How Today’s “Christianity”
Has Become Apostate
Without Even Knowing It!Lorraine Day, M.D.
In the last portion of the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 7, Jesus said:
Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction and many there be that go in there.
Yet narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way, that leads unto life, and few there be that find it, Matt 7:13,14
(The word translated here as “destruction” is the word apollumi which means “lostness” - waiting to be “foundness” - the SAME word used for the “lost” sheep and the “lost” coin in Jesus’ parables in Luke 15, both of which were found - NOT destroyed!)
And later in Matthew 7, Jesus said:
Not everyone that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in your name we have cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity (lawlessness).’
Notice here that Jesus is not talking to pagans, to unbelievers, He is talking to Believers! - people who have thought all along that they were “saved.”
Jesus describes two groups of those who claim to be “believers”: a) one group, the group that WILL be saved, does “the will of My Father” - NOT their own will, b) the other group does “works” such as prophesying, casting out demons, or doing other “wonderful works.”
This latter group, those that are doing wonderful “works” in the name of the Lord claim to “believe.” But when the Lord comes, He will tell them, “Depart from Me, I never KNEW you.”
As we have studied in the past, the phrase “to know” in the Bible, means to know another in the most intimate way. Genesis 4:1 tells us that “Adam KNEW Eve his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain. . .Jesus is telling His followers that the ONLY way we can do the WILL of God (and NOT our OWN will) is to know God as intimately in a spiritual way as Adam knew Eve in a physical way. And the ONLY way to know God in that way, is to spend lots of time with Him in intense Bible study and prayer.
Unfortunately, most people must be in the midst of terrible trouble before they will search for God in that way. That’s why there MUST be a terrible “time of trouble” coming - so people will feel their need for God and realize that they are not capable of running their own life.
The Christian “Church” of today has distorted the Word of God to the same degree as the Pharisees and Sadducees had distorted the Word of God in Christ’s time. They had changed the doctrines so drastically that they didn’t even recognize Jesus as their Messiah, even though they had been given more than ample information about His coming. The leaders of the Organized Church of that day had made up their own religion by their misinterpretation of the Word, and had abandoned truth so completely, that they arranged for the murder of their own Messiah in the most brutal way.
Jesus came to re-establish Truth and to destroy the purveyors of False Doctrine - the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were the leaders of the Organized Church. The Pharisees and the Sadducees had made up their own doctrines, doctrines that were of men and not of God.
“You teach for doctrines the commandments of MEN.” (text)
They had also “reconfigured” the God of the Bible into their OWN image - a Killer God, a God Who would set up the “Jews” as the rulers of the world, a God Who would destroy the enemies of the “Jews.” When Jesus came, claiming to be the Messiah, He didn’t fit the description that the Jews had conjured up, so they had Jesus killed!
The Organized “Christian” church of today has done the same thing. They have made up their own religion, their own doctrines. And they don’t recognize the character of Christ, A God who loves His enemies and will ultimately change and save them AFTER they have reaped what they have sown.
Buddhism is a religion; Hinduism is a religion; Catholicism is a religion; and there are many other religions around the world. However, Christianity is NOT a religion - it is a relationship - a relationship with Jesus Christ. To make it into a religion with corporate administrators in a hierarchy is just as ridiculous as making a corporation out of your family in order to prescribe the way you and your brothers and sisters must approach your father to talk with him.
The “Head” of each Christian should be Christ. But now that the church has organized and incorporated, it has a different head - Caesar - the Government. A church or religious organization that becomes a 501 C3 Corporation automatically makes “Caesar” its leader, and Christ is displaced. A 501 C3 only exists at the behest of the state, and therefore, the state makes all the rules about what the organization (the “church”) can teach, say, and do. Frequently, there is a conflict between what the “Christian” organization believes and teaches when compared to the policy of the state. If the “church” or other religious organization wishes to retain their 501 C3 tax exempt status, they must obey the “State.”
Where Did the Present-Day Church Doctrines Come From?
