The Mindset of Catholicism Permeating Evangelicalism

by Richard Bennett 

Many Evangelicals in our day know little of what the true Gospel really is. As a result, many New Evangelicals have embraced Roman Catholic ways of thinking. On May 30, 2004, the New York Times carried news of the alliance called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (ECT) showing it as a movement that is changing the face of Christianity. Timothy George, a former leading Reformed man of the Founders Movement, fully endorsed ECT. He has also written about ECT and has endeavored to implement its theology.

The first and foundational mindset of Papal Rome is the acceptance of their tradition as being equivalent to Scripture. Officially, the Vatican states, “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.” [1] In practice, more and more New Evangelical churches work from a similar basis. These churches are flooded with strategies borrowed from tenets of psychology and methods of the business world to make up for what they see as an insufficiency of Scripture. Thus, the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture is undermined by the presupposition that the Bible is insufficient in our postmodern culture. In these churches, experience is treasured over the absolute truth of Scripture. Assent is given to belief in the Scripture; however, the New Evangelical standard line that doctrine is not necessary because it is divisive negates this belief. The traditions of New Evangelical churches are different than Rome’s. The mindset, however, is basically the same. To answer both, we proclaim what the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “the Scripture cannot be broken,” “Sanctify them by thy truth: Thy word is truth.” [2] God’s Word not only contains the truth but also is truth itself. This is consistent with the declarations throughout the Old Testament in which the Holy Spirit continually proclaimed that the revelation from God is truth. The Lord identified truth with the written Word. There is no source other than written Scripture alone to which the statement, “thy word is truth.” can apply. On that source alone, the Scripture is the believer’s standard of truth.

Rome’s Mindset on the Moral Status of Man

The mindset especially evident in Catholicism is its teaching on the moral condition of the individual needing reconciliation with God. Papal Rome officially teaches,

• “ … Nevertheless man has been wounded by sin. He finds by experience that his body is in revolt. His very dignity therefore requires that he should glorify God in his body, and not allow it to serve the evil inclinations of his heart… When he is drawn to think about his real self he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God who probes the heart awaits him, and where he himself decides his own destiny in the sight of God.” [3]

The Vatican stresses it is due to an individual’s own human dignity that one comes to decide one’s own destiny in the sight of God. This mindset is now common with New Evangelicals. For them, man is free and able to obey, repent, and believe. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association expresses it in the following words, “Man is in sin, rebellion, and separation from God, yet he is still able to obey, repent, believe, and “invite Jesus Christ to come in and control [his] life.” [4] Also the evangelistic organization called “NavPress,” a division of The Navigators, states the same claim in the words, “Everyone must decide individually whether to receive Christ.” [5] How this is lived out is repeatedly seen. For example, Charisma magazine reported, “Since February 2007, the pastor of Revival Ministries International…has taken his Great Awakening Tour...mobilizing churchgoers to evangelize their communities. So far, the ministry has registered more than 950,000 decisions for Christ.” [6] Thus New Evangelicals, presupposing the moral capability of a person to choose Christ for salvation, keep statistics just like in the sports world where statisticians count goals, home runs, and touchdowns. New Evangelicals have a fascination to count and make known the number of so-called free-will decisions for Christ for which they themselves were responsible. In contrast, the Scripture states clearly the moral condition of a person before conversion, “and you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” [7] Because of Adam’s sin, mankind is born spiritually dead.  Scripture unequivocally lays bare the unsaved person’s heart, “As it is written, ‘there is none righteous, no, not one:  there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.” [8] This is totally opposite to the mindset of Papal Rome and of modern evangelistic associations. If we are genuine Christians, it is because God chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world. [9] He freely chose us, not because He foresaw that we would believe, but because it pleased Him to choose us. Thus, all the glory and praise belong to Him alone. We have no ground for boasting about free-will decisions because we have all “believed through grace.” [10] Our coming to faith in Jesus Christ is solely by grace, “otherwise grace is no more grace.” [11]

