What do I do?

Almost 20 years ago I stood at a junction where you may now stand or may soon find yourself. Before me lay the most difficult decision of my life. In one direction there was the faith of my youth, my religious heritage, and my church. In the other there was Christianity as I had come to know it from the Word of God.

Complicating the decision was the knowledge that my family would be terribly hurt if I left the Church. Yet, no longer believing that the Roman Catholic Church was the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Christ, I knew I had to leave.  I had to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19; 5:29).

My prayer is that God will guide you even as He did me at that most difficult time. I offer the following biblical principles to guide you as you weigh the matter for yourself.

Follow the example of the Bereans, whom the Bible commends as "noble-minded ... for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). In faith, ask God to give you the wisdom to understand the Bible (James 1:5-8), If you are willing to do God promises to provide the information and insight that you will need (John 7:17). Whenever you learn something from God's Word, act upon it immediately (James 1:22-25). As you do, the Lord will teach you further truth (Luke 19:26). I recommend that you start by reading the Gospel of John, the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul's letters to the Galatians and to the Romans.

Believe God and His promises (Hebrews 11:6). Most importantly, place your trust completely in Christ to save you (Romans 10:8-13). Renounce dependence upon the Church, the sacraments, your good works, and Mary for salvation (Acts 4:12; Philippians 3:7-11).

God's counsel to a Christian who finds himself in unbiblical religious institution is to leave:

                    "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and
                that you may not receive of her plagues for her sins have piled up as high
                as heaven and God has remembered her iniquities." ---Revelation 18:4-5

                To those who obey, the Lord adds this promise:
                "And I will welcome you.
                "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,"
                Says the Lord Almighty. --2 Corinthians 6:17,18

Once you escape the fog of Roman Catholicism, you will see more clearly the truths of Scripture. Find church fellowship among Christians who love the Lord and recognize the Bible alone as their supreme authority. There you will progress in your knowledge of God unhindered by false teaching. You will also find opportunities to serve the Lord and make Him known.

What about your Catholic family and friends? The best thing you can do for them is to leave the Roman Catholic Church yourself and become part of a strong, biblically based church. As you learn to live more like Christ, your life will become an exhibit of the transforming power of the gospel. You will grow in your understanding of the truth and your ability to explain it. You will also be in a position to minister to others who are seeking God. When you leave the Catholic Church, your family and friends will want to know why. Use the opportunity to explain what you have found, but do so "with gentleness and reverence"
(1 Peter 3:15), "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).