The following doctrines are held by virtually ALL Christian churches in existence today, yet none of these doctrines are biblical:
1. Hellfire - the word “hell” is never found in the original Greek Scriptures. It has been written in by the translators. This is a great “scare” tactic to get people into the Church and keep them there. After all, they teach it’s difficult, if not impossible, to be saved unless you’re IN the “Church.” The wildly popular book in Christendom now is “The Purpose Driven Life” which states, “If you are not IN the church, you are under the rebuke of God!”
2. Immortality of the soul: The Bible tells us that ONLY God is immortal! (text) This delusion, the idea of a soul being immortal, will lead the “Church” into Spiritualism - where it already is venturing.
3. Closing of “probation” before Jesus’ Second Coming: This is based on the misinterpretation of one text (ref). It is DANGEROUS to make a doctrine from a single text! One must read the entire Bible. But it is a great “scare” tactic to hold over the heads of the members.
4. Only a small number of those who have ever lived will be “Saved.” That’s true, but it ONLY applies to the group that will be saved when Jesus returns. There will be another group saved later on - AFTER the Judgment when the unsaved, ALL those who have ever lived on the earth, will reap what they have sown. And through that experience they will understand that there is a better way - God’s way!
5. Free Will: The “Church” has embraced the false doctrine of “Free Will,”
the Second lie of Satan in the Garden of Eden. “If you eat of this tree, you will BE AS GOD. . .” Genesis 3:5.By embracing the false doctrine of “Free Will” man has made MAN’s will stronger than GOD’s will. Thus, God can’t save anyone UNLESS that person ALLOWS God to save him. Therefore, MAN is in charge and God is NOT! In this situation, MAN decides what God can and cannot do! So MAN has placed himself ABOVE God. MAN, in essence, has become god! This is precisely Satan’s second lie in the Garden of Eden.
If MAN has Free Will, then God’s will is secondary and Satan was telling the truth in the Garden of Eden and God was lying.
This CANNOT be!
6. Secret Rapture - the false doctrine that Christians won’t have to go through the time of trouble - the tribulation - makes very weak Christians who will all crumble when confronted with serious persecution.
7. “Forever and ever.” eternal, eternity, etc. All of these words are mistranslations of the word “eon” in the Greek. “Eon” refers to a specific period of time, NOT “forever.” This mistranslation has a major impact on the false doctrine of “eternal” hellfire.
8. Age of accountability: Theologians are frequently debating this issue. Yet, it is a non-issue because God is going to save EVERYONE eventually.
9. Sunday Sacredness: This is clearly a doctrine of MAN and NOT God. The Catholic church has repeatedly bragged that they are the ones who changed the day of worship from Saturday, the Biblical Sabbath, to Sunday, the First Day of the week, the pagan day of Sun worship.
10. A punitive judgment, a “judgment” where God will supposedly resurrect the wicked, tell them how bad they were, then kill them permanently. What a “marvelous” example of a Loving God!
11. The false doctrine that no one can be perfect. The doctrine that we just do our best - - and God makes up the rest. (See below for further explanation.)
12. The false doctrine that we can embrace John 3:16 by just repeating the message in it, without understanding what it means to “believe” and without our actions corresponding to our “beliefs.” (See below for further explanation.)
13. The false belief of the importance of the “Organized Church.”
The very last Showdown on this earth will be a Showdown between Truth vs. Lies! Yet, the entire Christian Church, ALL denominations, have promoted man-made false doctrines, and have turned the truth of Christ into the lies of man.
Is it possible to be perfect?
Most Christians would probably give the following answer: “No one is perfect.”
But God tells us we MUST be perfect.
“Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) KJV
“You, then, SHALL BE PERFECT as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Concordant version
And
“Be ye holy, as I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)
There is no doubt what God means here. We are to be holy as God is holy. That is a very high standard. How do we become that holy? Certainly, we cannot do it on our own. But God will accomplish it in us by dragging us through trials and tribulations until we learn to trust Him completely.
Sanctification
What does the word “Sanctification” mean? What does it mean for a person to be sanctified?