Rome’s Mindset on Internal Righteousness

On being right with God, the Vatican teaches that justification is internal … within the heart of the individual. Thus, she teaches, “Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy.” [12] Papal Rome’s teaching that a person is “inwardly just” is the opposite of what Scripture consistently teaches. Scripture teaches that a believer’s justification is solely in Jesus Christ. [13] As for example, the Apostle Paul declared, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” [14] Nonetheless, many New Evangelicals have accepted the mindset of Papal Rome that our right standing with God is within ourselves. The New Evangelicals hold this presupposition because they believe that salvation is a result of an individual’s self-initiated, personal decision and desire to invite Jesus Christ to come into his or her heart. Thus, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association states,

• “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you.  Picture, if you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in; He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life.” [15]  

There is another well-known evangelistic ministry that claims that “New Birth” comes into a person’s life by invitation. They state, “When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth. We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation. [Christ speaking] ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.’” [16] However, new birth in Scripture is totally the work of the Holy Spirit and not by the invitation of a person. The Lord Himself proclaimed, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [17] What He calls “born again” He explains as, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” [18] True believers are, “…born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” [19] The Spirit of God’s unique work in applying Christ’s redemption to the sinner is utterly clear and profound. In spite of the clarity of Scripture, that “it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing,” [20] Papal Rome and much of the Evangelical world believe in sacraments and empty rituals. The “new birth” is called the turning point in the Evangelical ritual. However, in most cases in the Evangelical world, there is no real difference morally before and after the new birth experience.

In the New Evangelical world, the term “carnal Christian” is applied to those who have completed the procedure or ritualistic invitation but whose lives have not changed. Here the New Evangelicals go a bit beyond the Catholics, for it is claimed that “carnal Christians” have simply made Christ their Savior and need not make Him their Lord. This rationale is absurd, as no one makes Christ either Savior or Lord!

The Scripture proclaims the good news, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened.” [21] The location of the Catholics’ salvation is in their good works, starting with infant baptism, balanced against their bad deeds. The location of the New Evangelicals’ salvation is in their own good works, starting with their invitational rituals. In contrast, the location of a believer’s salvation is totally secure and totally glorious; it is in Christ, the Beloved. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.” [22] The supreme and conclusive purpose is immediately added, that all is to the glorious praise of His abundant grace. In scorning God's grace New Evangelicals, similar to Catholics in adding their good works to the salvation message, have attempted to rob the glory of salvation from the Lord God Almighty. Biblically speaking, all that is necessary to secure our salvation is found in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. There is a completion in Him that leaves nothing wanting; as Scripture proclaims, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. [23] Earlier in His ministry Jesus had stated, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” [24] And, we hear Christ speak from the cross, “It is finished.” [25] And what was the will of His Father? “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” [26]

Rome’s Influential Mindset on Use of Images

The Church of Rome encourages the making and use of images. Idolatry was taken very seriously during the history of the Christian Church. There were very few images in the Church before the fourth century. The debate on images became prominent in the “iconoclastic controversy” of the eighth century, resulting in the Second Council of Nicea, which approved of pictures being kissed and honored in churches (787 A.D.). The Second Council of Nicea is reaffirmed in the present-day Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Officially, the Vatican states,

• “The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. [27] Indeed, the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype, and whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it. The honor paid to sacred images is a ‘respectful veneration,’ not the adoration due to God alone.” [28]  

Thus, we see that they have clearly stated that God now approves image worship because the honor rendered to the image passes to its prototype. Indeed, in the same passage the Catechism states,

• “Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.” [29]  

The basis for the Roman Catholic Church’s claim that idol worship does not countermand the commandment on idolatry is that, “…in the old Testament, God ordained or permitted the making of images that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate Word: so it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim.” [30] In citing the bronze serpent, the Ark of the Covenant, and the cherubim, the Catholic Church has made a serious error—for these items were neither images of God nor touted to be so. Since the Second Commandment was in force, clearly the Israelites were not to use the bronze serpent as an object of idolatrous worship, which later generations did, and for this reason King Hezekiah destroyed it. [31]

