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Where Is God’s True Church Today?

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:13:06 +0000

Where Is God’s True Church Today? 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 22:13

Where Is God’s True Church Today?

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christianity

#Church

#False Christianity

#God

#Jesus Christ

#Law of God

#Ten Commandments

Thousands of different denominations claim to be following Jesus Christ. Yet they teach thousands of different “gospels” and disagree on countless points of doctrine. Is Jesus Christ the Head of all these denominations? Is Christ divided? Or is there a true Church of God that stands apart from this religious Babylon? How can you recognize God’s true Church? This booklet will help you understand!

Have you ever wondered why you were born? What your real future will be like in the afterlife? What you will actually be doing for eternity? Will you sit around all day, playing a harp, or staring passively into the face of God? Or does God have something far more awesome and wonderful planned for you?

Have you ever wished you could find a church that truly understands the end-time prophecies of the Bible—how they apply to today’s headlines and the near future events affecting your life? Have you searched for a church that could help you understand the genuine meaning of life itself—and could explain where you and your nation will be headed in the next few years? Have you ever wished that you could find a church where the ministers actually preach right out of the Bible and help you “make sense” of its words—including its many specific prophecies? Do you long for a church where virtually all the members bring their Bibles to services, and where everyone actually believes what the Bible says and is trying to live by the true “first-century Christianity” that Jesus Christ and His apostles lived and preached?

Have you hoped to find a church where people of all races and backgrounds are accepted with warmth and love, and where Christ’s command to love one another is reflected in the “family atmosphere” when church members gather for worship and fellowship?

My friends, there is such a church that genuinely believes in the divine inspiration of the Holy Bible and is actually trying to do what the Bible says in every phase and facet of life. It is a church that has no other “holy books” or church “traditions” that take the place of the Bible on anything. This church is not a building or a corporation or an invention of human beings. It is a spiritual organism with a history going right back to Jesus Christ and the apostles. It is a very small church—the “little flock” described by Jesus Christ (Luke 12:32)—but it has always existed since the time of Christ and will exist at the end of the age when its faithful members are taken to a “place of safety” (see Revelation 12) before the Great Tribulation actually begins. Do you want to be part of such a church, whose members will soon become the kings and priests helping rule this earth under Jesus Christ? (Revelation 5:10).

Where Are God’s People?

The man sitting across from me was sharing his thoughts earnestly.

“I used to think that God’s people were just scattered all through the various denominations,” he exclaimed. “However, the more I read the Bible, the more I feel there must be a true Church somewhere on earth composed of people who really do what the Bible says. But how can I know? How can I be sure where God is working today?”

Now, the big question is: How can you know? How can you be sure?

Today, many churches call themselves Christian. Some practice baptism by immersion in water. Others just “sprinkle” or pour water on the head of baptismal candidates. Many churches keep what they call the “Lord’s Supper” every Sunday morning. Others observe this custom once a month or quarterly, or only once a year.

Most churches observe Sunday as their day of worship, while a few observe the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Others say that the day of worship does not matter at all.

Churches are called by all kinds of names: Episcopal, Baptist, Holiness, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal and others. More importantly, the various churches of this world have different concepts of God. Some feel that God is a fierce autocrat who roasts sinners in an ever-burning hellfire. Others think of God as simply the “divine spark” that somehow started all life but that has very little to do with everyday events and does not care about mankind’s “lifestyle.” Yet these differing churches all call themselves “Christian”—they use the name of Christ.

Does it make any difference? Has God left it up to human beings to search out and call their churches by various names, and come up with various days upon which to worship, various modes of baptism and different doctrinal teachings?

Where Is God?

Does God have anything to say about all of this?

Yes, He does!

Somewhere on this earth, God has true servants who faithfully and fully proclaim the end-time warnings to which we should all be paying attention. God inspired His prophet Amos to tell us: “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7–8).

Today, staggering events are on the immediate horizon. They are prophesied in your Bible. One-fourth of the entire Bible is devoted to prophecy. And the Apostle Paul wrote: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:2–4). Does your minister preach the full message of the Bible? Does he regularly explain, and make clear to you and your loved ones, the powerful end-time prophecies of the Bible? The Bible lists many specific events for which true Christians should be watching. These events will soon clearly demonstrate that humanity is at the very end of this present age—the age of man’s rule over the earth under the influence of Satan the Devil (Revelation 12:9).

Many religious leaders talk about the “end times.” But, in all honesty, who is telling you the specific events for which you should watch? And who is helping you, today, to understand the real meaning behind the traumatic upheavals in the weather, the increasing earthquakes, terrorist attacks and the awful wars in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere that are increasingly threatening this planet?

Who is truly “making sense” out of all of this?

Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). Again, if you are to abide in Christ’s “word,” who is really making that word “come alive?” Who is continually quoting—not from the secular writings of this world—but from the inspired word of God? Who is constantly challenging you: “Prove all things; and hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)?

Another vital issue to consider: where is the full Truth being preached today?

“Oh, all churches have the same basic beliefs!” many will say. Or: “No one has a monopoly on the Truth. We can’t really know about these things anyway, so all religions are essentially valid as long as people are sincere!”

I am sure many of you have heard this type of reasoning before. If there is not a real God, or if the Holy Bible is not truly inspired, then such reasoning might stand up. But such is not the case! Perhaps the most basic instructions of Jesus Christ are these words: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). God’s true Church must necessarily acknowledge this most fundamental of all Christian teaching! Church leadership, and individual Church members, may not yet be perfect, but they must at least acknowledge that God’s word is the basis for knowing the ultimate Truth their Creator intended. For without the Bible—without the inspired instruction from God Himself in His inspired word—all that remains are the billions of human opinions: “This is the way I feel!” or: “This is how it seems to me!”

Do you get the picture?

So if God does have a true Church on this earth, it must acknowledge the inspired authority of the Bible, and must base its teaching solidly on that foundation! As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write: “But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Again, what is the Truth? Jesus said in your Bible: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Wherever the true Church is, it is the pillar and “bulwark” (as the word “ground” ought to be translated in 1 Timothy 3:15) of the Truth. It is the protector of the Truth. Paul also tells us that true Christians—those who compose the true Church—are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19–20). If, as Paul wrote, the true Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, then the writings of the apostles and the prophets—not human opinions or “feelings”—must be the basis of doctrine and practice.

Paul’s inspired statement about the true Church being the pillar and bulwark of the Truth is enormously important! For through God’s Church, people should come to understand the supreme purpose for mankind’s existence. They should learn in detail about God’s great plan for humanity and how He is working out that plan. They should come to understand the vital one-fourth of the Bible that is prophetic. They should then grasp the real meaning of current events as they relate to Bible prophecy. This will make their newspaper reading and world news viewing on television truly “come alive.”

Then, members of the true Church of God will know how to follow Jesus’ command: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). These truly converted people will then have the divine protection of God Himself during the horrifying Great Tribulation that Jesus Christ specifically prophesied would occur just before His return (Matthew 24:21–22). These true Christians—members of the true Church, learning the full Truth—will be spared from the horrifying “hour of trial” that will soon descend on this earth! For Jesus promises to people in this Church: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Do you, personally, want to be protected during the traumatic years just ahead? Or would you rather be “comfortable” attending whatever church you grew up in—or that you now attend—whether or not it understands the real Truth?

A “Comfortable” Church?

Should you look for a church where you can easily “fit in” and where you can be “comfortable?” A Charlotte Observer columnist recently wrote: “‘Comfortable in church.’ The phrase has always driven me crazy. The idea that we would go to church to get comfortable, to be comfortable, to be with people around whom we are comfortable, is offensive, maddening and just plain loony. ‘Comfortable’ is what I want when I put my feet up to watch TV. Comfort for the churchgoers I know is about class, education level, country club and race. And yes, too often about politics to boot. We like to worship with people who think like us, look like us, and drive the same kinds of cars we drive.” I am sure you are familiar with these attitudes. But is this the approach to true religion that Jesus Christ taught His true followers?

Please listen to Christ Himself: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [“love less”] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple…. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26–27, 33).

No, Jesus Christ does not intend that we strive for a “comfortable” existence in following Him! This may sound strange to some of you who have only heard about the “peace and prosperity” gospel that so many preach today. But the true Christ of your Bible talked constantly about the need to come out of this world’s society, about the need to prepare for persecution and about the need to “give up” one’s life in order to truly serve the only One who can actually give us eternal life!

The true Church is composed of people who have genuinely surrendered their lives to God through Jesus Christ. They will have proved to themselves the existence of the true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. They will have proved to themselves the literal inspiration of the Holy Bible and will have dedicated themselves to following Jesus Christ’s instruction: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). And they will certainly have proved for themselves that Jesus of Nazareth was God in the flesh: that He died to pay the penalty of sin for all humanity, rose from the dead after three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:40) and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our active High Priest, living Head and soon-coming King.

Such truly converted people will surrender to Christ as “Lord”—the One whom they will obey. Therefore, through Christ living within them through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20), they will strive to live by the teachings of the Bible. These are the people who make up the true Church of God!

So if you are willing to “get real,” then please be willing to listen to what the Bible actually says. For God does have a true Church here on earth. That Church is genuinely preparing its members for eternal life. That Church is genuinely doing the Work of God today. And that Church has several notable “signs”—key identifiers that are clearly mentioned in the Bible—which will show any sincere, discerning person where God’s true Church is if they are willing to listen with an open mind!

Do You “Need” to Attend Church?

In the current religious confusion, many people become turned off by what they call “organized religion,” and decide to stay at home and worship God alone, with their family or with a few other people. Is there anything wrong with that?

Even though many sincere people try to justify the practice of forming a “stay at home” church, this is very definitely wrong for many reasons. And it is totally un–biblical, except in a very few extreme circumstances!

Those who truly believe the Bible understand that Jesus Christ was the “light” whom God sent into the world. He was our example, and His apostles were also used as examples, once they were fully converted.

What was the inspired example of Jesus Christ? “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). Jesus’ own practice was to attend worship services regularly with others in an “organized” synagogue or Church setting! For God had already called the Sabbath a “holy convocation”—which means “commanded assembly.” So Jesus Christ obeyed this command, setting us an example.

We find that—even after Jesus’ resurrection—Peter and the early apostles met regularly in the temple on both the weekly and annual Sabbaths. In fact, the New Testament Church actually started not on Christmas or Easter, but on one of God’s commanded Holy Days, the Day of Pentecost! (Acts 2:1). Then the early disciples met regularly with others in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 2:46–47).

When it was God’s time for Paul to become active in the ministry: “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:25–26). Note that Paul and Barnabas “assembled” with the “Church.” So there was an “organized” Church which did meet together regularly! Still later, we read: “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2).

The inspired writer of Hebrews tells us: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:24–26). This vital scripture in God’s word tells us not to forsake assembling with others. It also tells us to “stir” one another to love and “good works.”

A few misguided souls might assume that if they just met at home with family and friends, they could stir up each other to good works. This approach clearly goes against the overwhelming number of biblical examples that God’s true servants did and should meet as an organized church, led not by some layman who decides to “appoint himself” to the ministry, but by a properly trained and ordained true minister of Jesus Christ! The Bible is emphatic that “no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God” (Hebrews 5:4).

In my more than 50 years in Christ’s ministry, I have dealt with a number of men and women who decided to withdraw from “organized religion.” In doing so, they adopted a “just Jesus and me” approach to the church, not recognizing that God has established a clear pattern of leadership in His Church. Many of the men, depriving themselves of sound counsel, ended up assuming the duties of the ministry, or virtually “appointing themselves” as ministers of Jesus Christ. In nearly every case, these men were obviously self–willed, usually “hardheaded” and genuinely unwilling to be taught and led by others. They desired to be “important” in their own eyes and in the eyes of their family or immediate friends by taking it upon themselves to establish a “home church” and act as minister or leader.

These men seemingly forgot the powerful example of Korah and his followers who rejected the leadership of God’s appointed servant Moses and argued that “every man” had the right to act as spiritual leader! These self-willed individuals challenged Moses and Aaron with these words: “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them” (Numbers 16:3). God showed His attitude toward this “every man is a minister” approach by having the earth open up and swallow alive these hardheaded rebels (vv. 28–34)!

In our day, by separating themselves from God’s true ministers and also separating themselves from being part of the Work that Christ is accomplishing, through His true Church, of preaching the Gospel to “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19–20), these people are shirking their responsibility to be part of the active body of Jesus Christ. They are not learning the lessons of working together as part of that body, are not learning the full Truth in a balanced way, are not learning to humbly receive and act upon the needed exhortation and correction that all Christians receive in the true Church of God.

Rather, such individuals end up on the “fringe” of God’s people, not interacting and learning as part of a real church fellowship. Such self-appointed religious leaders, and their followers, usually become sidetracked by odd ideas and doctrinal novelties. Also, very importantly, they show the living Christ that they lack faith in His ability to lead the Church, which God tells us is His responsibility (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18)!

The Church Jesus Built

Jesus asked His disciples: “‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'” (Matthew 16:13–14).

But Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Then Jesus continued: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (v. 18).

Jesus here said very plainly that He would build a “church”—which simply meant in the inspired Greek language a “group” or “crowd” of people. Jesus called it “My” church—not just any group or crowd or church.

Throughout the New Testament, God clearly indicates, again and again, that His people—His Church—would be small in number during this age, and would often be persecuted. He said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:16–19).

Wherever they are, it is obvious that God’s true people do not truly “fit” into this world and its society. For Jesus continued: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (v. 20). And Jesus called His people the “little flock” (Luke 12:32).

Jesus said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). Remember, then, only a few go in through the straight gate. Only a few truly understand and are part of God’s true Church today!

Notice: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Jesus plainly stated that His true people must be obedient to the Father’s will. They must do what God the Father commands.

Now, see how this directly applies to the true Church. All through the New Testament, the term “woman” is used as a symbol of a church. In 2 Corinthians 11:1–2, the true Church is pictured as the affianced “bride” of Christ. In Revelation 17, the great false church is called a “harlot” (v. 1) and the “woman” (v. 3) sitting on a scarlet colored beast.

Nearly all scholars acknowledge that in Revelation 12, the true Church is pictured as the bride. She is being “persecuted” by the “dragon”—described in verse 9 as Satan the Devil. Although the zealous members are taken to a place of safety, in verse 17 God describes the devil as going to make war with the “remnant” of the true Church—those left behind.

In Revelation 14:12, God goes on to describe His faithful people: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” These are the people, God indicates, who will be protected from the soon-coming Great Tribulation and the horrifying plagues of God that immediately follow!

Does it make any difference how you worship God? Of course you can worship in the church of “your choice”—as the Sunday religious-page ads often say. Of course you can follow the ideas of your relatives, friends and associates! But will they be there to protect you during the coming world upheaval? More importantly, will they be there to “save” you in God’s judgment?

Why not prove to yourself that the Bible is the inspired revelation, from the Creator, of basic spiritual knowledge otherwise inaccessible to mankind? Why not see what the word of God—the Bible—says about where God’s true Church is today?

Identifying “Signs”

We have already seen that Jesus said He would build His Church. We have found that the Bible describes that Church as a small, persecuted Church—one that is certainly not part of this world’s society. It is a Church that does the will of God the Father. And it keeps the Ten Commandments given as a basic way of life by Almighty God.

Obviously, many differing churches are small. Many are persecuted. Some are persecuted because they seem to deliberately provoke others and so bring unneeded persecution upon themselves—not because of a biblical message, but because of thoughtlessly and arrogantly trying to “cram their religion” down the throats of other people.

Many small, unorthodox religious groups sincerely feel they are not “part of this world.” Perhaps they wear distinctive attire—black hats and black bonnets, simple and plain clothing or special undergarments—to “prove” this to themselves and others. But being small, sometimes persecuted and not of this world’s society are principles that may be applied in strange ways. A biblical “key” to properly understanding and applying the above principles is revealed in the Apostle Paul’s statement that God has given Christians the spirit of “a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

But apart from the above general description of the true Church, are there any specific identifying signs that point unmistakably to where God’s Church is today?

Thankfully, there are.

For the sake of brevity, I will list and explain just five of these “signs” so that—if your mind is open—you may know how to recognize God’s true Church on earth today.

1. The FEAR of God

Before creating mankind, God created Lucifer—one of the three cherubs, or super archangels, who originally surrounded His throne. In Latin, “Lucifer” means “light bringer” or “shining star of the dawn.” Lucifer was originally created as a powerful, beautiful super archangel with tremendous wisdom and capacity (Ezekiel 28:11–15). In Isaiah 14:12–15, Lucifer is described: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”

As nearly all theologians recognize, it is obvious from this and other scriptures that Lucifer’s ability and beauty led to a great deal of pride. This pride, in turn, led Lucifer to rebel against his Creator, and his name was later changed from “light bringer” to Satan—which literally means “adversary” in Hebrew. Lucifer became God’s greatest enemy.

Throughout the entire Bible, God shows us that He is determined not to allow anyone to come into His Kingdom who is a potential adversary—a potential Satan! Would you? We all should recognize how vital this is to God. He wants unity and peace in His Kingdom and His Spirit-led family! He is the Author of love, joy and peace. Any being who would be a potential rebel might eventually destroy that peace.

Therefore, throughout the entire Bible, God reveals that He will make absolutely sure that any potential son of His will come to have the correct “fear” of God! As God’s word indicates, this fear is not “terror” or being “afraid” of something bad! Rather, it is a profound reverence, humility and willingness to obey our Creator and never to rebel against His laws and His righteous ways that always bring peace and joy.

One of the first “tests” that Abraham, the “father of the faithful,” had to pass is described in Genesis 22. Please read this chapter carefully! Here we find how God “tested” Abraham (v. 1) to see whether he would be totally submissive to his Creator—even willing to sacrifice his only son. At the very last minute—when Abraham had proved his total submission to God—God sent His Spokesman who said: “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (v. 12). Then, God gave Abraham the magnificent blessing that tremendous physical wealth and power would come upon his descendants, as well as spiritual blessings through the “seed,” Jesus Christ (vv. 15–18).

Abraham had to prove to God that he “feared” Him, and that he was willing to totally surrender his own will—not just to “believe in” God but to do what God commanded! In Proverbs 1:7, we read: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Again, in Proverbs 9:10 we read: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” So this tremendous awe and deep reverence before our Creator is the very starting point of true knowledge and true wisdom. Without it, God does not want us in His eternal Kingdom!

It should be obvious that those in God’s true Church must learn to have this profound reverence and willingness to obey their Maker that was portrayed so well by Abraham, the “father” of the faithful. Also, members of the true Church will have proved to themselves what God tells us in Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

If you and I are to be genuine Christians, we must totally believe in a real God—the God described in the Bible. And we must believe that, as the Bible says, He is a “rewarder” of those who diligently seek Him—not of those who half-heartedly attend the “church of their choice” or the local neighborhood church whenever it is “convenient,” and who believe whatever religious fad is currently in vogue!

Real Christians will also have proved to themselves the inspiration of the Holy Bible! Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). They will have surrendered themselves to follow what Jesus said, and to do what God says in His inspired word. They will understand that God “reveals” Himself through His word, not through our human imagination. They will understand and respond to 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As God makes clear in the above verse, scripture is given not just for our encouragement but for reproof and for correction as well as “instruction in righteousness.” God’s true Church must base its beliefs totally upon God’s inspired word! It must accept the true Christ revealed in the Bible as both Savior and Lord—the One we must obey. Those who fail to do so have come up with hundreds of different, competing denominations—each with different doctrines, practices and concepts of what God is like.

The Foundation of TRUTH

In his very helpful and insightful book, The Battle For the Bible, Dr. Harold Lindsell lays out this fundamental proposition: “Of all the doctrines connected with the Christian faith, none is more important than the one that has to do with the basis of our religious knowledge. For anyone who professes the Christian faith the root question is: From where do I get my knowledge on which my faith is based? The answers to this question are varied, of course, but for the Christian at least it always comes full circle to the Bible. When all has been said and done, the only true and dependable source for Christianity lies in the book we call the Bible” (p. 17, emphasis ours).

I hope all of you will carefully read the above quote and say a hearty “Amen.” For this is absolutely vital to true Christianity. And it is a vital “key” that must be taught and practiced by any church that calls itself the true Church of God! Again, the true people of God will only be those who surrender to actually do what the Bible really says. They will obey God’s word even if it brings them “problems” or severe persecution! As you know, the early Christians took their very lives in their hands when they followed Jesus and the original apostles. They were continually persecuted, sometimes martyred—and often hounded out of their jobs, their cities or even their families. As we have already seen, the Jesus Christ of the Bible told all who would follow Him: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [“love less”] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26–27).

When challenged about which “power” healed a crippled man, the Apostle Peter courageously answered: “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10–12).

To be in God’s true Church, one must sincerely follow Peter’s inspired instruction on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38–39). When one comes to the point of being willing to heartfeltly repent of breaking God’s holy law—for “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV)—one must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. At that moment, the new Christian will be totally forgiven of past sins, and will become a member of God’s Church.

For you cannot “join” God’s true Church! You must be put into the Church—baptized into the Church—by God Himself, through His filling you with the Holy Spirit. As Paul explained: “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). Also: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Through the total surrender of your heart, mind and body to God through Jesus Christ as Savior, you will be plunged into—put into—the Church of God, which is Christ’s body. Then—with Christ as your ultimate Boss and Lord—you will not belong to yourself anymore. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Are you, personally, willing to make that kind of commitment?

Complete Surrender to Jesus Christ

God’s true Church is composed of people willing to surrender fully to Christ. They must also be willing to follow Jesus’ instruction: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25). Most professing Christians today are so interested in “saving” their lives—having a “good time” and fitting into this present society—that they would find it very difficult to even consider actually obeying this powerful teaching of the Son of God.

I will always remember conducting a series of small evangelistic meetings in February, 1957 in London, England. Among the attendees was a very kindly Scottish couple who came virtually every night for four weeks and seemed very interested and enthusiastic. They said, “Praise the Lord!” and acted very pleased with what I had to say during most of the campaign. They said that they wanted to do “whatever” the Lord had in mind. But near the end of these evangelistic meetings I touched on a couple of very key and vital instructions from God involving the Ten Commandments directly. Suddenly, their attitude changed. They became somber and defensive.

My wife and I both tried to visit with them for the last night or two of their attendance in these meetings. They acknowledged that what I said came out of the Bible. But they said that in their present situation, because of this man’s employment, it would be “too difficult” to obey God. So they failed to show up for the last couple of meetings, and eventually faded away into the mass of Londoners. God’s direct command seemed “too hard” for them. It demanded obedience in a way to which they were not prepared to respond.

One of the finest true ministers I have ever known said often: “God will not ‘save’ anyone He cannot rule!” You see, as in the example of Abraham, God demands that we prove to Him our willingness to surrender our lives and wills totally to do what He says!

Please do not misunderstand! I do not mean to convey the idea that every person has to have this almost perfect attitude of submission to God before becoming a member of His true Church! But the basic understanding and willingness to grow in that perfect submission to our Creator should be there. We in this Work, which the living Christ is using to proclaim His message, cannot help you by offering you a “cheap substitute” to genuine Christianity. We cannot and must not offer you “cheap grace” and say, as do so many others: “God accepts you just as you are!”

For the true Jesus Christ of the Bible said: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

The real Jesus Christ also said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matthew 7:21–23).

Note carefully the final phrase of this inspired teaching from the Son of God: “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”

Those who pretend to teach the Ten Commandments, but who then invent all manner of excuses to “water down” the very basis of genuine Christian character, are in deep trouble! The Apostle James was inspired to write: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:10–12).

James was clearly referring to the Ten Commandments. Those are the commandments that teach against murder and adultery. James showed that we must obey all ten of God’s commandments—not come up with clever reasons as to why any of them is “done away,” or that some are to be modified or “watered down” to fit our modern lifestyle.

Rather, God’s true Church is composed of those who have the genuine “fear of God”—who are tired of “playing games” with religion, and are willing to diligently seek the God of the Bible, obey His commandments and truly yield themselves to Christ to live His obedient life within them through the Holy Spirit. In fact, the best one-verse definition of a true Christian that I know of is found in Paul’s inspired statement: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV). This is the very basis of true Christianity. This is the foundation of the true Church of God!

2. The True Church Has God’s NAME

It sounds almost too simple. You would think people would know. But God names things what they are!

Before Satan rebelled, he was called “Lucifer,” which means “light bringer.” After he tried to dethrone the living God, however, his name was changed to “Satan.” This means “enemy” or “adversary”—exactly what in fact this great fallen cherub had become.

The name “Jacob” means “usurper” or one who “supplants” another. After he wrestled with God’s Messenger and began to ask God for help, God changed his name to “Israel.” This means “overcomer” or “prevailer” with God. All through the Bible you see this principle. Names are very important to God. And God names things what they are!

Many years ago, in 1517, a young Catholic priest in Germany became upset at the selling of “indulgences”—the Roman Catholic practice of promising forgiveness of sins upon payment of money. He nailed to the church door 95 theses expressing why the practice of selling indulgences was wrong, and explaining his other disagreements with the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, Martin Luther unwittingly started what became the Protestant Reformation. Later, after a break with the Roman Church, his followers called themselves “Lutheran” after this reformer. They decided to name their church the “Lutheran Church.”

Years later, receiving a feeling of “inner warmth” and peace after a certain religious meeting, John Wesley set out preaching about a different approach to God and religion. Eventually, his followers decided to name their church after him. But, although the term “Wesleyan” was widely used, Wesley and his followers became noted for their “methodical” and organized manner of conduct, and what began as a nickname eventually became the name of their whole denomination, “The Methodist Church.”

Presbyterians are named after their form of church government by the elders, or “presbyters.” Baptists are named after one doctrine: baptism. Seventh Day Adventists are named after two of their doctrines—belief in the seventh-day Sabbath and the “advent” or return of Jesus Christ. Many other churches take their names from their town, their form of government, or some point of doctrine.

What, then, should God’s true Church be named? Should it be named after some man? Should it be named after some country or geographic location? Should it be named after some doctrine or practice of the Church? Does God give us any indication in the Bible what His Church should be called? Some may be surprised to learn that He does!

The Correct “Name” Is Listed Twelve Times

When the Apostle Paul was instructing the elders of the Church in Ephesus, he wrote: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

Heed what? “Heed the “Church of God.'”

Does it seem too obvious that God’s true Church would be called just that: “The Church of God”? Notice 1 Corinthians 1:1–2. In his official address to the church, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write: “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth…” Later in the letter, he tells them: “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32).

In 1 Corinthians 11:16, Paul describes the many congregations collectively as “the churches of God.” In verse 22 of this chapter, Paul again refers to them as “the church of God.” And in 1 Corinthians 15:9, he wrote: “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 2 Corinthians begins with the same official address: “To the church of God which is at Corinth.” And in 1 Thessalonians 2:14, Paul refers to the original Christians as “the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.”

The introduction to both of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians refer to “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father,” for they were His churches and must be in union with Him. And in 1 Timothy 3:5, Paul tells the young evangelist Timothy that if an elder does not know how to rule his house, “how shall he take care of the church of God?” Finally, in 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul tells Timothy that he is writing to tell him how to conduct himself in “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

How clear!

Throughout the New Testament—in twelve distinct passages—the true Church is called “the church of God,” “the churches of God,” “the church of the Thessalonians in God” and, at pagan Ephesus where stood the idol to the goddess Diana, “the church of the living God.”

Often, in business or industry, the founder or owner’s name is given to an enterprise as the identifying “sign” of ownership or control: for example, “The Bank of Morgan” or “Lever Brothers.” God’s name is always attached to His true Church. Christ is God, so in one or two passages we also find the appellation “church of Christ.”

One of the absolute prerequisite identifying signs of God’s true Church is that it must bear God’s name! The name alone is not absolute proof of its identity. But, taken together with the four other identifying signs we shall discuss, it is an absolutely vital designation. For God names things what they are. In fact, just before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for His followers: “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11).

3. Growth in Grace and Knowledge

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). And again: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (v. 14).

To be truly “Christian” and a child of God, one must be filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows clearly that each child of God must grow spiritually. So must the true Church of God genuinely grow in spiritual understanding and depth. And it must be led by the Holy Spirit.

Now, notice how the Holy Spirit works. Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth.” He said that when the Spirit of truth has come, it would guide Christians into all truth, and that it would even tell them of things to come (John 16:13). Note that the Spirit “guides” us into all truth. It also helps us understand prophecy—”things to come.”

It is a process of growing and changing; a process of becoming more and more like God in our character, our thoughts and habits. Perhaps the Apostle Peter expressed it most clearly: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The true Church of God is made up of truly converted Christians—people who have been and who are certainly being changed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. As each individual must “grow” in grace and in knowledge, so the unified body of those individuals—the true Church—must also grow.

For instance, Daniel was given awesome visions and dreams involving events to take place on earth at the end of this age—probably just a few years from now. He asked: “O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

And God’s angel answered: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:8–9). Now, with mankind having the capacity to destroy all life from off this planet, we are certainly in the prophesied “time of the end.”

Who Really UNDERSTANDS?

Is there, today, a church that is truly growing into such knowledge and understanding of Bible prophecies? Do you know of any church that has been willing to change and grow, not to become more like the world, but rather to more deeply understand the Master Plan that God is working out here below? Is there a church that truly understands where we are headed—why the United States and Great Britain are slowly but inexorably sliding from their pinnacle of national greatness, and how and why a powerful union of nations in Europe will soon become the force to reckon with?

There is a Church that grasps why you were born and put on this earth, and that understands the incredible human potential—including the amazing truth that God is literally reproducing Himself. This Church knows why most people in this present age never join any type of “Christian” church or organization, and why God is not even trying to “save” the world during this 6,000-year period when, as the Almighty God, He clearly has the power to do so if He wants to.

God’s true Church understands these matters, and can give clear biblical answers to these most basic questions. It is a Church that keeps on learning and growing in vital knowledge and understanding.

Remember, most “mainline” churches seldom if ever change or grow in true knowledge. When they do change, it is nearly always in the direction of secularism—”watering down” what little bits of biblical truth they may once have had.

But the true Church of God grows continually into a deeper and fuller understanding of the Bible, of the great purpose being worked out here below and of the exciting fulfillments of biblical prophecy now starting to occur.

4. The “SIGN” of God’s People

Speaking of true Christians having to flee the coming Great Tribulation, Jesus said: “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath” (Matthew 24:20). Why would Jesus be concerned about His followers keeping the Sabbath day?

Because it is and always has been the “test” commandment—a test to see whether each of us will just obey God because He says to do it. And therefore it is an identifying “sign” of His people. Also, it points to the true God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

Jesus observed the Sabbath, “as His custom was” (Luke 4:16). The Apostle to the Gentiles always preached and had religious services on that day (Acts 17:2).

In the Old Testament, a special Sabbath covenant was made with Israel: “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed‘” (Exodus 31:13–17).

To prove this point to yourself about God’s true Sabbath and its meaning, write immediately for our free booklet, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, God gave His people seven annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. These spiritual “feasts” of rejoicing picture God’s great plan of salvation. Those who fail to observe them do not understand God’s great plan and purpose. They do not know, for instance, why God is not “saving” everyone now. And they do not know the exact time when, in God’s Master Plan, all human beings who have ever lived will be given genuine understanding of God’s word and of true Christianity—and the vast majority will respond!

One of these spiritual feasts is the Passover. Most churches have changed its time and manner of observance and call it the “Lord’s Supper,” “Eucharist,” or some other name. Jesus kept it as the “Passover” (Luke 22:15–20). The Apostle Paul kept the Passover and the accompanying “Days of Unleavened Bread” (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

The Passover lamb of ancient Israel pointed to the death of Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God—for our sins. Right after the Passover, the “Days of Unleavened Bread” were observed. In putting out leaven, Christians are to picture putting out sin and growing in grace and knowledge—the next step after accepting Christ’s sacrifice!

Paul taught the Gentile church at Corinth how to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Notice! This is a New Testament command—not to Jews—but to a primarily Gentile church to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. God’s true Church should be observing this God-given festival just as Christ, the apostles and all the early Christians did!

For a full explanation of these days and their meaning, write also for our free booklet, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan.

The point is that these annual Sabbaths and Holy Days are also part of God’s “sign” by which His people would be identified. Notice God’s clear statement regarding the days of Unleavened Bread: “It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth…” (Exodus 13:9).

Wherever God’s true people are—wherever His Church is—His servants will have the identifying “sign” of God’s true Sabbaths, weekly and annual. For the weekly Sabbath points to the true God—the Creator—and the annual Sabbaths set forth His marvelous plan.

Frankly, if you or your present church are not willing to genuinely obey the fourth commandment, which tells us to keep the seventh day of the week as “holy time,” then you will still be sitting there arguing or “reasoning” away God’s commands when His true Church flees to safety just as Christ indicated in Matthew 24:20! And you will become very thirsty as the millennial rule of Christ begins and He is forced to bring total drought on all nations and peoples who refuse to keep His commanded Holy Days—especially the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16–19)! For your own sake—and the sake of your loved ones—please do not underestimate this huge issue! Are you willing to surrender and obey your Creator on this vital point?

5. God’s Church Does the Real WORK of God

One of the “signs” Jesus gave of His coming, and of the end of this age, was this: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Somewhere on earth, just before Jesus’ Second Coming, His true servants will be preaching with increasing power the message of the coming world-ruling Kingdom of God! They will preach the message of heartfelt repentance and total surrender to God and to His laws, which Jesus Himself preached. They will explain how true Christianity involves not just accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior, but genuinely accepting Him as our Lord, our High Priest and our soon-coming King. For Jesus’ coming Kingdom is a real Kingdom. A kingdom is a government—and from one end of your Bible to the other, God’s message is about His coming government, which will utterly crush all the governments of this world and will rule forever (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15).

The living Jesus Christ will soon return in mighty power to govern this earth and save man from blowing himself off this planet (Matthew 24:22)! As Jesus tells one “era” or “branch” of His true Church: “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—He shall rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 2:26–27).

Notice: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10). Notice that Christ and His saints will rule “on the earth“—not up in “heaven”!

Through God’s true Church, this vibrant message of His soon-coming world-ruling government is to be proclaimed. This message is not given to convert everyone, but is proclaimed as a “witness” so that when these end-time events actually occur, humanity will understand more quickly.

Also, through His Church, God is training men and women in lessons of character and obedience so they may be “ready” to serve under the living Christ when He returns as King of kings. The Apostle Paul was inspired to alert true Christians to this absolutely vital aspect of Christian life and of the type of preparation and training members of the true Church should be receiving. Paul wrote: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2–3).

In order to rule others, one must first learn to rule oneself. God’s government is based upon His spiritual law—the Ten Commandments. So that is why God says of the true saints: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

Another absolutely vital part of the Work of the true Church is to understand and proclaim the prophetic messages of the Bible. About one-fourth of the entire Bible is devoted to prophecy! God’s word itself tells us: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).

God’s Church understands and proclaims to you the real meaning of current events, the “Big Picture” of why the U.S. and other British-descended peoples are increasingly losing their power and prestige, and exactly where this is leading. It can explain why the mainly Catholic nations of continental Europe are increasingly uniting, where this is destined to lead and why the British will—within a few years or less—get out or be “pushed out” of the European Union. If you wish to genuinely understand these vital issues, call or write and request a free copy of our eye-opening booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Another vital part of the prophetic commission of God’s Church in these end-times is what we call the “Ezekiel commission.” This is the warning message that God clearly indicated His true servants should give especially to the twelve tribes of Israel. As the aforementioned booklet clearly explains, the Anglo-Celtic peoples of the U.S. and the British Commonwealth nations are the descendants of the so-called “Lost Ten Tribes” of Israel. Along with the Jewish people, they will bear the brunt of the soon-coming Great Tribulation. These are the people who must be warned—ahead of time—about this coming holocaust!

So we in the Living Church of God do feel the responsibility to act on God’s instruction to the end-time watchman: “When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me” (Ezekiel 33:3–7). This is a vital part of the responsibility of God’s true servants in these “last days.”

Only God’s Church truly understands and gives you the genuine understanding of these and other world-changing trends that will soon dramatically affect your life! God’s true Church will also be consistently teaching, training and genuinely preparing its members for their future as kings and priests in Christ’s soon-coming world government (Daniel 7:27; Luke 19:15–19, Revelation 1:5–7; 5:10; 20:6). You need to open your mind, zealously study your Bible, ask God for understanding and “see” where the living Christ is working in these end times! God’s true Church will be preaching the entire Bible—not just a few sentimental passages about the person of Jesus Christ while at the same time neglecting the powerful message that He Himself preached. You can find that Church and become part of it—if you are willing!

