It is a fact that man needs to be redeemed from his sinful state, but it is also a Biblical fact that Christ "alone" is the Redeemer. Once God convicts the sinner that he needs a Redeemer, Satan's tactic is to cloud the doctrine of Redemption by offering other Redeemers than Christ. One of the most common counterfeit redeemers is found in the worship of the Virgin Mary. In "Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma" (St. Louis: B. Herder, 1962), a textbook used in Catholic seminaries, we are told:

"If anyone does not recognize the Holy Mary as the Mother of God, he is separated from Divinity." (p. 197)

"Mary, just like Christ, was from the beginning of her existence, free from all sin." (p. 201)

"She was immune from all sin, personal or inherited." (p. 203)

"It is argued that as Mary had an intimate share in Christ's battle against Satan and His victory over Satan and sin, she must also have participated intimately in His victory over death." (p. 209)

"Mary is the Mediatrix of all graces by her intercession in Heaven. Since her assumption into Heaven, Mary co-operates in the application of the grace of Redemption to man. She participates in the distribution of grace by her maternal intercession ..." (p. 213)

"Mary's intercessory co-operation extends to all graces, which are conferred on mankind, so that no grace accrues to men, without the intercession of Mary, ... according to God's positive ordinance, the redemptive grace of Christ is conferred on nobody without the actual intercessory co-operation of Mary." (p. 213)

"Mary was given as a mother to all the redeemed. ... by her powerful intercession, should procure for her children in need of help all graces by which they can attain eternal salvation. ... Nobody can achieve salvation except through thee ... O Most Holy One [Mary]. ... God wished that we had nothing, except by the hands of Mary. ... [Mary], the universal dispenser of all riches." (p. 214)

     These are the truths that the Catholic leadership are taught, that Mary was born sinless, that Mary must be the means through which we come to Grace in Jesus, that without worship of Mary we are yet lost and undone. Catholicism even places Mary on the Cross with Jesus as one who "stood in battle" with Him against Satan, and helped the Son make atonement (the purchase price) for our sins.  "We defy you" to find any Scriptural proof of these absurd claims. I can say I'm Messiah, or that Mary is co-Messiah, but saying it doesn't make it so. Unless it is said in the Scripture, it is only something we made up - " a lie! "

     The truth is simpler. Satan, in order to deceive man from accepting what Jesus did on the Cross (the Atonement), contrived a way to cause man to put his faith in someone other than Christ. You see, if you believe in someone other than Christ, believe someone else will get you to Heaven, then you are totally lost.

     Centuries ago the Catholic Church practiced a method of evangelization called "assimilation" where they forced people into the Church. These people entered the Church (many out of fear for their lives) but entered in an unsaved state carrying their pagan ways with them. Semiramis of Babylon, Aphrodite of Greece, Venus of Rome - Cyprus, not to mention Astarte - all pagan gods - were raised to divinity. So great was the devotion to Semiramis, not merely by the Babylonians, but throughout the ancient world in general, that the fame of the exploits of Semiramis has cast even Nimrod into the shadow. She was called "The hope of the world."

     The teachings of Semiramis, Venus, Aphrodite, and Astarte have, no doubt, become obscure over time, but not beyond research for those interested in Religious History. Their son's births were boldly declared to be miraculous; and therefore she was called "Alma Mater" "the Virgin Mother." Even the Buddhist priests had a tradition that a Virgin was to bring forth a child to bless the world (Asiatic Researches, vol. X. p. 27).  Jesuit missionaries were surprise when they entered Thibet and China and found a mother and a child worshipped as the Romish Church did. They reported that of their own Madonna, "Virgo Deipara," "the Virgin mother of God," (Sir J. F. Davis's China, Vol. II. p. 56) - saying accounts sent home of the sacred books of the Chinese spoke not merely of a Holy Mother, but of a Virgin Mother, (p. 235).  Likewise, this was in regions where they could not find the "least trace of either the name or history of the Lord Jesus Christ" having ever been known. (Parson's Japhet, pp. 205).

     What this means is that you must throw away your preconceptions, your idols, your ideology and look to the Scripture alone! You can believe in Mary and still go to hell, for Mary did not atone for your sins.  What does the Scripture say? Who is the Atoner, Mary and Jesus or Jesus alone?

II Corinthians 5:14-15 "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."