The word “sanctification” means “to make holy.” That’s what God does for us throughout our Christian life. All we must do is spend time with him daily in earnest Bible study and prayer. Because it is by “Beholding” that we become changed, a little at a time (“from glory to glory”).
“Now we all, with uncovered face, mirroring the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into the SAME image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the spirit.” 2 Cor 3:18
But we must “Behold” the correct “God.” If we “Behold” a god who kills his enemies, a god who is unable to save all he came to save, a god who returns evil for evil, then we are worshiping and “beholding” the WRONG god. And we will become just like that god, the god that virtually the entire Christian world is “beholding.” That god is Satan and not Jesus Christ.
When one “beholds” the WRONG god, and becomes like that wrong god, he is transformed into the SAME image of that wrong god. He makes an “image” to the Beast (of Rev 13).
Jesus Christ CANNOT kill. He never has and He never will. He loves His enemies and would never harm them (though they often harm themselves by reaping what they have sown). He also is ABLE to save ALL!
This is the God we must worship and “behold.” This is the God who is our pattern, the One who will make us like Him. When we “Behold” Jesus Christ, we are transformed into HIS image. This is Sanctification!
As we “behold” Christ, we become like Him. AND, we learn to trust Him, to “Believe.”
“The just (righteous) shall live by faith.” Rom 1:17, in other words:
“The righteous shall live by Believing.” ( - By believing that God WILL do what He has already promised to do, and that is: Heal ALL our diseases, and Save ALL - Everyone!)
“Without FAITH (BELIEF) it is impossible to please God.” Heb 11:6
John 3:16 tells us that ALL we must do is “Believe” on the Lord Jesus Christ and we will be saved.
“For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVES on Him should NOT perish (be “lost” - apollumi - like the lost sheep and the lost coin. They were waiting to be found!) but should have everlasting (eonian) life.”(The “life” - the “spirit” - the “character” - of Jesus Christ will be in him.) John 3:16
What Does it Mean to “Believe”?
The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be SAVED.” Acts 16:31 “Belief” appears to be the ONLY thing necessary for a person to gain eternal life! If “belief” is ALL that is necessary to have eternal life, does one just have to “think” or “utter” the words, “I believe” and they are automatically saved? Is it that easy? What does it mean to “Believe”?
Jesus used the word believe, or a form of that word, eighty times. Obviously, it is/was very important to Him.
Some Christian denominations teach that all one has to do is say a short recitation acknowledging that he or she is a sinner, that Jesus is the Son of God, that He was born of a virgin, died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected from the dead and now lives forever, in order for a person to be saved. That is considered the “belief” that is necessary in order to be saved.
Apparently, if one just says those words, then eternal life is guaranteed to that person.
But what will heaven or the new earth be like if all who are there have only had to recite those words, then they have gone on living pretty much the way they were before. It is true that the denominations preach that God is against blatant alcoholism, adultery, overt stealing, obvious lying, and murder of an individual (apparently corporate murder - as in war - is acceptable), but with those few exceptions, life goes on pretty much as it did before. However, there IS one mandatory rule - one MUST attend church regularly and be “involved” in the “church” in order to be considered a “good” Christian!
This is MAN’S version of the word “Believe.”
Let’s look at GOD’S definition of the word “Believe!”
The Bible says that Faith - WITHOUT works - is Dead! The word translated “faith” in the Bible is exactly same word as “belief.”
This means that Belief (faith) - - WITHOUT the actions that correspond - - - is Dead!
If one says he “believes” - but his life does NOT correspond to what he says he “believes,” then he does NOT believe, no matter how much he argues to the contrary.
Let’s look at the different areas of a person’s life that MUST change when he or she becomes a Christian in order to manifest his or her “BELIEF!”
Do we BELIEVE that God is in charge of our Safety?
If a Christian says he believes in God, but at the same time, believes in self-defense, he demonstrates that he does NOT believe in God.