God’s Church Has All FIVE Identifying “SIGNS”

Around the world, God’s true Church is proclaiming—with increasing power—the coming government of God on earth through Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints, based on God’s law and His commandments. God’s true Church teaches the way of life that Christ and His apostles preached and practiced. It practices God’s form of government and is preparing its members to assist Christ in ruling this world (1 Corinthians 6:2–3).

It is important to note that while God’s true Church is one spiritual organism, the Bible shows that it is normal for the Church to exist in several different corporate “fellowships” or “branches” at the same time. In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, Christ reveals the characteristics of the seven ages or “eras” of God’s true Church. He finds some fault with most of the seven churches or “eras”—but not Philadelphia. These “eras” represent attitudes that are always present in God’s Church, and they also indicate the progression of “dominant” attitudes in the Church at large. Today, we are clearly in the Laodicean era, which Christ condemns for being “lukewarm” even though it has most of the Truth. The living Jesus Christ said: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16).

The Living Church of God, which has produced this booklet you are now reading, strives to retain the Philadelphia emphasis even in our Laodicean age. We earnestly exhort God’s people to be zealous in doing God’s Work, in preparing to be kings and priests in Christ’s Kingdom and in totally surrendering to Christ’s rule in the Church and in our personal lives. We in the Living Church of God are definitely focused on accomplishing the Work that Jesus Christ is doing through His Church in these last days.

Jesus inspired the Apostle Paul to tell us in 1 Corinthians 12 that His Church is the “body” of Christ—the physical instrument through which Christ is working today to accomplish His Work and to prepare the future kings and priests for His Kingdom. It is important to note that that body has always existed. Remember, Jesus said: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

So, ever since Christ ascended to heaven and became the living Head of the Church, He has guided His “little flock” through trials, tests and persecutions down through the ages. It will be extremely helpful to each of you to request your free copy of our very revealing booklet on this topic, God’s Church Through the Ages. This booklet thoroughly documents the history of the true Church down through the centuries—using many outside church histories and resources to prove its points. It will help you understand where God’s true Church has been all these years, and where it is today.

By examining the “fruits” you can see for yourself how God is using the Living Church of God today to accomplish His purposes. Remember, as indicated above, God’s true Church is the “body” of Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13).

Different “Branches” of God’s Church

To be in the body of Christ, you must be fully surrendered to God and be led by God’s Spirit: “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). So each member of the true Church must be genuinely converted and led by God’s Spirit. Again, God gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Yet down through the ages, there have been many different Church of God fellowships—”branches” of the true Church—that sometimes coexisted. In the first century after Christ, the Apostle John wrote of seven churches in Asia Minor, which displayed attitudes that would be found throughout Church history to come, each of which would also represent the dominant attitude of the Church in successive “eras.” These different “branches” of God’s true Church were often in different parts of the world—perhaps, at times, unknown even to each other. For example, during the 12th and 13th centuries, God’s true Church existed among the Bogomils in Hungary even while those believers were unaware that a similar group of Sabbath-keepers existed simultaneously in Great Britain.

Many in the U.S. are familiar with the Seventh Day Church of God. Over the years it underwent various “splits”—as many denominations do—and before World War II had ended up with one group headquartered in Stanberry, Missouri, and another headquartered in Caldwell, Idaho. From this environment, God raised up Herbert W. Armstrong, who for many years led what became known as the Worldwide Church of God. The Worldwide Church of God became, by far, the largest group of true believers who surrendered their lives to keep the whole law of God, observe the true Sabbath, preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and use the correct name, “the Church of God.” Even during this time, however, there existed the aforementioned groups of the Seventh Day Church of God. Mr. Armstrong often acknowledged that these different fellowships were “branches” of the true Church.

During Mr. Armstrong’s ministry, most whom God called to the Truth found themselves asking two vital questions:

Where was the truth of the Bible most clearly being preached?
Where was the “Work” most powerfully being done?

Remember, the “Work” consists not only of preaching the truth of the Bible, but specifically of proclaiming to the world the soon-coming Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14), giving the “Israelitish” nations a strong warning of the impending Great Tribulation, “feeding the flock” with the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and genuinely teaching, training and preparing God’s people to be “kings and priests” in Christ’s Kingdom (Revelation 5:10).

Certainly most of the Seventh Day Church of God people were “nice,” and they had some of the Truth. But they seemed content just to teach the basics and to quietly enjoy their fellowship with one another. They seemed to lack the “fire in the belly” to “go into all the world” and powerfully preach the Gospel and also give the vital “Ezekiel warning” (Ezekiel 33:1–7) about the coming Great Tribulation that will primarily strike the Anglo-Celtic nations.

Jesus tells us, regarding any religious organization: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:15–20). So it is up to each individual to carefully consider: Where is Christ primarily working today? Who is preaching more of the Truth? Who is most effectively doing the Work of proclaiming the Gospel to the public all over the world?

We understand from the Bible and from history that the Church of God is the “body” of Jesus Christ—the body of believers in the genuine Truth of the Bible. Wherever God’s true people are, they will be those who have surrendered their lives to live by “every word of God.” Within the greater body of Christ, God’s true people must genuinely love one another as Jesus loved us all (John 13:34). Where those people are gathered into different corporate fellowships, there will be differing strengths and varying emphases. But outflowing love, brotherly kindness and the spirit of service should be present in converted members of God’s Church, no matter where they live and to which particular fellowship they belong. For the genuine love of God is squarely based on the Ten Commandments. As the Apostle John was inspired to tell us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

And so, through the Spirit of Christ within them, the true people of God will follow this path. They will have the understanding and courage to obey all ten of the Ten Commandments—exemplifying Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” And they will exercise the faith to keep the identifying “sign” that God gave His people (Exodus 31:16–18).

Rather than argue and make excuses to disobey, God’s Church keeps holy what God has made holy. It follows the inspired example of Jesus and the apostles in keeping God’s Sabbath and His annual Holy Days, which reveal His awesome plan. Finally, God’s Church does the Work of proclaiming as a “witness” the message of salvation through Jesus Christ and the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God based on His law.

The organization that publishes this booklet strives to do all of these things. As you know, we in the Living Church of God try to follow all of the above truths with all our hearts and powerfully proclaim the end-time prophecies of the Bible and do all we can to specifically warn the Israelitish people of the coming Great Tribulation. With our Headquarters in Charlotte, NC, offices all around the globe, scores of local congregations with resident ministers, worldwide radio and television and a growing publishing work including this very booklet and Tomorrow’s World magazine, that message is going out with increasing power.

Now, you must decide what to do about this booklet. Perhaps it will merely be helpful to you to consider these obvious, biblical identifying “signs” of where God is working—where His true Church is today.

But if your interest goes beyond that—if God is calling you and if we can serve you personally—do not hesitate to write us at the address of our office nearest you. We can merely answer your questions by mail. If you request it, a fully-trained representative of this Work will call on you in person at a time and place agreeable to you.

You must decide.

As world events move inexorably toward the end of this present age, you owe it to yourself to be sure of where you are headed. “Take the bull by the horns.” Prove these things to yourself from the pages of your Bible. If God is opening your mind now, then act on this precious knowledge and begin to really prepare for your job in Tomorrow’s World. Only the true Church of God has been given the genuine understanding, the courage and the motivation to fearlessly proclaim the full Truth and really prepare you and your loved ones to fulfill the magnificent purpose for your lives and to become “kings and priests” (Revelation 1:6) in the soon-coming Kingdom of God on this earth!

You Need to ACT!

If you would like to visit with a minister or representative of this Work, then call our office nearest you as listed on the “Regional Offices” page at the back of this booklet. Or write to the nearest office, if you prefer. Just state your desire for a visit and give your address and/or phone number so our representative may contact you. Be assured that no one will show up without previously scheduling a visit at a time and place agreeable to you. Our minister or representative will be there simply to answer your questions about the Bible or about this Work and the Living Church of God.

There will be no pressure for you to “join” anything and no solicitation of money for any purpose. But you will have the opportunity to talk with a true minister or representative and more thoroughly check us out in a personal way and ask about attending worship services or a Bible study if you wish. Often, our minister may suggest that you read more literature, prove the truths of the Bible to yourself more thoroughly and be more sure of your commitment before attending any meetings. For we want you to be sure. We are trying to serve you in your quest for eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

However, if God is truly opening your mind and “calling” you, we are sure that you will be delighted to meet with others who have been willing to genuinely give their lives to God and in service to their fellow man. You will find a group of happy people—often with little children—who bring their Bibles to services, and are like the Bereans, who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:10–11). There will usually—depending on the size of the group and the local situation—be singing of hymns, announcements of any activities, news of the Work, helpful sermons and a great deal of enthusiastic visiting and fellowshipping after the meetings.

May God help you to “prove all things: hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). As the end of this age swiftly approaches, we should not forever sit around speculating and doing nothing! God rewards those who zealously act on the Truth and do all they can to get involved in serving Him and in serving their fellow human beings in God’s service. As James was inspired to tell us: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Again, be sure to request a free copy of our extremely helpful and thoroughly documented booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages. It will help you really understand the history of God’s true Church—the “little flock” that almost disappeared during the Dark Ages.

God help you to understand and to get involved while you still have the opportunity! You may now be in your “comfort zone” in some other church fellowship. But—if God is calling you at this time—your Creator wants you to be an active part of His Church in genuinely preparing for His kingdom and powerfully warning our peoples of the coming Great Tribulation. Notice the clear responsibility of God’s faithful servants: “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Proverbs 24:11–12).

The living Jesus Christ tells all of us to bear fruit: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8). Again, may God inspire you to be an active part of the Work that Christ is now accomplishing through His body, the true Church of God on earth today.

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Doctrine

God

There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

bduval — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 03:03:03 +0000

There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

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There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

bduval Wed, 08/16/2023 - 03:03

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Is there such thing as God? If so, who is He, what is He like? Can you know? Do you need to know? Or does it even matter? Yes, there is a God. He orchestrated the creation of all things, and that includes you and me. We were not created to be ignored, or left as an afterthought. We are not some science experiment whose creator set it in motion and then stepped back only to observe from afar. Who is the Creator of the universe? He is a God you can know!

Watch to discover FOUR ways that God reveals Himself to man.

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Fri, 07/23/2021 - 12:00

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Michael Heykoop

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God’s Church Through the Ages

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 19:57:04 +0000

God’s Church Through the Ages 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 19:57

God’s Church Through the Ages

John H. Ogwyn (1949-2005)

Booklet Media

#Christianity

#Church History

#History

God’s Church has endured through the ages. It is a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), but God has always remained true to His promise that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). In this revealing booklet, you will find a brief account of the fascinating history of the true Church of God.

CHAPTER 1

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH?

Jesus Christ said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Which church did Jesus build, and what happened to it?

When the Bible speaks of the Church, it is never speaking of a building—nor of a human organization incorporated under secular authority. The word in the Greek language that is translated “church” in English isekklesia. It is derived from two root words in Greek and literally means “called out” or “called from.” In secular usage, it referred to an assembly of citizens who were “called out” from the inhabitants of the city to consider some matter of importance. It was often used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to the congregation of Israel or to the assembly of God’s people. “Congregation” or “assembly” expresses the meaning in New Testament usage as well.

However, the “called out” aspect of ekklesia is fundamental to understanding the Church. In Genesis 12, we read that Abraham was “called out” by God from Ur of the Chaldees. In Exodus 12, we read of Abraham’s descendants, the children of Israel, being “called out” by God from Egypt. They then became the congregation of Israel or the “church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38, KJV).

One of God’s final warnings to His people is a call to “come out” of Babylon (Revelation 18:4). The saints of God are not to participate in that corrupt, end-time culture’s sins, so they will not partake of the divine punishments that “Babylon” will receive.

Jesus made it plain that one cannot come to Him, and be part of His Church, without being called by the Father (John 6:44). Only those who respond to the Father’s call, through repentance and baptism, will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and it is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we become part of the Church that Jesus built (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

What happened to the Church that Jesus Christ said He would build? Did it adapt and change with the times through progressive revelation? Did it veer “off the track” and need to undergo a reformation at the hands of such men as Martin Luther and John Calvin? Or, has there been a body of believers, down through the centuries, continuing to believe and practice the same doctrines Jesus Christ and the first-century Apostles taught?

When we look at the story of the mainstream, professing Christian church throughout the centuries, it appears to be a vastly different church from the one described in the pages of your New Testament. In the book of Acts we find that God’s Church celebrated “Jewish” holy days (Acts 2:1; 13:14, 42, 44; 18:21), talked about the return of Jesus Christ to judge the world (Acts 3:20–21; 17:31) and believed in the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (Acts 1:3, 6; 28:23).

Yet, less than 300 years later, we find a church claiming Apostolic origin, but observing the “venerable day of the Sun” instead of the seventh-day Sabbath. When that church assembled its bishops to discuss doctrinal matters at the Council of Nicea, the meeting was presided over by a Roman Emperor—Constantine! How could such an amazing transformation have taken place? What happened?

Protestant author Jesse Lyman Hurlbut acknowledged the dramatic change that took place. In his book The Story of the Christian Church, he wrote, “For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120AD with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (p. 41).

The history of the Christian Church between Pentecost of 31AD and the Council of Nicea in 325AD, almost 300 years later, is truly amazing. It is the story of how yesterday’s orthodoxy became today’s heresy, and how old heresies came to be considered orthodox Christian doctrine. It is the story of how church tradition and the teaching of bishops came to supersede the Word of God as a source of doctrine. It is a story that is stranger than fiction, yet is historically verifiable.

SIMON AND “ANOTHER GOSPEL”

In Acts 8, we are introduced to a man who was used by Satan to infiltrate and subvert God’s Church. This man was Simon, the sorcerer from Samaria, better known in secular history as Simon Magus. Simon was considered by the Samaritans to be God’s divinely chosen representative (Acts 8:9–10). Eduard Lohse, writing in The New Testament Environment,states that the expression, “the great power of God,” represents Simon’s “claim to be the bearer of divine revelation” (p. 269). Simon was baptized and became a nominal Christian, along with the rest of the Samaritans. However, the Apostle Peter recognized Simon’s real motives. In Acts 8:22–23, Peter rebuked him in the strongest terms as being “in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (KJV).

Who were the Samaritans? The book of 2 Kings tells us that when the northern ten tribes of Israel were deported by the king of Assyria, Babylonians were settled in their place. These Babylonian Samaritans continued to practice their old Babylonian paganism, but with the added infusion of biblical terminology to obscure what they were doing (2 Kings 17:33, 41). Though they professed adherence to the God of Israel, they did not really obey God’s law (v. 34). In fact, as is made plain in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, they became enemies of the true Work of God.

The Samaritans, just as the Jews, had become dispersed throughout the known world in the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s conquests. There were Samaritan colonies in several major centers of the Roman Empire, including Alexandria, Egypt and Rome. Simon had admirers and adherents among these people.

Samaritanism, with its blending of Babylonian paganism and lip-service to the God of Israel, was also heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. Simon Magus added to this an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of mankind. However, as Jesus explained, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Simon used the name of Jesus, but substituted a different message—a message that did away with the need to really obey God and keep His commandments!

Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity notes, “Early Christian writers regarded Simon as the fount of all heresies” (p. 100). The Encyclopaedia Britannica(11th ed.) in its article on Simon Magus identifies him as the “founder of a school of Gnostics and as a father of heresy.” Noted historian Edward Gibbon says the Gnostics “blended with the faith of Christ many sublime but obscure tenets which they derived from oriental philosophy” (The Triumph of Christendom in the Roman Empire, p. 15).

Gnosticism (the term is derived from the Greek word for knowledge) was a highly intellectual way of life. It represented a blending of Babylonian mystery religion, Greek philosophical speculation and an overlay of biblical terminology. Among the Gnostics, biblical accounts were not taken literally but were treated as allegories used to teach deeper “truths.” “The Mosaic account of the creation… was treated with profound derision by the Gnostics” (Gibbon, p. 13). Gnosticism stressed pagan dualism with its emphasis on the immortality of the soul and the inherent evil of matter. It also introduced much vain speculation on the nature of God and the spirit realm. Several New Testament books—including the Gospel of John, Colossians and 1 John—were written to refute the Gnostic heresies that Simon Magus and many others began to spread.

Hellenistic culture, which pervaded the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, was an alternative worldview—a competitor to the perspective and values of the Bible. It stressed the supremacy of reason and logic rather than divine revelation. The later Greeks, embarrassed by the ribald antics of their ancient gods and heroes in the writings of Homer and Hesiod, sought to explain them away as profound allegories.This approach to their “inspired” writings was picked up by Hellenistic Jews, such as Philo of Alexandria, and applied to the Bible. This treatment of the Old Testament as an allegory was a handy tool for Gnostics and others who wanted to evade obedience to plain commands.

About 15 years after the baptism of Simon Magus, the Apostle Paul found it necessary to warn the Church in Thessalonica that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). About five years later, Paul warned the Corinthians that they were in danger of being corrupted by false apostles teaching “another Jesus” and “a different gospel.” Simon and his followers were, in reality, ministers of Satan masquerading as ministers of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3–4, 13–15).

By the 60s AD, the Apostle Jude, brother of James and of Jesus Christ, exhorted Christians of the necessity to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). He went on to warn that there were certain men who had stealthily crept into the church organization, trying to turn grace into lawlessness by teaching that God’s law was no longer necessary (v. 4). By Jude’s time, the true faith had already been once and for all delivered.Modern scholars who claim that it remained for second and third century theologians to begin to formulate an accurate understanding of God’s nature would do well to reread Jude 3. It is clear that Jude does not allow for “progressive revelation”!

Writing at the close of the first century, almost 30 years after the rest of the New Testament was completed, the aged Apostle John had to contend with heresies that were far more widespread than those of the days of Paul and Jude. John repeatedly emphasized the necessity of keeping God’s commandments (1 John 2:3; 3:4, 22; 5:3). In 2 John 7, he warned, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” In 3 John 9–10, a leader by the name of Diotrephes had gained control of some congregations in Asia Minor and was actually putting out of the Church those true Christians who remained loyal to the aged Apostle John and his teachings.

THE CHURCH IN TRANSITION

An event of far-reaching implications for the New Testament Church had occurred about 25 years prior to John’s writing. This event was the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions under Titus in 70AD. The Jerusalem Church of God, under the leadership of James’ successor, Simeon (first cousin of James and Christ), fled Jerusalem shortly before 70AD and went to Pella, a remote desert community. Following Simeon’s death, the Jerusalem Church of God experienced great instability, having 13 leaders in the next 28 years.

Many previously promulgated heresies now emerged in full bloom. In addition, many in the Church were discouraged and confused. Events had not gone as had been generally expected. The Church was increasingly becoming a mix of new Gentile converts and second or even third generation members.

During the last part of the first century and the beginning of the second, the Roman world became increasingly hostile to the Jews. Extremely oppressive laws and heavy taxes were directed against them by the Roman Empire as punishment. Between the first (66–73AD) and second (132–135AD) Jewish revolts, there were many violent anti-Jewish pogroms in places such as Alexandria and Antioch. Reacting to this, the Jews rioted in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt.

Frequently, Christians suffered as victims of these outbursts because they were regarded by the authorities as a Jewish sect. However, they were considered by Jewish revolutionaries to be traitors to Judaism and to Jewish political aspirations because they would not fight the Romans.During these times, hundreds of thousands of synagogue and Church members—those who worshipped on Sabbath days and studied the Scriptures—perished at Roman hands or by mobs.

During this dangerous era, the Roman church under its Bishop Sixtus (ca. 116–126AD) began holding Sunday worship services and ceased observing the annual Passover, substituting Easter Sunday and “Eucharist” in its place. This is the clear record preserved by Eusebius of Caesarea, a late third- and early fourth-century scholar, who became known as the “father of church history.” Eusebius quoted his information from a letter of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (ca. 130–202AD) to Bishop Victor of Rome. Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his book From Sabbath to Sunday,acknowledges: “There is a wide consensus of opinion among scholars that Rome is indeed the birthplace of Easter-Sunday. Some, in fact, rightly label it as ‘Roman-Easter’” (p. 201). Of course, what is not generally realized by the speakers of non-Latin languages is that the Romans did not use the name “Easter” for their new celebration; they continued to call it by the Latin word for Passover, paschalis.

This official break from the law of God was the natural outgrowth of the “mystery of iniquity,” which confused grace with lawlessness and taught that obedience to the law was unnecessary. When a practice is not deemed necessary, it is only a matter of time until convenience will dictate either its modification or its abolition. As the conflict between Judaism and the Empire heightened, many “Christians” in Rome, under the leadership of Bishop Sixtus, took steps to avoid any possibility of being considered Jews and thereby suffer persecution with them.

In 135AD, at the end of the Second Jewish Revolt, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) took drastic steps against the Jews. He renamed Jerusalem after himself and the “god” Jupiter Capitolinus—Aelia Capitolina—and imposed the death penalty on anyone called a “Jew” who would dare enter the city.

At this point Marcus, an Italian, became bishop of Jerusalem, as Gibbon records in chapter 15 of his famous Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: “At his [Marcus’] persuasion, the most considerable part of the congregation renounced the Mosaic law, in the practice of which they had persevered above a century. By this sacrifice of their habits and prejudices they purchased free admission into the colony of Hadrian, and more firmly cemented their union with the Catholic church” (vol. 1, p. 390).

What of those who continued to regard the law of God as binding for Christians? Gibbon writes: “The crimes of heresy and schism were imputed to the obscure remnant of the Nazarenes which refused to accompany their Latin bishop.… In a few years after the return of the church of Jerusalem, it became a matter of doubt and controversy whether a man who sincerely acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but who still continued to observe the law of Moses, could possibly hope for salvation” (p. 390).

It was only a matter of time until professing Christians who had ceased observing the Sabbath “excluded their Judaizing brethren from the hope of salvation… [and] declined any intercourse with them in the common offices of friendship, hospitality, and social life.”

Incredible! This happened even though, just a few years earlier, they had all observed God’s Festivals together. Yet after Bishop Marcus brought in “new truth,” most professing Christians joined him in condemning those faithful Christians who held fast to the historic faith they had all been taught. Those who remained loyal to the truth were soon shunned as a source of “division” by a majority seeking to replace historic Christianity with something different.

A THEOLOGY OF “NEW TRUTH”?

Many of the supposedly “Christian” writings that have been preserved from the second century onward put forward a totally different theology from that of the Apostle John, who wrote just 10 or 20 years earlier. As Bacchiocchi asserts, “Ignatius, Barnabus, and Justin, whose writings constitute our major source of information for the first half of the second century, witnessed and participated in the process of separation from Judaism which led the majority of the Christians to abandon the Sabbath and adopt Sunday as the new day of worship” (p. 213). Ignatius of Antioch, in about 110AD, wrote, “It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practice Judaism” (Magnesians, 10). He also talked of “no longer observing sabbaths.” Yet John, writing his gospel scarcely 20 years earlier, emphasized that Jesus kept the same Festivals the Jewish community kept (John 7:2; 11:55).

Barnabus of Alexandria, not to be confused with the Apostle Barnabus, in his epistle written about 130AD, alleges that the Old Testament is an allegory and not intended to be understood literally. He regards the prohibitions of the law against eating unclean meats as an allegory of the type of people that Christians should avoid(Epistle of Barnabus, 10). He also seeks to allegorize the Sabbath and states, “We keep the eighth day for rejoicing in the which also Jesus rose from the dead” (Epistle of Barnabus, 15).

Two prominent second century theologians, who played an important transitional role in the change from biblical theology to Roman Catholic theology, were both baptized in churches under faithful Polycarp’s leadership. Polycarp (ca. 69–155AD) had been a personal disciple of the Apostle John and was one of the few church leaders of his day to hold fast to the Truth. These two men, Justin Martyr (ca. 95–167AD) and Irenaeus (ca. 130–202AD), while maintaining some truths they had learned under Polycarp, also sought to accommodate themselves to the new direction of Roman theology in the name of “church unity.” Irenaeus, though he departed from much of Polycarp’s teaching, maintained a lifelong admiration for Polycarp as a great man of God.

Justin was a Greek from Samaria who became a Platonist philosopher and then, under the influence of Polycarp and his disciples, was baptized as a Christian at Ephesus in about 130AD. He came to Rome in 151AD, founded a school and was subsequently martyred in 167AD. After arriving in Rome, Justin sought to steer a middle course on the subject of the law. Henry Chadwick writes:

“Justin believed that a Jewish Christian was quite free to keep the Mosaic law without in any way compromising his Christian faith, and even that a Gentile Christian might keep Jewish customs if a Jewish Christian had influenced him to do so; only it must be held that such observances were matters of indifference and of individual conscience. But Justin had to admit that other Gentile Christians did not take so liberal a view and believed that those who observed the Mosaic law would not be saved” (The Early Church, pp. 22–23).

Irenaeus grew up in Asia Minor and, when a teenager, heard Polycarp preach. He came to Rome as a young man and later became bishop of Lyons in France in 179AD. Irenaeus is considered the first great Catholic theologian and seems to have gone to great lengths to promote peace and a conciliatory spirit. His desire for peace was so great, however, that he was willing to compromise with the Truth to maintain church unity. The churches in Asia Minor under Polycarp’s leadership observed the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Yet, when Irenaeus came to Rome, he readily adapted to the Roman practices of observing Sunday and Easter. In Lyons there were some who kept Passover on Abib 14 and some who kept Easter. Irenaeus kept Easter but sought to be tolerant of those who still observed Passover.

A theological revolution was indeed taking place in the Church of the second century. Notice: “Justin Martyr occupies a central position in the history of Christian thought of the second century.… Justin also molded the thinking of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons” (Chadwick, p. 79). Though Justin became a professing Christian in Ephesus, he “did not understand this to mean the abandonment of his philosophical inquiries, nor even the renunciation of all that he had learnt from Platonism” (p. 75). He believed that the God of Plato was also the God of the Bible. “Justin does not make rigid and exclusive claims for divine revelation to the Hebrews so as to invalidate the value of other sources of wisdom. Abraham and Socrates are alike Christians before Christ” (p. 76). This approach set the stage for a reshaping of Christian theology to embrace much of Greek philosophical thought concerning the nature of God.

In spite of all this, Justin acknowledged the authority of the book of Revelation and believed “Christ would return to a rebuilt Jerusalem to reign with his saints for a thousand years” (p. 78).

Irenaeus, heavily influenced by Justin, also preserved bits and pieces of the Truth in spite of conforming to Roman practices. He rightly taught: “The purpose of our existence is the making of character by the mastery of difficulties and temptations” (p. 81). He also adhered to the literal hope of an earthly millennium,during which Christ would reign on earth, and taught against interpreting the millennial hope as symbolic of heaven, though he toned down his insistence on this point in his later works.

TRUTH ABANDONED IN FAVOR OF UNITY AND TRADITION

There were two fundamental errors that separated professing Christians from those who truly represented the continuation of the Church that Jesus built. These errors involved whether or not God’s law was still obligatory for Christians, and who and what God is. Errors on these two points led to an ever-widening divergence between the professing Christian church and the true Church of God.

The importance of the law was the major area of controversy from about 50AD until 200AD. It was not finally resolved until the Councils of Nicea (325AD) and Laodicea (363AD) when the Roman state became involved. The substance of the conflict is preserved in the confrontation between Polycrates of Asia Minor and Victor, bishop of Rome, about 190AD.Polycrates was the successor of Polycarp who was himself a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus records that Polycarp had traveled to Rome in the mid-second century to try and persuade Anicetus, bishop of Rome, of the true time of the Passover. Anicetus claimed to have been bound by the tradition of his predecessors since Bishop Sixtus, while Polycarp declared, “He had always observed it [Passover] with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the apostles, with whom he associated” (Eusebius, xxiv).

About 50 years after Polycarp’s journey, Victor of Rome sought to intimidate the churches of Asia Minor into conforming to the Roman Easter practice. Polycrates wrote Victor:

“We therefore observe the genuine day [Passover]; neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom. For in Asia great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again in the day of the Lord’s appearing, in which he will come with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints; Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis… John, who rested upon the bosom of our Lord… Polycarp of Smyrna.… All these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the gospeldeviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith…and my relatives always observed the day when the people threw away the leaven [Abib 14]. I, therefore, brethren, am now 65 years in the Lord, who having conferred with the brethren throughout the world, and having studied the whole of the sacred Scriptures, am not at all alarmed at those things with which I am threatened, to intimidate me. For they who are greater than I, have said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’” (Eusebius, xxiv).

As various controversies raged during the second century, a new approach to church government was to have consequences of monumental proportions. This approach was an emphasis on what was termed “Apostolic Succession.”

In the first century, Paul had praised the Bereans for their approach in “checking up on him” by searching the Scriptures daily to see if he was teaching truth (Acts 17:11). He exhorted the Thessalonians to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). Constantly, throughout the first century, we see an appeal being made to the Scriptures.

But, beginning with the writings of Clement, bishop of Rome, we find anewemphasis. Clement wrote a letter to the church in Corinth about 100AD, probably very shortly after John’s death. The editors ofMasterpieces of Christian Literaturesummarize Clement’s principal ideas as: “The way to peace and concord is through obedience to established authorities, the elders. Christ rules the churches through the apostles, the bishops appointed by them, and the approved successors of the bishops.”

About ten years later Ignatius stressed the same point, “Unity and peace in the church and the validity of the church are acquired through faithful adherence to the bishop” (Masterpieces).

By the middle of the next century, the claims had grown so forcefully that Cyprian of North Africa stated: “The focus of unity is the bishop. To forsake him is to forsake the Church, and he cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother” (Chadwick, p. 119).

These claims were being made to hold brethren in an organization that was rapidly developing into what we know today as the Roman Catholic Church. How different these appeals are to those of Paul and the other New Testament leaders who pointed to the Scriptures and to the fruits of their ministries for authentication (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1; Acts 17:2).No longer able to rely on a clear appeal to Scripture, second- and third-century church leaders increasingly based their claim to the loyalty of the brethren upon their assertion of being duly ordained successors of the Apostles and the bishops who succeeded them. While they increasingly abandoned what the Apostles taught, these deceivers sought to hold brethren together by appeals to unity and to the memory of the Apostles.

CHAPTER 2

A DRAMATIC TRANSITION

At the time of the Apostle John’s death near the dawn of the second century AD, the Christian movement, though obviously beset by many problems and false teachers, bore at least a recognizable resemblance to the Church of God of the book of Acts. But, by the beginning of the third century AD, most of those same congregations, though still calling themselves “Church of God,” bore far more resemblance in doctrine to the medieval Catholic Church than to the Church of God during the days of the Apostles Peter, James, Paul and John.How did so many move so far so quickly? This is the question that simply leaps out at us as we examine the history of the early Church.

During the second century, a number of gradual shifts occurred in both the doctrine and practice of the vast majority of church congregations. The stage was set for those shifts by some of the very ideas that began to be promulgated only a few years after Christ’s resurrection and ascension into heaven. Ideas always produce consequences!

ANOTHER GOSPEL

Christ spent His ministry preaching the “Good News” of a coming divine government that would replace the oppressive human governments Jesus’ listeners knew all too well. The disciples asked Him for signs showing when that time would be near (Matthew 24:3). The last question they asked, as He was preparing to ascend into heaven, concerned whether it was yet time for the Kingdom to be established (Acts 1:6). In the last stage of Paul’s ministry of which we have any record, we find that Paul was still “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (Acts 28:31)! Even in the last inspired book of the New Testament canon, Jesus Christ inspired the Apostle John with visions about the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth (Revelation 19:11–21; 20:4–6; 21).

In spite of this clear record of Jesus Christ’s plain teaching, we read in 2 Corinthians 11:3–15 that false ministers had crept into the Church, and within 25 years after its founding were preaching what Paul called “another gospel.” By the second century, the true Gospel that Jesus had taught was being called a “doubtful opinion” by the leaders of the budding “orthodox” Christian church. By the third century, Christ’s own example and teaching was being regarded as rank heresy. During the second and third centuries, the “gospel” that was being preached focused almost exclusively on the person of Jesus. Also, at that same time, pagan concepts about the immortality of the soul, as well as heaven and hell, gained acceptance.

The correct understanding about the Kingdom of God was maintained well into the second century, even by men such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. Of course, they were seriously off-track in other areas, such as their teaching concerning God’s law. Edward Gibbon writes of this period:

“The assurance of such a Millennium was carefully inculcated by… [those] who conversed with the immediate disciples of the apostles.… But when the edifice of the church was almost completed, the temporary support was laid aside. The doctrine of Christ’s reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism” (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1, ch. 15).

Much of this progression was the result of Origen’s influence. Origen was, as we shall shortly see, one of the least sound-minded individuals ever to be accepted as a Christian theologian. He played a major role in formulating Catholic teaching on the Trinity, the immortality of the soul and the Kingdom of God.

As the foundational understanding of the true nature of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God was abandoned, there were many disastrous consequences. One was the participation of church members in politics and in the military. Historians are virtually unanimous in acknowledging that early Christians avoided such involvement, “But, while they inculcated the maxims of passive obedience, they refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defense of the empire” (Gibbon, The Triumph of Christendom in the Roman Empire, p. 41). By the end of the third century, however, there were “Christian” legions in the Roman army. Professing Christians were told that political involvement was acceptable.

THE IMMORTAL SOUL

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, virtually universal in paganism, is not taught in either the Old or the New Testaments. Notice the admission of the Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible in this regard:

“In the KJV of the OT [the clue is partly obliterated in modern translations] ‘soul’ represents almost exclusively the Hebrewnephesh. The word ‘soul’ in English… frequently carries with it overtones, ultimately coming from philosophical Greek (Platonism) and from Orphism and Gnosticism, which are absent in nephesh. In the OT it never means the immortal soul, but is essentially the life principle, or the living being.… Psuche in the NT corresponds tonephesh in the OT” (vol. 4, p. 428).

How did the concept of an immortal soul enter into Christianity? As early as 200BC, some Jewish sects were beginning to absorb this idea, due to Greek influence, and were attempting to meld it with the biblical teaching of the resurrection. This is illustrated by such intertestamental apocryphal writings as the Book of Jubilees and Fourth Maccabees, as well as by both Philo and Josephus. The Gnostics, with their emphasis on pagan dualism, stressed the immortality of the soul in contrast to the resurrection of the body. The International Standard Bible Encyclopediastates, “There is a distinction between a Platonic belief in the immortality of the soul alone and biblical teaching regarding the resurrection of the dead” (vol. 2, p. 810).

Late second- and early third-century writers such as Tertullian and Origen played a major part in shaping future Catholic doctrine regarding heaven, hell and the immortality of the soul. The ISB Encyclopedia goes on to reveal: “Early Christians were often influenced by Greek as well as Jewish thought. For example, many were influenced by Pythagoras’ teachings about the soul’s division into several parts and its transmigration: Platonic and Neoplatonic [especially Plotinus’] understandings lay behind Origen’s view of the soul.… Tertullian followed Stoic thought” (vol. 4, p. 588). The Encyclopedia of Religionbrings out that many later influential Catholic theologians “all interpreted the biblical concepts of the soul along Platonic lines and in the general tradition of Origen and his school.”

THE TRINITY

There was not simply one heresy regarding the nature of God, but many different contradictory ones. There seem to have been almost as many different ideas as there were philosophical schools and teachers. Mainstream Catholic thought, from which orthodox Protestant teaching on the subject sprang, merely represents the particular brand of heresy that won out over its competitors. Since it is this teaching that has survived, with some modification, until our time, it is the one that we will examine most closely.

The background of third-century orthodoxy on the subject of the Trinity is to be found not in the biblical text, but in Greek philosophical writings.The Roman Catholic New Theological Dictionary makes a number of frank admissions in this regard. Concerning the Scriptural teaching on the nature of the Holy Spirit, in its article, “Trinity,” it acknowledges, “As such, the Spirit is never the explicit object of NT worship, nor is the Spirit ever represented in NT discourse as interacting in an interpersonal way with the Father and the Son.”

Later in the same article, modern Catholic scholars, discussing the background of orthodox teaching on the Trinity, confess pagan influences upon their theology:

“Christians… conversant with the then dominant philosophy of middle-Platonism seized the opportunity to proclaim and elucidate the Christian message in a thought form which was meaningful to the educated classes of the widespread Hellenistic society. This movement, which Catholic theology has generally evaluated positively, will have an enormous impact on the development of Christian theology.… Confident that the God they [pagan Greek philosophers] preached was the Father of Jesus Christ and the salvation they proclaimed was that of Jesus, the apologists adapted much of the Hellenic worldview… [Tertullian made] the first known use of the term ‘trinity.’

