The Lord's Servant - 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Do you desire to be used by God for noble purposes? To be made holy? To be prepared for any good work? If so, then read what instruction the Lord has for you... 2 Timothy 2:22-26 "22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - Our Day & Age

How unfortunately, yet accurately, this passage parallels our day and age. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

Sacraments = Efficacious? Not according to Scripture.

Although this video (Mass: We Pray) is simply a parody for humor (and an advertisement, see note below), it does bring up the sad fact that some churches/traditions elevate rituals and works as means of grace. This video is funny...but the subject matter behind it is a very serious issue that we need to consider Biblically. NOTE: This game IS NOT REAL…it is simply an advertisement for a video game called Dante’s Inferno that is releasing in the Spring…Dante’s Inferno is not for young eyes or something I support. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1131) defines “sacraments” as “"efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions."’ The problem with the Catholic practice of "sacraments" lies in the reality that their focus is not on Christ's completed work on the cross, but in the human attempt to earn/accomplish "sanctifying grace." Grace is accomplished through faith in Christ alone....apart from observing the law...not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.” Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” "Are the seven Catholic sacraments Biblical?" - by http://www.gotquestions.org/ Romans 10:8-10 "8But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." HT: Church Matters