God says, “Fear not,” numerous times in the Bible, (Ps 34:7, Isa 41:10, Ps 34:15) and if we believe that WE must defend OURSELVES, then we DON’T believe in God. We DON’T believe that God WILL do what He has ALREADY PROMISED He will do - and that is to watch over us. However, that does NOT mean that God will keep us from all harm. We know that martyrs have - and again will - die for Christ. If God allows harm to come to us, then He will accomplish something positive in our lives through that experience.
We MUST learn to trust Him and NOT try to take our safety into our own hands. If we do that, we CANNOT claim that we “trust God!” If we take our safety into our own hands, where does God come into play? HE is the one who promises to protect us. But he CAN’T do that if we take our protection into our own hands.
We must believe in “God-defense” and NOT self-defense!
Do we BELIEVE that God is our Plan-maker?
J. N. Andrews, the first missionary of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church, and the person for whom the SDA Theological Seminary is named, said:
“Find a field of labor, ask God to help, take off your coat, and go to work!”
That’s the sequence that virtually ALL Christians believe in. That’s the sequence that virtually ALL Christian organizations and denominations believe in. But, unfortunately, that’s the WRONG sequence!
Christians wrongfully “decide” what work God wants - or needs - done. Then they proceed to decide exactly HOW that work should be done. THEN they ask God to bless THEIR plans THEIR process to complete THEIR plans! - - - as if God doesn’t have the ability to formulate His OWN plans or the PROCESS by which they should be carried out.
The more of US we have in any deal, the LESS God can accomplish.
Whenever GOD makes the plans and designs the process to complete the plans HE has made, things turn out perfectly. When we do things OUR way, disaster is always the result - - even when we THINK things have turned out pretty well - at least temporarily.
Let’s look at some Biblical examples demonstrating the results when GOD makes the plans AND the process - versus MAN taking over God’s job!
GOD makes the PLAN and the PROCESS. (Man just follows God’s orders and carries out GOD’S plans.)
1) Noah and the flood - building the boat. God told Noah He would save Him from the flood. How did God save Noah? Answer: God told Noah to build a boat. Notice that God did NOT leave the PLAN up to Noah. God made the Plan.
Then God told Noah EXACTLY how to build the boat, down to the last detail. God did NOT leave the PROCESS up to Noah, either. God decided the process.
Noah’s job was to carry out, in EVERY detail, the Plan AND the Process that God had given him. When Noah allowed God to make the plans and the process by which the plans were to be carried out, there was great ultimate success.
2) Joshua and the battle of Jericho: God was the Plan-maker for the Battle of Jericho - - NOT Joshua. God made the Plans - - NOT Joshua, and God designated the Process. Joshua’s job was to do EXACTLY what God told Him to do. When Joshua did that, he had great success.
3) The original Passover in Egypt: God told the Israelites to put the blood on the doorpost. That was NOT the Israelites idea, nor was it Moses’ idea. It was God’s PLAN to save the First Born of the Israelites, and God designated the Process by which it was to be done. The Israelites did NOT make the Plans, nor did they design the Process. It was ALL of God. The ONLY job of the Israelites was to do EXACTLY as God had told them. THEN the First-born of the Israelites were spared.
When MAN makes the PLAN and/or the PROCESS the ultimate outcome is ALWAYS failure.
1) Jonah: God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn the people to repent. Jonah had a different plan - his OWN plan, which almost cost him his life.
2) Joshua and the battle of Ai (Joshua 7:1-12): Joshua, flush with victory over Jericho, forgot Who his Plan-maker was. Joshua decided to make his OWN plans and design his OWN process to carry out the plans for the battle of Ai, instead of letting God make the plans and process. Joshua’s plans resulted in a disaster for the Israelites with significant loss of life.
3) Israelites deciding to fight for themselves instead of letting God fight for them: When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they had NO weapons! They had only pieces of gold, silver and yard goods. It was God’s plan that the Israelites do NO fighting.
When the Israelites were hedged in by mountains on one side and the Red Sea on another side, and the Egyptians in hot pursuit, God NEVER wanted the Israelites to take charge of their own safety.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
“The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall be quiet.” Exodus 14:13,14
God opened the Red Sea and saved the Israelites.
