The December
8, Electronic Telegraph reported the Pope as saying that
"Heaven is open to all as long as they are good." The Pope was
also quoted as telling an audience that "all of the just on
Earth, including those who ignore Christ and his Church" were
"called upon to build the kingdom of God." Those at Discerning the Times
found these statements greatly disturbing and perhaps prophetic. Sadly,
they are
totally blasphemous and anyone who reads the Bible will find they don't
line up with scripture--Old or New Testament.
Statements like this from the Pope and some
other protestant religious leaders reflect the types of biblical distortions we can expect from the
Antichrist and "False Prophet" spoken of in the book of
Revelation. If nothing else, could the Pope be paving the way for the
"False Prophet's" arrival? There does appear to be a spiritual
darkness in the air and with it the same global push that's pushing the
rest of every area of our lives into a One World Community. It does appear
we are "that close...."
During these "last days" truth
will be thrown to the ground and trampled on. We are warned
in Timothy 3:4-5 that "the time will come when men will not put up
with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather
around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want
to hear. They will turn
their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
To believe that "Heaven is open to all" sooths the consciousness
and deceives those who would believe it into thinking they don’t need
Christ. In fact, deception will be at a
pinnacle as to deceive "the very elect, if that were
possible" (Matthew 24:24). Those words were spoken by the Lord
himself.
It is imperative, now, more than any other
period in history, to know what God's Word really does say because
truth won't be found in the news. In fact, truth won't necessarily be
found in church, depending on where someone
attends: People need to know it for themselves. As it is written in 1 John chapter 4 verse 1 Dear
friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the
world.
What does the Word of God say with regard
to these bold statements made by the Pope? What does the Pope mean
when he says "Heaven is open to all as long as they are good?"
How can he make that kind of statement when Romans 3:10-12 and 23-25
clearly says "There is no one righteous, not even one; ...
there is no one who does good, not even one. For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a
sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to
demonstrate his justice,..." How can men know they need a Savior
if they are led to believe they quite possibly are good enough on their
own merits? These statements are terribly misleading and it is doubly
tragic as so many people look to the Pope for spiritual leadership and
direction.
Contrary to the Pope's message, God's Word
says Heaven is only open to those who receive
Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus, in John 14:6 says "I am the way
and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me." Either Jesus was a megalomaniac nutcase, and none of
His writings should be trusted, or He is telling the truth and should be
obeyed. There is no middle ground. Luke recognized this foundational truth
in Acts 4:12 where he warns, "Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved."
Regardless of what the Pope says, the Bible
makes it clear that every person must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior if they are to go to heaven. Ironically 1 John 22-23 makes the Pope
a liar, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is
the Christ [the Savior]. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the
Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever
acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
These nuggets of truth form the foundation
to the Gospel of Christ and must be the Christian's lamp for the journey
today and in the coming days ahead. The voice of the false prophets and
the coming "false prophet" will grow louder and louder as the
end draws near. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 that
"he who stands firm
to the end will be saved." What that really means is, he who
doesn't let go of the truth of the gospel will be saved. Unfortunately,
that will be the temptation in the coming days: To give up on the Truth
that HE alone is the only way into God's
Kingdom.
