How to reach someone who went fm Christian to Catholic? or is considering it.
Christian to Catholic
Q: Would like some input and prayer about something.
One of the member of our church is defecting to Rome. He’s been buried in an echo chamber and is convinced the reformation was wrong & that Protestants don’t have the “full bible”.
It’s been a long ongoing attempt to sway him back. He’s planted firm in his “convictions” on the matter.
The last we spoke he tried using Hebrews 6 as an argument to refute perseverance of the saints.
I have seen more examples of reformed brothers falling away and running to the RCC lately... and would like some guidance.
A: Be aware of the real issue here; note on the issue from Pastor MacArthur.
Here's more info on Catholicism (and basically is the same with Orthodox too) that discusses church history. You may or may not know about it. You can read the page you're on first then pop over there (as it has the same links below as that page has).
He is not open to truth and has embraced subtle doctrines of demons because his lust for idolatry has led him from Christ and truth.
Pray he meets a Catholic who has just left catholicism, or one he meets and knows one who becomes a true Christian who is well versed in these ridiculous things he "ran to" and falsely believed. You can likewise as your pastor who in the church fits that description and take that guy and maybe the pastor too along to a mert up over coffee and dessert to discuss it. He is like someone weak in the faith still a baby being blown around by every kind of doctrine because he never had got to the meat, nor was given proper discipleship and evidences against Catholicism.
If he rejects truth he will continue to unless God draws him back, God saves him, or he was never saved, and may not even be in the Lamb's book of Life (and is just interested in a some religious belief that he prefers). Just pray try to reach him, then leave it with God. Our job is to be a faithful messenger of the Gospel.
Christians are Bereans and would investigate the matter first with his Pastor, then godly with men in the church, and then at reputable ministries online. He didnt choose that route. Someone bamboozled and deceived him for him to have started this path and continuing on it hardlined. Hopefully he will become disillusioned and realize it is a empty and Christless dead religion & come back to truth. If he doesn't listen to you or the men you bring along, pray God will save him before he dies.
““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Matthew 7:21-23
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19
Hebrews 6 is about Jewish converts defecting back to keeping the Torah/The Law. The refutation of his faulty interpretation of Hebrews 6 is John 10:22-42, and they’re Jesus’ own words.
You can send this to him and ask him to examine it. But it may be of no use right now if he is that closed to investigating it.
*Also you should go review it too; it will help you in the future should you run into this, so you can counsel them and even send them to this link as well.
It does have links to the Gospel.
Here are additional helps and things to think and considering about to help educate them so they don't run head long into apostasy of false religions such as Catholicism and Orthodoxism. Here and here.
And, if he is open to examining Church History, this Doctorate Professor of Church History and Theolology will be able to teach him via YouTube, a free multi video course. You would do well to go through it yourself too. 😉🙂
God bless
PS. If it was someone considering leaving, I would walk through the Gospel with them, proving them to lead them to salvation, and plug them into a Bible based Christian church near them for discipleship, answering his questions, and his RRC questions. Many of which are addressed on and through the above links which you could also share with him. You could even just share this page link too so he could examine it and follow the steps noted here himself. It would be good to be a guide though to help him get into a good church where a pastor is knowledgeable about the Catholic religion so they can meet and discuss it well.
If he agrees with what God revealed to us in the Bible on what's called the Essentials and he agrees and embraces the Gospel then he is not and would not go towards Roman Catholic religion. It is a totally different religion than Christianity. It just masqurades as Christian, which decieves many who are uninformed. Just make sure he's aware of that. If his issue is loose style not reverant worship and lacks solid sermons...then guide him to a church that sings hymns and focuses on the Bible, as Christian church should, and does. He's just found himself in a bad church - until now.
James 5:19-20:
"Brethren, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
Jude 1:23:
"Rescue others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
I pray the Holy Spirit will remove the blinders from and guide your friend into truth explained here, and to true salvation.
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