Origen appropriated the philosophy of middle-Platonism more systematically than the apologists and Tertullian had. In fact, his ‘concept of eternal generation’ was an adaptation of the middle-Platonic doctrine that the whole world of spiritual beings was eternal. The Son is eternally derived (or generated) from the very being of God and hence is of the Father’s essence, but second to the Father.… Origen, like Tertullian coined a generic term for the ‘three’ of the divine triad. The Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit are ‘three hypostases’.… Origen’s major contribution to the formulation of the trinitarian doctrine is the notion of eternal generation. His generic term for the ‘three’ (hypostases) will be adopted and refined in the fourth century” (p. 1054).

As we look at the development of “Christian” theology in the late second and early third centuries, the names of Tertullian and Origen keep coming up. Tertullian (ca. 150–225AD), called the father of Latin theology, was “one of the most powerful writers of the time and almost as influential as Augustine in the development of theology in the West” (Eerdman, Handbook to the History of Christianity, p. 77).

Tertullian lived in Carthage and was one of the first to teach that a fiery hell began at death. In his later years he broke with Rome and became a Montanist. This meant that he accepted the claims of two demon-possessed women who called themselves prophetesses. They went into ecstatic frenzies and “spoke in tongues,” claimed to be the “Paraclete” (a term for the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel), and taught a message termed the “New Prophecy.”

Origen (ca. 185–254AD) “was the greatest scholar and most prolific author of the early church” (Eerdman, p. 104). About 203AD, Origen succeeded Clement of Alexandria as leader of a famous school that purported to prepare Christians for baptism and offered courses in philosophy and natural science for the general populace. For all his reputation as a great scholar and teacher of theology, how much did Origen really understand? According to the fourth-century church historian Eusebius, not too long after he took over the school at Alexandria, Origen castrated himself! This act was based upon his understanding (or rather, misunderstanding!) of Christ’s words inMatthew 5:29–30.

This same utter lack of sound-minded understanding of the real meaning and intent of Scripture is poignantly displayed in much of his theological writing. “Origen introduced the possibility of a remedial hell [purgatory]” (International Bible Encyclopedia, “Hell”). He also played an important part in what later developed into Catholic Mary-worship by first proposing the idea that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus.

RELIGIOUS ART IN WORSHIP

One of the most drastic changes to affect the church after the first century was the introduction of religious art into worship. This innovation so obviously smacked of the idolatry prohibited by the second commandment that it was slow to catch on. Notice:

“Both Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria regarded this prohibition as absolute and binding on Christians. Images and cultic statues belonged to the demonic world of paganism. In fact, the only second-century Christians known to have had images of Christ were radical Gnostics.… Yet before the end of the second century Christians were freely expressing their faith in artistic terms” (Henry Chadwick, The Pelican History of the Church, p. 277).

The earliest example of a church building that had pictures on the wall was a third-century building in Dura on the Euphrates. Even then, it was primarily Old Testament scenes. As late as the Emperor Constantine, many leaders of the professing Christian church were still shocked at the idea of having pictures or images of Christ. We read:

“About 327 [AD] the learned historian Eusebius of Caesarea received a letter from the emperor’s sister Constantia asking him for a picture of Christ.… Eusebius wrote her a very stern reply. He was well aware that one could find pictures of Christ and of the apostles. They were for sale in the bazaars of Palestine, and he had himself seen them. But Eusebius did not think the painters and shopkeepers selling these mementos to pilgrims were Christians at all… [he] takes it for granted that only pagan artists would dream of making such representations” (ibid., pp. 280–281).

Epiphanius of Salamis, a fourth-century church leader, was horrified to find in a church-porch in Palestine a curtain with a purported picture of Christ. He not only lodged a vehement protest with the bishop of Jerusalem, but personally tore down the curtain and destroyed it. By the time of his death in 403AD, however, portrayals of Christ and the saints were becoming increasingly widespread. This was accompanied by theveneration of Mary which, by 400AD, was occupying an ever-increasing place in private devotions.

THE IMPERIAL CHURCH

After almost three centuries of on-again, off-again persecution by the Roman government, the Edict of Toleration was issued at Milan in 313AD. Soon afterward, Christianity went from simply being officially tolerated by the Roman Empire to actually becoming the official state religion of the empire. Did this represent a success story for the Church that Jesus Christ built? Had true, biblical Christianity triumphed in the Roman Empire?

Far from it! What we have seen is a Gentile-influenced religion that appropriated Christian terminology while retaining pagan traditions—all enforced by the Roman emperor, Constantine. It was vastly different from the persecuted, Judeo-Christian Church established by Jesus Christ Himself in the first century. Constantine recognized the important role that religion could play in uniting his empire and giving his populace a common identity. Motivated primarily by these political concerns, Constantine forged an alliance with the bishop of Rome and began the process of creating a “standard brand” of “Christianity” throughout his empire. He was instrumental in calling the Council of Nicea in 325AD and actually presided over it himself. Keep in mind that Constantine was not even baptized yet! In fact he put off baptism until he was on his deathbed, at which point he was too ill to be immersed. His personal example of being sprinkled contributed much to an abandonment of immersion in favor of sprinkling.

The Council of Nicea primarily sought to resolve two thorny issues that had not been fully settled earlier. These involved controversies about thenature of God as well as the Easter/Passover question. Backed up by imperial muscle, the views of the Roman church prevailed at the council. All opposition was squelched.

Constantine was also responsible for making “the venerable day of the Sun” a state holiday when the courts were to be closed and most businesses were to shut their doors.

This Roman emperor had previously been a devotee of Sol Invictus (“the Unconquered Sun”) and with his “conversion,” many motifs of sun worship, such as the use of the cross and the halo in art, entered “Christianity.” Also at this time, there began to be mass conversions of the populace. To facilitate this, popular holidays such as Saturnalia and Lupercalia were recycled into new “Christian” observances, now called Christmas and St. Valentine’s Day. The leaders of the church at Rome claimed that they were merely broadening the way, making Christianity more accessible to the masses and certainly much less “Jewish.” Anti-Semitism was a motivating force in Roman Christianity.

WHERE WAS THE CHURCH JESUS CHRIST BUILT?

What had happened to the Church that was established through an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in 31AD? Where was Christ and what was He doing during this time?

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, we find messages that Jesus Christ recorded for the seven churches of Asia Minor. In the first chapter, the Apostle John saw a vision of the glorified Christ standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands. These seven lampstands represent the Church of God in its entirety throughout time (Revelation 1:12–20). The seven cities of Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation were physically situated as successive stops on a Roman mail route. What is the significance of these seven messages?

Clearly, these message have a historical application to seven literal congregations in the first century. Additionally, however—and important for us today—these congregations exemplify attitudes and problems that might characterize the Christian community, as well as individual Christians, in the years since John wrote (cf. Revelation 2:7).

When we look at the context of the book of Revelation, we must recognize that it is primarily intended as a prophecy. Revelation 1:1shows that the book’s purpose is to show to God’s servants things that would soon begin to happen. Thus the seven churches should primarily be understood as representing the entire history of God’s Church in seven successive church eras.

The first church to be addressed in Revelation 2 is the Church at Ephesus. This church characterized the Apostolic era. In verse 2, we read that the great test of that first era lay in determining who were the true Apostles of Christ and who were liars (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3–15). This was an era that labored long and hard to do the Work of God and endured much difficulty and persecution in the process. The true Christians of the Ephesian era were those who rejected and hated the practices of the Nicolaitans (followers of Simon Magus).

However, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD, discouragement and spiritual lethargy set in. The brethren had expected Christ to return shortly after Roman armies had surrounded Jerusalem. But now most of Judea and Galilee lay in ruins, occupied by Roman legions. The Jewish Christians were considered traitors by their fellow countrymen, and probable troublemakers by the Roman authorities. Life was hard and dangerous.

This era had left its first love, that early zeal for doing the Work. The membership began losing focus regarding those doctrines, practices and priorities that gave them their true identity and purpose.

The living Christ’s message to Christians of the Ephesian era was that if the Ephesians did not repent and return to their first works of zealous proclamation of the Gospel, He would remove their lampstand. The apostasy of the overwhelming majority of the Jerusalem Church in 135AD(when the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome was totally crushed) is generally taken to mark the ending of the Ephesian era. Those who remained faithful during these trying final days were labeled as “Nazarenes” (cf. Acts 24:5) and “Ebionites” (poor ones) by the larger church. As is also the case today, a wide variety of “independent” groups, mixing truth and error in a wide assortment of ideas, existed alongside the true Church of God. These groups were sometimes lumped in as fellow “heretics” with the “Nazarenes” or “Ebionites” by the Roman church.

The Church at Smyrna is the second of the seven churches to be addressed. The Apostle John died in Ephesus at the end of the first century. The next faithful leader in Asia Minor, as noted in the previous chapter, was Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. As a young man, Polycarp had been a personal disciple of John and had observed the Passover with him on several occasions. Polycarp became prominent during the first couple of decades of the second century. The churches under his leadership remained one of the few areas where God’s Festivals continued to be observed throughout the remainder of the second century. In his old age, Polycarp even made a journey to Rome seeking to convince the bishop of Rome, Anicetus, of his errors in not celebrating the biblical Passover date and in observing, in its place, an annual Sunday Paschal observance (Easter) and a weekly celebration of “Eucharist.”

In the closing decades of the second century, Polycrates, a faithful church leader who had been personally trained by Polycarp, arose. He remained the only Christian leader of prominence who was faithful to the example of the Apostles of the Jerusalem Church of God. Polycrates taught the true Gospel of the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, the unconscious state of the dead awaiting the resurrection, the importance of keeping God’s law and the observance of the biblical Festivals.

Toward the end of the second century, Victor, bishop of Rome, had begun labeling Polycrates and those who followed his teachings as heretics—sources of discord and schism in the church. Polycrates remained faithful despite increasing pressure and isolation from supposed “fellow Christians,” as well as persecution and hostility from the surrounding pagan society. After his death, however, we know of no other strong, prominent leader among those faithful churches in Asia Minor.

In the public’s perception, true Christians lost ground to the much more popular and accommodating Roman church. Their numbers shrank and they became increasingly isolated. Despised and labeled “Ebionites” by the mainstream church, individuals and groups of families who remained faithful had to relocate into more remote areas of Asia Minor.

Even as early as the end of the first century, there were true Christians being put out of congregations headed by apostate leaders (3 John 9–10). By the second century, others, such as the faithful remnant who refused to accept “new truth” from Bishop Marcus of Jerusalem, were being forced to withdraw themselves from congregations of which they had been members. This occurred as unfaithful leaders led the visible church further and further astray.

The great test of the Smyrna era lay in two areas. One was their ability to distinguish between the continuation of the true Church of God and what was, in reality, the emerging Synagogue of Satan. The other lay in their willingness to endure persecution and even death in order to remain faithful to God (Revelation 2:9–10).

Physically, the Christians of this era were impoverished and persecuted. They were rejected as heretics by the rapidly growing “Orthodox” movement, labeled as apostates from the synagogue by the Jews, and looked upon with contempt and suspicion by the surrounding pagan Roman society. In God’s estimation, however, those who remained faithful during this horrible time were accounted as having spiritual wealth of great value, and will ultimately receive a crown of life (Revelation 2:9–10).

After Constantine began the systematic enforcement of compliance with Roman theology in 325AD, the remnants of the true Church were in large part forced to flee the bounds of the Roman Empire into the mountains of Armenia, and later into the Balkan areas of Europe. They were few in number, utterly lacking in prestige or wealth and labeled as enemies of the state by a supposedly “Christian” Roman Empire.

In God’s sight, however, they were precious. It was not God’s purpose that His true Church grow into a great, powerful organization that would “Christianize” the world. His true Church was to remain a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Its continuity would be measured, not by a succession of proud, powerful, presiding bishops in a particular city (cf. Hebrews 13:14), but by a succession of faithful, converted people who, though scattered and persecuted, continued to worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24).

There would be times when God would raise up faithful leaders to revitalize His people and do some sort of Work that had public visibility, at least in localized areas. There were other times when God’s Church continued to exist in such scattered obscurity that it was visible only to God. Still, it never died out.

CHAPTER 3

THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS

In the aftermath of the Council of Nicea, Emperor Constantine and his successors sought to stamp out all non-conforming brands of Christianity. Groups that refused to conform to the teachings and practices of the “established” church, which now called itself the Catholic (universal) Church of God, were viewed not merely as heretics, but as subversive enemies of the Roman state.

The true Church, symbolized by a woman in Revelation 12, was forced to flee into the wilderness for 1,260 “days.” In Bible prophecy, a “day” often represents a year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). Thus, the true Church would have to remain in hiding for 1,260 years following the Nicene Council. Historically, that is what happened. Though these were truly dark ages, there was a light that continued to burn. Its flame sometimes flickered, but it was never extinguished.

Several problems confront any church scholar or historian who wishes to trace the wanderings of the true Church during this 1,260-year period. This is because the true Church’s history is not about one continuous human organization. The preserved history of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God has been almost entirely written by its enemies who viewed it as heretical. We read of groups labeled by hostile outsiders with such names as Paulicians, Bogomils and Waldenses—of whom smaller or larger segments, at different times, appear to have been true Christians in the mold of the first-century Jerusalem Church. Another difficulty is that the teachings of each of these groups changed over a period of time, generally becoming more like those of their Catholic and Protestant neighbors.

Also we find that writers often lumped together various groups of “heretics,” including the true Church, under the same name, not truly distinguishing the differences in their teachings. Thus the great challenge in Church history is not simply to identify who taught what, but to recognize when a church ceased to be part of the true Church, and when God removed that true Church to another place.

THE CHURCH FLEES TO THE WILDERNESS

During the first three centuries of its existence, the Church of God faced intermittent periods of harsh persecution. However, during those times, they were not singled out, but were generally lumped in with the Jews and a wide range of Christ-professing sects. Those persecutions were of limited duration and local in scope. The Roman Emperor Diocletian, from 303 to 313AD, unleashed the worst of these pre-Council of Nicea persecutions. These are the “ten days” referred to in Revelation 2:10.

When Constantine consolidated his power in the Empire, things changed significantly. Gibbon tells us that Constantine’s religious devotion was “peculiarly directed toward the genius of the Sun… and he was pleased to be represented with the symbols of the God of Light and Poetry. The unerring shafts of that deity, the brightness of his eyes… seem to point him out as the patron of a young hero. The altars of Apollo were crowned with the votive offerings of Constantine; and the credulous multitude were taught to believe that the emperor was permitted to behold with mortal eyes the visible majesty of their tutelar deity.… The Sun was universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine” (The Triumph of Christendom, p. 309).

Four years prior to the Council of Nicea, Constantine proclaimed a law for the Roman Empire that was to have far-reaching implications for God’s people. “The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321AD, enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die solis, i.e., venerable day of the Sun).… This was the first of a long series of imperial constitutions, most of which are incorporated in the Code of Justinian.” About forty years later, the Catholic Church followed up on this imperial edict in “canon [29] of the Council of Laodicea [363AD], which forbids Christians from Judaizing and resting on the Sabbath day, and actually enjoins them to work on that day” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Sunday”).

The very fact that, in the latter fourth century, the Roman Church felt the need to legislate against Sabbath observance shows that faithful remnants, particularly in Asia Minor, persevered in the Truth. This increasingly powerful church insisted that all must now accept the “Christianized” brand of Roman Sun worship. Those who refused were easily identified and could no longer function if they remained in the urban areas of the Roman Empire. Consequently, in the fourth century, those Christians labeled as Nazarenes disappeared from the populous areas of Asia Minor. For three centuries the remnants of the true Church had sojourned there, but with the enactment of this Sunday law by Constantine, they were forced to flee. The fourth-century Catholic historian Epiphanius describes these people who differed “from the Jews and [Catholic] Christians: with the Jews they do not agree because of their belief in Christ, with [Catholic] Christians because they are trained in the Law.… This heresy of the Nazarenes exists in Beroea in the neighborhood of Coele Syria and the Decapolis in the region of Pella.… From there it took its beginning after the exodus from Jerusalem when all the disciples went to live in Pella” (Ray Pritz, Nazarene Jewish Christianity, p. 34).

THE “PAULICIANS” APPEAR IN ARMENIA

In the fifth century, the Church appeared in remote areas of eastern Asia Minor near the Euphrates River and in the mountains of Armenia. These people were labeled by their contemporaries as “Paulicians.” Who were they?

According to Armenian scholar Nina Garsoian in The Paulician Heresy, “It would, then, appear that the Paulicians are to be taken as the survival of the earlier form of Christianity in Armenia” (p. 227). The author also states that the Paulicians were “accused of being worse than other sects because of adding Judaism” (p. 213).

Christ’s message to this third stage of God’s Church (Paulicians) is characterized by the Church at Pergamos (Revelation 2:12–17). The wordPergamos means “fortified,” and the Church members of this era were noted for dwelling in remote, mountainous areas. In Revelation 2:13, Christ said of the Pergamos Church that they dwell where Satan’s throne is. Pergamum was a center of the ancient Babylonian mystery religion. In 133BC, Attalus III, the last “god-king” of Pergamum, died and in his will bequeathed his kingdom and his title, Pontifex Maximus(“Supreme Bridge-builder” between man and God), to the Romans. The Roman rulers took the title and held it until Emperor Gratian bestowed it on Pope Damascus in 378AD. The Catholic popes continue to use that title to this day. Also, historically, the term “Satan’s throne” alludes back to Nimrod’s ancient kingdom, which in distant antiquity included Armenia and the upper Euphrates (Genesis 10). The Pergamos Church—the Paulicians—geographically relocated to that same area after Constantine enforced Sunday keeping on the Roman Empire.

As far back as the fifth century, we find the Paulicians condemned as heretics in Catholic documents. However, the first prominent leader among them with whose name we are familiar is Constantine of Mananali (ca. 620–681AD). About 654AD he began to preach, helping to revitalize the Church. Prior to his ministry, most of the Church membership consisted of descendants of Christians who had fled Greece and Asia Minor more than two centuries earlier. They preserved the names of their original congregations and continued to refer to themselves as the “church of Ephesus” or the “church of Macedonia,” even though they were located hundreds of miles from the original sites.

In 681AD, Constantine of Mananali was executed by Byzantine (Eastern Roman) soldiers commanded by an officer named Simeon. Profoundly overwhelmed by Constantine’s example and teachings, this Simeon returned in 684AD—not as a Roman soldier, but as a convert. Simeon became a zealous Paulician preacher, and in turn was martyred three years later, in 687AD.

In 1828, the manuscript of an ancient book titled The Key of Truth was discovered in Armenia. The book, portions of which date to 800AD, provides us with the greatest detail of the teachings of the Paulicians. Translated into English by Fred Coneybeare around 1900, we learn from it that the Paulicians shunned the use of the cross in worship and religious art, calling it a “cursed implement.” They condemned warfare, and they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the sacred calendar. The Paulicians rejected the Roman Catholic Church’s claim to be the “Church of God,” and they disputed papal claims of “apostolic succession.” They regarded the Trinity, purgatory and intercession of the saints as unscriptural.

In the introduction to his English translation of The Key of Truth,Coneybeare provides invaluable historical background on the practices of the early Paulicians. “We also know from a notice preserved in Ananias of Shirak that the Pauliani, who were the same people at an earlier date, were Quartodecimans, and kept Easter in the primitive manner at the Jewish date. John of Otzun’s language perhaps implies that the old believers in Armenia during the seventh century were Quartodecimans, as we should expect them to be” (Coneybeare, intro., clii). Coneybeare further states, “The Sabbath was perhaps kept and there were no special Sunday observances” (p., cxiii). He goes on to say of the Paulicians that “they were probably the remnant of an old Judeo-Christian Church, which had spread up through Edessa into Siuniq and Albania” (p. clxii).

At some point in their history, however, many Paulicians succumbed to a fatal error. They reasoned that they could outwardly conform with many of the practices of the Catholic Church in order to avoid persecution as long as in their heart they knew better. This road of compromise led many to have their children christened and others to attend mass. Christ prophesied of this, admonishing the Church at Pergamos about those who held to pagan, immoral doctrines (Revelation 2:14–15). The result of their compromising was that Christ allowed severe persecution to come upon them. When persecution came, some of the beleaguered Paulicians decided that the solution to their trouble lay in entering into an alliance with the Muslim Arabs who were then making serious incursions into the Byzantine Empire. Controversies among the Paulicians during these years created various splits in the group.

Prior to 800AD, a leading Church personality, a man named Baanes, came to the leadership of the Paulicians in Armenia and promulgated a doctrine of military retaliation. Shortly thereafter, another minister named Sergius became prominent within the Paulicians. Because Sergius condemned warfare, disagreeing with the position taken by Baanes, he was accused of causing a schism within the group. But, in spite of difficulties, Sergius’ ministry lasted more than 30 years. After his death, however, most of his followers began to take part in warfare as well.

RISE OF THE BOGOMILS

In the eighth and ninth centuries, many Armenian Paulicians were forcibly resettled in the Balkans by Byzantine emperors. They were placed there as a bulwark against the invading Bulgar tribes. Relocated to the Balkans, the Paulicians came to be called Bogomils.

What did these Bogomils teach? “Baptism was only to be practiced on grown men and women… images and crosses were idols” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Bogomils”). They also taught that prayer should be done at home, not in separate buildings such as churches. They taught that the congregation consisted of the “elect” and that each individual should seek to attain the perfection of Christ. Their ministry is said to have gone about healing the sick and casting out demons.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, many Bogomils spread westward and settled in Serbia. Later, large numbers took refuge in Bosnia by the end of the twelfth century. These Bogomils were “only one version of a group of related heretical sects that flourished across Asia Minor and southern Europe during the Middle Ages under a variety of names, the best-known being the Patarenes, Cathars and Albigensians” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., vol. 29, p. 1098). They were condemned as heretics due to their belief that “the world is governed by two principles, good and evil, and human affairs are shaped by the conflict between them; the whole visible world is given over to Satan” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, p. 1,098). From their Balkan base, the Bogomils’ influence, initially fostered by a merchant’s trading network, extended into Piedmont in Italy and also southern France. By the time the Ottoman Turks assumed power in Bosnia, the seeds of the Truth had spread to the Piedmont, Provencal and Alpine areas of Europe.

THE CATHARS AND WALDENSES

In the beginning of the twelfth century, there was a revitalization of the Truth with the raising up of the next phase of the Church under the leadership of Peter de Bruys in southeastern France. This stage in church history is characterized by the Church at Thyatira in Revelation 2. The Piedmont valleys of southeastern France were described by Pope Urban II, in 1096, as being “infested with heresy.” It was from one of these valleys, the Valley Louise, that Peter de Bruys arose in 1104 and began to preach repentance. He gained many followers among the Cathars, initially, and later among the general public.

The Cathars (meaning “puritans”), among whom de Bruys originally preached, were remnants of earlier Bogomil settlements. However, by this time, most had accepted a variety of new and strange doctrines and were quite divided among themselves. His preaching, and that of his successors, brought about a revitalized Church during the first half of the twelfth century in the valleys of southeastern France. De Bruys professed to restore Christianity to its original purity. At the end of a ministry of about 20 years, he was burned at the stake. In rapid succession after him, there arose two other strong ministers, Arnold and Henri.

After the death of Henri in 1149, the Church languished and seemed to go into eclipse. A few years later, a wealthy merchant in Lyons, Peter Waldo, was struck down by an unusual circumstance and began preaching the Gospel in 1161. After being shocked into contemplating the real meaning of life as a result of the sudden death of a close friend, Waldo obtained a copy of the Scriptures and began studying God’s word. He was soon amazed to find that the Scriptures taught the very opposite of much of what he had learned during his Catholic upbringing.

Historian Peter Allix, quoting from an old Waldensian document, The Noble Lesson,tells us: “The author upon supposal that the world was drawing to an end, exhorts his brethren to prayer, to watchfulness.… He repeats the several articles of the law, not forgetting that which respects idols” (Ecclesiastical History of Ancient Churches of Piedmont, pp. 231, 236–237).

Elsewhere, Allix writes that the Waldensian leaders “declare themselves to be the apostles’ successors, to have apostolic authority, and the keys of binding and loosing. They hold the church of Rome to be the whore of Babylon” (Ecclesiastical History, p. 175).

Peter Waldo made Lyons, France, the center of his preaching from 1161 until 1180. Then, because of persecution, he relocated to northern Italy. From about 1210 until his death seven years later, Waldo spent his time preaching in Bohemia and Germany. “Like St. Francis [of Assisi], Waldo adopted a life of poverty that he might be free to preach, but with this difference that the Waldenses preached the doctrine of Christ while the Franciscans preached the person of Christ”(Encyclopaedia Britannica,11th ed.).

What were some of the other doctrines taught by the Waldenses? Is there evidence that the early Waldenses were Sabbath-keepers? One of the names by which they were most anciently known was that ofSabbatati! In his 1873 work, History of the Sabbath, historian J. N. Andrews quotes from an earlier work by Swiss-Calvinist historian Goldastus written about 1600. Speaking of the Waldenses, Goldastus wrote, “Insabbatati [they were called] not because they were circumcised, but because they kept the Jewish Sabbath” (Andrews, p. 410). Andrews further refers to the testimony of Archbishop Ussher (1581–1656), who acknowledged “that many understood that they [the names Sabbatati or Insabbatati] were given to them [Waldenses] because they worshipped on the Jewish Sabbath” (p. 410). Clearly even noted Protestant scholars at the end of the Middle Ages were willing to acknowledge that many Waldenses had observed the seventh-day Sabbath.

In his 1845 work, The History of the Christian Church, William Jones wrote:

“Investigators made a report to Louis XII [reigned 1498–1516], king of France, that they had visited all the parishes where the Waldenses dwelt. They had inspected all their places of worship… but they found no images, no sign of the ordinances belonging to the mass, nor any of the sacraments of the Roman church.… They kept the Sabbath day, they observed the ordinance of baptism according to the primitive church, instructed their children in the articles of the Christian faith and the commandments of God.…

“The Waldenses could say a great part of the Old and New Testaments by heart. They despise the sayings and expositions of holy men [Roman Catholic church fathers], and they only plead for the test of Scripture.… The traditions of the [Roman] church are no better than the traditions of the Pharisees, and that greater stress is laid [by Rome] on the observance of human tradition than on the keeping of the law of God. They despise the Feast of Easter, and all other Roman festivals of Christ and the saints” (A Handbook of Church History, pp. 234, 236–237).

COMPROMISING ONCE MORE

There was, however, a serious problem that affected most of the Waldensian groups through the latter Middle Ages—just as it had troubled the Paulicians. This was the tendency of many to allow Catholic priests to “christen” their children, as well as their willingness to participate in Catholic worship ceremonies. Knowing that such ceremonies were useless in gaining salvation, many felt that outward conformity with Rome would avoid persecution and allow them to privately practice the Truth. This tendency was prophesied of the Church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:20–24. From God’s standpoint, what they were doing amounted to spiritual fornication and partaking of Catholic communion was “eating things sacrificed to idols.”

What happened to the Waldenses? “Waldenses slowly disappeared from the chief centers of population and took refuge in the retired valleys of the Alps. There, in the recesses of Piedmont… a settlement of the Waldensians was made who gave their name to these valleys of Vaudois.… At times attempts were made to suppress the sect of the Vaudois, but the nature of the country which they inhabited, their obscurity and their isolation made the difficulties of their suppression greater than the advantages to be gained from it” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Waldenses”).

In 1487, Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull calling for their extermination and a serious attack was made on their stronghold. A fog settling over and encircling the Catholic armies saved the Waldenses from total destruction. However, most were simply worn out and had lapsed into a spirit of compromise. When the Reformation began a few years later, the Waldensian leadership sent emissaries to the Lutheran church. “Thus,” as the Encyclopaedia Britannica writes, “the Vaudois ceased to be relics of the past, and became absorbed in the general movement of Protestantism.”

As total apostasy swallowed up most remnants of the Waldenses by the end of the 1500s, God preserved a faithful remnant. Individuals who were the fruit of the last seven years of Waldo’s ministry had been converted in Bohemia and Germany in the thirteenth century. In remote areas of the Carpathian Mountain area of central and eastern Europe, individuals and small groups survived. In fact, a faithful remnant has survived in isolation in those areas down to modern times (cf. Revelation 2:24–25).

As the seventeenth century approached, the next era of God’s Church was ready to emerge on the stage. Remnants of German Waldensians, sometimes labeled Lollards by outsiders, had penetrated into Holland and England as early as the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. However, it was only in the final decades of the sixteenth century that the Church could begin to emerge openly in Germany and Britain.

CHAPTER 4

TAKING ROOT IN A NEW WORLD

By the end of the 1500s, congregations that the world labeled “Sabbatarian Anabaptists” had emerged from remnants of the Waldensians and were growing in Central Europe, Germany and England. They were termed Sabbatarian because they taught and observed the seventh-day Sabbath. They were called Anabaptists, meaning “re-baptizers,” because they refused to accept as Christians those who had merely been sprinkled as babies. They taught that baptism was only for adults who had come to believe the Gospel and had repented of their sins (cf. Acts 2:38).What happened to the Church that Jesus built? It endured and it survived against incredible odds! The men and women who were the spiritual ancestors of God’s people today exemplified faith and courage. Time after time through the centuries they had to relocate in order to remove themselves from either outside persecution or internal apostasy and compromise. At those times, when it seemed that the flame of God’s Truth flickered most dimly, Christ always raised up another faithful leader to rally His people and revitalize the Work of God.

THE STORY OF THE “ANABAPTISTS”

Among them were remarkable men such as Oswald Glaidt, Andreas Fischer and Andreas Eossi. Their area of ministry was primarily in Germany, Poland, Hungary and parts of what later became known as Czechoslovakia and Romania. These men taught obedience to the Sabbath and Holy Days as well as a rejection of infant baptism and the Trinity. God used them to strengthen the faithful remnant and to provide a witness of the Truth as the turbulent Protestant Reformation was sweeping the same area.

Glaidt and Fischer met during a trip up the Danube River in 1527. They both wrote books in defense of the Sabbath. In response to those who accused him of trying to earn salvation because he taught that obedience to the Ten Commandments was necessary, Glaidt responded, “The moral law says, ‘Do not murder,’ yet nobody would argue seriously that this is no longer in effect, nor would anyone argue that simply to refrain from murder is an attempt to achieve salvation on the basis of ‘works’” (Daniel Liechty, Sabbatarianism in the Sixteenth Century, p. 31). Glaidt was executed in Vienna in 1546. Shortly prior to his death he told his accusers, “Even if you drown me, I will not deny God and His Truth. Christ died for me and I will continue to follow Him and would die for His Truth before I would give it up” (p. 35). Books and tracts on the Sabbath and other related subjects were also published in the late 1500s by Eossi, a Hungarian of noble birth.

By the mid-1600s, remnants of the Church in Central Europe were being increasingly persecuted by a resurgent Catholic Church that was regaining control there after the turbulence of the Reformation. True Christians were faced with either severe persecution or emigration to an area that offered greater freedom to practice their beliefs. The remote Trans-Carpathian mountain area, which was already home to Waldensian remnants, became a sanctuary for many. In the eighteenth century, most of the few remaining German Sabbath-keepers migrated to Pennsylvania. There were also a number of people who were associated with the “Anabaptist movement,” but who accepted otherProtestant teachings of the Reformation. From those descend such modern-day groups as the Baptists, Mennonites and Amish.

In the meantime, remnants of the true Church had come into England. The scene was set for the fifth stage in the history of the Church of God, characterized by the Church at Sardis. Our first clear records of Sabbath-keeping church congregations in England date from the 1580s. By the early 1600s a public debate was being waged as to whether or not the biblical Sabbath was still in effect. During this period, quite a few books were written—many of which survive—on the subject of the law of God and the Sabbath.

John Traske was one of the first in England to publish a book dealing with the Sabbath. Writing around 1618, he was imprisoned for his efforts. Some credit him with raising up the Mill Yard Church in London, the oldest known Sabbath-keeping church still functioning and parent of later Sabbatarian churches in America. Though some other historians date the founding of Mill Yard to the 1580s, well before Traske’s time, he certainly pastored the church in the early seventeenth century. Traske was later arrested and put in prison. While there, he seems to have recanted his teachings in order to gain release, though his wife refused to do so; she remained faithful to the Truth and spent the remaining 15 years of her life in prison.

In 1661, John James, another Church of God minister in the London area, was arrested for preaching the Truth. Author Ivor Fletcher, in his work,The Incredible History of God’s True Church, writes:

“In his final words to the court he simply asked them to read the following scriptures: Jeremiah 26:14–15 and Psalm 116:15.… after his execution his heart was taken out and burned, the four quarters of his body fixed to the gates of the city and his head set up on a pole in Whitechapel opposite to the alley in which his meeting-house stood. Such was the horrible price that some were prepared to pay for obedience to God in seventeenth century England” (p. 176).

Another remarkable leader was Francis Bampfield, a copy of whose autobiography, The Life of Shem Acher, has been preserved in the British Museum Library. From 1662 until his death in 1683, he spent most of his time either in prison or on the run from the English authorities. Even when he was detained at Dorchester Prison, people flocked there to hear him preach. It was at this time of persecution that an event of far-reaching implications happened: Stephen Mumford and his wife, members of the Church, left England for the New World and came to Rhode Island in 1664. By the early 1700s, the Church of God in England was virtually dead. Most of the ministers at that time, in addition to preaching on the Sabbath, were now pastoring churches on Sunday to make extra money. Compromise took its toll.

THE CHURCH IN EARLY AMERICA

Upon arriving in Rhode Island, the only American colony founded upon the principle of religious liberty, the Mumfords began to fellowship with Baptists in Newport. They were not quiet, however, about their belief in the Sabbath. In 1665, within the first year of the Mumfords’ arrival, Tacy Hubbard started keeping the Sabbath with them, becoming the first convert in America. Shortly afterward, her husband Samuel joined her. In 1671, the first Sabbath-keeping church in America officially began with seven members. William Hiscox was the first pastor of the church, serving from 1671 until his death in 1704.

In 1708, a second church was officially organized in Westerly, Rhode Island (later renamed Hopkinton). Throughout the eighteenth century, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey seem to have been the main areas of Sabbath-keeping churches. During this time, German Sabbath-keepers immigrated to Pennsylvania. Peter Miller was the best-known minister of the German Sabbath-keepers in Pennsylvania and was a friend of Benjamin Franklin.

The time of the American Revolution was difficult for many of God’s people. The history of that era also demonstrates how spiritually dead many of the ministers and members were. Several congregations were greatly divided on the issue of warfare and political involvement. Jacob Davis, pastor of the Shrewsbury, New Jersey, Church of God, joined the Continental Army as a chaplain. Many of the members followed his example and enlisted also. One member, Simeon Maxson, boldly objected and labeled any church members who supported carnal warfare as “children of the devil” (Richard Nickels, Six Papers on the History of the Church of God, p. 60). He was put out of the congregation because of his stand.

Sabbath-keepers in the Shrewsbury area were impoverished and divided by the War. Many relocated to Pennsylvania after the Revolution and, prior to 1800, most of those moved to Salem, Virginia (later West Virginia). The area around Salem became one of the major centers of God’s people from about 1800 on into the twentieth century. The history of God’s people in this area is not, however, the story of unity and of a great work being done. It is the story of division, apostasy and spiritual lethargy on the part of the majority—much of it furthered by the influence of the prominent Davis family, which produced many of the leading ministers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The vast majority of the brethren appear to have been so spiritually dead that they blindly followed apostate ministers into Protestantism.

William Davis, born in Wales in 1663, went from the Church of England to the Quakers, then became a Baptist. In 1706, he accepted the Sabbath and applied for membership in the Newport church, but was rejected because he held wrong doctrines. Finally, in 1710, he was accepted for membership and, in 1713, was authorized to preach and to baptize. Yet he believed in the Trinity, the immortality of the soul and in “going to heaven”—totally contrary to the doctrines taught by the Church at that time! For the rest of his life, Davis was variously in and out of fellowship with the Church. “Davis played a powerful role in shaping the future of Sabbatarian Baptists” (Nickels, p. 55).

