In Defense of the Faith

The Blood of Jesus Christ Cleanses Us from all Sin

Question: How is it possible for us to be redeemed from our sin? How can we know for certain that we are truly saved?

Response: Matthew:5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
See All... and Hebrews:9:22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
See All... make it clear that we cannot by our own efforts attain to a personal holiness or purity that would qualify us for God’s presence. The Bible tells us that “without the shedding of blood is no remission of [purging of sin].” Moreover, the blood shed must be that of a perfectly pure and sinless sacrifice, making it impossible for a sinner to cleanse himself by suffering for his own sins in purgatory or anywhere else.

We are assured that Christ was the “Lamb of God” (John:1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
See All..., 36) “without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter:1:19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
See All...; see also Exodus:12:5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
See All..., Ezekiel:46:13Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
See All..., etc.). It was by the shedding of His blood alone that we could be purged of our sin. Peter declared, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, [He} the just for [us] the unjust, that he might bring us to God [not to purgatory]” (1 Peter:3:18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
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The false doctrine of purgatory keeps Catholics in bondage, dependent upon their Church and her rituals instead of upon Christ for salvation. As a consequence, the Catholic has no assurance of ever reaching heaven because the Roman Catholic Church can never declare how many Masses must be said for the dead in order to release them from purgatory. If the death of Christ was not sufficient, then who can say that even an infinite number of representations thereof in the Mass will ever bring anyone to heaven?

In fact, there is a fatal deficiency in the Mas. It is called “an unbloody “perpetuation of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. That fact alone robs it of any efficacy. Denying the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice of 1,900-plus years ago a completed past event, the Baltimore Catechism states, “In the Mass Christ continues to offer Himself to the Father as He did on the Cross” but in an “unbloody manner under the appearance of bread and wine.”

Calvary was a very bloody scene. How there could be an unbloody repetition or continuation thereof is not explained. Furthermore, as already noted, the Bible distinctly says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sins]” (Hebrews:9:22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
See All...). Yet the “unbloody” Mass is Catholicism’s means of providing to its members remission of sins—a remission that Christ already accomplished on the Cross and therefore is not needed by those who have come to and trust in Him for salvation.

The Bible says, “And he took the cup…saying…this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed [on the Cross] for many for the remission [purging] of sins. (Matthew:26:28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
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And: “To him [Christi]give all the prophets witness, that…whosoever believeth in him shall receive [as a gift of God’s grace] remission [purging] of sins. (Acts:10:43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
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Contradicting the Bible, Catholicism says that although Christ endured the eternal punishment for sin, we must personally suffer the temporal punishment to become pure enough to enter heaven. Not only does the doctrine of purgatory contradict the Bible, but there is an obvious contradiction within the dogma itself. Christ’s death, it is said, couldn’t purity us because the purification essential for admission to heaven requires us to personally suffer for our sins.

It is also taught that after our death, the celebration of the Masses, the recitation of rosaries, the good deeds and suffering of the living on our behalf (such as the stigmata of a Padre Pio), and other means in obedience to the Church can reduce or even eliminate purgatorial suffering entirely. (Indeed, “Our Lady of Mount Carmel” promises to personally release from purgatory and escort into heaven all those who, having met certain other conditions, died wearing her scapular!

So we see that the faithful Catholic doesn’t have to personally suffer after all! Here is a contradiction so serious that it undermines the entire doctrine of purgatory. Amazingly, what Christ’s redemptive death on the Cross couldn’t accomplish, the repetition of the Mass or rosary, penance, good works, etc., can allegedly accomplish in relieving those in purgatory of the necessity of suffering at all.

In contrast, the Word of God, for those who believe it, gives absolute assurance that the blood of Jesus Christ “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John:1:7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
See All...). No further purification is necessary nor is it possible. Our confidence is in God, in His Word, His promises, but not in any church or religious system, no matter how ancient or large.