The False Security of the Born-Again Sect

David Martin | The Daily Knight

Born-Again zealots always make sure that Jesus Crucified is not on the Cross

In Holy Scripture, St. Paul says, “There shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3)

The sound doctrine of Christ is to embrace and live the Cross of Christ and to do penance for our sins, but instead we have false teachers today who run about luring millions into the deception of presuming on God’s mercy. This heresy has especially taken root in the “born-again” sect, which is grounded in the unwillingness to account for sin. The born-again formula is to simply accept Christ as “personal savior” to secure “being saved” without any need for works, penance, or prayer.

However, this personal savior formula is worthless and unfounded. Nowhere in the Gospel does Christ prescribe such a thing, nor is the term “personal savior” found anywhere in the Bible.

Abstract and Impersonal

The fact is that the born-again religion is very abstract and impersonal. They cry “Lord, Lord,” but they don’t want to see Christ’s pictures, they don’t want to see his face, they don’t want to hear his voice, they refuse to hear his prophets, they refuse to obey his commands, they mock his miracles and saints, they refuse to look at a Crucifix – they want nothing to do with him! They just want to scrap Catholicism and feel “saved” on account of it.

Luther’s definition of “repent” was to protest the Catholic Church and the born-again sect echoes this ideology to the core. What they have fashioned for themselves is a manmade counter-church without spirit – a golden calf.

Luther’s Invention

The born-again idea of unconditional forgiveness was started by Martin Luther. As a secret society initiate, he engaged in lengthy conversations with the devil, which in turn gave birth to his “doctrine on justification.” He referred to the Catholic Church as a “whore” and called the pope a “pig.” He lived a life of adultery and blasphemed Christ by saying:

“Christ committed adultery first of all with the woman at the well… Secondly with Mary Magdalene, and thirdly with the woman taken in adultery.” (Luther’s Works, American Edition, Volume 54, p. 154, Concordia Publishing House.)

With his blackened conscience catching up with him, Luther then invented the idea of “sin and be saved” so that he wouldn’t have to feel accountable for his sins.

Luther’s famous quote to his associate Philip Melanchthon expresses perfectly his doctrine on justification.

"Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly…. No sin will separate us from the Christ, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day.” (From Luther’s letter to Philip Melanchthon, August 1, 1521, LW Vol. 48, pp. 281, 282)

Herein lies the crux of Luther’s doctrine, which forms the basis of the Born-Again religion. According to the born-again “Christians,” one needn’t obey God to be saved since Jesus “already paid the price,” but Jesus didn't die on the Cross so we can sin. He died rather that we may never sin again. He said, "Follow me," he didn't say follow our lusts and passions, or to run after false prophets.

People will argue that Christ is Savior and that only he can save. Christ indeed is the Savior of the world but he won’t save anyone unless they obey him. “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Romans 2:13)

Heaven Gained by Merit

One is justified by works, love, and obedience, not by empty lip service. As Christ says, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6: 46) What Christ requires is obedience and the keeping of his commandments. "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)     

Scripture tells us that Christ will "render to every man according to his works." (Romans 2:6) The Apostle James reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2: 20,26). Christ Himself said that neglecting good works incurs eternal damnation. On Judgment Day He will declare to the negligent:  

“Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me…. And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.” (Matthew 25: 41-43, 46)

Being Born Again is about Being Baptized

Born-again zealots often quote Christ’s words to Nicodemus concerning spiritual rebirth, thinking the Bible is on their side, but their idea of being born again has no scriptural basis. Being born again refers strictly to Catholic Baptism whereby one is cleansed from the guilt of Original Sin. As Christ himself said, “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) Note that the application of water is indispensable. There is no spiritual rebirth without the application of water.

Salvation Granted Only After Death

Being born again (baptized) simply places one on the path to salvation, but to be saved we must “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philip. 2:12) and “persevere to the end.” (Matt. 24:13) There is no “being saved” in this life. Salvation is granted after death.

While the Apostles sometimes refer to our “being saved,” they mean it in the sense of being rescued and brought onboard onto Peter’s Barque, since anyone can fall from grace and be like the dog that “returns to its vomit.” (2 Peter 2:22) St. Paul makes it clear to the Ephesians: 

"Know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. (Ephesians 5:5,6)

Note that the Apostle is speaking to the Ephesians who were baptized (reborn). He warns them not to be deceived, that anyone without exception who offends mortally will not be saved.

He likewise exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage.” (5:1) He says they are “fallen from grace” and “made void of Christ” who return to circumcism and who fall to the works of the flesh (4,5). He identifies the works of the flesh as “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury… sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” and goes on to say ”that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

Again, the Apostle was speaking to those who were reborn, warning that they will lose their salvation if they fall from grace. 

When telling the Apostles about the immediate signs before his Second Coming, Jesus said: "Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36) Quite obviously, they won't be worthy to stand before the Son of Man if they don't prepare themselves.

No Forgiveness Without Forgiving

Still again, Jesus says in the Gospel, “If you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.” (Mt. 6:15) What this means is that if one doesn’t repent of this sin but dies holding a grudge, he will not be forgiven but will be banished from the Kingdom, whether he is reborn or not.

But the born-agains will retort by saying, “Oh no, it doesn’t apply to me because I’m already saved,” but Christ didn’t say that. Under the pretext of honoring scripture, they use the scriptures to advance their contempt of scripture and its Author.

Misunderstanding about the Works of the Law

The born-again group has their pet verses of scripture marked out thinking falsely that they support their ideology, but to them Christ says: “Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of me.” (John 5:39) One of their favorite verses is from Romans.

“By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him… For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.” (Romans 3: 20, 28)

When St. Paul repeatedly tells us that we are not justified by the works of the law, he’s not speaking of good works, which Christ commanded, but is speaking of the ceremonial works of the old Jewish Law where they did circumcism and offered animals in sacrifice. Christ came to do away with all that. The Apostle is simply saying that we’re not justified by being Jew but are justified by being Christian.

One True Church

The Catholic Church is the One Institution of Faith established by Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. The Church is the unwritten word of God while the Bible is the written word, but both are of equal authority and must be accepted by the faithful. St. Paul himself says:

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” (2 Thess. 2:14) That is, whether by our spoken word or by our written word.

Revelation then is twofold, i.e., the Church and the Bible. Faith consists of embracing all that Christ left us yet the protestant-born again sects reject the unwritten word as well as seven canonical books of the Bible, i.e., the six deuterocanonical books and the Epistle of James.

Where is their love of the Bible? Luther’s ‘Bible only’ idea (sola scriptura) was just an excuse to get away from Christ. He was all about protesting Christian morals and then using the Bible to excuse this, which is what the born-agains do. They twist and use scripture to justify their rebellion, but anyone of spiritual sense should understand that looking for excuses for sinning in the Bible is not the way to Heaven.

How is it that they miss this?