In the earliest days, no special thought was given to an official church name. The congregations in their correspondence with one another referred to themselves as “the Church of Christ which is at Newport” or “the Church of God living in Piscataway.” Most members simply called it “the Church.” Outsiders referred to them as Sabbatarians or Sabbatarian Baptists. When the church in Newport received an official state charter in 1819 (it had been established in 1671, but legal requirements were changing), it was registered under the name “Seventh-Day Baptist Church of Christ.”

In 1803, a general conference was organized by eight Sabbath-keeping congregations in the Northeast in order to coordinate their evangelistic efforts and cooperate in the publication of literature. In 1805, they adopted the name “The Sabbatarian General Conference.” By 1818, the name was changed to Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference and the organization had grown to include Sabbath-keeping congregations outside the Northeast.

The Church was undergoing many changes. We can note a progression from non-Trinitarianism to the Trinitarian position championed by the Davis family and others. A statement written in 1811 upheld the traditional teaching of the Church, noting “that Sabbatarian Baptists believed the Holy Ghost to be the operative power or spirit of God.… There are few… who believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are three absolute distinct persons, coequal… and yet one God” (Nickels, p. 91). Just 22 years later, however, in the 1833 Expose of Sentiments, the official position had become, “We believe that there is a union existing between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that they are equally divine and equally entitled to our adoration” (Nickels, p. 91). Even as late as 1866, it was acknowledged that some of the ministers still possessed a strong aversion to using the word “Trinity.”

During this time, many ministers and members had diverged so far from the Truth that they were now merely Protestants who met on Saturday. The November 18, 1983, edition of The Westerly Sun newspaper described the anniversary celebration of the oldest Sabbath-keeping church in the United States with this headline: “Church Will Celebrate 275 Years Marked with Change.” The article in the newspaper said the “church will celebrate its 275th anniversary this weekend—an experience which has been marked by change from societal pressures, despite its Sabbath-keeping custom.”

The changes that have occurred have been marked by a steady erosion of the Truth and a move into mainstream Protestantism. In fact, the Seventh-Day Baptist churches in Rhode Island have long since ceased housing the living Church of God. They are merely old buildings, museums of where the Truth was once taught and the Work of God was once carried on. The congregations that now meet there believe in the Trinity, observe Christmas and Easter, and have even gone back and built steeples—definite pagan symbols—onto some of the old buildings.

While the bulk of Sabbath-keepers were moving further and further from the Truth, there were individual members and congregations that remained faithful. We find records of the South Fork church, in West Virginia, which observed the Passover and avoided unclean meats in the early 1800s. This little group was forced to withdraw “fellowship from the General Conference and all other Seventh-Day Baptist organizations, because of doctrinal differences” (Nickels, p. 68). By the 1870s, another generation was on the scene and, eventually, most of the South Fork church accepted the Seventh-Day Baptist organization.

Another group, calling itself the Church of God at Wilbur, was organized in 1859 by Elder J. W. Niles from Pennsylvania. It was still functioning in the 1930s and was called by Andrew Dugger, in his book A History of the True Religion, “the oldest true Church of God now functioning in the state of West Virginia” (p. 311).

THE ADVENTIST MOVEMENT

In the 1830s, a movement arose among Protestant churches in western New York that focused on the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, and on the establishment of His literal Kingdom. This message, which first began to be forcefully proclaimed by William Miller, was totally different from accepted Protestant doctrine. His teachings on prophecy attracted much interest and stirred increasing attention as his predicted 1844 date for the return of Christ drew near. After what was termed “the great disappointment,” confusion set in among these Protestant Adventists. Ridiculed by mainline Protestants, some became disillusioned and gave up religion altogether. Others continued to search the Scriptures to see where they had gone wrong.

Frederick Wheeler was a Methodist minister in Washington, New Hampshire, who had accepted the Adventist message of Christ’s Second Coming, and of the literal establishment of His Kingdom. Around the beginning of 1844, he received a visitor to his congregation. One Rachel Oakes, a member of a Seventh-Day Baptist congregation in Verona, New York, had come to visit her daughter.

Hearing Mr. Wheeler call upon his congregation to obey God and keep His commandments in all things, Mrs. Oakes confronted him after the service with the truth that Sabbath-keeping played a vital part in obeying God’s commandments. Taken aback, he promised to study the subject. Within weeks, he was convinced of the truth of the Sabbath, and began to proclaim it. The truth of the Sabbath spread like wildfire among disillusioned Adventists. Hundreds of others responded, as well, to the simple truth of the real Gospel and of obedience to all of God’s commandments.

Into the fellowship of these zealous Sabbatarian Adventists came Roswell Cottrell, a long-time minister and Sabbath-keeper. His family had been among the earliest members of the Church of God in Rhode Island, but the Cottrell family withdrew from the fellowship of what was then being called the Seventh-Day Baptist Church over doctrine. This was the time when such changes as the Trinity and the immortality of the soul were being adopted as official Seventh-Day Baptist doctrine. About 15 years after coming into the fellowship of the Sabbatarian Adventists, he found himself once again embroiled in controversy. Elder James White, who had emerged as the main leader among the Sabbath-keeping, Adventist Churches of God, was pushing for an organizational conference and an official name, Seventh-Day Adventist Church. There were those who opposed this change as unscriptural and also opposed giving credence to the visions of Elder White’s wife, Ellen G. White. Roswell Cottrell opposed Mr. White’s organizational moves. He wrote, in the May 3, 1860, Review and Herald, “I do not believe in popery; neither do I believe in anarchy; but in Bible order, discipline, and government in the Church of God” (Nickels, p. 162).

In October 1860, at a conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, the overwhelming majority of those present rejected the name “Church of God” and adopted the name Seventh-Day Adventist as a name descriptive of their beliefs. This was the name being pushed by the Whites. Mrs. White’s visions were increasingly being advanced as “new truth” for the Church.

Throughout the 1860s, the split between the majority who followed the Whites and the scattered remnant who did not became more and more decisive. During the Civil War, Church of God members took a firm stand as conscientious objectors, in contrast to the Seventh-Day Adventists under the Whites’ leadership. A delegation from the Church of God met with President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, in order to establish conscientious objector status for young men in the Church.

A quotation from a circular letter from brethren in Marion, Iowa, published in the September 7, 1864, issue of The Hope of Israel, the Church’s publication, gives a flavor of what was happening at the time:

“On the 10th of June, 1860, something over 50 of us adopted a form of a church covenant, drawn up by [M. E. Cornell].… Nearly a year and a half afterward, the same messenger held up, publicly, some other volumes by the side of the Bible… and urged us to adopt their teaching also, as a rule of faith and discipline. A portion of us were unwilling to accept these new planks in the platform of our Church.…The result was, about one half of the Church decided to receive these volumes as a valid Scripture, and drew off from us, or rather repelled us from them, denouncing us as rebels.… As it regards us being rebels, we boldly assert that we are not rebels. We have not rebelled against the constitution which we adopted, for we stand firm on it yet… so the charge of rebellion reflects with shame on them, who have made it, they being the ones who have departed from their first position and have adopted a new one” (Robert Coulter, The Story of the Church of God Seventh Day, p. 16).

In August 1863, the small church paper called The Hope of Israel began to be printed in Michigan. It started with fewer than 40 subscribers. In 1866, it was relocated to Marion, Iowa, and in 1888 moved again to Stanberry, Missouri. Over the years, the paper underwent several name changes, ultimately being called The Bible Advocate.

One of the most prominent figures in the Church of God during this time was Jacob Brinkerhoff. He edited the paper from 1871 until 1887, and again from 1907 until 1914. In 1874, A. F. Dugger Sr. of Nebraska entered the full-time ministry of the Church of God. From the 1870s until the years just prior to World War I, Elders Brinkerhoff and Dugger contributed many of the articles that helped to clarify and solidify doctrine in the Church. Articles on prophecy, clean and unclean meats, tithing, proper observance of the Passover and what it means to be “born again” were printed.

As early as 1866, articles on prophecy taught that the Jews would be restored to a homeland in Palestine. There was some truth restored and taught but, all in all, the efforts of the Church were weak and only reached small numbers of people, primarily in rural parts of the Midwest.

The phase of Church history we have focused on in this chapter is best described by Christ’s message to the Church at Sardis recorded inRevelation 3:1–6. This Church was told that while it had a name that it was alive, it was really spiritually dead. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die” (Revelation 3:2). While this Church as a whole is spiritually lethargic or even dead, there are a few among them who Christ says “have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (v. 4).

CHAPTER 5

SCHISMS, SPLITS AND A NEW START

The twentieth century was clearly the time of the most rapid change in human history. The century opened with the horse and buggy as the primary means of transportation, yet within the first 70 years men had traveled to the moon and back! This century saw two great world wars and the introduction of weapons of mass destruction. For the first time in human history, it was possible to annihilate all life from this planet, just as Jesus Christ foretold (Matthew 24:22).

Another prophecy that uniquely characterizes this end time is that the true Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world for a witness and then the end will come (v. 14).

THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Church of God was small and scattered, with fewer than 1,000 members, living mostly in the American Midwest. The General Conference of the Church of God legally incorporated in 1900 in the state of Missouri. The Church’s newspaper underwent a name change that same year to become The Bible Advocate.

In 1903, Gilbert Cranmer, a minister since the 1850s and one of the chief builders of the Church in the aftermath of the Seventh-Day Adventist/Church of God split in the 1860s, died at age 89. In 1910, Alexander Dugger, who had served as a leader of the General Conference since its inception, as well as having served as editor of TheBible Advocate, also died. A third faithful pioneer, Jacob Brinkerhoff, died in 1916. He had served as editor of the Advocate on and off from 1871 to 1914. Mr. Brinkerhoff was considered by many to be the most outstanding leader of the Church in his time. “Jacob Brinkerhoff had served the Church of God for over 40 years.… Instead of buying a home in 1874, Brinkerhoff used the money instead to buy the press equipment for the Advent and Sabbath Advocate.… Single-handedly, it seems, he had prevented the total collapse of the Work” (Richard Nickels, History of the Seventh Day Church of God, p. 85).

Andrew N. Dugger, son of Alexander Dugger, began his ministry with the Church of God in 1906. When Jacob Brinkerhoff retired from the editorship of The Bible Advocate in 1914, he became both president of the General Conference and editor. “During his tenure as president and editor, Dugger exerted much influence upon the Church. Throughout the early period of Dugger’s leadership, the Church of God experienced some of its most rapid and greatest growth” (Coulter, pp. 41–42). Andrew Dugger retained leadership from June 1914 until 1932.

The issue of organization and government had long been a source of controversy within the Church of God. Recognizing that no Work of any consequence could be done with the meager amount of monies coming into the headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri (less than $1,000 in 1917), Andrew Dugger took steps to correct the situation. He sent a survey to the membership in 1922 to find out how much tithe they had paid in the previous year, and to whom it was paid. It became apparent that most of the tithes were being collected by individual ministers, and that one particular minister who “worked little” had collected the lion’s share. Soon, a policy was enacted that all tithes were to be paid into the State Conferences, and that a tithe of that tithe was to be sent to the General Conference. In 1923, the income of the General Conference in Stanberry jumped to more than $18,000.

In about 1904, G. G. Rupert entered the ministry of the Church of God. Mr. Rupert had previously been in the ministry of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and had raised up congregations in South America. After several years of growing doctrinal disagreement, he left the Adventists in 1902. Among other things, Mr. Rupert had come to understand that both the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days were binding upon the New Testament Church. In 1913, Jacob Brinkerhoff published a series of articles by G. G. Rupert in The Bible Advocatediscussing the subject of the law of God, arguing that the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 were binding upon the New Testament Church. Though the Church in the United States paid little heed to this teaching, many of the South American congregations Mr. Rupert had established not only followed his example in leaving the fellowship of the Adventists, but also accepted God’s Holy Days. Because of disagreement between Mr. Dugger and Mr. Rupert over some issues of doctrine, and particularly over the issue of church organization and government, Mr. Rupert continued as an “independent” Church of God minister, publishing his own magazine, The Remnant of Israel, until his death in 1922.

THE 1930S AND 1940S: A NEW BEGINNING

The late 1920s and early 1930s saw the Church of God become virtually paralyzed by political infighting and doctrinal strife. The Church’s Conference in 1929 was marked by considerable confusion and dissension. Issues of controversy revolved around “born again,” clean and unclean meats, the use of tobacco, the date of the Passover (Nisan 14 or 15), and the work of the Holy Spirit (Pentecostalism). The number of conversions dwindled and the Work of the Church was virtually at a standstill.

It was at this point, in the autumn of 1926, that the life of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong became intertwined with the story of the Church of God. Mr. Armstrong’s ministry undoubtedly had greater impact on more people than any Church of God minister since the first century. Challenged by his wife regarding which day was the Christian Sabbath, as well as by a sister-in-law over the question of evolution, Mr. Armstrong began a six-month period of intensive study. By the spring of 1927, he had come to understand that much of what he had grown up believing was not biblical Truth. He learned that both the seventh-day Sabbath as well as God’s annual Holy Days are to be kept by Christians today!

In the aftermath of this intensive study, Mr. Armstrong struggled with the question: “Where is the true Church?” He eventually entered the fellowship of Church of God brethren in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, because he saw them as retaining more Truth than any other group.

By 1928, Mr. Armstrong began submitting articles for publication in TheBible Advocate. As there was no minister in Oregon at that time, the brethren in Eugene frequently asked him to speak to the congregation. In June 1931, Mr. Armstrong was ordained to the ministry by the Oregon Conference of the Church of God, thus beginning a ministry that lasted almost 55 years!

In the meantime, trouble was building for the Church of God as a whole. At the General Conference, held in August 1933, Andrew Dugger, the primary church leader for the past 20 years, lost his position by one vote. This precipitated a crisis that split the group down the middle. “On the one side, Andrew N. Dugger and others held to ‘reorganization’ of church government, clean meats, no tobacco, and Passover on Nisan 14. On the other hand, Burt F. Marrs led a group of ‘independents’ who were pro-pork and tobacco, and felt Passover should be on Nisan 15. The issue of when to observe the Passover was debated for three days during the time of the division” (Nickels, p. 151). Andrew Dugger withdrew from the General Conference of the Church of God headquartered at Stanberry and held a meeting to reorganize the Church in Salem, West Virginia, in November 1933. A new organizational structure was instituted with “Twelve Apostles,” “Seventy Elders” and “Seven” set over the finances.

Offices were chosen by lot rather than by vote. Mr. Armstrong, of Oregon, was chosen as one of “The Seventy.” He and most of the Oregon brethren switched their affiliation from the Stanberry organization to the new organization headquartered in Salem. Though Mr. Armstrong did not receive a salary from Salem, he accepted their ministerial credentials and submitted monthly ministerial reports.

“The division of the Church of God (Seventh Day) caused the membership and leadership much grief. Many members and prospects were discouraged by the frequent attacks one church launched on the other. In some instances, ministers switched organizations, bewildering their membership. In other cases, the membership became pawns in the struggle between ministers who were vying for their loyalty and support. The membership growth of the 1920s was not realized or even approached in the decades of the 1930s and 1940s” (Coulter, p. 55). Actually, membership decreased during this period.

At the time all this was occurring, the foundation was being laid for a Work of God that would have unprecedented worldwide impact. Rather than waste his energies on political infighting within the Church, Mr. Armstrong began making a regular weekly radio broadcast aimed at preaching the Gospel to the world. The program, called Radio Church of God, first aired on KORE, a 100-watt station in Eugene, on the first Sunday in January 1934. In February of that year, Mr. Armstrong began publication of a mimeographed “magazine” called The Plain Truth, which was at first sent to about 200 people. Little did he realize at the time that Christ was using him to raise up the sixth era of the Church, typified by the Church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13).

In addition to the weekly radio broadcast, Mr. Armstrong conducted evangelistic campaigns throughout the area. Though several churches were raised up as a result of his efforts, these new congregations usually fell apart or went astray because of a lack of faithful, dedicated ministers to shepherd the flock. During this period, Mr. Armstrong came into increasing conflict with the Church headquarters in Salem because of his teachings about the identity of Israel and the annual Sabbath days. Although Andrew Dugger had admitted in a private letter that Mr. Armstrong’s teachings on the “lost Ten Tribes” were correct, Mr. Dugger refused to publish an article on the subject in The Bible Advocate.

Finally, the issue of the Holy Days came to a head in 1937. The following is quoted from the minutes of the business meeting held in Detroit, Michigan, May 5–10, 1937, by the Board of Twelve Apostles of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Salem, West Virginia, Headquarters: “May 7, at 1:00 p.m. Reading of Elder Armstrong’s letter to the Twelve. Reading in periods of 20 minutes each of Elder Armstrong’s articles on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, etc., followed each time by discussion pro and con by the Elders.… A decision was made as given in the following resolution: ‘Inasmuch as some have troubled the Churches, teaching them they should observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread and yearly Sabbaths… we reaffirm the teachings of the Church of God on this point… that we observe no such custom’” (John Kiesz, History of the Church of God, p. 180). According to the official records provided by Virginia Royer, bookkeeper of the Church of God Publishing House in Salem, “It was in 1938 that he [Mr. Armstrong] was asked to turn in his credentials for continuing to preach contrary to Church doctrine” (p. 180).

Although Mr. Armstrong no longer carried ministerial credentials from the Church of God (Seventh Day) after 1938, he continued to teach and preach more forcefully than ever. As reported in the April 1939 Good News, the weekly Radio Church of God broadcast was reaching 100,000 listeners in the Pacific Northwest. That also was the year that the first, full eight-day Feast of Tabernacles was held in Eugene, attended by 42 people. (From 1933 to 1938, services had been held only on the Holy Days.) In addition to Mr. Armstrong, other Church of God elders such as John Kiesz were guest speakers at the Feast until about 1945.

By mid-1942, the name of the radio program changed from Radio Church of God to The World Tomorrow, and there was an experimental period of daily broadcasts begun in the Los Angeles area. In the late summer of 1942, more than 1,700 people attended an evangelistic campaign Mr. Armstrong held at the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles. The Work that God was accomplishing through Mr. Armstrong was growing and bearing fruit. In August 1942, The World Tomorrow went nationwide, with a Sunday broadcast from WHO in Des Moines and, in 1943, WOAI in San Antonio was added. By 1944, The Plain Truth’s circulation reached 35,000.

As the impact of the Work God was doing through Mr. Armstrong grew, the Church of God (Seventh Day) continued to split and splinter with more and more independent churches and ministers. There were efforts toward unity that resulted in the merger of the Salem and the Stanberry groups in 1949. However, that merger itself spawned additional splits. Twenty years later, in 1969, that Church’s primary publication, The Bible Advocate, had a circulation of just over 2,000. The Church of God (Seventh Day) represented the final phase of what is described in Revelation 3 as the Church at Sardis—a Church described as spiritually dead, though there would be a few of its members who walked with Christ in white.

OPEN DOORS AND DRAMATIC GROWTH

In 1946, God started positioning the Radio Church of God, and the Work being done through Mr. Armstrong, for dramatic growth. Faced with the pressures of daily radio broadcasting (for which Hollywood was well-equipped to provide technical support), and recognizing the need for a college to train an educated and faithful ministry, Mr. Armstrong looked into moving to Southern California. He located an appropriate property in Pasadena, and entered into negotiations to purchase it.

At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong took a trip to Europe to investigate the possibility of establishing a European branch of the college to prepare ministers for a worldwide Work. No one can accuse Mr. Armstrong of thinking small! Yet most people would have viewed his idea as totally unrealistic. After all, only 50 people attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Belknap Springs in 1946! There was not even an American college up and running—only great dreams and a run-down estate with two buildings that Mr. Armstrong was trying to purchase. Others, both within and without the Church of God, were talking about “when this thing folds up.” However, vision and the ability to “think big” were qualities Mr. Armstrong demonstrated in far greater measure than any other Church of God leader of his day. Ambassador College opened its doors in the fall of 1947, with four students and eight instructors. Expansion, and a European branch college, would have to wait—for a little while.

In 1949, Ambassador College students conducted their first nationwide baptismal tour. Much of the fruit of those early, student-led baptismal tours was reflected in the jump in Feast attendance from 150 in 1951 to 450 in 1952. In December 1952, Mr. Armstrong ordained the first evangelists of this phase of the Church of God: Richard Armstrong, Raymond Cole, Herman Hoeh, C. Paul Meredith and Roderick C. Meredith. In February 1953, Marion and Raymond McNair were ordained, bringing the total to seven. This began a period of rapid growth and development in the Work.

After the first two classes of Ambassador College students had graduated, a Graduate School of Theology was established. Mr. Armstrong used the Graduate School of Theology as a springboard to delve more deeply into a number of subjects, the most important of which involved the nature of God and the destiny of man.

Throughout its history, the Church of God has been non-Trinitarian, never accepting the formulations of the early Catholic councils as a valid guide for Christians. However, in modern times, it was not until the spring of 1953 that Mr. Armstrong and the other ministers began to develop a clear understanding of the biblical teaching that God is a divine Family into which converted human beings will be born at the resurrection. At first, they attempted to prove this understanding false, from the Bible. Instead, they found this vital truth reaffirmed throughout God’s Word. Though this understanding was the clear implication of much that had previously been taught, Mr. Armstrong and the others found it challenging to accept this simple—yet profoundly important and overwhelming—truth. This key teaching of Scripture—that we can be born into the Family of God—is perhaps the single greatest truth that God restored, through Mr. Armstrong, to the Church of God.

Two giant leaps forward in the preaching of the Gospel occurred in 1953. The year began with the opening of one of the greatest single doors in the history of the Work. On January 1, Radio Luxembourg—at that time the most powerful radio station on earth—began broadcasting The World Tomorrow to Europe. Additionally, Mr. Armstrong obtained time for a daily broadcast carried over the entire ABC Radio Network.

In February 1953, Richard Armstrong (Mr. Armstrong’s eldest son, who died in an automobile accident in 1958) opened a mailing office in London. In 1954, accompanied by his wife Loma, Richard Armstrong and Roderick C. Meredith, Mr. Armstrong conducted evangelistic campaigns in Britain. In 1956–57, Mr. Meredith returned for more campaigns. In 1958, back again in the United States, he was appointed second vice president of the Church.

In May of 1959, Mr. Armstrong announced that Mr. Meredith would lead another series of campaigns in Britain. Here is what he wrote to British co-workers: “Mr. Meredith is fully consecrated, utterly sincere.… He is going to tell you things you can’t hear from any other source.… You’ll be shocked, surprised—you’ll hear more real truth in one night of these meetings than most people learn in years of the preaching of our day!” (May 19, 1959). By October 1960, the second Ambassador College opened its doors in Bricket Wood, England. In 1964, a third campus opened in Big Sandy, Texas.

As the number of ministers available to conduct baptizing tours and pastor churches increased, so did the harvest that was being reaped by the Work. Feast attendance jumped from 750 in 1953 to more than 2,000 in 1957. By 1961, the numbers were almost 10,000 and, by 1967, more than 40,000. The Plain Truth’s circulation topped the half-million mark in 1964, and hit one million by 1967. By the late 1960s, The World Tomorrow was broadcast daily and heard by tens of millions of people around the world. Amid this worldwide explosion of interest in God’s Word, in 1967 the legally incorporated name of the organization was changed from “Radio Church of God” to “Worldwide Church of God.”

Throughout the soaring 1960s, Garner Ted Armstrong (Mr. Armstrong’s younger son) served as the main speaker on The World Tomorrow and as vice president of the Church. Dr. Roderick C. Meredith (who had in January 1966 received his Th.D. from the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology) was named director of the U.S. ministry.

In 1967, Mrs. Loma Armstrong died at age 75. By the end of the 1960s, signs of future problems for the Work were already surfacing.

In January 1972, the Church was shaken by the removal of Garner Ted Armstrong from his responsibilities. Four months later he was reinstated. The 1970s saw in the Church, as in America as a whole, the emergence of an increasingly liberal, permissive spirit. A number of ministers and members left the Church in 1974; increasing doctrinal confusion, coupled with accusations of scandal, assaulted the Work. After beginning recovery from massive heart failure in 1977, Mr. Armstrong finally removed his son from his responsibilities in the spring of 1978 and disfellowshipped him in June.

In January 1979, the Church was temporarily hit by a receivership imposed by the State of California. Mr. Armstrong, from Tucson, Arizona (where he was still recovering from heart trouble), named Dr. Meredith to his old job as director of the ministry, seeking to restore stability to the Church and the ministry during this troubled time. At the same time, Mr. Armstrong sought to “set the Church back on track” doctrinally after the liberal, watered-down doctrinal approach of the 1970s. By the time of his death in January 1986, The Plain Truth had a circulation of more than eight million copies printed in seven languages. Attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles approached 150,000 worldwide.

When Joseph Tkach took the helm of the Worldwide Church of God upon the death of Mr. Armstrong in January 1986, the Church was a seemingly unified body. It appeared focused on the Work of God that lay ahead and committed to the Truth. There were problems beneath the surface, however. They became increasingly obvious, at first faintly and then more clearly.

THE FINAL PHASE OF CHURCH HISTORY

In Revelation 3, we read of the two final phases of the history of the Church of God. The Church of Philadelphia is characterized by zeal to do the Work. God promised to set before them an “open door” to preach the Gospel (v. 8) as well as to protect them from the future Great Tribulation (v. 10). However, there is a final, seventh stage of the Church described, the Church at Laodicea. This Church is characterized by spiritual lukewarmness and lethargy (vv. 15–17). It became increasingly apparent, from the very early 1970s onward, that two different “spirits” co-existed within one organization—though Mr. Armstrong put the Church “back on track” during the last seven years of his life.

Starting about a year after Mr. Armstrong’s death, there began a gradual trend back toward the permissive, liberal approach of the 1970s. Within a few years, however, changes moved far beyond those of the 1970s, into total apostasy from the Truth—even to the point of teaching the Trinity and that obedience to God’s law (including the Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing and unclean meats) is unnecessary. In December 1992, 40 years after his ordination, Dr. Meredith was forced out of the Worldwide Church of God because of his refusal to compromise with the prevailing forces of apostasy. Joined by faithful brethren and ministers, Dr. Meredith moved quickly to revive the Work of God under the banner of the “Global Church of God.” Within six weeks, the Church began producing a weekly radio program. In May 1995, the Church began a weekly telecast.

In January 1995, the Worldwide Church of God leadership dropped all pretense of continuity with historic Church of God doctrine and openly embraced Protestant theology. This brought about a virtual “meltdown” of the organization, and led to the departure of thousands of brethren as well as scores of ministers from around the world. Sadly, this post-1995 departure spawned many competing organizations, and to the formation of a multitude of independent ministries that have continued to split and divide.

In November 1998, several Global Church of God (GCG) board members attempted to stage a “corporate takeover” of that organization by ousting Dr. Meredith against the wishes of a majority of the Church’s Council of Elders. However, most Church members and ministers continued to recognize Dr. Meredith and his Council of Elders as the human leadership of the Church under Jesus Christ. Immediately after his ouster from the GCG, Dr. Meredith revived the Work under the banner of the “Living Church of God,” supported by thousands of faithful brethren and ministers, and was back on television in less than two months—on the very same television station and in the very same time-slot that the GCG board members canceled!

Forty weeks after Dr. Meredith announced the formation of the “Living Church of God,” the GCG entered into bankruptcy proceedings. Since then, the splinter groups forming from the bankrupt organization have continued to scatter and divide. The ten men who sat on the reconstituted GCG Council of Elders in December 1998 after the ouster of Dr. Meredith scattered within a few years into at least seven different Church of God organizations. Some of those organizations still exist; others collapsed within a few years of their founding. Still others suffered further divisions and splits that have greatly diminished their effectiveness in reaching the world with the true Gospel message.

The Living Church of God has maintained its focus on doing the Work—reaching the world with the true Gospel message of Jesus Christ. You are reading this booklet because of the spirit of teamwork and unity that has allowed the Living Church of God to hold Philadelphian zeal as its common ideal, and to reject the spirit of self-will and “resting on one’s laurels” that has afflicted so many Laodicean members of God’s Church. The Living Church of God is committed to living by every word of God—including Jesus Christ’s “Great Commission” to go “into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Dr. Meredith has done his best to ensure that the Work will continue powerfully even if he must die before Christ’s return. He has appointed Mr. Richard Ames—ordained into the ministry in 1965, and ordained an evangelist by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong during the Days of Unleavened Bread in 1984—to succeed him if necessary as the human leader of the Living Church of God, to carry on accomplishing the Work that God has given His Church to do. Mr. Ames was one of four presenters who helmed the Worldwide Church of God’s World Tomorrow telecast after Mr. Armstrong’s death, and he has spent the last half-century as a pastor, teacher and broadcaster, declaring the true Gospel to a world that desperately needs Christ’s return.

All around us, we can see how Satan has sown confusion and discouragement. Many brethren are hurt and angry, or have been overwhelmed by the cares of this life. Others have been deceived by false teachers, and have gone into apostasy. Still others have become so lethargic and lukewarm that they have lost their vision and merely wish to maintain local congregations, no longer caring about doing the Work. This represents a fulfillment of Christ’s Matthew 24:10–13 warning to the Church.

However, the Gospel will be preached to the world in this end-time (Matthew 24:14), and there is a growing assembly of believers that is both zealous for the full Truth and zealous to finish God’s Work. Just as God’s people have had to do from the first century onward, so His people today must “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). God clearly states that “He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness” (Romans 9:28). Who will He use to do it? According to Daniel 11:32, it is “the people who know their God [that] shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

Where is the Church that Jesus built? It has not died out! Rather, it has defied the gates of hell and is miraculously defying them still. Today, the Living Church of God continues to do the Work of God, proclaiming the true Gospel to a world spiraling toward destruction. Thanks to the faithful and dedicated leadership of Dr. Meredith, millions have received through the Living Church of God a warning message about God’s end-time intervention in world affairs.

Will you be one whom God uses to finish His end-time Work? Do you have the true Philadelphian spirit that reaches out to the whole world in genuine love and concern to share God’s message of Truth and hope? Do you consider it important that the House of Israel be warned of the impending time of Jacob’s trouble? Is the Work of God more important to you than your own personal comfort?

We in the Living Church of God understand that we are a continuation of the Philadelphia era that Christ raised up through Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong many years ago. We are motivated by a sense of urgency in these years that are the immediate prelude to the Great Tribulation. We truly believe what Jesus Christ taught—that we must work the works of the Father while it is yet day, for the night indeed comes when no man can work (cf. John 9:4)! Will you, too, heed Christ’s words?

Booklet Category

God

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

4uwzvo — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 14:26:02 +0000

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

4uwzvo Wed, 03/02/2022 - 14:26

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Afterlife

#Heaven

#Holy Days

#Resurrection

#Salvation

Why were you born? Why does God allow even dedicated Christians to go through years and decades of trials, tests and persecution? Why is it so important that we all “overcome”? What is the magnificent purpose for all our lives here on planet earth?

Most people never stop to consider their real purpose in life.

In fact, most assume there is no real purpose. How about you? Is there any transcendent reason for you to be alive? Can you have a remarkably interesting and fulfilling destiny ahead of you, regardless of your present situation? Can you be 100 percent sure of a future rendezvous with happiness, joy and peace?

Or, are you living a fleeting, disappointing existence on planet earth with no more purpose for your life than the birds, the bees or, for that matter, the worms that crawl in the dirt? As a human being, you obviously have much higher intelligence than these creatures; you can visualize the future; you have hopes and dreams; and creative imagination far beyond any other form of physical life on this earth. Yet do all these gifts, potentials and dreams rot when you die and “dust returns to dust”?

This truly is worth considering. You should think about it! Sure, some religious people may feel they will be wafted off to heaven to sit around for all eternity with nothing to do except “roll around heaven” all day, as the song goes. But you should not assume anything. Do not be gullible—find out for yourself and prove what is your ultimate destiny!

The real truth of the matter has been revealed in the Creator’s instruction manual for humanity, the Holy Bible. In the Bible, God decrees the fate of nations and empires. He prophesies of world-shaking, future events that are to happen. And these prophecies are unfolding before the eyes of this generation!

However, in a more quiet yet profound way, your Creator also reveals the ultimate destiny of mankind—the real purpose for your life and my life. In a number of places, it is called the “mystery” of God. Indeed, it is a mystery to the vast majority of people—even to most of the supposed “Christian” world. For it goes far beyond what most humans have ever visualized or imagined. Yet it is so obvious, so simple, so powerful in its logic that you may wonder why you did not understand it all along.

So, again, what is your ultimate destiny? Why were you born?

A PURPOSE in Humanity’s Creation

You did not just “happen.” Human beings are not the product of blind chance. By common sense, most people realize that a fine Swiss watch was not the result of slow, evolutionary processes which took place over millions of years in a mineral-rich, primordial sea, as silica and metallic elements washed back and forth while being charged by lightning strikes. Even though the sand and the elements washed back and forth for billions of years, a delicately fashioned, accurate Swiss watch would never be the result of unplanned, blind happenstance.

Yet some intelligent, “educated” individuals prefer to be “politically correct” and subscribe to the evolutionary theory that your mind—with a complexity far surpassing any watch or computer ever designed and produced—somehow came together, with your body, as an “accident” of the evolutionary process.

If you believe that, you had better stop reading right here because, until God Himself wakes you up, you are not going to understand anything about your ultimate destiny or any other spiritual thing. As it is written, “The things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

The revealed Word of the Creator shows us that man was purposefully created. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, God describes how He designed each creature “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:21, 24–25). Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (v. 26).

Here we discover two vital points. First, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” So there were two different personalities here discussing the creation of man in Their image. These were obviously God the Father and the Logos or “Word” (Spokesman) who was later born in the human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1–2, 14).

The second vital point is conveyed by the rest of the verse, “let them have dominion over the fish… birds… cattle.” So, from the beginning, mankind was ordained to have dominion, to rule, to be in charge over all the physical creation here on earth. He was immediately given the responsibility and the opportunity to use creative imagination and judgment.

Notice these inspired words of David: “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels (Hebrew Elohim), and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4–6). Here we see that God has a special purpose for man. Man is made a “little lower” than the “Elohim“—a Hebrew term denoting God! Yet man is crowned with glory and honor and given “dominion” over the work of God’s hands (v. 6).

Remarkably Unique Abilities

From the beginning, man was given a mind, which is remarkably distinct from any animal brain. Unlike any other creature on earth, man has creative imagination and the capacity even to analyze himself. He can laugh at himself or reason between right and wrong, enabling him to make judgments—to a limited degree— like God Himself!

At the time of the building of the tower of Babel, God said: “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Genesis 11:6). The clear indication here is that, unless restrained by God, man might have “progressed,” even back at that time, to the point of being able to destroy himself from off the face of the earth!

Today, as the abilities of different nations and races are once again being utilized in a worldwide scientific community, humanity has indeed progressed to the point where we could destroy ourselves. Man is able to launch huge, complicated rockets into outer space. He is able to store and then instantly recall billions of pieces of information in marvelous computer systems. And he is also able to break matter down to its smallest components, and to detonate the hydrogen atom in a blinding, searing explosion. ˙

Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ specifically prophesied this situation when He warned: “For then [when certain foreseen events take place] there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22).

Yes, unless the Creator intervenes to save His own creation from self-destruction, mankind would obliterate all human life from planet earth! But, as we shall see, God gave man this great intelligence for a purpose—and God’s purpose shall stand.

Created to Rule

From the beginning, man was placed over the physical creation on earth. He was given the capacity and responsibility to help direct and judge his fellow man under God (cf. Exodus 18:13–26). Humanity was given God-like responsibility from the beginning.

Then, when Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh to bring the Gospel, He continually preached about the coming government of God: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14–15). This coming world-ruling government was predicted by most of the Old Testament prophets as well as Jesus Christ, Peter, Paul and John.

After describing the four great, world-ruling kingdoms that would govern the world until the end of this age, the prophet Daniel stated: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

Most of Jesus’ parables concern the Kingdom of God. In Mark 4:30–32, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed. Jesus shows that the Kingdom of God, though starting out extremely small, will eventually grow to tremendous size. In the parable of the nobleman (Luke 19:12–19), Jesus clearly states that those who “overcome” and use their talents, as God intends, will be given authority in Christ’s soon-coming government to rule over cities. To the servant who had increased his money ten times, Jesus said, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (v. 17). To the servant who had increased his money five times, Jesus said, “You also be over five cities” (v. 19).

