INFORMATION
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Confirmation
Confirmation, besides being one of the sacraments necessary for
salvation, also provides Catholics with other benefits, says the
Catechism:
| "Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the
sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root
us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us
more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the
Church..." Pg. 333, #1316 |
Supposedly, Confirmation incorporates Catholics more firmly
into Christ. But the Bible teaches no such doctrine. According to
God's Word, you are either in Christ or you are not. Being more
firmly incorporated into Christ is never taught:
| "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 |
Once you are born into God's family, there is no person or thing
that can remove you from it:
| "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39 |
A child of God does not need to be more firmly incorporated into
Christ:
| "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Ephesians
2:13
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A spiritual imprint?
Another supposed benefit of Confirmation is that:
| "Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark
or indelible character on the Christian's soul..." Pg.
333, #1317 |
You can search the Bible, but you will not read about the
imprinting of spiritual marks on a Christian's souls. The Catechism
tells us why:
| "The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the
Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of
Confirmation..." Pg. 326 #1288 |
Confirmation is not in the Bible because it's a tradition of men... a
life-long tradition that is to be performed up until the last moment
of a Catholic's life:
| "If a Christian is in danger of death, any priest should
give him Confirmation. Indeed, the Church desires that
none of her children, even the youngest, should depart
this world without having been perfected by the Holy
Spirit with the gift of Christ 's fullness." Pg. 332, #1314 |
The real purpose of Confirmation
The practical result is that this ritual brings people into deeper
bondage to the Catholic church. Surprisingly, the Catechism
admits this:
| "For by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized]
are more perfectly bound to the Church..." Pg. 326
#1285 |
But why would anyone need or want to be bound to the rules of
the Catholic church, considering that Jesus came to set people
free?
| "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be
free indeed." John 8:36 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free..." Galatians 5:1
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Conclusion
Is the man-made Roman Catholic tradition of Confirmation
necessary for salvation?
- God's Holy Word emphatically states, "No!"
- The Catholic church disregards the Bible and insists that it
is.
Who will you believe... the Word of God, or the commandments
of men?
| "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9 |
Understanding Roman Catholicism © 1995 by Rick Jones
Reproduced by permission
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