The Catechism, however, continues to expand on the idea that images of “Jesus” point “symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate Word.” But their argument fails to comprehend that God does not contradict Himself, so that making and bowing down—which means essentially rendering honor or “veneration”—to images representing the Divine is still forbidden. Under the rubric of an historical authority for their position, they state,

• “Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicea (787) justified…the veneration of icons—of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new ‘economy’ of images.” [32]

This paragraph of the Catechism stands in direct opposition to the Apostle Paul’s preaching to the Athenians on Mars Hill on the very issue of idolatry—an incident that happened years after the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle stated, “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent….” [33] These post-Incarnation idolaters were commanded by God to repent of their idolatry and believe the Gospel. However, the Catholic authorities count their human rationalization of greater authority than God’s written Word. The Apostle Paul also explained how idolatry corrupts a man when he foolishly starts using images to represent God, in fact, describing how idolaters, including the idol-makers, have corrupted the world, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” [34] In fact, the Apostles went everywhere preaching that God sent His Son to save the world from sin, including from idolatry and its consequences. The Apostle Paul states very clearly that the Lord Jesus Christ is now no more known after the flesh. [35] The Apostles, although having seen the Lord Jesus, never described what He looked like. They proclaimed what He said and what He did. They emphasized His death and resurrection, explaining what those events mean and how we must believe on His death and resurrection to be saved. They taught people that Christ Jesus is the image of God in heaven. This is because God is only bodily portrayed in Christ Jesus the Lord, who is “the express image of his person.” [36] The entire nature and character of God is shown forth perfectly in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is made clear by what the Apostles taught the Church.

Idolatry Paraded as Christian 

In spite of the clarity of Scripture, the Evangelical camp, to a very great extent, accepts Papal Rome’s mindset on the use of idolatry. Images of Christ are widely used in some Evangelical circles. In promoting expression of subjective experience rather than sound teaching of biblical doctrine, new modes of teaching are required. Pictures communicate the message that Christ is other than the biblical God who cannot be pictured. Some Evangelical churches base evangelism, education, and worship upon those forbidden pictures, i.e., the ‘JESUS’ film, concocted pictures of Jesus, flannel graph’s storytelling techniques, etcetera. For example, “The Jesus Film project,” a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, states the following,

• “Since 1979 the ‘Jesus’ film has been viewed by several billion people all across the globe, and has resulted in more than 225 million men, women and children indicating decisions to follow Jesus. Based on the Gospel of Luke, the ‘Jesus’ film has now been translated into more than 1,050 languages, with a new language being added nearly every week. This brings God’s Word to people in more than 220 countries in languages they know and understand.” [37]

Sunday school curricula associate a man-made picture of “Christ” as being the Lord. The pictures become accepted as a portrayal of Christ; they become the Christ in the minds of many. This has laid the groundwork for an unbiblical, ecumenical church in which anyone who has accepted “that Christ” is a Christian. Almost any concept of Christ becomes acceptable. Then the pictures become a symbol to unite churches from a wide variety of unbiblical doctrines. Doctrine is subverted, authority wrested from the Bible.

Besides this, in so-called Christian bookstores and across the Internet, pictures and photographs of Jesus and Mary are marketed. For example, you read,

• “In this website you will find many photographs depicting Jesus and the Virgin Mary. They were collected on the web and they're allegedly authentic, it is a miraculous phenomenon occurring worldwide. Every photograph is accompanied by a brief description and the link to the source site where it was found. Click on photographs to bring up a larger version.” [38]

The Emerging church movement has worked together with the Papal system to change society using among other things icons and images. A conference was held for that purpose in March 09. [39] Thus, the conference website recommended the use of icons in order to bring a person into communication with God.

