Are All Catholics Deceived? (Part 1)

Truth always exposes deception. Have you ever realized that you could be deceived and not even be aware of it? Those who are deceived will never know it unless confronted with the truth. Many go to their grave deceived about the most important issue we all face: locating the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Who are you trusting to show you the way and the truth to eternal life? What is your source of truth? Is it absolutely trustworthy? Will it protect you from the schemes and lies of the master deceiver? The prophet Jeremiah gave us wise counsel for choosing whom we should trust. He said if you trust in man, you will be cursed like a bush in the parched places of the desert. But if you trust in God, you will be blessed. You will be like a tree planted by water, always bearing fruit, whose leaves are always green. No worries or fears will come upon you in a year of drought or when the heat comes (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Who will you trust? Many people disregard Jeremiah's advice and put their trust in religious leaders. Catholics believe that the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church accurately teach what Jesus and His Word reveal. This can be a fatal mistake. Those who disregard the objective truth of the Bible and rely only on the subjective teachings of men leave themselves open to deception. We know God would never deceive anyone because He wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (l Timothy 2:3). He gave us His Word so we could know, understand, and believe the truth (John 17:17).

Would the Pope have a person believe what is not true? Maybe not intentionally, but what if he was deceived by previous popes who were also deceived? How do we know if any of the pope's teachings or dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church are true? The only way we can be 100% sure is to do as the Bereans did--check everything with the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). If the Apostle Paul's teaching had to be verified for its truthfulness, it stands to reason we must use the same standard for any religious leader. Unfortunately, the elevation of tradition along with the teachings of popes (which are considered infallible) to the same authority as Sacred Scripture has allowed deception to go unabated in the Roman Catholic Church. Popes and their teachings constantly change, whereas Jesus and His Word are constant and never change.

The Apostle Paul revealed the source of all deception. "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). You may be familiar with some common deceptions taught by religious leaders today: heaven is a reward for those who live good lives...water baptism is necessary for salvation...purgatory purges and removes sin...the sacrifice of the Mass can turn away God's wrath on sinners...God's grace can be earned and purchased. Satan has used lies like these to become the greatest "soul winner" in human history. For two thousand years, the master deceiver has perverted the gospel of salvation by grace. His ferocious wolves, disguised in sheep's clothing, preach counterfeit gospels that seduce people who are ignorant of God's word (Matt. 7:15). A counterfeit Christianity is Satan's ultimate weapon, so he can one day be worshipped as Christ. His worldwide religious system is taking shape, and unfortunately, it includes many people in our churches today.

All this should come as no surprise to those who know the Scriptures, for this scenario was revealed by Christ and the apostles as a warning of things to come. Jesus announced that before His second coming, the deception would be so convincing that even the elect, if possible, might be deceived (Matt. 24:4, 11, 24). The deceit will come from false prophets, false teachers, and false Christs, who will snare people from both inside and outside the church. Peter warned people of spiritual deception, "There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies...and will bring the way of truth into disrepute" (2 Peter 2:1-2).

What is the truth then? That will be explored further in part two of the series set for next week. So come back for the follow-up and a quick summary of the differences between Evangelical Doctrine and Catholic Doctrine.

About the Author: Mike Gendron was a devout Catholic for 34 years before God captured his attention with the truth of His Word. Upon His conversion, he set out to proclaim the true gospel to perishing Catholics. Mike now acts as director of Proclaiming the Gospel (www.proclaimingthegospel.org), a ministry devoted to this same mission. He has also written a book on the subject, titled Preparing for Eternity which you can learn more about by clicking here).