"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way". (Isaiah 53:6a)
This sheep, for one, went his own way for a very long time. His blindness and rebellious wandering took him through the dark and treacherous paths of Romanism, psychology, eastern religions, new age philosophy, the charismatic movement and decisional regeneration. The Lord Jesus Christ does indeed teach: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). As I reflect on my past, it helps me to realise how utterly impossible it would have been for me to come to Christ on my own. The Good Shepherd found me and pulled me out of the depths, saved me from the hell that I deserved because of my sins. From the depths of the new heart He has given me, I can say to Christ what Mephibosheth said to David: "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (II Samuel 9:8)
The desire to become a priest began when I was five or six years old. After twelve years of seminary studies and training (six years here in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and six at St Mary's Baltimore, Maryland), I was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in the diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, on 17th May 1969. My first assignment was in the largest parish in the diocese, St Mary's in Clermount, New Hampshire. My second parish was the Blessed Sacrament in Manchester, my home town.
During this time, on hundreds of occasions, I blasphemed God's Word in my zeal without knowledge, by offering the "unbloodly sacrifice of the Mass". How the Mass contradicts the Word of God, which plainly teaches that "without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). What folly to repeat the sacrifice of Christ when God says: "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10); "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (v14); and "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sins" (v18).
Often people have asked me if I had studied and read the Bible either as a seminarian or a priest, and if so why hadn't I seen the truth? First of all, the unregenerated, natural man cannot see the light (1 Corinthians 2:14). And secondly, in the Roman Catholic system, tradition is on an equal par with the Bible itself. This was affirmed at both the Council of Trent and at the Second Vatican Council, which stated that "The Church does not draw her certainty about all revealed truth from the holy Scriptures alone" (Vatican II, Constitution on Divine Revelation - paragraph 9). But Jesus Christ said, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition." (Mark 7:9).
In spite of the fact that the Word of God clearly contradicts such practices and institutions as the Mass, the papacy, the priesthood, prayer to the saints, confession to a man, prayers for the dead, crucifixes and images, etc, Roman Catholic tradition upholds them even at the expense of twisting the Scriptures, changing them or omitting a part of them. Consider the Roman Catholic Institution's omission of the Second Commandment in order to freely promote idolatry: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them ..." (Exodus 20:4-5a). Many Roman Catholic Bible versions and catechisms omit the Second Commandment.
As I write this brief testimony, I want to make it very clear that I in no way wish to belittle the individuals who are still in the Roman Catholic system. On the contrary, my heart's desire is that they too might be turned "from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18).
The Bible says, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). In 1970, my bishop sent me to Odyssey House in order to learn how to minister to drug addicts. This painful experience eventually led me out of the priesthood into a new, modern-day religion called "psychology", which was for me another dead-end road. Rome laicized me, (recognised me as a layman) in 1974.
After seven years of working as a mental health therapist, I became interested once again in the spiritual. Only this time I explored the occult out of which had grown the "science" of psychology as is evident from the biographies of Freud and Jung. I also thoroughly studied eastern religions. After much disenchantment and deep discouragement, I heard about the need of being "born again". However, my teachers were men of the Full Gospel Businessmens' Fellowship International, an ecumenical, charismatic group. It was there that I read through the whole Bible for the first time in my life, only it was the perverted version of The Living Bible. It was there that I made a false profession. It was "decisional", quickly made after hearing about all the signs and wonders of their beliefs. After eight months of being deceived by feelings, I saw the falseness of their tongues and prophets, and I saw their refusal to take a stand against Rome. What a Sovereign, gracious Lord we have! The F.G.B.F.I. is only one among many groups that are deceiving millions, and without God's grace I would be there still.
Today's evangelical scene is like a wartime minefield littered with deceptive, false gospels. I have tripped on many of them. I have seen churches that rightfully emphasize the need of rejecting Rome's false doctrine, but they neglect the preaching of repentance, and God's call for Christians to live a holy life. Even some of the cults, like Jehovah's Witnesses, strongly reject Rome. What is desperately needed today is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the whole counsel of God.
Other churches told me, "ask Jesus into your heart", or "invite Christ into your life", or "make a decision for Christ", or "pray the sinner's prayer", or "walk the aisle". One church even taught me and several other former Roman Catholics that, in order to be saved, we must first diligently practice God's law in order to see the wickedness of our own heart, and then come to Christ. That fits right in with my Roman Catholic background where anyone who believes that man is absolved and justified by faith alone, is anathema. "Do, do, do, contribute something to your salvation, do your part". But salvation is of the Lord: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).
How I praise the Shepherd of my soul for His mercy! He could have left me in my hell-deserving sins, wandering in our contemporary religious wasteland. Instead, He showed me I was dead in my sins, that I couldn't even believe without His gift. He called me through His Word, He gave me a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and He gave me the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yes, Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith", washed me from my sins in His own blood. How wonderful to hear: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
He has placed me here in Roman Catholic Quebec. My wife, Lois,and I are striving to obey Him and to be His witnesses here. We pray that God will establish us solidly as a faithful, holy living local church. Our ministry includes preaching the truth in love as the Lord opens doors,and we reach out also with literature. There is a need for much translation. There are very few good, strong books and tracts in French that put forth the doctrine of Grace. Some people in other parts of Quebec have requested tapes of gospel messages in French, so we would like to start a tape and book ministry. We would also like to make available a Bible correspondence course, one specifically geared to helping Roman Catholics. Much to do in very little time. For this ministry we depend entirely on the Lord's gracious provision. He is faithful indeed. Our greatest need is for prayer warriors, other Christians who will "labour fervently for us in prayers, that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Colossians 4:12).
If we can be of service to you in any way, or if you would like to receive our prayer letter, just write to:
Robert A Champagne
Dorea Ministries
PO Box 2284
Sherbrooke, PQ J1J 3Y3
Canada