Then, on the night just before His death, Jesus promised the Apostles: “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29–30). If we believe that Jesus meant what He said, then we know that the Son of God specifically promised that “overcoming” Christians will join Him at His Second Coming in ruling over the cities and nations on this earth!

Notice these direct statements by Jesus, the Christ, as recorded in the book of Revelation: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces’—as I also have received from My Father” (Revelation 2:26–27). “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21). Then note the prayer of the saints as recorded in Revelation 5:10, “[You] have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Finally, notice Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Yes, the true saints are called of God and are being trained through an entire lifetime of overcoming to join Jesus Christ in ruling over the cities and nations on this earth! Could anything be plainer than that?

Yet, somehow, many misguided people, even theologians, still believe in the idea of “doing nothing” for all eternity. They do not remotely realize that true Christians are called for a wonderful, exciting, awe-inspiring purpose.

Only Overcomers Need Apply

God says only overcomers will be in His kingdom. Only overcomers will join Christ in ruling this earth. We are told throughout the New Testament to become like God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Again, Jesus instructed, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

The Apostle Peter instructed Christians: “But as He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:15–16). The Apostle John exhorted God’s faithful, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The Apostle James wrote, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

So there it is! True Christians are to overcome their own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and its temptations, and finally resist Satan himself. Peter concludes his last letter with this searching admonition, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

Now, in the human flesh, we are subject to all sorts of weaknesses and sin. But by regular, diligent study of the Holy Bible; by constant, fervent prayer on our knees, and by continually yielding and actively surrendering ourselves to God, we are to overcome our sinful ways and let God, through His Holy Spirit, build within us the holy, righteous character of God.

We know that we will not achieve perfection in this life, but we must be making real progress. For we are to grow in the very nature and character of God Himself. Therefore true Christians are ensured of constant trials, tests and persecution.

The Apostle Paul predicted, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36). The Apostle Peter warned, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

It is clear that the true Christian is required to overcome himself, the world and the assaults of Satan. He will be harassed, persecuted and perhaps even martyred by the enemies of God.

WHY We Must Build Righteous Character

Is a Christian to go through life’s difficulties just so he can take a very long celestial vacation to “roll around heaven” all day and be bored watching the clouds pass by while plunking out harp music? Or, perhaps, is he to serve God as a messenger like the angels? After all the remarkable trials, tests, tears and perhaps even the agony of overcoming physical sufferings, is our reward to be no greater than that of the multiple millions of created beings in the angelic host? No way!

The truly awesome purpose of human existence goes far beyond even what the righteous angels and archangels will experience! Why do we go through trials? Why are we tested time and again? God wants to see if we are willing to totally surrender to Him. His ultimate purpose is to reproduce in us His mind, His love and His character. God is reproducing Himself!

Yes, you read it right. At this point, I should exhort all of you who read this not to tune out. Ask God for an open, inquiring mind—do not make assumptions. Spiritual safety rests with a sincere desire to “prove all things” according to the words in your own Bible. For the great purpose for human life, which truly makes sense, has clearly been inspired and placed in the pages of the Holy Bible for centuries!

Now go back to Genesis and review again what God did in the beginning. Each animal was created “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:24). So cattle reproduce cattle. Lions reproduce lions, and so on. This was God’s mind or pattern as He created each creature. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26). In plain language, God was indicating that they—the God Family now known as the Father and His Son Jesus Christ—would begin to reproduce themselves, adding more members to the “God Family”! Does it sound blasphemous to you to think that God planned to reproduce “after His kind”?

Some of the self-appointed religious leaders during Jesus’ day thought so. You might be surprised to learn that this matter of God having a family was a big issue of debate between Jesus and that day’s religious authorities. For Jesus had said to them, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). This statement by Jesus angered the religious leaders enough that they considered Him a heretic worthy of death.

When Jesus asked them why they were trying to kill Him, these honored religious authorities retorted, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (v. 33).

Notice carefully what Jesus said to defend Himself against this charge of blasphemy, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “you are gods”‘? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (vv. 34–36).

The passage Jesus referred to is Psalm 82:6. The Hebrew word translated as “gods” is Elohim. It is the same word translated “God” in Genesis 1:1, and is used hundreds of times throughout the Old Testament to denote the divine Being. Many modern religious scholars maintain that this word just means “mighty judges.” But this is not a valid understanding of the usage of the Hebrew word Elohim. Otherwise Jesus would not have been so quick to pick this passage in a life or death situation. Jesus used this passage in the Psalms to clearly show that man does have God-like potential, that humanity is truly “made in the image” of God. Obviously those incensed religious authorities recognized that Jesus was flesh and blood just as they were. Further, since Jesus was the “Son of God,” He was not blaspheming by making Himself equal with God when He called God His Father!

In fact, this issue came up earlier in John’s gospel when these same religious authorities sought to kill Jesus because they accused Him of breaking the Sabbath, and also because He “said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). They obviously recognized that a real son is, in fact, equal to his father.

I am a father myself. I am privileged to have four sons and two daughters. As God has ordained, I have reproduced “according to my kind.” My sons and daughters are fully human just as I am human. Though I may be greater in experience and wisdom, and am the patriarch of my family, my children are as fully of the human family as I am, and have completely the same human capacity, potential and dignity that I do.

What about God’s sons? Are we so accustomed to the modern religionists using religious-sounding “fluff words” that we no longer have real understanding as to the meaning of the words we use? Do we fail to recognize that a literal “son” of God would truly be like God?

Biblical Meaning of “Elohim”

The very first name that God applies to Himself in the Old Testament is “Elohim.” “In the beginning God [Hebrew Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Elohim is used 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis—and clearly identifies “God” as the Creator. But what does Elohim mean?

All authorities are agreed that this Hebrew name (Elohim) for “God” is plural in form. Some think this plural name of God proves that the Old Testament “God” is comprised of more than “one Being.” Others deny this, but there can be no question that the plural ending -im of this Hebrew word clearly allows for a “plurality of Beings” in the concept of the Hebrew God as mentioned in the Old Testament.

Grammatically, the form ‘Elohim’ contains the plural ending -im. The function of ‘Elohim’ as a true plural (“gods”) is reflected in numerous biblical texts (Exodus

12:12: ‘all the gods of Egypt’). In this function ‘Elohim’ can be preceded by a definite article (‘the gods,’ Exodus 18:11, ‘now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods’). In Hebrew ‘Elohim’ can be accompanied by plural adjectives (very frequently in Deuteronomy: ‘other gods’) and construed with plural verbal forms (Psalm 97:7: ‘all gods bow down before him [Yahweh]’). The striking feature of the OT text lies in the use of this plural form ‘Elohim’ in order to designate the one God of Israel (“Names of God in the Old Testament”, The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 4, p. 1006).

There is irrefutable biblical proof that this plural noun (Elohim) is to be understood as conveying, not the sense of a dual or a triune God, but of a “God Family” with more than one member. If God were to be forever limited to only Father and Son, then presumably, they would have used another Hebrew word to convey such a limited, two-member Godhead. The Hebrew word Elohaim does connote duality; however God (Hebrew Elohim) did not use Elohaim (conveying duality), but used Elohim, indicating plurality. Why did God use Elohim? Simply because Elohim is a divine family of Beings—a family into which many divine sons and daughters will later be added, as revealed in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:18).

One of the greatest proofs that Elohim is to be understood as being plural in actual meaning is the undeniable fact of how the Creator used that word in the Bible, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'” (Genesis 1:26). Clearly, God did not say, “Let Me make man in My image, according to My likeness.” God nowhere says the angels are creators, but always speaks as though only God is Creator.

Proof that Elohim is to be understood as plural in meaning is found in numerous other scriptures:

1) Christ said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). Clearly, though there is only “one God,” it is unscriptural to say that God is “one Being” or “one Entity.” If the Father and His Son were not two distinct Persons (Beings/Entities), Christ could not have said that His Father was “greater than” He.

2) In Matthew 22:41–46, Jesus revealed that Psalm 110:1 refers to Himself and His Father, “The LORD [Hebrew Yahweh, the Father] said to My Lord [Hebrew Adonai, the Son], ‘Sit at My [the Father’s] right hand, till I make Your [the Son’s] enemies Your footstool.'” Many scriptures reveal that only two Persons—the Father and His Son—now comprise the divine Family. The Trinity is nowhere taught in the Bible—it is not so much as even once mentioned in either the Old or the New Testaments. Rather, God Almighty reveals that all who become His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18) by a new spiritual begettal—at the resurrection of the just—will be born of the spirit as immortal, glorified spirit beings in the very God Family (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–57).

Such glorified saints will then be changed from human into divine—from mortal into immortal beings. As immortal sons and daughters of God, they will then be higher than the angels (whom they will then judge—1 Corinthians 6:3), and will at that time be worthy of receiving the worship of mortal humans (Revelation 3:9)!

Elohim is a plural noun which denotes that God is a Family of divine Beings—not a closed Trinity, which could never admit other sons and daughters of God into the God-plane Family of divine beings. Elohim can and does allow for a plurality of divine Beings in the Family of God; the Hebrew Scriptures clearly prove that this word, Elohim, is to be taken quite literally. Can we believe the plain Word of God? God meant what He said, “Let Us make man in Our image”!

“Born” of the Resurrection

In this life, we are “begotten” or regenerated through conversion and the impregnation of God’s Spirit. This Spirit is the Spirit “of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The Spirit of God imparts to us the very nature of God.

As we surrender our wills to God, yield to His Holy Spirit and drink in of it through regular Bible study and prayer, we grow in spiritual maturity until it is time to be fully “born of God” at the resurrection of the dead!

Jesus Christ is our example and forerunner. He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Later, in Romans, Paul was inspired to write that true Christians are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

Notice! All who truly yield themselves to God will become like Christ, so that He, then, will become the firstborn of many other sons of God—literal sons just like Jesus Christ, the firstborn and Captain of our salvation.

Again Paul states, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

So, for the second time, God shows clearly that to be ultimately “born again” like Christ, the firstborn from the dead, we must finally be “born” into the very family of God by the resurrection from the dead!

In Revelation 1:5, the Apostle John was also inspired by God to describe Christ as “the firstborn from the dead.” If Christ is the “firstborn,” there must be others. If the “firstborn” of God is very God, then those later born of the very same Father must also become full members of the God Family!

The entire Bible is clear on the fact that you do not leave the state of death except by the resurrection. We have just discussed three scriptures showing clearly that those truly “born again” are born of the resurrection from the dead, and that they become full members of the “God Family”—the God level of existence—just as Jesus did.

Who Will Always Be in Charge?

The Bible indicates the Father will always be greater in power and authority. Obviously, God the Father will never get old or retire or die. So He will always be the unquestioned Head of the God Family. Even Jesus Christ said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28).

Similarly, the Bible clearly shows that Jesus Christ will always be greater than the other sons to be born into the God Family. He is to sit at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 8:1). He is to be “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16). He will always be our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20).

It is obvious that the major purpose of the Christian life is to reconcile man to God. The Holy Spirit guides a person through an entire process of total surrender to God and to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit, a person grows in the grace and knowledge—the very character—of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). With God’s help, this process involves overcoming and learning to “live… by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). For a person to draw near to God, he must deeply study the Bible, “eating” of the spiritual bread of life (John 6:56–63), so that it literally becomes the way he thinks and acts. Overcoming involves regular, heartfelt prayer to God every day of one’s life—often several times a day and always being in a spirit of prayer. It involves constantly meditating on God’s Word and purpose, and occasionally fasting to draw closer than ever to God.

In all this, and then in daily, active yielding to let Christ live His very life within us through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20), the true Christian learns to walk with God. Month by month, and year by year, the totally surrendered Christian becomes increasingly like God. Indeed, a person with genuine faith should live this way, for Jesus instructed us, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The Apostle Peter exhorted Christians, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).

In his final letter, Peter described how God’s “divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… that through these [promises] you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3–4).

Do all these scriptures mean what they say? Can we honestly “spiritualize away” the many, many inspired scriptures that tell us to be holy, to be like God, and to yield to Him so He can place within us His own divine nature? Consequently, it is logical to consider the idea that it has been God’s plan all along to reproduce Himself. This is what the God Family (Elohim) had in mind when they said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

“Born Again”—But Are We to Be INFERIOR Sons?

We have already seen that Jesus Christ was “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Will the younger brothers yet to be born have far less glory than Christ?

Although, as just explained, Christ will always be greater in power and authority, yet the Bible clearly indicates that the Spirit-born sons of God will share the same level of glory and majesty as their Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. Notice Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Throughout the Bible, there are literally dozens of verses that indicate our sufferings, our trials and our tests—the whole process of overcoming—are to help fashion and mold us into God’s image. They prepare us to be born at the resurrection from the dead and to be glorified as Christ was glorified.

Of course, the truly converted Christian is regenerated or “begotten” of God in this present life. But the final, ultimate birth is to be born into the very Family of God at the resurrection.

As the Apostle Paul wrote: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…. And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven…. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22, 45–47, 49).

Yes, we are to be sons of the resurrection—not falsely “born again” in front of an emotional crowd of people in some “revival meeting”! The true “born again” experience will so far surpass these counterfeit emotional outpourings which confuse today’s religious world that there is no room for comparison! For, at the “last trumpet,” Christ will return to this earth as King of kings, and those found worthy will find themselves surging upward toward the clouds to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). They will have spirit bodies and will be glorified as newly “born” members of the divine Family! They will not be regarded as “adopted,” or merely “created” beings. Rather, these Spirit-born sons will come right out from God, having His very divine nature just as surely as we in this life have the human nature and characteristics imparted by our human parents.

Using a human analogy, we are now “begotten” children of God, still in our Mother’s womb (Jerusalem above, Galatians 4:26), but growing in grace and knowledge so that we may be born of God at the resurrection (cf. Romans 1:4; 8:29). The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Yes, we shall look “like” Christ at that time!

How does the living Christ look? We find His present appearance described in Revelation 1:13–16. Now, following His resurrection, Jesus’ eyes are like “a flame of fire.” His face is like the “sun shining” in full strength! He is glorified, as we shall be glorified, according to the marvelous purpose of the Great God who made us in His own image!

What a Future for Those Who Overcome!

Let’s turn to 1 John 3 for a moment. After describing how we shall be “like” Christ and be able to look right into the face of that blinding glory, John writes, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v. 3). Once we grasp the ultimate purpose of God, the truly incredible human potential that our Creator has planned for us, we have every reason to want to be “pure,” to live a righteous and holy life.

Our true reward is not some vague and nebulous “pie in the sky” concept of “rolling around heaven” all day, with nothing to do. Rather, it involves becoming “sons of the resurrection” and joining Christ in actively ruling this planet for at least the next 1,000 years. What will Christ’s saints be doing? They will be cleaning up pollution, stamping out pornography and war and healing the sick. The saints’ job will be to bring indescribable joy to a shell-shocked world. Could anything be more personally rewarding?

We shall not merely rule over humans, but over the mighty angels of God! Notice 1 Corinthians 6:2–3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” Our whole Christian experience of developing Christ’s mind (Philippians 2:5) and character is for this supreme purpose.

It will be an exciting, stimulating, productive, and incredibly fulfilling experience. It is real!

What comes after this? Read Paul’s inspired statements in Hebrews 2:5–7: “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.'” Notice man’s ultimate superiority to the angels. For man was made a “little,” or as many scholars translate it, “a little while” lower than the angels. Ultimately, God plans to put “all things” in subjection under man.

Even now, man is creating computer systems that can almost rival the human mind in their astonishing capacities, and he is also capable of annihilating all human life from this earth through atomic and hydrogen bombs and other weapons of mass destruction! Yet because of the need for food, water and oxygen to sustain human life and because of the exceedingly vast distances between the planets—man could not conceivably explore the entire universe even if he could travel at the incredible speed of light.

Inheriting a Universe

But, describing Tomorrow’s World, God indicates that “all things” will be put under man. The Greek word here used for “all things” may correctly be understood as “the entire universe”! In fact, in the Weymouth Version, Hebrews 2:8 is translated, “For this subjecting of the universe to man.”

Immediately after that, Paul wrote: “For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). Notice that nothing is excluded from being under man’s dominion. But it is not yet accomplished. Commenting on those verses, Eerdmans’ Critical and Experimental Commentary states, “As no limitation occurs in the Scripture, the ‘all things’ must include heavenly as well as earthly things” (vol. VI, 1948, pp. 530–531).

The New Bible Commentary: Revised also comments on this passage, “Further, these verses indicate that not only Jesus, but men— through Jesus as their High Priest and Author of Salvation—are called to inherit a destiny of glory and dominion” (ed., Guthrie, et al., 1975, pp. 1196–1197).

In plain language, then, it is clear that God created man to be truly like Him. We who overcome are destined to be real Sons of God—not “pseudo-sons” of a much lower rank and level of existence.

Speaking of the “sons of the resurrection,” the book of Hebrews says, “He [God] left nothing that is not put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). Our ultimate destiny, then, is to become full-fledged Sons of God and help rule the entire universe under the direction of our Elder Brother and High Priest, Jesus Christ!

Then we will have glorified spirit bodies that will not be subject to physical laws, as we know them now. We will be able to hurtle throughout the universe far faster than the speed of light, for we will be full members of the Creator Family—the Family of God—able to move at the speed of thought!

Serving our Father and Jesus Christ in the perfect government of God, we will undoubtedly be challenged in ages to come to rejuvenate and beautify vast portions of the universe that are now bleak, lifeless and desolate. No doubt there will be further creative activities and exciting projects of all kinds to contemplate. As the scripture says: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Once this awesome purpose for mankind is fully understood, then many other things involving human life and the true Christian way of life begin to make a lot more sense.

Notice Romans 8:17, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” When we grasp what that supreme “glory” really involves—the very glory of God—then our human trials do truly seem less formidable. Philippians 3:21 speaks of the returning Jesus Christ, “who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

Spirit Beings Will Teach God’s Way to Mankind

Speaking of the ultimate “born again” experience, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:6–8).

In the resurrection, the Spirit-born saints will be like Christ was after His resurrection. We will be able to simply pass through walls, (John 20:19), and disappear into thin air (Luke 24:31).

At the same time, the resurrected saints, like Christ, will also be able to appear in human form, visit with, eat with and teach human beings during Christ’s millennial reign on earth. John 21 describes the risen Christ preparing an outdoor fish barbecue (v. 9) for the disciples and then teaching them.

Of course, many interesting, exciting and even amusing situations may be envisioned when the resurrected sons of God may surprise or even temporarily frighten (“It’s one of them, again!”) unsuspecting human beings in Tomorrow’s World.

Isaiah 30 describes the time when the whole nation of Israel is brought back from its coming captivity to be governed and taught by divine Beings: “And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (vv. 20–21).

During the soon-coming millennial rule of Christ and the resurrected saints, those millions of humans still living on earth will be taught the way to peace, prosperity and true happiness. “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:2–3).

Now notice verse 5, “For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” The people each walk in the name of “his god”? What is this inspired prophet talking about?

Possibly, Micah is describing the relationship of people in various cities or provinces to their particular Ruler or Judge—a “born-again” member of the God Family assigned to rule their city or state (Luke 19:17–19).

God’s great purpose in giving us life and breath is that we may join Him and His “firstborn” Son, Jesus, in a real family relationship based on love, service and obedience to the way that produces peace and happiness—the spiritual law of God as revealed in the Ten Commandments and teachings of Christ.

A Stupendous Truth Explained!

Before we are even “converted” in this present life, we must deeply repent of “sin”—which is simply the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4, KJV). Then we are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) which God gives to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

Then, we must overcome through the strength and help of God’s Spirit within us and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, in the very character of God. For our heavenly Father, through this process, puts His very nature within us. So, in that way, we are not merely “adopted.” But we are literally begotten and finally born of God, having been impregnated with the divine nature and continuing to grow spiritually until we are ready to be “born of God” at the resurrection!

As Supreme Ruler over all that is, God is taking no chances that His sons would ever rebel against Him! Only those who have totally surrendered their lives and wills to God and to their Savior and coming King, Jesus Christ, will be considered worthy of becoming members of the divine Family—the ruling Kingdom of God.

The above analysis should thoroughly disprove one objection which some have voiced against this marvelous truth. Some people think that if the resurrected saints were to become truly God— with the power of God—then there would be a grave danger that they would rebel against God the Father and perhaps start a spirit war as Lucifer did (Isaiah 14:12–15). But this objection reveals an almost total lack of understanding of what real conversion is all about! For after we have surrendered to our Creator, “walked with God” in our Christian lives over years while suffering trials, tests and persecutions (the expected lot that befalls every true Christian), and in spite of these trials, hung in there and endured faithfully to the end (Matthew 24:13)—there is no way we would ever turn aside and fight our own heavenly Father!

As “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), we will be like God. Remember, “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). God will not sin—because of His very divine character, which is eternally and naturally faithful and righteous. So the idea of a full member of the God Family rebelling or sinning is a contradiction in terms.

Another objection is the idea that since God the Father is uncreated and has always existed, we could never be like Him. But this neglects the wonderful truth that, at the resurrection, we are to be literally born of God! We will not—at that time—be merely “created.” Rather, we will come right out from God, being literally filled with and composed of the Holy Spirit, like God Himself.

For, again, God is reproducing after His kind just as surely as we humans do! His Spirit-born sons, in the resurrection, are not “lesser” types of spirit beings any more than your children turn out to be something less than human!

Another vital point to remember in this connection is that Christ is to “marry” the church at His second coming (2 Corinthians 11:1–2; Revelation 19:7). Is the bride of Christ to be something inferior to Him—a completely different class of being? Will the glorified saints exist on some lower plane of existence from God like a pet dog compared to a human? Think about it!

Some people are sincerely shocked, at first, by this stupendous truth involving our ultimate destiny. But there are others who seem interested only in playing word games to try to confuse the issue and obscure one of the most vital and magnificent truths revealed in the entire Bible—the awesome, inspiring, supreme purpose of our Creator in giving us life and breath and making us “in His image”!

As I have already said, and I repeat once more lest someone try to twist these words, God the Father and Jesus our Head and Savior will always be greater in power and authority than we will be. But, as “sons of the resurrection,” the saints will be on the same level of existence, just as your sons and daughters are on the same human level as you are. Truly, God the Father and Jesus will always have existed longer and done more in the past than any of the resurrected saints. But you and I have lived longer and done more in the past than our human children. Yet they are fully human just as we are!

We need to realize that the continuum of “eternity” goes on and on and that, as full members of the Creator Family, the saints will also join God in ruling, creating and accomplishing awesome projects throughout the universe in ages to come (Isaiah 9:7).

God Is Eternal

One false argument against the truth of our ultimate destiny goes like this: “We can never become fully like God because God has eternally existed and has been the Creator of all that is—and we have not.”

Is there an answer? Part of the real answer is found in Romans

4:17. Here Paul notes that God called Abraham “a father of many nations.” God stated this as a fact long before it ever occurred! So Paul was inspired to write, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

The ultimate reality is God’s will. God had already willed that Abraham was to be “a father of many nations.” So, in God’s mind, it was a fact because God had willed it so!

In like manner, God must have planned from the beginning to reproduce Himself “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Again, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

God’s plan is to bring more full sons of God into His Family so that Christ might be “the firstborn among many brethren.” All this was predestinated—willed—by the mind of God “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). So, in the terms of the will of God—we who overcome are already eternal, have already been given the gift of eternal life through the immutable will of God!

Another clear indication that this is the way God thinks of things is found in Hebrews 7:9–10: Notice this scripture, “Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.”

So God says that Levi “paid tithes through Abraham” even though Levi did not yet exist! As Levi was “in the loins” of his great grandfather, Abraham, so we—so to speak—have certainly been in the spiritual “loins” of our heavenly Father who has willed that we become His full sons! So in that way—the way God Himself thinks and acts—the true saints who remain faithful and overcome have always existed in the mind of God.

We were in the “loins” of God when He created the angels, later created the earth and put mankind upon it, and still later when He sent His Son to make possible our entrance into the Eternal Family of God.

Jesus said, “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). And again, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). When we are truly “born of God” and become “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), we will have the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). So we will be composed of the Holy Spirit as God and Christ are composed of that same Spirit. The Holy Spirit is eternal and has always existed and will always exist.

Therefore, although we will be new personalities added to the Family of God by a literal spiritual birth in the resurrection, we will always have existed in the mind and will of God. We will have been in the “loins” of our Father from eternity, and we will then be composed of the Spirit, which is eternal.

So our spiritual birth as full sons of God is merely part of the spiritual continuum of God’s will. And once we (if we are overcomers!) are members of the extended Family or Kingdom of God, we also will then join with the Father and our older Brother in creating, recreating, building, working and improving this vast universe. For truly, as God’s Word tells us, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

True Christians have an absolutely awesome opportunity and future ahead. A billion years from now, when we have been working and creating for an “eternity” under the direction of our Father—the specious arguments and word games employed by the blinded theologians of this world who deny the clear intent of God to make us His genuine sons—will seem trite indeed.

Jesus said, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

God’s Awesome LOVE

God has created humans so that, after a young man and woman marry, they most sincerely desire children. They want to share their home, share their lives and share their love with a little human being made in their image. They look forward to having a baby—a child who, as a full human being, will develop, learn and grow to fully share its life, its plans, hopes and dreams with its parents and other brothers and sisters in a loving family relationship.

So it is with God. “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). And because God is love, He wants to share His love, His glory, His eternity, with billions of others who will become His genuine Sons in the resurrection! If God the Father and Christ were selfish, aloof, or lacking in love and out-flowing concern, perhaps they would want to keep to themselves and not make it possible for others to join their Family in a complete God-plane relationship by literally reproducing themselves.

But in the transcendent spiritual love that motivates our Father and our Lord (Elohim—the God Family), they have chosen to reproduce themselves by placing within surrendered Christians their very own “divine nature.” Then, God nurtures these “begotten” sons through this physical life of overcoming until they, like Christ—”the firstborn from the dead”—are also literally “born” of God as “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36).

How great is the love of Christ? The inspired Apostle Paul prayed that Christians, “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18–19). How can you be filled with all of the “fullness of God” and not be God?

The love of Christ, and of our Heavenly Father, impels them to share with us their eternal glory as full sons of the kingdom, or Family, of God. In the future, when you read passages in the New Testament concerning the resurrected saints inheriting God’s glory—perhaps they will now have much deeper meaning. For this “mystery, which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26–27).

Yes, men have always wondered, “Why was I born? What is the purpose of life? If there is a real God, why does he try and test mankind so much and allow so much suffering to occur?”

Now, the mystery is solved! If your mind and heart are open, you now know the answer to these profound questions that have puzzled philosophers and scholars for centuries. You should be everlastingly grateful and thankful to our God and our Savior, Jesus the Christ, for making us “after their kind.”

Jesus’ Fervent Prayer

In the final 24 hours of His life, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus offered to God His most complete prayer recorded in the Bible. Let us review some highlights of that inspired prayer, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). Here we find Christ specifically asking that the stupendous glory He had shared with the Father from eternity be restored to Him—He who was to be “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

In verse 11 of John 17, Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” Christ and the Father are one God, one Family, one level of existence above all other creatures. Jesus prayed that the saints become one in the same way!

Notice John 17:20–23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

These words of out-flowing love are inspiring and magnificent. They certainly make clear that those of us willing to utterly surrender to God and let Christ live His life in us through the Holy Spirit will attain to the same type of glory that He attained. We will be completely one with God (as Christ is one with the Father) and therefore obviously be God. This will be the supreme fulfillment of God’s own purpose in giving us life and then calling us to spiritual understanding! “That the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (v. 23).

The indescribable love of our Father is somewhat beyond full human comprehension. Yet we who understand must respond to that love with deep reverence, thankfulness and obedience to our great God. We must strive to “live… by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). And we must learn to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7)— keeping our eyes always on the magnificent goal our God has set for us.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). And how great is that reward!

With all my heart and all my being, I encourage all of you who read this to truly “seek Him“—diligently. Do not allow yourself to put anything ahead of God and His truly wonderful purpose for your life. Learn to truly study the Bible as never before. Learn to get down on your knees before the Supreme Governor of the universe and literally pour out your heart in prayer to Him for the love, the wisdom, and the strength to truly be an overcomer and to become His real son in a world-ruling kingdom soon to be set up on this earth.

Nothing is more exciting. And, when you really understand, nothing is more “real” than what the Great God says will happen! This is the final fulfillment of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the ultimate good news—that man can be born into the God kingdom, the God-level of existence.

The ancient patriarch Jacob had 12 sons. They collectively had sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren—millions and millions of descendants—and so became the nation or the “Kingdom of Israel.” So, as Christ assists the Father in “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), they are bringing into being an entire Spirit-composed nation. It is a spiritual “Kingdom” of God, comprised of real sons of God—who have been literally born of God by the resurrection, and are possessed of the full nature and character of God. Again, I say, this is the ultimate meaning of the “Gospel,” the ultimate good news and transcendent purpose for your life!

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2–3). Now that you understand your ultimate destiny, you know why God wants you to let Him and His Son build within you their holy, righteous character.

God the Father is not a “nicey-nice” wimp, or a stern, unsmiling puritan or an impractical philosopher. He and His firstborn Son, like a loving family, are preparing other sons to join with them in ruling this world and, later, the entire universe. So go out under the stars some clear night—try counting as many stars as you can see and think of the billions of stars scattered across the vast universe which you cannot see—and then meditate on this awe-inspiring purpose for your life and thank God for it! Then, get down on your knees and begin to zealously do your part to make it all possible!

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The Real God: Proofs and Promises

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:53:40 +0000

The Real God: Proofs and Promises 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 20:53

The Real God: Proofs and Promises

Douglas S. Winnail

Booklet Media

#Existence of God

#God

#Promises

Why is the God of the universe not real to most people today? Why is there so much skepticism and doubt about God? If you have ever pondered these questions, the answers could change your life! In this booklet we will examine the sources of modern misunderstandings about God, and consider seven proofs that reveal the true God.

Questions About God?

Have you ever wondered whether God actually exists? Can you know for sure? Can you prove it? Is there one true God, or are there many gods? Is the idea of God merely the product of the human imagination? Does it make any difference if you believe in God or not? These are among the most important questions you could ever ask. However, in our modern secular world, we know more about television schedules, celebrities’ private lives, and professional athletes’ statistics, than we know about God!

While millions profess to believe in God, the true God is just not that real to most people. How real is God to you? Is the God you worship the same God revealed in the pages of the Bible—or is your concept of God something conjured up in men’s mind? Has the doubt and skepticism permeating our society influenced your ideas about God? Today many people have real difficulties when it comes to finding solid answers about God.

It may come as a shock to you, but our modern, sophisticated, well-educated world has been deceived when it comes to life’s biggest questions! The truth about the real God has been perverted and suppressed—not just by atheistic philosophers and secular scientists, but by misguided theologians! This may sound like an outrageous statement, but it is exactly what the Bible revealed would happen, and it is verified by historical facts, as we will see in this booklet.

Atheists claim that God does not exist, and that the idea of God is an invention of the human mind. Agnostics say it is impossible to know whether or not God exists. Evolutionary biologists prefer to think that God is not necessary. Secular scientists want to eliminate God from all discussion on the assumption that the whole idea of God rests on personal belief and not on proof. Unwittingly, misguided and misinformed theologians play into this deception by suggesting that you can take God’s existence on blind faith—just believe—no proof is necessary or possible!

With so-called experts offering such conflicting ideas, it is no wonder that the average person has doubts and reservations about God. Do you have doubts? We ask for a receipt as proof that we have purchased an item. We get a deposit slip when we put money in the bank. Yet when it comes to the most important question in life, we are told we can just “take it on faith”—blindly, without any proof—that God exists! Or we listen to “experts” claiming that God does not exist, or that we cannot know for sure, but we do not seriously question or demand any verification for such dramatic statements.

For much of the last century, many have taken for granted that science can explain the universe without God, and that His existence is doubtful at best. Sometimes it is claimed that intelligent people no longer believe in God—yet nothing could be further from the truth! Theologians who make excuses for the Bible and shrink from making dogmatic statements about God and His Word, in an attempt to harmonize science and religion, have only succeeded in undercutting their own influence. Much of organized religion is in decline today simply because the truth about the real God has been ignored, perverted and suppressed.

The God of the Bible challenges us to prove that He really does exist—and He offers specific ways to do that. The real God predicts the future, and challenges anyone to do the same with any similar degree of accuracy. The God who inspired the Bible boldly states that to live contrary to His instructions invites disaster. The real God is going to send Jesus Christ back to this earth to put a stop to human misrule and establish His kingdom—on this earth, not in heaven—as a world-ruling government with the aid of His saints. Is this the God you worship? Is this the God you hear about when you go to church or tune in a religious broadcast on radio or television? Probably not!

In this booklet, you will see how and why the knowledge of the real God has been perverted and suppressed. You will learn why our modern society is so skeptical when it comes to questions about God. You will see why mankind’s questions about God will just not go away. You will also be able to study for yourself seven definitive proofs that demonstrate that God is real and very much alive.

But first, we need to understand why our modern culture is so skeptical and mixed up when it comes to questions about God, and how it became that way. Let us notice why belief in God has been discounted as being unimportant, and examine the consequences of that misguided approach. You cannot afford to remain in the dark about such fundamental issues. The real answers may shock and surprise you!

Superficial Religion

Current surveys indicate that approximately 95 percent of Americans believe in God—yet many Americans live their lives as if God does not exist. More than 80 percent seldom or never attend church or read a Bible. Only about 30 percent view the Word of God—the Bible—as the ultimate authority in their lives. Most just follow their conscience and do whatever they think is best—or whatever they please! In European countries, belief in God is much lower, and the number of people who do not regularly practice any faith is even greater. In Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia, only 30 percent or less believe in a personal God (The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity, Reeves, 1996, pp. 51, 61–65). These figures indicate that for most people today—even in so-called “Christian” countries—belief in God is just not a relevant part of their lives.

While interest in religion among Americans runs high, America has been described as a secular and materialistic society. Vanderbilt Divinity School professor Edward Farley asserts “religiosity is marginal” to most of our cultural institutions—government, business, education and entertainment. Pollster George Gallup found that America is a “nation of biblical illiterates” where fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels of the New Testament (ibid., pp. 49, 63). Fewer than half of Americans can name even five of the Ten Commandments—the fundamental principles that the real God outlined for human society. When one cannot even name the commandments, it is not surprising if one does not live by them!

Today, many practice a superficial “consumer Christianity” or “cafeteria religion”—that is, people pick and choose what religious tenets they wish to believe and reject those teachings that do not appeal to their interests. For many people, religious beliefs are often personal, vague, generalized and casual. Levels of confidence and conviction are often rather low. Doctrinal specifics are usually fuzzy. Each person tends to believe what seems to be right in his or her own eyes. This is part of the legacy of the Protestant Reformation—where the individual, not the church or the Bible—becomes the sole authority (ibid., pp. 61–62). As one teenager responded when asked by a reporter about what she thought about God: “God is everywhere. God is in me. I am God.” These are, as we shall see, sadly misinformed opinions!

America and the European countries are described today as having entered a “post-Christian era” (ibid., chapter 2). We no longer believe the actual teachings of Jesus Christ, as found in the Word of God. The Bible states that Jesus Christ will return to reign on this earth with His saints (Daniel 2:44–45; 7:27; Revelation 5:10, 11:15–18), yet mainstream Christianity teaches, and most professing Christians prefer to believe, that we all go to heaven. God said to remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11); yet most people “do their own thing” on this day. The Bible condemns fornication, adultery and murder; yet these behaviors permeate our societies. Noted educator, author and American civil servant William Bennett has written, “We have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to” (ibid., p. 66). This is largely because we have forgotten, rejected, or perhaps never heard about the real God. But just how did this happen?

Reason Replaces Religion

The America that on its coins proclaims to the world, “In God We Trust,” developed from European roots. Europe had received the knowledge of the true God from the Apostles, who brought it from Jerusalem to the European peoples. We learn in school that western civilization was built on the noble ideas of Greek democracy and Roman law, yet both the Bible and history reveal how the misguided religious ideas of these ancient pagan cultures have contributed to the current confusion. In the book of Acts, we read that the Apostle Paul told superstitious pagan Athenians about the one true God. Noticing an inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD,” Paul stated: “The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim unto you” (Acts 17:23–24). They may have practiced democracy, but they were sadly misinformed about religious truth!