In these types of imaginary knowledge, people consign a foundation (basis) for a pantheistic concept of “god” in society. It is no wonder that civilization is being ravaged by such forbidden representations of Christ. The Word of God has been replaced with subjective feelings and a pagan practice. Many believers across the world could be lulled into a mystical-ecumenical, fantasy world. St. Peters in Rome, Notre Dame in Paris, Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in California, and the multitude of Emergent churches are really like a Disney World in the field of religion. While in the world, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are meant to be set apart from the world, and not be part of it. [40] The Holy Spirit strongly warns of the apocalyptic consequences of these deceptions, and of the judgment of those who promote lies in the name of God. [41] Thus, many Evangelicals demonstrate an ignorance of the meaning of the Second Commandment, which forbids using images to represent God.” [42] This commandment prohibits the creation and use of graven images. It essentially brings to mind that God is a Spirit, not to be conceived of or fashioned in man’s image, or any other creature. In the book of Deuteronomy, the Second Commandment is further explained, “And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice… Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female….” [43] What is forbidden is the similitude of God Himself. No similitude of the Divine was given to the people and none was to be made. In the New Testament, we see that no “similitude” of Christ Jesus was given, and the commandment must remain unabridged. Any similitude or image of Father, Son, or Holy Spirit is sinful and insulting to the majesty of the Lord God.

Many Evangelicals are on the Roman road of idolatry, oblivious to the fact that they parallel it alongside the Greek Orthodox route. [44] God forbids the making of a likeness of anything to represent Him. Therefore, it is a transgression of God’s law to make a “representation” or “semblance” of anything in heaven, or upon the earth, to delineate God. He calls those who break this commandment “those who hate me,” [45] and those who keep the commandment, “those who love me.” [46] Punishment for iniquity is promised to the transgressors, while blessing is pledged to its adherents. From God’s perspective, idolatry is spiritual adultery; so with the indignant reaction of a betrayed husband, He continues, “for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” [47]

Our Response 

The leaders of major Evangelical institutions have openly joined in company with the Roman Catholic Church in false ecumenical movements such as “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” It appears that the Lord is now abandoning much of the Evangelical leadership to the consequences of their corrupt and anti-biblical opinions. Over the past fifty years, they have ignored clear, biblical teaching. [48] Because they have laid aside the Gospel, they no longer recognize their crafty enemy of old. They also no longer study church history from the pens of Reformed historians. Rather, much of history, i.e., the six hundred years during which the papacy inflicted the horrors of their murderous Inquisition on millions of Bible believers throughout Europe, has been whitewashed by revisionist historians of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. [49] When the Inquisition was finally disassembled in Spain and Portugal in 1808, the papacy lost its ability to coerce people to bow to its sacraments and its dictates. However, the papacy was not, and is not, finished.  In the early 1970’s, its new strategy in the form of the documents of Vatican Council II was made available to the general public. The papacy’s new tactic for drawing Bible believers back into Roman Catholicism was spelled out in goals and rules of dialogue. Bible believers, who in former times were called heretics, are now to be termed “separated brethren.” The method of incremental advances into Bible–believing churches was to be by means of “dialogue,” the purpose of which is clearly stated by the Catholic Church,

• “Dialogue is not an end in itself…it is not just an academic discussion.” [50] Rather, “…it serves to transform modes of thought and behavior and the daily life of those communities [non-Catholic churches]. In this way, it aims at preparing the way for their unity of faith in the bosom of a Church one and visible: thus ‘little by little, as the obstacles to perfect ecclesial communion are overcome, all Christians will be gathered, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, into the unity of the one and only Church which Christ bestowed on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, dwells in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose….” [51]

Modern evangelicals, at ease in Zion, have neglected to read these Vatican Council II documents. They have preferred to have fellowship with “the unfruitful works of darkness,” [52] which is unmistakably manifest in ecumenical apostasy.  Continued dialogue and discourse with the Roman Catholic Church is becoming their undoing. [53] In sanctioning the Roman Catholic system as “Christian,” and accepting her major mindsets, they have publicly denied the distinctive character of the worship, service, and salvation of the one true and living God of the Bible. Now, sadly, this false ecumenism is rapidly advancing even though there are a few fearless Christian leaders who are strongly taking a stand against it. In this regard, we urge you to make your voice heard through preaching and teaching, as well as across the Internet.

