Acts 15:18 *Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world*.
*ASIDE SALES OF INDULGENCE: THE FIVE BIG TARGETS* (b)
Martin Luther's reformation was not just against the sales of indulgence but against systemic corruption that plagued the church at that time and the watered down Christianity that was dubbed as orthodoxy.
One may think it was only Martin Luther that spearheaded the reformation. No, he wasn't alone. There were other lieutenants who worked with him, labouring in doctrine and careful study of scriptures to discover the true faith that was once delivered unto the saints.
The second thing on the list of big five heretic practices Martin refuted was:
*ii.The Mass as a “Sacrifice”*
The Roman Catholic Church of his day believed that the priest re sacrifices Christ for the sins of the living and the dead during mass (worship service). This is why Roman Catholics all over the world do not joke with mass.
The theological understanding behind it is that every mass represents another sacrifice of Christ for the sins of mankind and the priest is the facilitator. That is why they revere their priests. They see them as mediators of some kind between man and God. How biblical is this?
Hebrew 10:10 says, *"For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, ONCE FOR ALL TIME*"(NLT).
This is one of the scriptures Luther discovered that made him reject mass as a continuous sacrifice. Christ has sacrificed his life for us on the cross once and for all over 2000 years ago. Why sacrifice again?
The writer of Hebrews wrote against the same thing in verse 11: *"Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins*".
According to Roman Catholic teaching, only bishops and priests have the sacramental power to officially declare forgiveness (absolve sins). This is not what the bible teaches. This is one reason most Catholics all over the world keep going for confession of sins weekly so that the Father can declare them forgiven to be in a state of grace as communicant.
If the confession was meant for the purpose of accountability, that would have been a better deal but that is not the case. The laity believes only priests have the sacramental duty to absolve sins. Isn't that robbing Christ off his shine for his vicarious death on the cross?
*No priest or mass can take sins away but Christ. The death of Jesus is enough for me and you. We need no addition to it. It is Jesus plus nothing. Beware of sacrifices that are presented above the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Jesus is the only one that can absolve you of your sins*.
He told that sinful woman who kissed his feet and rubbed her hair on him:*"...“Your sins are forgiven*”( Lk7:48). The power to forgive sins and declare the sinner forgiven is in Christ only not any priest. You don't need a priest to declare what Christ had declared.
When they brought the paralytic man to Jesus, he said, "your sins are forgiven". The religious people of that day were angry and they charged him for blasphemy. Then he said, *"So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!*”( Mt9:6 NLT)
*Only Christ can forgive sins and declare the sinner forgiven*.
Hebrews10:12 says, *"But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand*".
At the right hand of God where Christ is seated, He is declaring sinners forgiven If they repent and forsake it. The sinner does not need a mass or a confession time for that.
*What organized religion has made hard Christ has made easy*.
Glory be to God. You have a choice to make. Either to keep sacrificing for sins with your own effort or accept the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. You don't need to kneel down before any priest to confess your sins on weekly basis.
The writer of Hebrews says, *"So let us COME BOLDLY to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most*"(Heb4:16 NLT)
We are to come boldly to the throne of grace not to a service or church altar to obtain mercy. Christ seats on that throne of grace and we can obtain the mercy only through him. Why? He lives in us. We are now His temple. He does not live in temples made by human hands.