a former Catholic, but I have to agree with what He said about the conscience leading one to do what is right and ultimately to Jesus. He states, “God’s mercy has no limits if you go to Him with a sincere & contrite heart.” I think that he is saying that sinners must come to Christ, even if they do not ultimately embrace the Catholic Church.
By making obedience to the conscience the key issue for those who do not believe, the Pope shifts dependance from Christ to man. It may be awkwardly worded, It may contradict other things he has said. But the words themselves do in fact say that man can save himself by virtue of obeying his conscience.
In plain english we are to believe in God and the ONLY way to Him is through Christ!! We have to stop trying to be politically correct and worrying about what others are thinking and saying and worry about what God is seeing and hearing and what He is going to do about it!!