In our own time, it can be shown quite easily that most church attendees in Evangelical churches cannot state correctly what biblical “justification by faith” means. This appalling lack of biblical knowledge and understanding makes one very concerned for the salvation of many. Therefore, we have the need for this conference on, “Reviving the Lost Art of Evangelistic Proclamation.” Our strategic response to the mindset of Papal Rome, and much of evangelicalism, has to be by means of the true Gospel. To refute the mindset that goes beyond the Scriptures for its authority, we come back to the very mindset of the Lord and the Apostles. As the Lord proclaimed, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” [54] The Apostle Paul summarized the same principle, as he declared, “The gospel…I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” [55]

Though incredibly contradictory to Scripture, Papal Rome’s major mindset is that mankind is basically good; that he is able to know and love God, as when it officially states, “...For sacred Scripture teaches that man was created ‘to the image of God,’ as able to know and love his creator….” [56] As we have seen, this same mindset is now widespread with New Evangelicals. For them, man is free, and able to obey, repent, and believe. The boasting of goodness within the human heart is refuted by the mindset of the Lord as He withstood the Pharisees. He declared, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” [57] As a corrupt fountain sends out corrupt streams, so does the corrupt human heart send forth corrupt reasoning, corrupt passions, wicked words, and actions. The Apostle Paul summarized the state of spiritual death of mankind as “being dead in your sins….” [58] As the physical death of the body means “its separation from the soul,” so the spiritual death of the soul consists in its “separation from God.” A man who is spiritually dead is totally unable to help himself; thus, all human beings are morally, and totally, helpless. Only those persons who realize that they are sinful and spiritually dead seek the Savior who came “to save that which was lost.” [59] Biblically, it is not a question of being basically good, but of being spiritually dead! As the Apostle also wrote, “there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” [60] Christ Jesus, alone, paid the ransom for His people’s sin, “...when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” [61] Not only has the Lord Jesus Christ fully paid the satisfaction required by His Father for the totality of a person’s sin, but when one is placed in Him by God, Christ’s righteousness is credited to that person, as Scripture explains so clearly, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” [62]

The Roman Catholic mindset that purports to justify idolatry is perhaps the most lethal of her presuppositions. Officially, the mindset is claimed in these words,

• “Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicea (787) justified…the veneration of icons - of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new ‘economy’ of images.” [63]   

The Lord God’s standard in His written Word proclaims that the Lord God cannot be pictured; i.e., portrayed in images. The law of God forbids making images or likenesses to represent God. This law teaches us eternal truths about the nature of God, in His holy nature, cannot be visualized. The Creator is not like the creation in His essence; the creation is not like the Creator in its essence.  God is not the same kind of being as the beings of the universe. However, a picture of “God” communicates the idea that God and the image in the picture are the same kind of being. [64] To rationalize that icons escape this prohibition because it is only Christ’s humanity that is being portrayed, not his divinity, strips Christ’s humanity away from his divinity, thus portraying a false Christ. The Scripture makes God’s position on this matter abundantly clear; He forbids a representation in art of what is divine. [65] Making images to represent God corrupts those who use them. [66] Images cannot teach truth about God; they only teach lies about God. [67] The sovereign God should not be represented in art, and all who practice idolatry are commanded to repent. [68] In the New Testament, as in the Old, the Holy Spirit orders, “little children, keep yourselves from idols.” [69]

Thus, our strategic response in the Gospel of Christ stands firm. The absolute sovereignty of God is the great battering ram against the mindsets of Papal Rome and the evangelical boasting of men, which we have documented. By nature, we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” [70] and in practice, we rebel against the All Holy God. We were justly exposed to the curse of the Law. Yet, the love of the heavenly Father, in the Gospel of grace, rescued us from His fiery indignation. By His grace, we turn to Him in faith alone for the salvation that He alone gives, from the conviction placed on the human heart by the Holy Spirit. This salvation is based on Christ’s death and resurrection for His own, and belief on Jesus Christ the Lord alone, “for by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” [72] Such grace and love engages our hearts in an ever–deepening gratitude so that we proclaim with our whole heart, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.  Amen.” [72]