However, a short time later, we see that the Israelites acquired their own weapons (probably by picking up the weapons of the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea) and defending themselves against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13).
From then on, Israel tried to fight their OWN battles which resulted in much loss of life, and many failures.
4) Peter picking the replacement for the 12th apostle (Acts 1:15-26): Jesus, Himself, picked ALL the twelve apostles. After Judas had betrayed Christ and committed suicide, Peter decided that HE should choose the next disciple. Jesus had NEVER given Peter the authority to do that.
Jesus had ascended to heaven but He still had the authority, the obligation and the ability to pick His OWN disciples. Peter assumed that since Jesus was no longer visible on earth that He could not - or would not - still be in charge of His group.
Peter and the other disciples picked Mathias. After that occurrence, Mathias is never again mentioned in the Bible. Jesus ignored the choice of Peter and the other disciples. When the time came for the twelfth disciple to be chosen, Jesus, HIMSELF, chose Paul!
It was to Paul that God revealed His plan of Universal Restoration. Paul evangelized most of the then-known world. And Paul became the author of the majority of the New Testament.
5) Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: God had a Plan and a Process. “Eat of every tree of the Garden, EXCEPT the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
Adam and Eve chose to make their OWN plans. And HERE we all are, drowning in sin!
In fact, the Bible is just one long historical record of MAN refusing to do things God’s way and instead insisting on doing things MAN’S way --- and the disastrous outcomes that followed!
Do you believe that God WILL:
Save EVERYONE? Acts 3:21; 1 Tim 4:10; 1 Tim 2:1-6; Rev 21:4,5; John 3:35 and John 6:37-39; Phil 2:10,11, 1 John 3:8; Romans 8:19-2
Make EVERYONE perfect? Matthew 5:48 (literal translation)
Heal EVERYONE who believes? Acts 16:31 (Check on the meaning of the Greek word “sozo.” It means to heal PHYSICALLY and to heal SPIRITUALLY.
Heal ALL our diseases? Ps 103:3; Jeremiah 30:17; Exodus 23:25; Exodus 15:26
Keep us FREE from EVERY disease? Deut 7:11-15
Sustain us financially? Phil 4:19; Luke 12:24; Ps 84:11; Matthew 6:32; Luke 12:28-30; Deut 29:9; 2 Chron 26:5
Provide our food and water? Luke 12:24; Phil 4:19; Luke 12:20
Save our children? Isaiah 49:25
Teach us DIRECTLY? 1 John 2:26,27; Isa 54:13; John 6:45;
Lead us into ALL truth? John 16:13
Never forsake us or ANYONE else? Heb 13:5
Direct EVERY moment of our lives and tell us exactly what HE wants us to do?
Phil 2:13; Jer 10:23; Prov 3:6; Isa 45:1
Answer ALL our prayers? Ps 34:17; Jer 33:3; Psalm 55:17; Isa 65:24; Psalm 91:15; 2 Chron 7:14; Matthew 21:22; Luke 11:10; 1 John 5:14
Give us peace so we can “be anxious for NOTHING”? Phil 4:7; John 14:27; Prov 3:24;
Give us understanding of His end-time prophecies? 1 Thess 5:1-9; Rev 1:3; John 13:19
Sustain us through terrible torture and possible death? Hebrews 11:32-40; Heb 13:5
Sustain us through terrible torture and possible death of our children? Heb 11:32-40; Heb 13:5
Be able to save the most wicked, wretched individual who has ever lived on this earth? Hebrews 7:25; Romans 5:20; Psalm 103:3
“Without faith (belief) it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God; for he that comes to God MUST BELIEVE that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Anything is possible if you have faith (belief).” Mark 9:23
“Now the just (righteous) shall live by faith (belief). And if ANY man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in Him.” Hebrews 10:38
“Faith (belief) comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
Explanation of Justification and Sanctification
© Lorraine Day, M.D. 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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