     The Scripture clearly states that "One died for all", and that One is Jesus Christ. Mary was not on the Cross with Jesus. Mary, good woman that she was, was not sinless as our Lord was, but was in the slave market of sin with the rest of us. Jesus died "for all", for the entire world (including Mary), and His heroic work was not shared by anyone else. He, and He alone atoned for our sins (Hebrews 12.3; 1 Timothy 2.6; 4.10; 2 Peter 2.1; 1 John 2.2).

     How effective was the atonement of Christ?  It was so effective that it was immediately applied to every human being on the face of the earth, and on all who would ever live on the face of the earth for all eternity. Look at the final Judgment, the Great White Throne of God:

Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

     At the Great White Throne Judgment of God all unsaved humanity stand before the throne to be judged for entrance into Heaven. Note that God first opens the "Book of Life" to see whose name is written in it. Those who accepted Jesus Christ as Savior have their names written in that Book, whereas those who rejected Him and died are not written there. Their names are blotted out of His Book of Life. This Book is frequently mentioned by God in Scripture:

Exodus 32:32-33 "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book."

Psalms 69:27-28 "Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous."

Revelation 13:8 "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

     All people, at physical birth, have their name entered into the Book of Life showing their "potential" to have eternal life with God in Heaven. To keep your name in that Book you must accept the Atonement of Christ, accept Jesus Christ alone as your personal Lord and Savior. If you do not, then at death your name is "blotted out" of this Book. When you stand before the Great White Throne of God, He first opens the Book of Life. If your name is in that Book you are saved - not because of what you did, but because of the atonement of Christ on the Cross. But if your name is missing, then God looks in "The Books" . These are the "Books of Works" where God examines your life on earth to see if you have lived "good enough" to get into Heaven. When your works are compared with the infinite holiness of God, they just don't stack up, and by your very works you are condemned to the Lake of Fire.

     This is so very sad because, if you'll read the context of Revelation 20 carefully you'll see that sin is not the issue at this Great White Throne Judgment. No where does it say, "God examines your sins", but instead "God examines your works". You see, God is infinitely just, and Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world on the Cross. His Atonement was unlimited, universal. Since Jesus paid the penalty for your sins, God will not examine your sins at the Great White Throne. No, He examines your "works". He compares your "works" to His infinite righteous and holy Heaven, and your human "works" just don't measure up. By your works you are damned, though, sadly, your sins were paid for.

     How sad to win the grand prize in a contest, and yet lose the prize because you fail to accept it! How sad to win a million dollars on the lottery, yet refuse to claim that winning because you just didn't believe!

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

     Mary will not save you - her name has not the power. You cannot save you - you did not hang on the Cross, Jesus did. Your Church cannot save you, nor can your good works. Your mother's prayers may drive you to repent, but unless you repent calling on the name of Jesus you will be eternally damned. The one unpardonable sin that Christ could not save you from was the sin of rejecting His payment, His atonement on the Cross (John 3.36).

II Corinthians 5:21 "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."

Psalms 22:1 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"

     Jesus Christ went to the Cross sinless, perfect, willing to atone for our sins. The physical suffering of the Cross, though terrible, was nothing compared to the spiritual suffering. As Jesus hung on the Cross God placed the sins of mankind on Him.

     Remember that time you lied? On Jesus. Remember when you sexually satisfied yourself with someone who was not your spouse? On Jesus. Remember when you stole or shoplifted? On Jesus. Remember when you got drunk? On Jesus. Remember that party the other night, the drugs, the debauchery? On Jesus. The murders, the rapes, the arrogance, the pride, the cultic worship, the child abuse, the unkind thoughts, the greed, the avarice, the hatred, the name calling, the disrespect and outright disobedience? All on Jesus. The strain of this weight caused our Lord to literally scream out to the Father, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?". Christ was reduced to screaming, Satan thought He had won - then He rose again on the third day!

Colossians 2:13-15 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

     By His crushing we wear the robes of royalty, we are the Children of God by adoption if we have accepted what He did for us. Jesus atoned for our sins, paid the price for our redemption. If you have accepted Him in your heart as your Savior, then your name is in the Book of Life. If not, then accept Him as your Savior today. For if you die without accepting Him, you die relying on your own works to get you into Heaven. And, dear friend, "I do not see one person mentioned in Revelation 20 getting into Heaven on the basis of their human works". Do you?

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