Notes

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) Para 82
2. John 10:35; John 17:17
3. Vatican Council II No. 64, Gaudium et Spes, Vol. I, Sec. 14, p. 915 (emphasis added)
4. Steps to Peace with God” pamphlet, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
5. “Bridge to Life” pamphlet by NavPress 1969 NavPress is a division of The Navigators
6. http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/20728-nearly-1-million-saved-in-great-awakening-tour
7. Ephesians 2:1
8. Romans 3:10-11
9. Ephesians 1:4
10. Acts 18:27
11. Romans 11:6
12. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Liguori Publications, 1994 Para. 1992. (Emphasis added)
13. Psalm 32:2, 71:15-16, 130:3; Isaiah 45:24-25, 54:17, 61:10; Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16, 51:10; Daniel 9:24; Luke 18:14; Romans 1:17, 3:21-22, 4:6, 11, 5:18-19; I Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 2:10, 3:3; II Peter 1:1, and elsewhere.
14. II Corinthians 5:21
15. From, “How to Know That Christ Is in Your Life” posted on the Billy Graham Website in 2004
16. http://www.ccci.org/wij/index.aspx 6/9/2009  The text further states that you receive Christ by faith, an act of your will.
17. John 3:3
18. John 3:6
19. John 1:13
20. John 6:63
21. Colossians 2:13
22. Ephesians 1:6
23. Colossians 2:10
24. John 4:34
25. John 19:30
26. John 6:40
27. The Catholic Church puts the first two commandments of the Decalogue together but splits the commandment on covetousness into two parts.
28. Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), Para. 2132 (emphasis added)
29. Ibid.
30. Catechism, Para. 2130
31. II Kings 18:3-4 They use the same logic regarding the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubim.  
32. Catechism, Para. 2131 (emphasis added)
33. Acts 17:29-30
34. Romans 1:22-25 (emphasis added)
35. II Corinthians 5:15-16
36. Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
37. http://www.jesusfilm.org/ 6/10/2009
38. http://jesusphotos.altervista.org/ 6/10/2009 (emphasis added)
39. http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/conferences/emer/  1/8/2009
40. John 17:14-15
41. II Thessalonians 2:5-12
42. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” Exodus 20:4-6
43. Deuteronomy 4:12-16
44. The Greek Orthodox honor and kiss icons.  These are pictures and not statues.  They state “use of icons was defended and upheld at the Seventh Ecumenical Council.  The end of that council is still celebrated as the ‘Triumph of Orthodoxy’ in today, and icons remain a central part of Orthodox faith and practice.” http://www.factindex.com/e/ea/eastern_orthodoxy.html
45. Exodus 20:5
46. Exodus 20:6 
47. Exodus 20:5
48. This is fully documented in Evangelicalism Divided by Iain Murray
49. See the Berean Beacon’s DVD on the Inquisition on the Internet at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx8PdvOELvY
50. Post Vatican Council II Document No. 42, “Reflections and Suggestions Concerning Ecumenical Dialogue,” 15 August 1970, Sect.  VI, Part 3, p. 549
51. Ibid. Sect.  II “Nature and Aim of Ecumenical Dialogue”, p. 541
52. Ephesians 5:11
53. See “The Alignment of New Evangelicals with Apostasy” by Richard Bennett.  http://www.bereanbeacon.org
54. Matthew 4:4
55. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
56. Vatican Council II Document No. 64, Gaudium et Spes, 7 Dec. 1965 Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World   Vol. I, Sect. 12, p. 913  
57. Mark 7:21-23
58. Colossians 2:13
59. Luke 19:10
60. Romans 3:10-11
61. Hebrews 1:13
62. II Corinthians 5:21
63. Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) Para 2131
64. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”  Romans 1:22-23 
65. Exodus 20:4-6
66. Deuteronomy 4:13, 15-16
67. Habakkuk 2:18-20
68. Acts 17:29-30
69. 1 John 5:21
70. Ephesians 2:1
71. Ephesians 2:8, 9
72. Romans 11:36