In Rome, Paul was even more explicit. He told the Romans that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest [evident] among them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18–19). He told these educated Romans that they were without excuse for not knowing about the true God, “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). Paul further states that misguided humans “although they knew God… did not glorify Him as God.” As a result, their understanding was darkened so that, “professing to be wise, they became fools… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature [creation] rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:21–25). The Bible reveals a remarkable human tendency and its consequences: “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind,” which has led to widespread spiritual confusion, physical immorality and social evils that still confront us today (Romans 1:26–32).

Many today do not realize that the knowledge of the true God and true Christianity, which Paul brought to Greece and Rome, was soon corrupted with a mixture of pagan religious ideas. As Roman Catholic historian Will Durant writes: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it.” The form of Christianity that developed in Europe and later spread to America and the rest of the world “was the last great creation of the ancient pagan world” (Caesar and Christ, Durant, 1944, p. 595). Durant and other historians explain that belief in the one true God became belief in a Trinity as a result of the influence of pagan philosophy. They note that perverted Gnostic ideas “obscured the Christian creed” and that theologians schooled in pagan philosophy tried to explain the nature of God through speculation instead of teaching what God had revealed about Himself in Scripture. After centuries of such discussion and debate, it is not surprising that the often abstract God of modern Christianity bears little resemblance to the true God of scripture.

Other European ideas also undermined and altered the teachings about the real God. The Enlightenment of the 18th century, and scientific discoveries that seemed to contradict Scripture, led some to conclude the Bible and its God were only myths (see God’s Funeral, Wilson, 1999). Darwin’s speculations about evolution seemed to remove the need for a God of creation. Julian Huxley, a promoter of Darwin’s ideas, confidently stated: “There is no longer either need or room for supernatural beings capable of affecting the course of events in the evolutionary pattern of thought. The earth was not created, it evolved. So did all the animals and plants that inhabit it, including our human selves, mind and soul as well as brain and body.” Huxley also asserted boldly that, “operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler, but the last fading grin of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” In the face of what seemed to be overpowering discoveries made by scientists, theologians retreated and back-pedaled in their teachings about God.

Huxley made another observation that is still influencing contemporary views of God. He commented: “Our concept of God needs to stress religious experience instead of a belief in a particular dogma.” In other words, God is the warm feelingthat you feel in your heart—not a Supreme Being whose existence you can prove and who intervenes in history. This idea was promoted in the 1600s by the French philosopher Pascal who said: “It is the heart that experiences God, and not the reason.” The Reformation theologian, John Wesley, also spoke of the “warmed heart” as a sign that one had discovered religious truth. Yet all this clashes dramatically with Paul’s admonition to a Greek audience to “prove all things; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The prophet Malachi quotes God as saying: “Prove Me” (Malachi 3:10, KJV). Proof involves solid and convincing reasons. Belief in the real God involves the mind—not just warm feelings in the heart!

Over the last two centuries, belief in God has come under attack by many intellectuals in the West—the children of the Enlightenment. The German philosopher Nietzsche asserted that “God is a thought.” Freud termed belief in God a form of mental disorder that mankind would eventually grow out of. Karl Marx termed religious belief “the opium of the people.” Atheist H. L. Mencken asserted: “God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable.” Playwright Tennessee Williams described God as a “senile delinquent.” In the 1960s, prominent theologians echoed Nietzsche’s earlier sentiments and actually asked: “Is God dead?” Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins asserted, in a speech titled A Scientist’s Case Against God, that there is no evidence to support religion, and that better educated people today admit this (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892). He claims that anyone who believes in a Creator God is “scientifically illiterate.”

In light of such assaults against belief in God, the near absence of powerful biblical teaching by clerics, and the dearth of honest, objective presentations of physical evidence by scientists, it is not surprising that the real God of this universe remains little known to most people today. But questions need to be asked. Are the critics right, or have they been deceived? Have the rantings of secular, atheistic individuals tragically misled our society about God? Let us notice several important lessons that we can learn from the Bible and our recent past that relate to questions about God. We will then examine seven proofs that demonstrate the reality of the true God.

New Evidence, New Lessons

David wrote in the Psalms more than 3,000 years ago: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1). Solomon states: “The mouth of fools pours out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2). Looking back over the last few centuries it is painfully obvious that many of the “enlightened” intellectuals who have molded our modern world were simply wrong! They made foolish assumptions and foolish statements that many people believed! These misguided individuals were essentially the blind leading the blind.

Marx’s communism proved to be a dismal failure that caused untold suffering. Freud’s psychological theories have largely been discredited. While Freud proclaimed religion a neurosis, one of his students, Carl Jung, found religion to be very beneficial in treating psychologically disturbed individuals (God: The Evidence, Glynn, 1997, p. 69). In fact, a growing body of scientific literature documents the positive effects of certain religious beliefs on personal health. Marx and Freud, whose ideas did much to secularize our society by undermining its religious and moral foundation, were sadly mistaken about many things.

The same is now being said about the ideas of Charles Darwin and his free-thinking contemporaries. The evolutionary theories of Darwin that supposedly did away with the need for a Creator God have come under increasing criticism in recent decades. A growing number of scholars—among them cosmologists, biologists, biochemists and paleontologists—are admitting that the theory of evolution simply does not and cannot explain the origin of the earth, the origin of life or the origin of species. The ideas generated by Darwin and others simply do not fit with the facts of the fossil record or what has been discovered about the universe in the last century (see Creation and Evolution, Hayward, 1995; “Debating Darwin,” Christian Century, July 15–22, 1998, pp. 678–681).

As the 20th century comes to a close and we begin a new millennium, questions about God are being asked with a new earnestness. Evolutionists’ purposeless universe has proven to be a psychologically empty and depressing concept. Surprising discoveries about the universe point to an intelligent creator (see Newsweek, July 20, 1998, pp. 47–52; November 9, 1998, p. 88). Naturalistic science that seemed to provide answers to all questions is now recognized as having serious limitations. In the remainder of this booklet, we will see what can be learned about the real God by examining proofs from both the natural world and the Bible. The evidence is astounding and it is powerful—and it comes from “scientifically literate” scholars. You can prove that God exists—you do not have to doubt or just blindly “take it on faith.” The God of the universe is real!

Proof 1 —

Creation Demands a Creator

The theory of evolution postulates that the earth and the universe came into existence slowly over eons of time, or that the universe has always existed. The atheist astronomer Carl Sagan once stated that, “the Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” However that simply is not true! Studies in cosmology have demonstrated in recent years that there was a time when the cosmos did not exist—that it had a beginning at a specific point in time. This is exactly what the Bible states. In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Both the Bible and the discoveries of science clearly indicate that the earth and the universe have not always existed.

Astronomers studying galactic motion have observed that the universe is expanding outward from a given point, but at a decreasing rate of speed. The universe appears to have begun with a large explosion. This is referred to as the “big bang.” Scientists have been able to detect echoes of this explosion that still reverberate through the universe—called the “radiation echo” or “background noise.” Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist at Cambridge University, has written that the big bang cosmology may reveal “the mind of God,” and American astrophysicist George Smoot has suggested that background radiation represents “the handwriting of God” (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 890). Such evidence is forcing scientists to reevaluate long-cherished naturalistic theories.

Physicists have also formulated laws concerning thermodynamics. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that the amount of energy in the universe remains constant. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the amount of usableenergy in a closed system (the universe) is decreasing. This means the universe is running down—thus, “it could not have existed forever in the past and will not exist forever into the future” (When Skeptics Ask, Geisler and Brooks, 1996, p. 220). It had a beginning. The existence of radioactive elements (such as carbon-14) which decay at a measurable rate (called a half-life) also points to a time when those elements were made radioactive. Again this points to a beginning. This, too, is contrary to what evolutionists have theorized, but is consistent with Scripture.

But what causative agent brought the universe into being? Science operates on the principle that for every effect there is a cause. But what caused the “big bang?” Was it merely blind, natural forces, or was it an intelligent being, a Creator God who carefully planned it beforehand? Since this was a one-time event that was not observed or repeatable, the scientific method is of little value in rendering a decision on this matter. The subject of origins lies beyond the realm of scientific investigation. However, the Bible describes the origin of the universe and the earth in terms that are compatible with facts ascertained by scientists. The discovery that the universe had a definite beginning agrees with clear statements in the Bible.

Scripture repeatedly refers to God as the Creator of the physical earth and universe (Genesis 1; Isaiah 40:28; Mark 13:19; Revelation 4:11). However, the real God is concerned with far more than just the physical creation. The Bible also reveals there is also an ongoing spiritual dimension to God’s creation.

The Apostle Paul writes that when a person chooses to turn from a self-centered way of life, and chooses to begin living by the teachings of Jesus Christ, that person becomes a “new creation” or a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). As we will see, God has an incredible purpose for human beings who are willing to embark on this challenging spiritual journey. The Bible indicates very clearly there are more aspects to life than naturalistic science can discover. These aspects are revealed by the Creator—the real God of the universe—and are not discoverable in a laboratory by the scientific method! Creation, in all of its aspects, requires a creator.

Proof 2 —

Life Demands a Life-Giver

The origin of life presents another challenge to those who want to reject the idea of a supernatural God. Evolutionists have suggested that life formed spontaneously in a pool of chemicals as the earth cooled billions of years ago. We are told that carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia combined randomly, with the aid of solar energy and cosmic rays, to form amino acids and DNA molecules. Over eons of time, cells supposedly developed from these accidental combinations. While this may sound plausible, biochemists know better. Scientists who have tried to produce life by these methods have learned that it is much more difficult than their theories would suggest. A DNA molecule contains as much information as a volume of an encyclopedia. Proposing this evolutionary theory of life’s origins is analogous to suggesting that an explosion in a junk yard could produce a fully assembled automobile—and that this automobile could then begin reproducing itself!

In the 1950s, Stanley Miller performed a simple experiment to see if these theories would actually work. He succeeded in producing some simple amino acids, and his experiment was hailed as proving that life could be generated spontaneously from non-living matter. However, the proclamations were premature. No one has yet produced life from a pool of chemicals (pre-biotic soups)—in spite of a lot of tinkering. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross comments: “Even under highly favorable conditions of a laboratory, these soups have failed to produce anything remotely resembling life. One problem is that they produce only a random distribution of left- and right-handed pre-biotic molecules… Life chemistry demands that all the molecules be either right- or left-handed. With all our learning and technology we cannot even come close to bringing life together in the lab” (The Creator and the Cosmos, Ross, 1993, p. 148).

Forty years after his initial experiment, Miller stated: “The problem of the origin of life has turned out to be much more difficult than I, and most other people, envisioned” (Scientific American, February 1991, p. 117). German biochemist Klaus Dose has observed that all the experimental efforts have “led to a better perception of the problem of the origin of life on earth rather than to its solution. At present all discussions on principal theories and experiments in the field either end in stalemate or in a confession of ignorance” (The Creation Hypothesis, Moreland, 1994, p. 176).

This is not surprising. Anaxamander of Miletus, the ancient Greek philosopher, also speculated that life could develop spontaneously from non-living matter. This superstitious idea prevailed until the 1800s when experiments done by Redi and Pasteur proved otherwise. These now-classic experiments revealed that maggots appearing in spoiled meat came not from the meat but from the eggs of flies that came in contact with the meat. Life came from life—not from non-life. Until recent decades, this was referred to as the law of biogenesis. Only in the last several decades—when scientists have attempted to generate life spontaneously to verify evolutionary theories—has this once-accepted law been ignored. Still, there is no evidence that exceptions to this law exist.

Human beings can speculate that life could be generated spontaneously from non-living matter, but the facts do not agree with these speculations. Man has not been able to produce life—in spite of considerable effort on the part of highly intelligent individuals. Scripture portrays God as creating life. In Genesis 2:7 we read: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”—something all the sophisticated laboratories in the world have been unable to begin to duplicate. Life demands a life-giver. There appears to be no other way.

Proof 3 —

Laws Demand a Law-Giver

Science exists because scientists understand that the universe operates in an orderly manner according to laws—the laws of physics (of gravity and of motion), the laws of chemistry and laws of biology. As one writer comments: “Ever since Isaac Newton, science has blared a clear message; the world follows rules, rules that are fundamentally mathematical, rules that humans can figure out” (Newsweek, July 20, 1998, p. 49). Even evolutionists begin their speculations assuming that the rules, or natural laws, worked the same in the beginning as they do today. If the universe did not operate on these rules, or laws, it would cease to function and would come apart in chaos. Notice several examples of how these laws work.

Gravity holds the planets in their orbits. Without gravitational forces there would be no solar systems. Stars and planets would be hurtling through space in a helter-skelter manner. Gravitational forces hold the earth at a distance from the sun that makes it possible for life to exist on this planet. If gravitational forces were either stronger or weaker than they are, stars (such as our sun) would not burn hot enough, or would burn out too rapidly and certain chemical elements essential for life would simply not be produced. Our bodies exist because chemicals combine in only certain ways. If chemical reactions did not occur the same way every time (according to laws), we would cease to exist as living, breathing human beings. Life would cease to exist.

For years, biology textbooks have referred to another law known as fixity of the species—that there seems to be a genetic limit to the amount of variation that can occur within a species. Plant and animal breeders are aware of these limits. Charles Darwin was aware of the variety that could be produced by breeding domestic animals (such as dogs, pigeons, cows and horses). During his cruise on the Beagle, he also observed striking variations among finches and turtles on islands in the Pacific Ocean. In formulating his theory of evolution, he speculated that, given enough time, these small variations could eventually produce totally new species—that natural forces alone could produce new life forms without the need for a creator. These ideas had a profound effect on the Western world—especially on its religion—and seriously undermined belief in God.

However, time has exposed serious problems with Darwin’s ideas. No one has ever observed a new species coming into existence in nature in this way. In spite of many attempts, neither has anyone been able to produce new species by selective breeding. Dogs may vary in size, color and many other characteristics, but they are still dogs. Horses are still horses. Fruit flies are still fruit flies. The Bible clearly states many times that God created each type of plant and animal “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:11–12, 21–25). There is no evidence from the biological world that one species can turn into another. The Bible also indicates that God created human beings after the “God kind”—which, as we will see, has profound implications for the purpose of human life.

Even the fossil record supports this fundamental biblical principle. Darwin speculated that intermediate forms of life must have existed as species evolved, yet he knew this was not the actual case. He wrote in The Origin of Species: “Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain, and this, perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection that can be urged against my theory” (see Geisler and Brooks, p. 228). Darwin assumed these intermediate links would be found, but a hundred years after his book was published they are still missing! This absence of transitional forms has been called “the trade secret” of paleontology. When species appear in the geologic record they appear fully formed. This makes sense if they were created. The evidence of the fossil record lends further support to the biblical concept of the fixity of species and a real God that operates according to laws and rules.

The fundamental question is: how did these laws originate? Where did they come from? Who set them in motion? How are they sustained? Evolutionists do not know. Natural scientists do not have a clue. Physicist Stephen Hawking, a scientist attempting to answer questions about the universe without the aid of Scripture, has acknowledged “the laws [of physics] may have originally been decreed by God” (Ross, p. 91). This is interesting because the Bible refers to the real God repeatedly as the “Lawgiver” (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12). As the Creator, God designed and set in motion the laws and forces that hold the universe together (Job 28:24–27). We are also told in Scripture that God is “upholding all things [the universe] by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3)—that He sustains the laws that He originated and set in motion.

On the subject of law, the Bible reveals a dimension beyond the physical. While God is described as a law-giver in the physical sense, Scripture contains spiritual laws that God designed to govern human conduct. The Ten Commandments form the basis of the spiritual law of God. We are told plainly that if we obey those laws we will be blessed and if we disobey those laws we will reap negative consequences (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Solomon wrote in Proverbs that life will be difficult for a person who transgresses the laws of God (Proverbs 13:15, KJV). Why would this be so, unless there is a real God who designed and sustains those laws? Evolutionary theory has no answer for this. One of the reasons people want to do away with the concept of God is that without God there are no laws of conduct and any type of behavior becomes permissible. We are living with the consequences of that philosophy today—and it is destroying our society! The existence of laws requires a law-giver. For those laws to continue to operate, a sustainer is necessary. This is how the real God operates.

Proof 4 —

Design Demands a Designer

One of the most powerful proofs of God’s existence, and one of the most revealing aspects of the true God, is the wondrous evidence of design found throughout the universe—from the smallest atom to the cosmos. It is on the issue of design that naturalistic evolutionary theories have run aground. It is in the area of design that surprising discoveries have been made in recent years that are compelling even skeptical scientists to consider the reality of God.

Solomon wrote: “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19). David, referring to the human body stated: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works” (Psalm 139:14). Abraham Lincoln once observed: “I can see how a man can look upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he can look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” Even Albert Einstein realized “God is not playing dice with the universe.”

The profound truth in these statements has begun to register in the scientific community, as a result of surprising recent discoveries in fields as diverse as molecular biology and cosmology. Darwin acknowledged that “complex organs such as the eye would be difficult to explain in terms of the gradual stepwise process outlined by his theory,” but he did not realize how complicated the molecular biology of vision would turn out to be (Christian Century, July 15–22, 1998, pp. 679–680). Biochemist Michael Behe writes in Darwin’s Black Box that evolutionists’ inability to explain the development of such complicated structures and processes is “a very strong indication that Darwinism is an inadequate framework for understanding the origin of complex biochemical systems” (ibid.).

Discoveries about the universe have been just as profound. As man’s knowledge has grown, so has the evidence that the universe could not have come about by chance. One writer observes: “The very science that ‘killed’ God is, in the eyes of believers, restoring faith. Physicists have found signs that the cosmos is custom made for life and consciousness. It turns out that if the constants of nature—unchanging numbers like the strength of gravity, the charge of the electron and the mass of a proton—were the tiniest bit different, then atoms would not hold together, stars would not burn and life would never have made an appearance” (Newsweek, July 20, 1998, p. 48). Physicist John Polkinghorne, who became an Anglican priest, wrote: “When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind it” (ibid.). Astrophysicist Hugh Ross discusses 33 of these finely tuned conditions that make life possible on this earth (see The Creator and the Cosmos, Ross, 1993, pp. 131–145).

A growing number of scientists in the fields of physics, astronomy and cosmology are acknowledging what is called the “anthropic principle” (Greek anthropos=man). This principle, suggested in the 1970s by physicist Brandon Carter, states that for life to exist on earth, all the conditions had to be “pre-planned” from the very beginning of the cosmos. As Harvard Ph.D. Patrick Glynn notes: “The most basic explanation for the universe is that it seems to be a process orchestrated to achieve the end or goal of creating human beings” (God: The Evidence, Glynn, 1997, pp. 7, 32). Glynn states further: “From the scientist’s viewpoint, the fact that the universe looks as though it had a definite beginning might be upsetting enough. But what appears to drive cosmologists nearly to distraction is the anthropic principle”—that the earth and the universe was created for mankind (ibid., p. 42). That is an astounding observation for a scholar to make today!

While a universe pre-planned for mankind may be shocking for atheists and evolutionists to consider, this is exactly what the Bible clearly states. Scripture reveals that God created human beings for a purpose. In Genesis 1:26–28 we read that God created human beings in His own image (not in the image of apes) and gave human beings dominion over the earth—to rule it or manage it. The Apostle Paul told the Romans that we can become “children of God” and “heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:14–17). This means we will share, by inheritance, what Jesus Christ has—that is, eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:50–53) and rulership on this earth in the coming kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10). The Bible reveals that human beings were created for the ultimate purpose of becoming part of the family of God (1 John 3:1–4; Hebrews 2:1–11) eventually to rule this earth with Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:10; Daniel 7:27). This is the purpose of human life, yet this exciting information has been perverted and suppressed over the centuries! This is not even understood today by most theologians.

Compare this astounding future, as outlined in the Bible, with the common idea that either we go to heaven and sit on clouds and play harps, or else we burn forever in hell fire. Compare the future revealed by the true God, to zoologist Richard Dawkins’ ideas that, “the universe we observe has… no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but pointless indifference… we are machines for propagating DNA… It is every living object’s sole reason for living” (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892). Is it any wonder that people today see no real purpose in life, or have no hope or excitement about the future? Science, philosophy and theology have failed to grasp the real meaning of life!

The Bible clearly states that mankind has been deceived by a very clever deceiver (Revelation 12:9). Evolutionary theories that undermine faith in a real God, and the misguided reasoning of theologians, have also played their part in this deception. So have human beings, who simply do not want to consider that God exists, because of the restraints on behavior this would entail. However, the real God who designed this universe also has a design and a purpose for mankind. Scientists are discovering astounding evidence of intelligent design in the cosmos. Scripture reveals God’s amazing, ultimate purpose for mankind. Intelligent and purposeful design—both physical and spiritual—requires a supernatural Designer—a real God!

Proof 5 —

Fulfilled Prophetic Promises

Some of the most compelling evidence for an all-powerful, supernatural God comes from the disciplines of history and prophecy. The astounding accuracy of Bible prophecy is a constant challenge to skeptics. Yet it is amazing to realize how many people, including secular scholars, are simply unaware of how Bible prophecy is so remarkably confirmed by known history. Even more amazing is that prophecy is seldom mentioned today by the clergy—yet fulfilled prophecy absolutely proves that there is a real, all-powerful God. Isaac Newton, one of the most brilliant minds in Western civilization, was fascinated by Bible prophecy (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892).

The real God of Scripture literally defies others to predict the future accurately and bring it to pass. The prophet Isaiah quotes God as saying: “Present your case… Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods… indeed you are nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination” (Isaiah 41:21–23). Those who study forecasting understand the folly of trying to predict future events in detail—especially in the volatile fields of political science and sociology—yet Scripture does this repeatedly with striking accuracy! Nearly 30 percent of the Bible is devoted to prophecy, yet this subject is rarely the topic of Sunday morning sermons in most churches. It is no wonder the powerful God of the Bible does not seem real today.

A striking example of fulfilled prophecy is found in the book of Ezekiel, which dates from about 600bc. Ezekiel records very different futures for two major Phoenician cities, Tyre and Sidon. This would be like predicting what will happen to San Francisco and Los Angeles, Toronto and Ottawa or London and Paris over the next 2,500 years! Sidon is promised to have a bloody history but to continue to exist (Ezekiel 28:22–23). By contrast, Ezekiel very specifically prophesied that many nations would come against Tyre like waves of the sea (26:3). Tyre would be scraped bare like the top of a rock (v. 4), the debris thrown into the sea (v. 12), never to be rebuilt (v. 14). This mighty city, the center of a great trading empire, would become an insignificant place where fishermen would spread their nets (v. 5). All this has happened—to the letter (see Evidence That Demands a Verdict,McDowell, 1979, vol. 1, pp. 274–281). A real God predicted the future in detail, and brought it to pass (see Isaiah 46:9–10).

Another series of remarkable prophecies concerns specific promises about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These prophecies were recordedmany centuries before Christ was born. The first two chapters of Matthew quote prophecies that Jesus was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). He would have to flee to Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Before His death, he would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). In death, His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16), and lots would be cast for His garments (Psalm 22:18). David prophesied that Christ would be resurrected (see Psalm 16:10). Here again, the real God of the Bible predicted specific future events and brought them to pass—to the letter!

Fulfilled prophecies, however, are not just limited to ancient history and long-vanished empires. Additional prophecies are being fulfilled today, as you read this booklet! The key to understanding prophecies that apply to our time is the identity of the modern Israelite nations. The God of the Bible promised Abraham that his descendants would become great and be a blessing to the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). God foretold that they would eventually come to possess the gates of their enemies (Genesis 22:17; 24:60).

The modern Israelite nations are descendants of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, whose name was changed by God to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Jacob had 12 sons including Judah—the father of the Jews. However, two of Jacob’s grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were prophesied to become the primary inheritors of the birthright promises originally made to Abraham. Manasseh was to become a great nation, but Ephraim was to become a great company of nations (Genesis 48:14–20). The blessings promised to Manasseh and Ephraim have been inherited by the United States and the nations that made up the British Commonwealth. This amazing story and the sobering future that is prophesied for these birthright nations is described in our booklet, available free upon request, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

The record of history, as well as of world events today, confirm the incredibly accurate prophecies recorded in the Word of God. The Bible is inspired by an all-powerful, supernatural God. Its prophecies are not merely the product of mortal men trying to formulate a philosophy or religion. Scripture’s fulfilled prophetic promises demand an explanation—they cannot simply be ignored or explained away! The God who inspired those prophecies and brought them to pass has to be real!

Proof 6 —

Answered Prayer

Another dramatic proof of God is that He fulfills His promises of answered prayer. For those who do not believe in God and have never prayed, this is merely a matter of doubt and skepticism. However, for individuals who believe in God and who do pray—which includes up to 90 percent of Americans—answered prayer is one of the most powerful personal proofs that God exists. To those who know their prayers have been answered, the doubts of skeptics are of little significance.

It is from the Bible, not naturalistic science, that we learn about prayer. Scripture abounds with examples of answered prayers. Solomon’s request for wisdom was granted with even additional blessings (1 Kings 3:5–13). We are told that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain” (James 5:17–18).

The New Testament records many examples of dramatic answers to prayers. Jesus prayed all night, asking God for guidance, before choosing the Twelve Apostles He would use to build His Church (Luke 6:12–13). Jesus had been praying during the hours before He came—walking on the water—to the disciples (Matthew 14:23–25). Lazarus was resurrected from the dead as the result of Jesus’ prayer to God (John 11:41–44). When the members of the fledgling New Testament Church prayed for boldness to preach the gospel, God acknowledged their request by shaking the building in which they were meeting (Acts 4:23–31).

The Bible also teaches us how to pray. Just as a child must learn how to talk, we must learn how to pray. Jesus was asked by His disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus gave us a model to follow (Matthew 6:5–15). We can see from this example that prayer is an earnest conversation with God about our needs and concerns—not just repeating some words and phrases over and over (v. 7). We are told that God hears the prayers of the righteous—individuals attempting to obey Him (1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 3:22). The Bible reveals that the prayers of the saints are pleasing to God—like sweet-smelling incense (Revelation 5:8).

Jesus encouraged His followers to “ask, and it will be given unto you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7–12). One challenge in learning to pray is learning to ask in accord with God’s will (1 John 5:14). To understand God’s will, we must study Scripture—God’s instruction manual. Through prayer, we can talk to God about all our concerns.

If you have sensed a void in your life, if you feel cut off and alone, why not talk to God about it in prayer? If you can see the lack of meaning and purpose in our secular, materialistic world, why not get down on your knees in a private place and talk with your Father? If you have sensed the emptiness and irrelevance of organized religion, just share your feelings with your Creator, the real God of the universe! Ask Him to help you come to understand the Bible and the true meaning of life. Ask Him to guide you to where He is working through His Church. Ask Him to help you learn how to live life according to His instructions, so you can receive the rewards that are His to give. Follow the instructions of Jesus Christ that you read in Matthew 6:5–15 and Luke 11:1–4. Begin to pray!

You can experience the proof of answered prayer for yourself when you begin to ask according to God’s instructions. God does not change (Malachi 3:6). He has answered prayers in the past. He answers prayer today. He will answer prayers in the future. The Bible clearly states, “the eyes of God run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Answered prayer is a powerful and personal proof that God is real!

Proof 7 —

A Way of Life That Works

The final proof that a real God exists and His Word is true is a sobering one. This proof may be more meaningful to individuals who have lived life and made a few mistakes. However, this can also be an important proof to anyone, young or old, who has “eyes to see and ears to hear”—who can learn by seeing what happens to others. This proof involves comparing the results of two contrasting ways of life.

The message that permeates our modern society is that whatever works is right for you—that there is no such thing as absolute right and wrong. The message God has recorded in the Bible is very different. Scripture shows that there is God’s way of life, and there is the world’s way, where we just do our own thing. And, as the old saying goes: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

Scripture clearly outlines these two contrasting approaches to life. Moses explained God’s instructions to the ancient Israelites: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:15–20). Today, this is still one of the major challenges of life.

As human beings with free moral agency, we have the freedom to choose to obey God and experience His blessings, or to ignore and live contrary to His instructions (by following our own reasoning) and reap the consequences (Deuteronomy 28; Leviticus 26). Solomon recorded similar advice: “The way of the transgressor is hard,” yet “when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 13:15; 16:7). Jesus described these same choices—a narrow, challenging way that leads to life, and a wide easy way that most people choose that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13–14).

The sad story of human history is that most people “go with the flow”—we do what seems right in our own minds. Instead of seeking to learn from our Creator how to live life according to His instructions, we seem to prefer doing things our own way. The result of this approach to life is sometimes called the “school of hard knocks.” If your life has been a series of difficulties, disappointments and blind alleys, why not try another approach? Look into the Word of your Creator, and begin to do things His way for a change. Let the “proof of the pudding be in the eating.” Live God’s way, and prove it for yourself!

Let us look briefly at the way of life that God recommends in Scripture, so that you can put His way to the test. Anciently at Mt. Sinai, God gave the Israelites His law (Exodus 20) which they agreed to follow (Exodus 19:5–8). God intended the Israelites to be an example to the whole world as they learned to live according to His divine instructions (Deuteronomy 4:1–10). However, they failed to live up to this agreement and went into captivity as a result of turning their backs on God’s instructions (see Ezekiel 20).

In the New Testament we are told that Jesus came to explain the law more fully for Christians (Matthew 5:17). He explained how to live by the spirit of the law, not just the letter (Matthew 5:21–28). Here again, it was God’s intent that those who choose to follow His instructions would become lights [examples] to the world, that God’s way works.

Jesus clearly stated that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He was definitely advocating a better way to live. The contrast between Jesus’ teaching and the ways of this world was likened to the difference between night and day (John 3:16–21). When His disciples began urging people to come out of this world and live according to the real teachings of Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:11–18) they were pelted with accusations that, “those who have turned the world upside down have come here, too” (Acts 17:5–6).

God’s way of life as outlined in the Bible is not some vague, nebulous, watered-down approach that people can take or leave and modify to suit themselves. God’s way is based upon His laws. It involves specific attitudes, behaviors and practices that not everyone is willing to follow and adhere to. We are told the truth of God will actually separate friends and families (Matthew 10:34–36), but it works and following it will bring certain rewards (Revelation 3:10–11).

One of the major reasons that mainstream Christianity is floundering today in western countries is that theologians have watered down the teachings of the Bible so much that religious beliefs have literally no impact on how people live their lives. One mainline denomination has been described as “an institution in free fall… with nothing to hold on to… no shared belief, no common assumptions, no agreed bottom line, no accepted definition” of what it means to belong to that church (The Empty Church, Reeves, 1996, p. 10). A chaplain in that denomination has declared that he “is not in the business of dispensing dogmatic answers about anything” (ibid., p. 24). This is simply not the same church, founded by Jesus Christ, that you read about in the pages of the New Testament! Compromising and watering down Scripture does not work. Churches die, spiritually, when they try to do that. This, too, is living proof that God’s way works—the way that seems right to the human mind does not (Proverbs 14:12). This is what the real God clearly states in His word.

Conclusion:

A Coming Judgment

Modern professing Christianity offers to the world a benign God who is nice, loving, forgiving and endlessly patient. He just lets people do pretty much what they want, and is happy if they pray once in a while and attend church a couple of times a year. However, this false idea of God—which is the product of the human imagination—is not relevant to the lives of most people today, as we have seen in this booklet.

The real God of the Bible, however, stands in striking contrast to mankind’s imaginings! The God that emerges from Scripture is a powerful creator, an intelligent designer, a life-giver and law-giver who intervenes in the course of history yet still answers the prayers of individuals. He has clearly outlined in His word two contrasting ways of life. Although loving and merciful, He is a God of justice and judgement who rewards us according to our works. He gives us the opportunity to make choices, and He lets us reap what we sow. This is why the God of the Bible commands His true servants to “cry aloud and show My people their sins” (Isaiah 58:1) and not just preach “smooth things” that deceive people (Isaiah 30:9–10). God wants human beings to understand what life is all about, so they will learn to make the right choices that bring the lasting rewards they desire—and that are His alone to give. The real God also forgives us when we repent—when we come to understand our mistakes (when we break His laws and sin—see 1 John 3:4). God is pleased when we begin to change our lives, and live as He has instructed.

The Bible reveals that God is working out a plan and purpose on this earth. The realGod is going to send Jesus Christ back to this earth to establish the soon coming Kingdom of God. This is literally the heart and core of the true gospel message. This is what Jesus taught and His disciples proclaimed (Mark 1:14–15; Luke 9:1–2; Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31). This same message will also be proclaimed to the world by God’s true Church just before the end of this age (Matthew 24:14).

At His return, Jesus Christ will literally change the course of human history in a very dramatic fashion. He will judge this earth in righteousness—according to His divine law (Psalm 96:13; Revelation 19:11). He is going to put an end to human suffering and human misrule. The Apostle John writes of this time when God takes His great power and reigns—rewarding His servants and destroying those who destroy [pollute and corrupt] the earth (Revelation 11:15–19). God will make a distinction between those who choose to do things His way and those intent on doing their own thing (Matthew 25:31–46), between those who know what the Bible plainly teaches and those who have been deceived by the false ideas of misguided teachers. That time of judgement appears to be just ahead of us.

Jesus Christ is going to reorient human societies toward real peace, justice and truth (Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 11:15–18) with the aid of His saints (Daniel 7:27). The prophet Micah relates: “He shall judge between many nations afar off; and rebuke strong nations; nations shall not lift up swords against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:3). This all-powerful God reveals through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Surely it is coming, and it shall be done, says the Lord” (Ezekiel 39:7–8). The deception, doubt and skepticism about God that so permeate our society will be removed forever.

The real God of the Bible commanded His chosen people not to worship any other god or gods (Exodus 20:1–7). He warned His chosen people about the consequences of following other gods (Deuteronomy 8:11–20). The Apostle Paul told the church at Rome they would incite the wrath of God if they began creating ideas of God according to their own imagination (Romans 1:18–23). He warned the church in Corinth of the same thing (2 Corinthians 11:1–4). Yet all this has happened in our time today. Misguided theologians have chosen “to abandon so-called natural proofs for the existence of the Creator and emphasized personal faith and the presence of God in the human conscience” (Reeves, pp. 95–96). The unfortunate result of this modern, liberal approach is that many have been deceived about the real God.

As the end of this age approaches, do not let yourself be deceived. Jesus clearly warned about this possibility on several occasions (Matthew 7:15–20; 24:4–5, 11, 24). The Apostle Paul urged members of the early New Testament church to “prove all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). You can prove that God exists; you do not need to just blindly “take it on faith.” You can have a real faith, based on real evidence, and a real relationship with your Creator! The God of the universe—the God who inspired the Bible—is real. The Creator, Designer and Sustainer of the cosmos is alive. He is going to bring to pass what He has prophesied in His word. Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth to establish the kingdom of God that will rule over all nations. This is what the gospel of the true God is all about. You can be part of this exciting future if you get to know the real God.

Booklet Category

Doctrine

God

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:20:46 +0000

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 21:20

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!

John H. Ogwyn (1949-2005)

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#Beast of Revelation

#False Christianity

#Revelation

Many consider Revelation the most difficult-to-understand book in the Bible. Some dismiss its complicated narrative and vivid descriptions as mere allegory. Others assume that it recounts past history. The truth, however, is far more remarkable: if you understand Revelation, you can know the future of our world!

Can You Know the Future?

Can you really know what the future holds? Many people are beset with anxiety and uncertainty about the years ahead. Are you? Our world is filled with widely varying predictions of what lies ahead in this 21st century. Whose predictions are correct? How can you possibly be sure?

Did you know that One claiming to be the Almighty Creator dares to proclaim the future in advance? God asserts that He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and that His purpose shall stand. The Bible declares that human life is not a purposeless existence caused by blind chance or evolution. We are part of a planned creation, and there is a great purpose being worked out in our world. You can understand that purpose!

Today, terrorist threats grip the Western world and preoccupy many people’s thinking. Many worry about “rogue states” that may possess nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction. Will we face the ravaging ecological disasters predicted by many environmentalists, or will dazzling futuristic technology finally solve mankind’s age-old problems?

Politicians regularly describe what they think lies ahead. Think tanks and analysts seek to point the way to the future, though disagreeing widely in their conclusions. Add to that the best-selling religious novels that claim to tell you what the Bible foretells. How can you possibly know what the future holds?

The book of Revelation is undoubtedly the most mysterious book in the Bible. Shrouded in symbols, it is a book that is absolutely closed to most people. Yet, over the years, readers have purported to find just about anything currently happening around them somewhere in its pages.

