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"Teaching God's Word to God's World"
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Mother Teresa
George
L. Faull
Mother Teresa, the
little nun from Calcutta India, will probably be declared a Saint soon, since
the Pope waived the 5-year delay usually required after death in their false
system of Sainthood. There were 300,000
people at her Beatification Mass in October 2003.
However, in her private
journals she wrote, “I want God with all
the power of my soul, and yet between us there is a terrible separation.” “I am told God lives in me and yet reality
of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great, nothing touches my
soul.” “Heaven from every side is
closed.” “I feel just that terrible
loss of God not wanting me, of God not being God, of God not really existing.”
This is how the little
lady felt! She had no feeling of
assurance of God’s love and care or assurance of Heaven and not even of His
existence!!!
Oh, this is so sad! What a pity this little heroine and model to
millions, felt only apprehension, fear, and doubt.
Her environment was a
system of salvation by works rather than grace. Pomp and circumstance, rather
than humility surrounded her superiors.
Tradition reigned, rather than Biblical truth. There was religious politics, rather than simple servant-hood,
bondage, instead of freedom in Christ.
Their emphasis is upon a mere man, rather than the Christ. It is a profit-led Church instead of a
Spirit filled Church. Such religion
cannot possibly satisfy a soul that is hungry for a personal relationship with
God.
Remember the lesson of
this little woman who is considered the epitome of a Christian Saint by the
world. Remember her I say, and weep for
her and the millions who speak of her as Billy Graham and Chuck Colson who both
said of her, “she is my model of holiness.”
Weep for them, as well.
What a contrast to Paul, who said in his waning
days, II Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am
now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” and II
Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless
I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have
believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
Archbishop O’Connor said of Mother Teresa (her birth name is Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu), “If she is not in heaven, then I am really terrified of dying, because of all she did.”
These off-guard words show the mindset of one who believes our good works saves us. The Catholics are putting money into the coffers of Rome trying to expedite the little Nobel Peace Prizewinner through purgatory. Over and over she was listed as one of the most respected women in polls all over the world. The nations of the world have given her their highest commendations. Her own church gave her the Pope John XXII Peace Prize in 1971. Likewise, Protestants extol her from World Vision to Pat Robertson to the Signs and Wonders Conventions. All extol her as a model Christian.
The Catholic view is she must spend time in purgatory to let the fires of purgatory remove the dross of sin that yet remained in her. (As if fire could cleanse what the blood of Christ could not.)
This sounds so different than Romans 5:1-2, “1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
The truth is, however, the little lady held to doctrine that is as foreign to the Bible as purgatory itself.
· She held to the doctrine of transubstantiation where the cup and bread become the literal body and blood of
Christ.
· She believed the mass was the re-crucifixion of Christ.
· She prayed for the dead.
· She believed Mary was co-redeemer with Christ, and continues to make intercession for people.
· She believed Mary was worthy of worship.
· She used the rosary and advocated the reality of purgatory. In fact, the little woman, with all her good deeds,
spoke some of the most blasphemous doctrines ever fostered by her church.
· As noted in another issue, she taught that the sincere of all religions were saved.
I am always amazed at those who advocate that one is saved by faith only also defend Mother Teresa. They say, “Look at all she has done, if she is not saved, then no one is going to be saved.” One wonders why they cannot keep their foot on their own proposition.
First Proposition: One is saved by faith only.
Second Proposition: She is saved because of all her good works.
If someone can harmonize these contradictory
propositions, they never took the same course in logic that I took.
We’re thankful for the help she gave the people
of Calcutta but good works without faith is as dead as faith without
works. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”