During this week’s Battle Lines broadcast (1/31/09), we continued to address Roman Catholic Doctrine. Specifically, we discussed the doctrines of the sacraments, the Eucharist and the mass, and purgatory. We recognize that there are many Catholics who truly rely on the work of Christ alone for forgiveness of sin, and for that we are glad. They are, however, not following official Catholic teaching. We discussed three ways that Roman Catholic doctrine is unfaithful to biblical Christianity. First, according to Roman Catholic doctrine, the sacraments - baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, holy rites, orders, and matrimony – are necessary for salvation. Thus the sacraments add a dimension of human effort, or merit, to salvation. We, on the other hand, believe that salvation is by through faith in Christ alone. And the sacraments, or ordinances (of which we recognize only two), are simply reminders of Christ’s death, expressions of faith, and acts of obedience. Second, Roman Catholicism teaches that the mass, the observance of the Eucharist, is a continual re-offering of Christ’s body and blood by which we obtain forgiveness of sin. The elements of the Eucharist become the actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation) and thus Christ is sacrificed at each observance of the mass. Hebrews 9:28 says, however, that “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.” Christ died only once and that one death has a still continuing effect. The death of Christ, not the re-enactment of the Eucharist, brings forgiveness. Third, Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that in purgatory believers are purified, made to expiate for their sin, in order to attain perfection and entrance into Heaven. We believe, however, that we are made fit for God’s presence by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, instantly justifying us and ultimately sanctifying us. Though we do not experience perfective sanctification in the here and now, we believe that, at the resurrection, we will be purified, changed, transformed… instantly. “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (I Cor. 15:51).