Is it true, as some claim, that you can prove virtually anything by the Bible? The answer is emphatically “No!”—if you take it in context and let the Bible interpret itself.

The ancient prophet Daniel was given an outline of what the future held, from his day (in the sixth century BC) until the time when Christ would finally establish the Kingdom of God on earth (cf. Daniel 2, 7). In addition, Daniel was given several specific prophecies that related to “the time of the end.” Daniel greatly desired to understand the meaning of those intriguing prophecies, yet he could not. They were sealed up until “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, 9).

God’s time for us to understand these prophecies has arrived! We are now in the time of the end—described as a time when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” In the last century, and especially since World War II, we have seen a transportation revolution and a knowledge explosion. In just 66 years, mankind went from the Wright brothers’ first flight to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon!

The Old Testament book of Daniel reveals prophecies of the end-time—recorded, but sealed. The New Testament book of Revelation depicts Jesus Christ opening the seals to reveal the future to His true servants (Revelation 1:1; 5:5). In other words, it is now possible to understand the future with clarity.

Millions have wondered if they will perish in a terrible world war. Others have wondered whether Christ might come at any time, and they may find themselves “left behind.” Do you know the answers to these questions? You can know! The answers to these and other questions are recorded in the final book of your Bible—the book of Revelation. This mysterious book, understood by very few, can become clear to you. There are vital keys that will make it possible for you to understand what even many of the prophets of old desired to know, but were denied.

Does that sound incredible? Well, it is true! If you really want to know what lies ahead in the 21st century, then read on.

Seven Keys to Understanding

Most scholars, surprisingly, do not truly understand the Bible. All you have to do is to read some articles in theological journals, or read some of the many books in print on religious and theological subjects, to see the utter confusion that abounds. Holding widely divergent views, religious authors contradict one another in a way and to an extent seen among writers on virtually no other subject. Do you know why?

The most important single key to understanding the Bible is the attitude in which you approach it. The Bible is God’s book, and only those who approach it as God’s book have any real hope of understanding its message. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). The Creator claims that His word is generally hidden from the “wise and prudent” but is revealed to “babes” (Matthew 11:25). God is not talking about babies in age or understanding, but rather those with a simple, humble, teachable attitude that one might call “childlike.”

Along with this humble and teachable outlook must be a willingness to actually obey God. “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments,” the psalmist declares (Psalm 111:10). The natural or carnal mind is “enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). It is rebellious against God’s law and wants its own way. Many religious people talk about “knowing the Lord” but, as Paul told Timothy, have a mere form of religion, while denying the Bible’s authority to rule and regulate their lives (2 Timothy 3:5).

If you will approach the Bible in a humble and teachable way, and are truly willing to obey God and keep His commandments, the following keys will make the book of Revelation come alive before your very eyes. You can have this seemingly mysterious book’s message open up to you in a way you probably never thought possible.

Key 1—Christ Is the Revelator

In some Bibles, the book of Revelation is titled “The Revelation of Saint John the Divine.” It is important to remember that this title was added by men, and is not in the original text. In fact, the very first verse flatly contradicts this humanly devised title, explaining that this book is the direct revelation of Jesus Himself, which He received from the Father.

When Jesus Christ walked the earth, He frequently talked about the future. However, He never did so in a speculative or wishful sense. He spoke authoritatively, because He had come directly from the Father and spoke the words that the Father gave Him, not mere human ideas (John 14:24).

Jesus Christ came with a message: the good news about God’s coming kingdom and how we could become part of that kingdom (Mark 1:14–15). Yet when He was here on earth almost 2,000 years ago, He did not establish that kingdom. Only days before His crucifixion, as He traveled to Jerusalem one last time, He spoke a parable to His disciples, who mistakenly thought that the kingdom would immediately appear. Jesus told a story about a young nobleman who first had to go away into a far country to be invested with kingly power, before returning to possess his kingdom (Luke 19:11–12).

How excited would you be if you had the opportunity to ask Jesus Christ in personabout the events that would precede His return and the establishment of His kingdom? Some of the 12 apostles did have exactly that opportunity! Jesus’ answer is preserved in the parallel accounts of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, in what is often called the Olivet Prophecy. Seated privately with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, a hill just east of Jerusalem, Jesus described the signs of His future coming, and the end of this current age. In this Olivet Prophecy, Jesus used plain language to describe many events that would later figure in the apostle John’s symbolic visions, when he opened Revelation’s seven seals. In Revelation, as in the Gospels, it is vital to remember that Christ is the Revelator.

Key 2—Start With the Text

Many who study Bible prophecy will first look at the world around them, then look at certain Bible symbols or descriptions in order to find something that “fits.” In doing so, they have simply read their world’s current events back into Scripture. This is a backwards approach.

If we want to understand God’s revelation to mankind, we must start with Scripture and understand the story flow that God lays out. We cannot understand John’s description of a mysterious “beast” in Revelation 13, unless we look at what else Scripture has to say on the matter. We need to look at the earlier inspired information on this subject, given in the book of Daniel. Daniel, after all, recorded the divinely inspired foretelling of the rise and fall of great powers between his day (the sixth century BC) and the final establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth.

We have to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than trying to read our own preconceived notions or current world events back into the text. Only in this way can we see Bible prophecies in their proper context.

Key 3—The Purpose of Revelation

Modern scholars disagree about what they consider the purpose of the book of Revelation. However, careful Bible students will see that the book’s very first verse describes its purpose! Jesus Christ gave Revelation to John so that he might show the servants of God the things that must shortly come to pass (Revelation 1:1). It was intended as a revealing or unveiling of the future. It was given so that God’s true servants could understand where world events are headed, and could know what the future holds. It was a message of encouragement to God’s people, showing that—even in the midst of turmoil and persecution—they need not become anxious about the future. God the Father allowed Christ to unveil, through John, the final culmination of future world events.

Therefore, it is wrong to think that Revelation is merely a vague allegory about good versus evil, or that it simply describes the historical circumstances and difficulties faced by first-century Christians. The entire book must be understood as laying out the future in advance.

Key 4—The Day of the Lord

Most commentators completely misunderstand Revelation 1:10. As a result, they do not understand the perspective from which the entire book was written. When John declared that he was in the Spirit in the Lord’s Day (Note that, elsewhere in the New Testament, the Greek word en is almost always translated “in,” though many wrongly render it here as “on”), he was not talking about the day of the week on which he received the prophecy. Rather, he was describing the future prophetic time that he saw in vision—a time when God will intervene powerfully in end-time world affairs. John’s perspective in writing Revelation was this vision of the future.

The Bible nowhere defines the first day of the week as “the Lord’s Day.” That usage developed among the early Roman Catholic “church fathers,” decades after Revelation was written. However, more than 30 times in the Old Testament, the future time of God’s judgment is called the “Day of the Lord.” When you look at the contents of Revelation, it is clear that the time of Christ’s coming is the focal point of the visions John saw.

The time of God’s future intervention and judgment is the theme that runs throughout Revelation. John wrote from that future perspective. Notice that in Revelation 1:12, when John saw the lampstands representing God’s Church through the ages, he looked behind him to do so. From the perspective of John’s vision, Church history was almost completely in the past.

Key 5—What John Recorded

Revelation 1:2 shows us that John wove together three strands of vital information—the “word of God… the testimony of Jesus Christ, and… all the things that he saw.”

The Old Testament authors used, as a standard phrase, “the word of the LORD came, saying” or “the word of God came, saying” (cf. 1 Kings 12:22; 13:9). When Revelation was written, “the word of God” primarily referred to what we now call the Old Testament.

More than 100 times throughout Revelation—more often than in any other New Testament book—John either quotes or paraphrases verses from the Old Testament. Most Old Testament prophets simply recorded God’s messages in the order that they received them. If you only had the Old Testament, you would be totally at a loss to fit many of the Old Testament prophecies into a clear time frame. But by weaving references throughout, John enables us to see where these different messages, previously recorded by the prophets, fit into God’s plan for the future.

The “testimony of Jesus Christ” describes the good news that Jesus brought from heaven. His “testimony” is simply what He bore witness to. In the book of Revelation, Christ’s direct testimony is primarily found in the messages to the seven churches.

Revelation 19:10 tells us that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” This means that the gospel message gives life and breath to prophecy. If you do not understand the gospel message that Jesus taught, then you certainly cannot understand prophecy. As we read through Revelation, we find John alluding to Jesus’ words in the Gospels, and also recording what he heard Jesus say during his visions.

In addition to weaving together strands from both the Old and New Testaments, John recorded a series of visions of the future. Some visions were filled with mysterious symbols, while others pictured events and weapons so far beyond his day that John struggled to find words to describe what he saw. For example, he could only compare futuristic weapons to first-century objects with which he and his readers were familiar.

Key 6—The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols

To properly understand Scripture, we must let the Bible interpret itself. Most of the Bible is written as a straightforward narrative account, though some parts—such as Psalms and Proverbs—rely on poetic imagery. Revelation and some of the Old Testament prophets, particularly Daniel and Zechariah, describe symbolic visions. However—and this is a vital key—the Bible interprets its own symbols. When John saw the seven lampstands and seven stars recorded in Revelation 1, for instance, he was told that the seven lampstands represented seven churches and that the stars represented angels (v. 20).

Daniel not only recorded symbolic visions of a great image (Daniel 2) and of creatures emerging from the sea (Daniel 7), but he also gave the interpretation of these symbols. He explained to King Nebuchadnezzar that the great image with a head of gold, chest of silver, thighs of brass and legs of iron represented four successive world-ruling empires that would stretch from the days of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon all the way down to the future time when the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that would endure forever (2:31–44). The nightmarish creatures Daniel saw in Daniel 7 are also interpreted to represent the same succession of world-ruling governments that will conclude with the future establishment of the Kingdom of God (7:17, 23–27).

Elsewhere in Revelation, we read of symbols such as a dragon, a lamb, women, mountains and horns. Again the Bible interprets its own symbols. Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as a symbol of Satan the devil. This hearkens back to Genesis 3, which records Satan’s appearance in the guise of a serpent. In John 1:29, John identifies the “lamb” as symbolic of Jesus Christ. The Bible pictures the true Church as a woman—Christ’s virgin bride (2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7–8)—so a harlot, or “fallen woman,” represents a false church that has not been faithful to Christ. Mountains represent kingdoms or governments (17:9–10), while horns represent kings or rulers (vv. 12–13). We will never properly understand Revelation unless we are willing to let the Bible explain its own symbols rather than relying on human imagination.

Key 7—The Book of Revelation Is Primarily in Time Sequence

In Revelation 5, John saw a vision of One (clearly God the Father) sitting upon the throne in heaven, holding a scroll sealed with seven seals. The only One authorized to open the seals, and therefore to reveal the contents, was Jesus Christ. A scroll must be unrolled sequentially, and the seals must be broken one at a time to reveal what comes next. This vital key, when properly understood, makes plain that the book of Revelation is written in chronological order. While there are a few “insets” that go back and let a reader “catch up” on certain events, Revelation’s narrative flows chronologically.

The opening of the seven seals begins in Revelation 6. When the seventh seal is opened in Revelation 8, the seven trumpets begin to sound. After the seventh trumpet is blown, seven angels are given seven bowls containing God’s wrath to pour out.

Understanding this key point clears up many issues. It also sheds light on events such as the mysterious sealing of the 144,000 recorded in Revelation 7. In context, we can understand that this is a yet future event—not something that happened in the past. The book of Revelation allows us to view all the prophecies of the Bible in their proper time sequence, and to have an overview of God’s plan from start to finish.

With these keys in mind, we can proceed to examine the contents of Revelation itself.

A Final Vision for the End of an Era

The close of the first century was a bewildering and discouraging time for many of God’s people. Years earlier, after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Church of God had begun in a very dramatic fashion on Pentecost, 31AD. Three thousand people were baptized on that day. In the months that followed, the number of disciples multiplied greatly. God’s miraculous intervention was evident on a regular basis.

Three decades later, however, the situation seemed to have changed. God’s people were discouraged and confused by events both in the Church and on the world scene. In 62AD, Jesus’ brother James, who served as leader of the Jerusalem Church, was killed by a mob in Jerusalem. A few years later, the Roman government arrested Paul and transported him to Rome a second time, this time to be executed. Soon after, the Jerusalem Church had to flee the city to escape advancing Roman armies. By 70AD, both Jerusalem and its magnificent temple lay in ruins, destroyed by General Titus and his army. Nearly all the original leaders of the Church were dead. The only original apostle still alive was the aged John. After 70AD he made Ephesus, located in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) near the Mediterranean coast, his primary base of operations.

Around 96AD, the Roman government arrested this elderly apostle and banished him to the isle of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:9). Patmos was a place where political prisoners were exiled, and from which few ever returned. For someone of John’s advanced age, exile to a prison island must have seemed like a sentence of certain death. But it was in this context that John was given the visions that were to be recorded in the final book of the Bible.

God used John, almost 30 years after the deaths of the other original leaders of the Church, to complete the New Testament. John carried out this commission by writing a fourth Gospel and three letters, all probably completed before his Patmos exile, and finally by writing the book of Revelation. As such, John was responsible for putting the New Testament into its final form.

The Final Message

God the Father has reserved authority over the times and seasons of human history (Acts 1:7). The ebb and flow of the tide of world events is not simply a matter of chance. The rise and fall of great powers is not just determined by human decisions. Rather, God established limits for the roles of various nations. These limits include both length of time on the world stage and the extent of their geographic dominance (17:26).

Though God the Father has determined the nations’ roles in advance, how can we possibly understand unless He chooses to reveal them? It was precisely at the end of the first century that the Father did just that. He gave Jesus Christ an unveiling of what had previously been hidden, that Christ in turn would reveal to the Church. Christ did this by sending an angel to the aged apostle on Patmos (Revelation 1:1). Through a series of visions at the end of an era, John was allowed to see the future—and to record it in advance.

The book of Revelation is an unveiling. The English word “revelation” comes from the Greek word we also render as “apocalypse”—literally meaning a “revealing” or an “unveiling.” While the future is veiled and mysterious to human beings, it is plain to God. Man tries in vain to look through the mists of time to perceive what the future might bring. But while men can only guess, the great God who inhabits eternity is able to declare, from the very beginning, what the end will be.

As an elderly man, in exile on Patmos, John had the most remarkable experience of his long life. In a vision, he saw himself transported into the future, to the time of God’s impending intervention and judgment, which the Old Testament calls “the Day of the Lord.” Hearing a powerful voice behind him, John turned to gaze upon seven golden lampstands, then saw One, whose face shone like the sun in its full strength, standing in the midst of those lampstands. Absolutely overwhelmed by what he saw, John collapsed in a faint. The One he saw standing there was the very One with whom he had walked and talked as a young man; the One beside whom he had sat and upon whom he had leaned at their last Passover meal together. John had last seen Him about 65 years earlier, when he stood with the other disciples on the Mount of Olives, gazing up and watching Him disappear into the clouds. As John lay collapsed, that One reached down and touched him gently with His hand. “Do not be afraid, John,” He declared, “It is Me.” Christ went on to reveal Himself to John as the One who is the first and the last, the One who was dead but is now alive forevermore. John was then told to write down what he had seen and what would yet be shown to him.

This final book in your New Testament, then, is Jesus Christ’s unveiling of the future—your future! It is a book written as Christ’s final message to His Church, showing what will happen. Though most people have considered it a mysterious and closed book, it can now be open to your understanding. If you really want to know what lies ahead, then keep reading!

Setting the Scene

Revelation’s first chapter sets the scene, and provides an introduction to the book. As we have already seen, the Day of the Lord (Revelation 1:10) is the time setting from which events in the book are viewed. From this standpoint, John saw behind him the lampstands representing the seven churches, symbolizing God’s Church down through the ages.

Remember, Revelation was given as a prophecy to show God’s servants what would come to pass. Therefore, the messages to the seven congregations (Revelation 2–3) are far more than a mere historical account of circumstances extant in the last decade of the first century. These seven churches in Asia Minor represent the stages (or eras) through which the true Church would pass before Christ’s return.

After receiving the messages to the seven congregations, John received in Revelation 4—in vision—an invitation to come up to heaven. He described God’s throne in heaven, and noted that the One sitting on it held a sealed scroll in His hand. There was no one worthy to break the seals and open the book except Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. As Christ, the Revelator, opened the seals one by one, John was invited to come and look. Beginning in Revelation 6, he described what he saw when each seal was opened.

The first six of the seven seals are opened in Revelation 6. Revelation 7 tells of a pause before the opening of the seventh seal. During that pause in the action, 144,000 servants of God are sealed to ensure their protection from the plagues of the Day of the Lord that would follow.

The story continues in Revelation 8 with the opening of the seventh seal. When that seal is opened, John watches as seven angels are given seven trumpets, which they sound one after another. The first four trumpet blasts are revealed as ecological disasters. Revelation 9 describes the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets, and the dramatic military events that unfold in their aftermath.

Revelation 10 recounts a pause in the action before the seventh and final trumpet is sounded. At this point John is given a small scroll, which he is symbolically to eat, and he is told that more prophecies concerning nations and rulers must be delivered. Revelation 11 opens by describing what the Two Witnesses—special servants of God at the time of the Great Tribulation—are doing during the three-and-a-half years leading up to Christ’s return.

The seventh trumpet, described in Revelation 11:15, is central to Revelation both in the book’s length and in its importance. It is the “last trump”—the time of the saints’ resurrection to immortality. This verse is vital for understanding the rest of Revelation, because it marks the point at which the saints come out of their graves to enter into glory. The events from this point through the beginning of Revelation 20 all occur within a very short time. Except for inset accounts, the entire period covered by these chapters is after the first resurrection and before the onset of the Millennium.

An inset in the story flow occurs in Revelation 12 and 13. These chapters pick up the story at an earlier period, and bring it up to date, presenting the stories of the Church (Revelation 12) and of the beast (Revelation 13). These contrasting stories of the persecuted and the persecutors need to be understood as the background to the events surrounding Jesus Christ’s return as King of kings.

Revelation 14 and 15 contrast the newly resurrected saints rejoicing in glory, with the final preparation for God’s wrath to be poured out upon rebellious mankind. God will need to punish severely the “sons of disobedience” (cf. Colossians 3:6) and the system that has persecuted His faithful servants through the centuries, because they have refused to respond to previous calls to repentance. Then, in Revelation 16, we learn the details of the pouring out of the seven bowls that contain the fullness of God’s wrath.

Revelation 17 and 18 provide another inset into the story flow, giving an overview of the end-time system called Babylon the Great. This is an alliance of false religion, military-political power and commercial dominance that will hold sway before Christ’s return. Revelation 18 describes this entire system’s absolute destruction.

The first verses of Revelation 19 reveal a celebration at God’s throne. This is the prelude to both the marriage supper of Christ and the Church, and the actual arrival on earth of the all-conquering Jesus Christ to destroy the leaders and armies of Satan-inspired human rebellion against God.

Satan the devil is then placed under restraint for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2) and the remainder of Revelation 20 introduces Christ’s and the saints’ millennial rule on the earth. At the Millennium’s end, the rest of mankind will be resurrected (vv. 11–15).

After reading, at the close of Revelation 20, about the destruction of the incorrigibly wicked in the lake of fire, we learn in Revelation 21 and 22 about the new heaven and new earth that God promises to create. The new Jerusalem will come down to the earth and will be the dwelling place of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Church. The book of Revelation ends with a look at what God has in store for those who love Him. It leaves us standing on the threshold of eternity with an assurance of the certainty of Christ’s return and the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Having completed this brief overview of the book, we can now examine the story in greater detail, to understand what lies ahead for us and for all mankind.

The Seven Churches

Jesus Christ, the great Revelator, inspired John to record a message to His Church. While there were other Christian congregations in Asia Minor at the first century’s close, seven particular congregations were singled out. The Bible frequently uses numbers in a significant way, and this is certainly true in the book of Revelation.

In the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—we see particular emphasis on two numbers—seven and 12. The number seven denotes completion and perfection, as in the Genesis account of creation, where the seventh day of the week was hallowed and set apart as the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:11). Later, in Leviticus 23, God gave Israel seven annual festivals that outlined His plan of salvation. Even the economic life of ancient Israel was regulated by cycles of seven years. The sabbatical year came every seventh year, during which the land was to lie fallow and personal debt was to be forgiven (Leviticus 25:1–4). The 50-year jubilee cycle came at the end of seven cycles of seven years, marking the time when slaves were to be set free and land was to revert to its original owners (vv. 9–10). Throughout the book of Revelation, the number seven is used over and over. As just some of the many examples, there are seven lampstands, seven churches, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath and seven heads on the beast.

Genesis introduces the number 12 with Jacob’s 12 sons who gave rise to the 12 tribes of Israel. Throughout the Torah, 12 is used as the number indicating “organizational beginnings.” When we look at Revelation, we again see this same pattern. Revelation 7 recounts the sealing of the 144,000 with 12,000 selected from each of the 12 tribes. It also reveals the New Jerusalem with 12 foundations, named after Jesus’ 12 apostles, and 12 gates named for the 12 tribes. Even the measurements of the city are based on the number 12.

We should take special note when Revelation uses numbers such as seven and 12. The descriptions of seven churches are not coincidental, but are clearly used in a symbolic way to represent the Church in its entirety. Jesus Christ is pictured as standing in the midst of the seven lampstands, which represent far more than a handful of first-century congregations. The cities in which those congregations were located were linked by Roman roads, and were successive stops on an ancient Roman mail route. Each of these seven congregations was used to typify or represent one of the seven successive stages or eras through which the true Church of God would pass from the time of the first century until the time just before Christ’s return. The church at Ephesus, for instance, represented the early Apostolic Church, from its beginnings on Pentecost 31AD until shortly after John’s death. Using this prophecy, the true Church’s story can be traced through the centuries, step by step.

It is beyond the scope of this booklet to offer a detailed history of the seven stages of the Church, but we encourage you to write for our free booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages, to help you understand this important subject. It is fully documented with historical sources to help you see how this remarkable prophecy has been fulfilled. Most commentators are unable to understand this prophecy properly, because they are looking at the wrong church! Not realizing that the Church that Jesus built was never to grow into a large worldly organization, entering into political intrigues and alliances—but was to remain a “little flock” separated from the world—most do not recognize the striking fulfillment of these prophecies.

We should especially note Christ’s words to the last two congregations: Philadelphia and Laodicea. These represent Christ’s true Church at the end time, and understanding His message to them will help make sense of a key prophecy recorded in Revelation 12. In Revelation 3:8, the living Christ tells the Church at Philadelphia that He has set before them “an open door.” Scripture uses the term “open door” to describe an opportunity to proclaim the gospel (cf. Colossians 4:3). Because of their faithful endurance, Philadelphians are promised protection from the great time of severe trial that will come upon the whole world in the end time (Revelation 3:10). By contrast, Christ rebukes the Church at Laodicea, representing the final era, for its lukewarm spirit. Lacking in zeal, Laodicea is beset by compromise with the world, unaware that it is spiritually impoverished and naked. Because of its attitude, the living Christ will have to spew Laodiceans out of His mouth and right into the Great Tribulation, to wake them up and bring them to ultimate repentance and complete surrender to Him. Understanding this distinction between the final two eras allows us to understand prophecies in Revelation 12 that describe Satan’s attempt to make war with the “woman”—the true Church.

At the Throne of God

Beginning in Revelation 4, John is given an astounding privilege. In vision, he is actually invited into the heaven of God’s abode, and is allowed to record some of what he saw. Obviously, pen and paper cannot adequately convey the glory and grandeur of God’s heavenly court, but several features of John’s description do stand out. John does not try to describe the appearance of the great Being on the throne, but does mention the beautiful colors and light surrounding the throne. The lightning and thunder that proceed from the throne are reminiscent of Exodus 19, in which the glory of God came down and settled on Mount Sinai before the giving of the Law.

We then find a description of the vastness of the heavenly court, including the presence of millions of angels (Revelation 5:11). There is a great crystalline expanse upon which the throne sits. From Revelation 15:2, we will learn that the expanse, called a sea of glass, has the appearance of fire embedded within it. Also present are four strange-looking creatures with six wings and the faces of a man, an ox, a lion and an eagle (4:6–8). John’s readers, familiar with the Old Testament, would recognize the similarity of the description of the seraphim recorded in Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1–2).

There are 24 elders who sit on 24 smaller thrones surrounding God’s throne. Many have tried to imagine who these elders are and some have tried to identify them with certain men mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. In fact, however, these elders are part of the angelic realm. They play an important part in God’s government (the number 24—12 doubled—makes this plain), probably in managing the millions of angels. God is not the author of confusion, and in heaven has a highly organized realm that is responsive to His will.

Revelation 4:5 mentions “seven lamps” before the throne, defined as the seven spirits of God, whom we are told in Revelation 5:6 are sent forth into all the earth. The ancient prophet Zechariah alluded to the same in Zechariah 4:10, referring to the seven “eyes” that God sends to run to and fro throughout the entire earth. Hebrews 1:7, referring to this created angelic realm, tells us that God “makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” In some way that we cannot fully fathom, God uses these spirit creatures, which looked to John like flames of fire, to gather information from all over the earth.

Next, John describes Jesus Christ standing before the throne in the midst of this great assembly (Revelation 5:5–6). Here, Christ is described by two symbols: a Lamb who was slain, and the Lion of Judah. The Lamb of God describes Jesus Christ in His sacrificial role, taking our place and dying in our stead. The Lion of Judah describes Him in His kingly role, as the One who will conquer rebellious mankind and sit on the throne of David, ruling over the earth.

Revelation 4 and 5 also allude to an aspect of John’s vision which is developed more fully in later chapters: the heavenly connection with the earthly temple. Remember, the earthly sanctuary was modeled after a heavenly reality (Hebrews 9:24). So, as we go through the book of Revelation and read about the altar of sacrifice, the altar of incense and the heavenly Ark of the Covenant, we should realize that these were the heavenly originals after which the furniture of the tabernacle—and later of the temple—were modeled.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

One of the best-known images from the book of Revelation is of “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.” Though most have heard the term, hardly anyone actually knows who or what it describes. Yet Christ is the Revelator, so in order to understand these symbols we must find where, in Scripture, He explained in plain language the events portrayed here. Is there such a place? Absolutely! It is Christ’s famous response when He was asked what would be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age (Matthew 24:3–31).

In Matthew 24, outlining a scenario that begins with false prophets and proceeds on through war, famine, disease, tribulation and dramatic heavenly signs, Christ describes the events leading up to His return from heaven. The parallel with Revelation 6 is remarkably clear. Notice what John records. He first sees Jesus Christ take the scroll from the Father and open the first seal. When this occurs, an angel tells John to come and look. John then sees a rider on a white horse wearing a crown and holding a bow (Revelation 6:1–2). Many have carelessly assumed that the rider is Christ, since Revelation 19 describes the returned Christ riding a white horse. This assumption could not be more wrong! In Matthew 24, and in the parallel accounts of Mark 13 and Luke 21, Jesus talks about false “Christs.” He says that some “will come in My name” and say that Jesus is the Christ, yet will deceive many. How can someone use Christ’s name, yet deceive people? By substituting a different message in place of the one He actually taught (Mark 7:7)!

History shows that there have been false teachers, wars, diseases, famines and religious persecutions throughout the almost 2,000 years since Jesus Christ spoke those words on the Mount of Olives. What is different about the events occurring after the seals are opened? Revelation 6 reveals that, in the end time, mankind will experience these age-old scourges occurring with far greater magnitude than ever before.

Notice what Paul taught regarding the Day of the Lord and the events surrounding the time of Christ’s return. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he explained that the Day of the Lord “will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” Who is that “man of sin”? Down through the centuries, there have been many men of sin and many antichrists (1 John 2:18; 2 John 7). However, the one of whom Paul speaks in 2 Thessalonians is the specific one whom Christ will destroy at His coming (v. 8). This connects him with the one labeled the False Prophet, whom Christ will destroy at His return (Revelation 19:20).

2 Thessalonians 2 tells us more about this end-time False Prophet. He will make blasphemous claims, proclaiming his divinity and demanding worship (v. 4), and will work miraculous signs through satanic power (v. 9; cf. Matthew 24:24; Revelation 13:13–14). This final false religious leader, undoubtedly a very smooth and charismatic individual, will cut a dramatic swath on the world scene. He will not label himself as “antichrist,” but rather will present himself as the leader of the entire Christian church.

Remember, Jesus said that individuals would come in His name saying that Jesus is the Christ, not in the name of some false gods or merely in their own names (Matthew 24:5). Paul also explained that Satan appears as an “angel of light,” and that his ministers seek to appear as “ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14–15). The religious system that will yet produce this end-time man of sin was already at work in Paul’s day. Paul called this system the “mystery of lawlessness”—an outgrowth of the old Babylonian mystery religion that promoted the false idea that God’s law was “done away” and no longer need be kept. Though this system of false Christianity was already beginning in the first century, the final man of sin would not be allowed to emerge until the proper time (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7).

When this final False Prophet arises on the world scene, true Christians will be able to recognize exactly where we are in the scope of prophecy. The first seal will have been opened, and its end-time fulfillment will have been manifested. The opening of the other seals will follow quickly thereafter.

Tribulation and Trumpets

Revelation 6:3 records the opening of the second seal, revealing a rider on a red horse. This rider is given a great sword, the symbol of powerful war-making ability. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 shows us that this seal portends regional wars and world wars. As we near the end of the age, a great military power will emerge.

Just as the rider on the white horse reminds us of the role that the end-time False Prophet will play, so the rider on the red horse may remind us of the crafty military-political leader who will emerge on the scene in Europe—undoubtedly claiming to be a man of peace. In the name of “peace” he will launch preemptive strikes and wars in the Middle East and even against America and our allies in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In close alliance with the False Prophet, this great military-political leader (called “the Beast” in Revelation 13 and elsewhere) will seek to dominate and control all nations. He will bear responsibility for a final round of warfare that will conclude only in the aftermath of the armies of the world gathering at Armageddon.

Soon after this dramatic upsurge in global strife and warfare, these events will combine with terrible weather upsets to produce massive food shortages and famine. This is pictured by the opening of the third seal, and a rider astride a black horse holding a set of balance scales. While basic foodstuffs (symbolized by barley and wheat) will be sold only in small amounts for vastly inflated prices, luxury items (symbolized by the wine and oil) will still be available for the wealthy. The denarius, or “penny” (KJV), was a day’s wages for laborers in the first century, showing that many ordinary people will be spending all of their earnings just trying to feed themselves and their families.

Disease and pestilential death will follow in the wake of food shortages, symbolized by the rider on the pale horse, revealed at the opening of the fourth seal. This grim rider is pictured as holding sway over a quarter of the earth when he emerges for his end-time ride. The events symbolized by the seals are cumulative and the seals, once opened, remain open.

The Great Tribulation

Jesus warned us of the Great Tribulation—a time unique in all history (Matthew 24:21–22). The Great Tribulation begins shortly after the “abomination of desolation” (v. 15), and is the result of the final end-time fulfillment, in rapid succession, of the first five seals. After the first four seals were opened and John saw the “four horsemen” ride forth for their end-time fulfillment, the fifth seal was opened and he was again called to come and watch. He saw a strange vision that, when properly understood, was the harbinger of terrible religious persecution on a scale that is almost unimaginable to us in the modern Western world. John described seeing “souls under the altar” and hearing them cry out asking God “how long” until they would be avenged. The answer is that the time of God’s judgment on their oppressors will not come until the number of martyrs is filled up. There is to be an end-time martyrdom that must yet take place.

Notice the symbols that John described. As is often the case in Revelation, it is important to understand the symbolism of the Jerusalem temple. What is meant by “souls under the altar”? The Bible uses the term soul (nephesh in Hebrew and psuche in Greek) to refer to creatures with life—both human and animal. Leviticus 17:11 states that the life is in the blood. The blood of sacrificial animals was poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice, one of two altars in the temple. The altar of sacrifice was outside the sanctuary, and the altar of incense was inside, directly in front of the mercy seat. (In the temple at Jerusalem, before the earthquake that followed Christ’s death, a veil separated the altar of incense from the mercy seat). The altar of sacrifice is the basis of the symbolism used in Revelation 6.

In Genesis 4:10, we are told that the blood of righteous Abel figuratively “cried out” from the ground, demanding retribution from a God of righteous judgment. If the blood of one martyr cried out, with how much louder voice would the collective blood of all the righteous martyrs down through time cry out? In the vision, John heard them being told that they must continue to rest in their graves. More martyrs would die before the time would come for God’s judgment to be poured out.

This future time of trouble will clearly be a time of intense religious persecution, when all will be forced to conform to false religious practices that will be portrayed as “Christian.” All will be required to give their devotion to the great false church and its hierarchy, labeled in Revelation 13:15 the “image of the beast.” An outward sign of conformity called the “mark of the beast” will identify those whom Scripture labels as the children of disobedience.

There is another aspect of this coming Great Tribulation that is often overlooked. It is not only a time of religious persecution but it is also identified as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7. We know that this is identical with the time of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:21, because in both places we are told that it is a unique time, a time such as never was before nor ever again shall be. There cannot be two separate times like that!

If you are not familiar with the identity of Jacob’s end-time descendants, we invite you to write in for our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. This will give detailed explanation and proof that is beyond the scope of this current booklet. The coming Great Tribulation will be a time of intense pressure and persecution directed against both spiritual Israel (the true Church of God) and physical Israel, which includes not only the Jews, but also the modern descendants of the so-called “lost ten tribes.” It represents Satan’s wrath and begins in deadly earnest once he is cast back to earth for the final time (Revelation 12:12–13).

Prelude to the Day of the Lord

When the sixth seal is opened, John sees dramatic signs in the heavens. He describes great meteor showers—so intense that it appears that the very stars are falling out of the sky! He also describes events, resembling eclipses, involving the sun and the moon. The sun becomes dark, just as during a solar eclipse, and the moon takes on a reddish hue, just as it often does during a lunar eclipse. These dramatic and frightening events, accompanied by massive volcanic and earthquake activity (cf. Joel 2:30–31), are the prelude to the time of the Creator’s intervention, called throughout Scripture “the Day of the Lord.”

At this point, there is a pause in the action before John sees the seventh seal opened. Revelation 7:1–4 makes plain that this pause is for a very specific purpose. Before the outpouring of God’s wrath, 144,000 saints from the 12 tribes of Israel are to be sealed so that they might be spared from what God is preparing to pour out on rebellious mankind.

A parallel can be found in Ezekiel 9, where Ezekiel saw a vision about God’s punishment on the rebellious people of Jerusalem. In the vision, he saw an angel clothed in linen with a writer’s inkhorn by his side standing beside the altar in front of the temple. The angel was told to go throughout the city, putting a mark on the foreheads of those who “sighed and cried” for all of the abominations of Jerusalem. In the wake of the angel with the writer’s inkhorn, the other angels were to go out as avenging angels to slay the rebellious and ungodly. In the same way, Revelation 7 describes that a remnant of Israel will respond to God’s grace with repentance. They are servants of God, and are to be set apart so that they might be spared God’s wrath that will be poured upon the children of disobedience during the coming Day of the Lord.

In the closing verses of Revelation 13, and the opening verses of Revelation 14, we see a contrast drawn between those who accept the mark of the Beast in their foreheads and the 144,000 who have the Father’s name in their foreheads. The forehead is the seat of intellect, and this pictures our choice of obedience—either to God or to Satan.

Many fail to notice that Revelation 7 records two different groups. They are both introduced by the same phrase, “after this I saw,” recorded in verses 1 and 9. The 144,000 drawn from the 12 tribes precede the description of a multitude of indefinite number drawn from every nation and people. This great multitude is described in a victory celebration before the throne of God, an event that is future to the time sequence that John has been describing. In the course of seeing the remnant of Israel sealed before the Day of the Lord, he also was allowed to look even further into the future. Who is this great multitude? Revelation 7:14 defines them as coming out of “the Great Tribulation.” Even though they may have perished as martyrs during that hellish time, thereby representing a completion of the martyrdom foretold in Revelation 6:11, they are actually victors. They will be resurrected in glory and will receive comfort and blessing from the Father and from Christ.

One other observation about the 144,000 should be made. We need to understand that the Day of the Lord is primarily the time of the seventh seal and the year-long period (Isaiah 34:8; 61:2) leading up to Christ’s second coming. But, in another sense, it stretches on into the future to include not only the year of God’s wrath, but also the thousand-year reign of the Messiah, the Great White Throne Judgment period and the introduction of the new heavens and the new earth (2 Peter 3:10–13). There will ultimately be a great harvest, numbering into the billions, brought in during this extended Day of the Lord, but these 144,000 from Israel will represent a firstfruits of those redeemed to their Creator during that time. 144,000 is the number of organized beginnings squared and multiplied a thousandfold. It represents the starting point of the Creator’s harvest of the nations after He has begun His direct intervention in judgment.

