POPE FRANCIS IS RIGHT AND WRONG

There has been much criticism of Pope Francis for his recent proclamation, in which he said:  "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all!”  He is both right and wrong!

The Pope is correct, in that, Jesus Christ did die for the sins of the whole world, or in other words, He redeemed us all from the penalty of our sins.  Here is what the Apostle John had to say about the scope of Christ's payment for the sins of mankind:  "My little children, these things write I unto you, that...Jesus Christ the righteous...is the propitiation for our sins:  and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world" (1 Jn. 2:1-2).  The Apostle Paul compared the number of souls condemned due to Adam's sin, to the number of souls redeemed by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:19).

However, when the Pope states that the redemptive work of Christ makes everyone, including atheists, children of God, he is one hundred percent wrong!  Here is what the Word says on becoming a child of God:

*  "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (Jn. 1:12).
*  "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).
*  "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30).
* "For we are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26).
*  "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

Only those who believe, accept, trust in the risen Jesus, are the children of God!