Weird, strange teachings are bombing away at our belief systems. I do not struggle with the obvious non-christian religions who have idols for gods and strange religious beliefs that domninate so much of our world, but my very disturbing struggle is with the growing number of religious groups who claim to be Christian and whose teachings are not Biblical and not Christian at all.
I should not be so surprised because I have been an avid study of last day events as revealed to us in the Bible. Such scripture passages as Matthew 24 repeatedly warns of an abundance of false teachers, prophets and false christs (1 Timothy 4:1). But I am. I am surprised. I am disturbed. I am ashamed because I feel a sense of guilt by association at times with some of these so called Christian organizations that are not Christian at all and yet included in Christian Conferences for unity sake. They are pretenders. The truth is there is a very thin line that can exist between true Christianity and the pretenders. The line is thin but it is there. The thinness of the line is what gets so many of us in trouble. Many simply do not know the Bible well enough to see the line and know when someone has crossed to the wrong side in the teachings.
There are many different tests that we can apply to a religious group that can help us. In so many various ways they give themselves away. But let me give you a test that can be one of the many you can use. I have found that most false teachings will fail when this test is applied. In applying the test you will need to listen carefully to their answers because they are very subtle and will twist and distort their answers. And they can sound very Christian.
The test? It centers around just what they believe and teach about Jesus Christ. Here we go:
1. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Yes or no. No explanation needed. Yes or no. (Matthew 3:17; Luke 1:35; John 1:14)
2. Do you believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary? Yes or no! (Matthew 1:23)
3. Do you believe that the conception was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit? (Matthew 1:18, 20 Luke 1:35)
4. Do you believe Jesus was born sinless? (Matthew 1:23)
5. Did He live a sinless life? (1 Peter 2:22)
6. Did He die on the cross for the sins of all mankind? (1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2:14)
7. Do you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus? (John 20:19-29; Acts 3:15)
8. Do you believe He is right now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us? (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3)
9. Do you believe that salvation can be found only in Him? (Acts 4:12)
10. Do you believe He is coming again? (Acts 1:11)
These are the things you must believe to be called a Christian. If your answer to any of these questions is no, then you can not call yourself Christian. This is the ultimate test.
False religions and cults will always fail this test. Ask a Mormon. They can not say yes to these questions. Ask a Jehovah Witness. They can not. The INC church fails. Unitarians? Fail! Whatever the name be that a religion may call itself, if they can not say yes to the above ten questions they fall into the category of pretenders to the truth. They are false teachers, proclaiming a false religion and in the end they have NO SAVIOR. A Savior is needed. The Father accepts no one without a Savior and the only one who qualifies to be our Savior is Jesus. The Father will accept no one else because they can not meet His requirements.
I should not be so surprised because I have been an avid study of last day events as revealed to us in the Bible. Such scripture passages as Matthew 24 repeatedly warns of an abundance of false teachers, prophets and false christs (1 Timothy 4:1). But I am. I am surprised. I am disturbed. I am ashamed because I feel a sense of guilt by association at times with some of these so called Christian organizations that are not Christian at all and yet included in Christian Conferences for unity sake. They are pretenders. The truth is there is a very thin line that can exist between true Christianity and the pretenders. The line is thin but it is there. The thinness of the line is what gets so many of us in trouble. Many simply do not know the Bible well enough to see the line and know when someone has crossed to the wrong side in the teachings.
There are many different tests that we can apply to a religious group that can help us. In so many various ways they give themselves away. But let me give you a test that can be one of the many you can use. I have found that most false teachings will fail when this test is applied. In applying the test you will need to listen carefully to their answers because they are very subtle and will twist and distort their answers. And they can sound very Christian.
The test? It centers around just what they believe and teach about Jesus Christ. Here we go:
1. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Yes or no. No explanation needed. Yes or no. (Matthew 3:17; Luke 1:35; John 1:14)
2. Do you believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary? Yes or no! (Matthew 1:23)
3. Do you believe that the conception was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit? (Matthew 1:18, 20 Luke 1:35)
4. Do you believe Jesus was born sinless? (Matthew 1:23)
5. Did He live a sinless life? (1 Peter 2:22)
6. Did He die on the cross for the sins of all mankind? (1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 2:14)
7. Do you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus? (John 20:19-29; Acts 3:15)
8. Do you believe He is right now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us? (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3)
9. Do you believe that salvation can be found only in Him? (Acts 4:12)
10. Do you believe He is coming again? (Acts 1:11)
These are the things you must believe to be called a Christian. If your answer to any of these questions is no, then you can not call yourself Christian. This is the ultimate test.
False religions and cults will always fail this test. Ask a Mormon. They can not say yes to these questions. Ask a Jehovah Witness. They can not. The INC church fails. Unitarians? Fail! Whatever the name be that a religion may call itself, if they can not say yes to the above ten questions they fall into the category of pretenders to the truth. They are false teachers, proclaiming a false religion and in the end they have NO SAVIOR. A Savior is needed. The Father accepts no one without a Savior and the only one who qualifies to be our Savior is Jesus. The Father will accept no one else because they can not meet His requirements.
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