The First Four Trumpets Sound

Revelation 8 continues the flow of events that began with the opening of the first seal. In verse 1, John sees the seventh seal opened, as seven angels standing before God are given seven trumpets to be sounded, one by one, signaling God’s judgments. The seventh seal consists of these seven trumpets.

Note the symbolism in Revelation 8:3–5. Ceremonies carried out in the earthly sanctuary from the days of Moses were patterned after this heavenly reality, providing a key to understanding what is being described. In the earthly sanctuary, every morning and every evening after the daily sacrifice had been offered, the priest took fire from the altar of sacrifice and proceeded into the sanctuary to offer incense on the golden altar in the holy place, located “before the mercy seat”—from which it was separated by a veil (Exodus 30:6). As this account and other scriptures show, the incense offering represented the prayers of the saints coming up before God. The mercy seat, located inside the Holy of Holies and over the Ark of the Covenant, was symbolic of God’s throne.

In Revelation 6, we saw that the blood of those martyred down through time called out to God for vengeance. God did not answer that plea earlier, because it was not yet the proper time. In Revelation 8, however, fire from the altar is symbolically slung out upon the earth, and God instructs the seven angelic trumpeters to announce His retribution.

The remainder of Revelation 8 describes the trumpet blasts sounded by the first four angels. Remember, Isaiah 34:8 and Isaiah 61:2 equate the Day of the Lord with the year of God’s recompense. This period begins with the first trumpet and concludes with the last, or seventh, trump. When God gave ancient Israel His Holy Days, He ushered in the entire fall festival season by designating the first day of the seventh month as “a memorial of the blowing of trumpets.” Since other of God’s festivals received their fulfillment on the very day (note Christ’s being offered as the Lamb of God on the day of Passover and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost), it seems likely that the year of God’s recompense will begin and end on the Feast of Trumpets.

As each of the first four angels sound, terrible ecological disasters take place on earth. When the first angel sounds, terrible fires break out, ultimately consuming a third of the green vegetation. Next, a great meteor-like object lands in the ocean and causes one-third of the seas to become red like blood. This causes a third of sea life to die and greatly disrupts shipping and commerce. After the third trumpet, John sees another meteor-like object fall upon one-third of the fresh water rivers and lakes, turning them to poison and causing massive water shortages. When the fourth angel sounds, there follows disruption in the very sky above. Evidently, belts of smoke and debris will block out sight of the sky for one-third of every day. Perhaps this will be caused by massive amounts of smoke from the great fires that engulf virtually one-third of the earth, as well as from debris thrown into the air during increased volcanic eruptions.

The First Two Woes

If these ecological disasters in the opening months of the year of God’s recompense sound devastating, think about the even greater devastation that occurs when the final three angels sound. These last of the seven angels are said to announce the “three woes.” This involves mankind’s unleashing weapons of mass destruction that will imperil the world so severely that if Christ did not return, no flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22).

When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet in Revelation 9:1–2, we find the great abyss opened and demonically inspired forces unleashed. Revelation 17:8 shows us that from this abyss the Beast power symbolically emerges. The forces that are unleashed are first compared to locusts, because John did not have the words to describe modern weapons of mass destruction. Notice that these “locusts” do not harm natural vegetation (which physical locusts would devour), but instead for five months cause incapacitating but not deadly pain—rather like that of scorpions. This describes an attack by the European-led Beast power on the nations of the east, as mentioned in Daniel 11:44.

This surprise attack will provoke a massive Asian retaliation against Europe. This retaliation, signaled by the sixth angel blowing his trumpet, is pictured as spewing out fire, smoke and brimstone, and destroying one-third of humanity (Revelation 9:17–18). This description fits well with modern nuclear weapons and the devastation they can bring.

At the fifth and sixth trumpet blasts, we see that God has removed restraints previously imposed on Satan and his demons. Abaddon or Apollyon, a name for the devil that means “destroyer,” is the one who precipitates the Beast power’s attack with futuristic weapons. Also, we are told that demonic spirits have been associated with the eastern powers that were previously restrained at the Euphrates River. Evidently, the Euphrates will be the dividing line between the eastern and western spheres of influence.

When the sixth angel sounds, two events occur. One is the unleashing of a nuclear attack on Europe, and likely on its Latin American allies as well. The other is the massing of the largest army ever assembled on the east bank of the Euphrates—200 million men (vv. 15–16). At this point, it will have been almost a year since the trumpets began to sound. The earth and its inhabitants will be reeling in what seem to be the very death throes of the planet itself. But this is not the end of the story.

Witnesses and Wrath

Revelation 10 opens with another short pause in the flow of action. After the sixth trumpet, but before the sounding of the final seventh trumpet, John sees an angel come down from heaven to give him a small scroll to eat. This is very similar to the Old Testament passages where Ezekiel is told to ingest the contents of a scroll so that he can deliver its message (Ezekiel 2:8–10; 3:1–3). The angel tells John to eat the contents of this little scroll and deliver yet another prophetic message to the nations and rulers of this world. What is that message? Before the abomination of desolation and the onset of the Great Tribulation, the Philadelphia era of the Church of God will for decades have gone through the “open door” provided by Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the end-time warning message. Near the time when the Church’s organized proclamation of the gospel is shut down, the Two Witnesses will boldly deliver God’s message, and will die in Jerusalem. Yes, there will still remain a message to be delivered to the world in the waning days of Satan’s rule! That is why John is told, after the sixth trumpet has been blown and just before the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 10:7), that there yet remains a message to be delivered to nations and rulers. The Two Witnesses, who “prophesy” (Revelation 11:3) and “finish their testimony” (v. 7), along with three angels whom God dispatches after the sounding of the seventh trumpet (14:6–9), all “prophesy again” after John receives the “little book” from the mighty angel.

Matthew 24:15–21 and Luke 21:20–24 make plain that the multinational army described in Zechariah 14:1–2 will have occupied Jerusalem at the onset of the Great Tribulation. By comparing Luke 21:24 with Revelation 11:2, we see that the Beast power will occupy and control Jerusalem for 42 months, or three-and-a-half years. It is right after the False Prophet desecrates the holy place, revealing his idolatrous symbols and blasphemous claims, that God will empower two of His servants, known as the Two Witnesses, to make their public appearance in Jerusalem, two-and-a-half years before the Day of the Lord begins. God will empower them to deliver His message to a world dominated by the power of the Beast and mesmerized by the illusions of the False Prophet.

God will use these two men to perform miracles similar to those performed by Moses and Elijah. They will announce God’s judgments to a world in rebellion against Him, and will confront the power of the Beast and the False Prophet. Throughout the three-and-a-half years of their prophetic career, they will receive God’s supernatural protection, just as Elijah did many centuries earlier (cf. 2 Kings 1:9–14). Finally, God will allow them to be killed. Many will celebrate at their deaths, since the False Prophet will have accused them of causing all of the world’s troubles. Their unburied bodies will lie in Jerusalem’s streets for three-and-a-half days, then they will be restored to life and will rise in the air, disappearing into the clouds while their enemies watch in shocked amazement (Revelation 11:11–12).

The Last Trumpet Sounds

We now come to the mid-point of the book of Revelation and the defining moment of end-time events. What exactly happens when the seventh and final trumpet blast is sounded? Revelation 11:15 states: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'” According to verse 18, this final trumpet blast signals the time when the final wrath of God will be poured out and when God will begin to judge the dead and give reward to His true servants.

Paul tells us that this event will occur “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). It is a time when the dead in Christ, along with those Christians still alive on earth, will undergo an instantaneous change from mortal to immortal and death will be completely swallowed up in victory. It is called the “first resurrection” in Revelation 20:6, and those who are part of it are called “blessed and holy.” They need never worry about death again, but will rule and reign under Christ Himself as He establishes His thousand-year reign on the earth.

At this point, we should note that those who propound the so-called “rapture” theory do not understand Scripture correctly. The Lord will descend from heaven, and the resurrected saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air, at the seventh and final trump. As we have seen from the story flow of Revelation, this can only occur after all the previously described events have transpired, and is not something that could happen “at any moment” as some mistakenly believe.

The Woman and the Dragon

Having described Christ’s opening of all seven seals, John next provides, in Revelation 12, an inset describing the conflict between the woman and the dragon.

John describes a vision of a woman clothed with the sun, the moon and 12 stars. This description hearkens back to Genesis 37:9, where in a dream Joseph had seen the family of Israel depicted by the sun, moon and stars. As we have seen earlier, the Bible uses a woman to symbolize a church. In a few brief verses, the entire history of the Church is traced from the time of the Congregation of Israel—the Church in the wilderness—to the end of the Great Tribulation. The woman is said to have brought forth the man child who was to rule all nations—a clear reference to Christ, who sprang out of Israel. The dragon, defined in verse 9 as Satan the devil, attempts to destroy Jesus Christ—who was taken back to heaven after His resurrection.

In verse 6, we read of the woman having to flee to the wilderness to be protected during a period of 1,260 prophetic “days”—1,260 literal years. Since this occurs after Christ’s ascension, it clearly refers to the New Testament Church. Indeed, in the early fourth century AD, after the Roman emperor Constantine allied with the bishop of Rome, the true Church had to flee to remote areas. Historically, a 1,260-year period can be traced from after the Council of Nicea in 325AD, down to about 1585, when the true Church began to emerge openly once again. You can read this entire remarkable story in our free booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages.

Also, it should be noted that Revelation 12 describes two different rebellions of Satan. Verse 4 reminds us of the archangel Lucifer’s original rebellion (cf. Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28), in which he drew one-third of the angels with him before Adam was created. He was cast to earth, and his name was changed from “light bearer” (the meaning of “Lucifer”) to “adversary” (the meaning of “Satan”). In context, verses 7–12—placed in the story flow after the time of the Church in the wilderness (historically the medieval period)—refer to a yet future attempt of Satan to seize power in heaven, just before the final Great Tribulation.

After this future and final casting down of Satan, God will take the “woman”—His true Church—into a special place in the wilderness, to be nourished and protected during this final three-and-a-half-year period. A remnant will be left behind, however, which the devil will go to attack. Scripture shows the Church at Philadelphia being kept from this hour of severe trial, but Christ will spew out the Church at Laodicea into the Great Tribulation, because of its unwillingness to repent of—or even recognize—its lukewarm complacency, materialism, self-righteousness and spiritual blindness and nakedness!

The Beast

Having been given an overview of the history of the true Church in Revelation 12, John was shown another vision in Revelation 13 that gave him an overview of the Beast system. The Beast is first referred to in Revelation 11:7, seeking to destroy the Two Witnesses. It is not further defined until we come to Revelation 13. In this chapter, John saw a vision that hearkened back to what Daniel recorded in Daniel 7.

Daniel had seen four creatures emerge one after another from the sea: a lion, a bear, a four-headed leopard and a terrible creature with iron teeth and ten horns. These are defined in Daniel 7:23 as four kingdoms. When the vision in Daniel 2 is compared to that in Daniel 7, it is evident that this progression of four world-ruling kingdoms started in Daniel’s day with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire and continued down through the successive kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome. By the time of John’s vision in the book of Revelation, the empires of ancient Babylon, Persia and Greece had passed into history and the fourth kingdom—the Roman Empire—dominated the world scene.

In Revelation 13, John described the Roman Empire as having the characteristics of the earlier empires whose remnants it had absorbed. A detailed study of all the scriptures relating to this and the historical references that prove their fulfillment is given in our booklet, The Beast of Revelation. It will give you much detail that is beyond the scope of this present booklet.

John saw the Beast receive a deadly wound. Historically this was the fall of the Roman Empire in 476. Then John saw that the deadly wound was healed, as occurred with the Imperial Restoration by Justinian in 554. The Beast then continued for 1,260 prophetic “days,” the duration from Justinian until the fall of Napoleon in 1814. This was the period of the so-called Holy Roman Empire and its alliance with the Roman pontiff. John also saw a second beast, this one looking like a lamb but actually serving as the mouthpiece of Satan, the dragon (Revelation 13:11). Clearly this is symbolic of a religious system that claims to be Christian but actually proclaims the devil’s message rather than Christ’s gospel. This false religious system is pictured as constructing a model, or an image, based upon the institutions of the old Roman Empire. Ancient pagan Rome was the model upon which papal Rome and its political structure was built. There was an alliance of church and state that continued down through the medieval period. The church used the state to enforce conformity with religious edicts and in turn required its adherents to be loyal to the state.

The mark of the beast, a brand that advertises disobedience to the law of God, is something that goes back to antiquity. It has been insisted upon ever since this unholy alliance of church and state took place in the days of Emperor Constantine.

The number of the beast, 666, is derived from numeric values anciently assigned to letters of the alphabet, in lieu of separate numerals as we commonly use today. Hebrew, Greek and Latin all used such a system, so all names in those languages had a numerical value. See our booklet, The Beast of Revelation, for further information on the mark of the Beast, and the detailed proof that the Roman system is branded by the number 666—the number of a name.

It is also vitally important to realize that this medieval alliance of church and state is once again to rear its head. In the days soon ahead of us, the final appearance of the Beast system will emerge once more from out of the abyss. Will you give in to the pressures to fit in with this powerful system that will hold a brief sway over all the earth in the near future? You need to understand this subject for your own sake and for that of your family.

Triumph and Wrath

After these brief insets to bring the story of the persecuted and the persecutors from the time of antiquity down to the time when the seventh trumpet will blow, the story switches to focus on the aftermath of the final trumpet. It will be a time of wonderful triumph for the saints of God. Persecuted and derided down through the centuries, the saints of God are described in glory rejoicing before God the Father and Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the remainder of rebellious mankind is about to receive the undiluted wrath of God Almighty.

The 144,000 whom we had earlier seen sealed to protect them from the wrath of the Day of the Lord are now pictured in glory and are singing a new song as they stand before the throne of God praising Him for their redemption (Revelation 14:1–5). All the while this celebration is taking place, three angels go through the earth proclaiming God’s final message for mankind as He prepares to pour out His final wrath (vv. 6–11).

As the glorified saints rejoice and the three angels proclaim God’s final warning, preparation is made for rebellious mankind to be cast into the winepress of the wrath of God (v. 19).

Here we should note that Scripture identifies the true saints as those who actually obey God and keep His commandments. Revelation 14:12 emphasizes this point by describing the saints in comparison to those who will receive God’s punishment. Also, it should be noted that both the song of Moses and that of Christ (the Lamb) are sung before the throne (15:3). The messages of the Old and New Testaments are not contradictory or discordant; rather, they are in harmony, as shown by the singing of the glorified saints.

In Revelation 15, John records a vision of seven angels, with seven golden bowls that pour out seven final plagues, one after another. This pouring occurs rather quickly, as we see when we examine the nature of the plagues. If the second and third plagues, for instance, lasted more than a few days, all life would perish from the planet.

When the first bowl is poured out, a grievous sore comes upon those who had disregarded the third angel’s message and were still loyal to the Beast system. Then, when the second angel pours out his bowl, all the oceans become like “the blood of a dead man” (16:3). All sea life dies. With the pouring out of the third bowl, all the fresh water turns to blood, and sources of drinking water are destroyed. Then, the fourth angel pours his bowl, and scorching heat from the sun punishes rebellious mankind. Next, great darkness comes upon Europe (“the seat of the Beast”) and its people are in agonizing pain and heat, engulfed in total darkness and lacking usable water all at the same time. The darkness results from the bowl poured out by the fifth angel.

After this, John sees the sixth angel pour his bowl upon the Euphrates. Demon spirits go forth to bring all the armies together north of Jerusalem. The huge Asiatic army that had previously been massed on the east bank of the Euphrates pours into the land of Israel, and converges in the area of Armageddon (Hebrew for “mount of Megiddo”). Megiddo is a hill that stands overlooking the Valley of Jezreel, about 55 miles north of Jerusalem. When the final seventh bowl is poured out, there will be a tremendous earthquake so massive that the very topography of the earth itself will be altered (vv. 18–20). Very likely this earthquake is the same one that is described in Zechariah 14:4, when the feet of Jesus Christ finally stand once more upon the Mount of Olives, located just east of Jerusalem.

Babylon the Great Is Fallen

Following his vision of the seven last plagues being poured out, John is shown two more visions that represent an inset into the story flow of Revelation. These visions describe Babylon the Great and the final destruction that will come upon that terrible system. In Revelation 17 the focus is upon the religious and political alliance that once again—in the not-too-distant future of you who are reading this booklet—will come to dominate the world. The political system is described as ridden by a woman, but a woman very unlike the chaste virgin bride of Christ. This is a church that is described as a great whore, one that has entered into illicit liaisons with various national leaders. These unions have spawned what the Bible labels as harlot daughters. This whole religious system is defined as an outgrowth of the ancient pagan Babylonian mystery religion.

In Revelation 18, John was shown in vision the announcement of the fall and total destruction of modern Babylon. This chapter reveals that in addition to being a religious and political system, as is emphasized in Revelation 17, Babylon is also a commercial system that seeks to dominate the world economically. Many details of the prophecies recorded in these two chapters are covered in our free booklet, The Beast of Revelation.

It is important that we realize now, and in the crucial years ahead, that God’s victory is certain. This history has already been written in advance! Therefore, it is imperative that we come out of this world’s Babylonish system (18:4) and give our total and true allegiance to Jesus Christ and the message that He taught!

Beyond the Chaos

Much of Revelation describes the chaos that results from mankind following Satan and seeking to build its own civilization apart from Almighty God. But neither that chaos, nor God’s victory over Satan, is the climax of the book. Rather, Revelation ends with the living Christ showing John what would take place beyond the chaos.

After seeing, in vision, the cataclysmic destruction of Babylon the Great, John sees another vision of heaven, and of a celebration before the very throne of God. Babylon’s fall is noted in Revelation 19:2, and verse 6 depicts the rejoicing of those before God’s throne: “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

John then learns that the time has finally arrived for the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Church, changed from flesh and blood to immortal spirit at the resurrection, is now ready to marry Christ. The bride—collectively the Church—is pictured as being arrayed in wedding garments of clean white linen, representing the righteousness of the saints.

Understanding ancient Jewish marriage customs may give us some insight into what is being described. The marriage ceremony had three major components, each taking place at a different time, as we know from secular history as well as Scripture. These three components share some of the symbolism of the three festival seasons that God gave to ancient Israel, by which he revealed His great plan of salvation (If you do not already have our free booklet on the Holy Days, then please request your free copy of The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan).

The first part of the wedding ceremony was the bride price, normally paid by the father of the bridegroom. We see this in Genesis 24, where Abraham offered gifts when arranging to seek a wife for his son Isaac. This parallels the Passover season. The bride price that God the Father offered was the life of His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

The second phase of the wedding ceremony was the espousal, or signing of the marriage covenant. Once this formal agreement was made, the couple was considered married, even before they had celebrated or consummated their marriage. Joseph and Mary were in this espousal stage when it was discovered that Mary had supernaturally conceived Jesus Christ. This second stage of the wedding ceremony parallels the second festival season: Pentecost, the time of the covenants (see Jeremiah 2:2, where the time of Israel in the wilderness was likened to the time of espousal).

The third phase of the wedding ceremony was the celebration of the marriage feast. Normally a week in duration (cf. Genesis 29:27), it was characterized by festivity and celebration (John 2:1–10). This phase usually began with a procession. The bridegroom would go to claim his bride, and the bridal party would go out to meet him (cf. Matthew 25:6). Usually the bride would proceed, together with the bridegroom, from her father’s house to the home that her husband had prepared. This was followed by seven days of feasting with friends and family. This final stage of the wedding ceremony parallels the Feast of Tabernacles—seven days of feasting that represent the millennial reign of the Messiah, when He will make a “feast of choice pieces” to the whole world (Isaiah 25:6).

The Kingdom Established

As Revelation 19 concludes, John sees heaven opened and the triumphant Jesus Christ returning to the earth in power and glory, astride a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven. Mankind’s armies, which had previously gathered at Armageddon, are destroyed on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The Beast and the False Prophet are taken and thrown into a fiery, molten lake where they are burned up. The blasphemous claims of divinity that they had made are thus shown to be empty and false.

When Christ’s feet stand once more on the very Mount of Olives from which He ascended into heaven about 2,000 years ago, the mount will split in two. At that point, a stream will break forth from beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It will flow eastward through the newly divided Mount of Olives, and westward into the Mediterranean Sea. Spreading quickly, this “living water” will supernaturally heal all of the dead waters that had become like blood a few days earlier (Revelation 16:3–4), when the second and third bowls of wrath were poured out. Abundant sea life will be restored (Ezekiel 47:1, 8–9).

The returning King of kings will immediately dispatch a mighty angel to seize Satan the devil and lock him away for a thousand years. This sets the stage for the reign of the Kingdom of God on earth. The symbolism of the Holy Days, which God gave to Israel, can help us understand the meaning of the sequence of events. Just as the Feast of Trumpets represents the time of God’s intervention and judgment, so the Day of Atonement—coming nine days later—pictures the time when Satan will be banished and made to bear his responsibility for sin. The fulfillment of what this day symbolized is described in Revelation 20:1–3. Most likely, the action that is described in the book of Revelation as occurring between the blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 and the putting away of Satan in Revelation 20:2 will take place in a nine day span between Trumpets and Atonement. Satan being put away will represent the liberation of mankind. This is the fulfillment of the symbolism of the ancient year of Jubilee, when freedom was proclaimed (Leviticus 25:9–10). Note that the Jubilee began on the Day of Atonement, the day that symbolized Satan’s banishment. At this point, the remnants of all 12 tribes of Israel will begin to be regathered from their captivity to the land of Israel (Isaiah 27:1, 13).

In his vision of the future, John described the resurrected and glorified saints carrying out governmental responsibilities (Revelation 2:26–27; 5:10). They will reign on earth carrying out their functions as kings and priests under Jesus Christ. Other scriptures, such as Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 11, describe how God’s government will go forth from a rebuilt Jerusalem to encompass all nations. There will be a thousand years of healing and rebuilding, and all mankind will have the opportunity to learn God’s ways. It will be a time of abundance and prosperity, when “everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid” (Micah 4:4).

During the last generation living at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released for a short time, and he will immediately go out to deceive the nations once more (Revelation 20:7–10). Why will God release him, knowing what he will do? God has always given mankind a choice, desiring us both to choose the right and to reject the wrong. Some, even after experiencing the benefits and blessings of God’s government, will allow themselves to fall under Satan’s sway. Satan will gather armies, from many nations around the earth, that bear the same rebellious attitude as Gog and Magog—two of the nations that fought against God in the beginning years of the Millennium (cf. Ezekiel 38). These armies will converge on Jerusalem, but will quickly be destroyed, and Satan will be put away forever.

New Heavens and a New Earth

At the close of this period of judgment, when every human being who has ever lived will have had a genuine opportunity to receive God’s salvation, there will be a time of reckoning for those who have rejected that free gift. As the earth and the very universe itself appear to dissolve in a fiery cosmic conflagration (cf. 2 Peter 3:10–13), all of the wicked will be burned up completely and for eternity. After the passing of this sin-tainted realm will come new heavens and a new earth.

That new earth will become the dwelling place for God the Father and the family that He has built. John saw the New Jerusalem, which had been under preparation in heaven, descend to the new earth. God the Father will dwell there, with His children, forever.

Near the end of the book of Revelation, John describes the glory of this great city with its 12 foundations and 12 gates. The streets are of gold and the gates are each made of a single pearl. There is brilliant color, and light pervading everywhere, because of the presence of the Father and Christ. Those who are part of Christ’s bride will actually dwell in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1–3), while those who came later—during the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment—will inhabit the remainder of the new earth. The rest of God’s glorified family—”the nations of those who are saved”—will have unfettered access to the Father and Christ, as the gates of the city will remain open by day and there will be no night there (vv. 23–26). They will have complete access to the tree of life that grows in the city, and to the river of the water of life (22:1–2).

Death, pain and tears will finally be banished forever. The curse will be removed that came upon mankind, and even upon the earth itself, after the sins of Adam and Eve. Sin and its consequences will at last be totally gone. Whoever desires will be able to take of the water of life freely.

“And behold, I am coming quickly,” Jesus declared to John, “and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.… Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (vv. 12, 14).

The book of Revelation tells us of the end of history and the beginning of forever. It leaves us standing upon the very brink of eternity, with the assurance that Jesus Christ really will return soon. The promises that John was inspired to record are absolutely sure—and they apply to you and to your family! “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (1:3).

Booklet Category

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:34:39 +0000

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 18:34

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christian Living

#Christianity

#Holy Spirit

#Salvation

What do you see when you look at yourself? How badly do you personally need God’s forgiveness? Do you really stand in need of a Savior? Perhaps you have already been baptized as a child, or even as an infant. You might not even remember the event. Is your baptism really valid and acceptable in God’s sight? This is a truly vital question because your very salvation depends upon the answer!

The shoulders of the big man sitting across the table began to shake and heave. “I’ve broken every single one of God’s commandments,” he cried. “I need to be baptized!” This man, a World War II veteran and former Marine, was very deeply conscious that he was a sinner in need of salvation. As a young twenty-two year old college student conducting a baptizing tour, I was deeply struck by this man’s sincerely repentant attitude. He was coming to see himself, and he genuinely hated what he saw! He recognized his desperate need for a Savior.

What about you? What do you see when you look at yourself? How badly do you personally need God’s forgiveness? Are you one who has led a “pretty good” life? If so, is baptism even really necessary for you? Do you, personally, really stand in need of a Savior?

Perhaps you have already been baptized. Maybe it occurred when you were a child, and you do not even remember the event, or perhaps you were baptized as an adolescent or adult, when you “made a decision for Christ.” Is your baptism really valid and acceptable in God’s sight? This is a truly vital question because your very salvation depends upon the answer.

Millions Have Been DECEIVED

It is important to realize that the vast majority of human beings on this earth—even religious people—have been deceived The Apostle John was inspired to describe Satan as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). It is hard for most people to fully grasp the fact that they, personally, may have been deceived into following wrong religious doctrines and practices.

But we all need to carefully and open-mindedly compare the clear examples and teachings of Jesus Christ with what today is purported to be “Christianity.” You will quickly see a vast difference, as Dr. Rufus Jones candidly explained: “If by any chance Christ Himself had been taken by His later followers as the model and pattern of the new way, and a serious attempt had been made to set up His life and teaching as the standard and norm for the Church, Christianity would have been something vastly different from what it became. The heresy would have been as it is not now, a deviation from His way, His teaching, His spirit, His kingdom” (The Church’s Debt to Heretics, p. 15).

If Jesus and the early Apostles do not represent the “standard” for true Christianity, then what is that standard? Is it the confused and often contradictory ramblings of the so-called “church fathers” of the Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages? Remember that Jesus Himself warned specifically about false religious leaders. He said: “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

Frankly, I grew up absolutely blind to most of the basic truths of the Bible. I belonged to a mainstream Protestant church. I was president of my Sunday school class at one point. Both my parents graduated from a college sponsored by that church which our family attended regularly. Yet I had no idea of the ultimate purpose of human existence, was totally ignorant of the great end-time prophecies of the Bible and was never taught about the power of the Holy Spirit to change my life and enable the living Jesus Christ to live His life within me (see Galatians 2:20)! Incredibly, however, I was regarded by dozens of my friends as more “knowledgeable” than they were about the Bible and things of religion. These other church-going youth often asked me questions and were wondering about, and in confusion about, the very purpose of human existence.

I was baptized as a helpless little infant—unable even to discern my left hand from my right hand, let alone able to grasp the enormity of sin and deeply repent of my sins and accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Was I, then, a true Christian?

Of course not!

My Personal Quest for Truth

In that famous Protestant church I was just like the millions of other deceived people who just grow up in the “church of their choice”—never even considering whether it is truly God’s Church and whether it is fully teaching His Truth instead of the ideas and the imaginations of deceived men. Finally, in my late teens, God began to open my mind to what true religion was all about. Rather than just reading the Gospels or Psalms for “inspiration,” I actually began to study the Bible just as one would study a history book or a book about physics or chemistry. I asked God for understanding, and I continued for months to read and mark, reread and meditate on the entire New Testament—then the Old Testament—and try to understand what Jesus Christ actually taught!

In my personal study, I began to realize that true Christianity is not just believing in the person of Jesus Christ, but believing and acting on His Message. I found that a true Christian must totally surrender and let Christ live within him through the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Also, Paul stated: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV).

I began to understand Jesus’ repeated warnings about accepting Him and using His name in vain: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). And again: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

But where do you stand?

Has God opened your mind to the fact that He really is the Governor of the universe; that He is a real God who created and now rules over all things? Do you realize that His Son Jesus Christ not only came into this world to die for our sins, but is now alive at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and that Christ is now our living High Priest? Do you understand that He will live His life in us through the promised Holy Spirit if we truly repent and are baptized, and that Christ will live within us the same obedient life He lived while in the human flesh? For your Bible says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

All of us need help—a lot of help. We simply cannot overcome our own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and also overcome Satan the Devil through our own strength. The God who made us has promised that He will give us the spiritual help and the spiritual strength that we need. Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). And again: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13).

BELIEVE What Jesus Actually Taught

Jesus Christ came preaching a message about the coming Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Mark records: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14–15).

To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and receive His Spirit, you must repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ’s Gospel. The true Gospel message about God’s Kingdom involves one’s willingness to obey the laws of that Kingdom—the Ten Commandments. When a young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, Jesus replied: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 19:17–19). Here Jesus is clearly naming the Ten Commandments as the Way of life for those who desire to be in His Kingdom.

Later, as our High Priest and living Head of the Church, Jesus inspired the Apostle James to explain that true Christians must keep all of the “points” of God’s law. Indeed, we must live as those who will be “judged” by the Ten Commandments, for they truly are the standard of true Christian conduct!

The beloved Apostle John warned those who would try to “water down” the clear biblical teaching of obedience to the Ten Commandments, “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). Many professing Christians and even many famous preachers may know about God, but they do not actually “know” God—are not truly acquainted with Him—unless and until they fully surrender to let the true Jesus Christ live His obedient life within them through the Holy Spirit! Then they will have experienced what it is like to express the very character of God. Then they will truly “know” God.

Does that mean that true Christians keep the Ten Commandments perfectly at all times? Of course not! For the Apostle John also stated—clearly writing about Christians: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).

This “cleansing” from sin is a continuous action, for the genuine Christian is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The newly converted “babe in Christ” will constantly make mistakes. all of us who are Christians will make mistakes. Yet we will get up and try again. We will occasionally “slip off the path.” But we will repent each time with the help of the Holy Spirit and get back on the path of obedience to the Ten Commandments. For the great spiritual law of God—the Ten Commandments—is truly the Way of life. The man “after God’s own heart,” King David of Israel, stated: “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me” (Psalm 119:97–98).

What Should You Do?

If you have been drawn to God by His Spirit and want to become a true Christian, what should you do? The inspired answer was given by the Apostle Peter on the first New Testament day of Pentecost. After coming to realize the enormity of their sins, the repentant Jews asked Peter and the rest of the Apostles: “‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call'” (Acts 2:37–39).

Think carefully about this fundamental instruction from God’s Word. We are to be baptized “for the remission of sins.” Obviously, then, we are to repent of sin.

But what is sin?

The clearest definition of sin given in the Bible is found in 1 John 3:4: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (KJV). So we are to repent of breaking God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments! And we need to realize that Jesus Christ came to “magnify” the law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that we are not only not to kill, we are not even to harbor bitterness and hatred in our hearts—for that is the “spirit” or attitude of murder (Matthew 5:21–22). Christians are not only never to commit adultery, they are not even to “lust” after another person (vv. 27–28).

Far from “watering down” God’s law, Jesus’ teaching made the Ten Commandments even more binding!

It is only through Jesus Christ living His life within us that we can increasingly reflect the spirit of the Ten Commandments in our daily lives. As stated earlier, we must indeed grow in grace and knowledge continually.

Through the Holy Spirit, the spiritual love of God is given to us to enable us to keep God’s law. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). And what is the “love of God” which is given to the true Christian? How does it function? The Apostle John explains: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

So the true love of God flows down the channel or riverbed of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments tell us how to love God and how to love our fellow man. And, contrary to the clever arguments of many religious leaders, they are not “burdensome.” Rather, if obeyed, they become the “law of liberty” as we saw above in James’ epistle. They would free mankind from war, crime, adultery, broken homes, rebellious children and a host of other problems if they were practiced by all mankind!

In the soon-coming Kingdom of God, mankind will obey the Ten Commandments as a way of life. That is precisely why there will be peace, prosperity and joy in the coming millennial reign of Jesus Christ on this earth!

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:1–3).

Be Sure You “Count the Cost”

Getting back to Peter’s sermon on the first New Testament Pentecost, remember that he exhorted these men to repent. To repent of sin means more than being “sorry.” The Bible makes it clear that genuine repentance involves being fully convicted of the fact that you are truly a sinner and that you have broken and smashed God’s law over and over—in the spirit if not in the letter. It means being convicted not only that you have done wrong, but that you are wrong! As the Apostle Paul explains: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18). And he stated again later: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (vv. 24–25).

When you have been brought to this kind of real repentance, it is time to be baptized! You will need to honestly “count the cost” as Jesus instructed: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it” (Luke 14:26–28).

Ask yourself: With the help of God, will you really put God ahead of family, friends, job, money and social position, or will you be like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43)?

Has God become real to you? Will you truly put Him ahead of everything else? Or do you have some secret “idol”—something that, in fact, you put ahead of God and of your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Remember that repentance means change Are you, personally, ready to accept in faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sins and then fully surrender to let Him come in and “take charge” and change your entire life?

Have you come to a heartfelt appreciation for the fact that Jesus Christ—the Son of God—emptied Himself of His glory and power and came in human flesh to die for your sins (see Philippians 2:5–8) and that He who had been with the Father from eternity was willing to divest Himself of all that magnificence to serve you and me—to make it possible for us to share eternity with Him and with the Father in the Kingdom as full sons of God (see John 1:1–12)?

As you proceed toward baptism, will you—with God’s help— dedicate yourself to express total love and loyalty to Jesus Christ as your Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest and your coming King? Will you?

These are vital questions that need to be asked—and need to be sincerely answered in the affirmative. For when you are baptized, you are making a sacred covenant with your Creator to love, to obey and to serve Him and His Son Jesus Christ now and forever!

God does not owe you anything. But, on the contrary, you and I owe Him and His glorified Son everything. For God “created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9; John 1:1–3). He created you and me. He created and sustains the earth we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, created our minds—the very instrument we humans sometimes use to reason around the fact that something greater had to be there to create our minds! Then we “reason” ourselves into excusing ourselves from stealing, lying, committing adultery and all manner of things we should know are wrong. As the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 8:7–8: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

So we need forgiveness. We desperately need a Savior. And we need the constant help of our Savior and High Priest who will not save us in our sins but from our sins—and give us the spiritual strength to overcome and grow in the very character of God. And all of this can be accomplished only through our coming to a place where we are willing to completely repent of our natural hostility toward God and to heartfeltly accept the shed blood of Jesus Christ—the very life of the Son of God—as payment for our sins.

Have you come to such a time and place in your life?

The Keys to Changing Your Life

The Bible records stories of dramatic change in the lives of many individuals. How were they able to make such total “about faces” in their lives? Is it possible for you to make changes of equal magnitude in your own life? There are two vital keys. Most people overlook them entirely. Even those who acknowledge them generally misunderstand what they really involve.

In Acts 2 we read of the events surrounding the beginnings of the New Testament Church. Simon Peter preached a powerful sermon to multiple thousands assembled to observe the Feast of Pentecost. A number of those who heard him that day had stood in the mob assembled outside Pilate’s Judgment Hall a mere seven-and-a-half weeks earlier. At that earlier time, they had been shouting “Crucify Him!” when Pilate was offering to free Jesus of Nazareth. Now, believing the truth of Peter’s message, they were convicted of the magnitude of what they had done. It was with a deep sense of shame and personal guilt, that they now humbly asked him: “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:36–39) He responded by telling them to repent. Faith and repentance are the vital keys without which real change is impossible.

Faith sets the stage for repentance. The kind of faith we are talking about is living and real. It produces a state of mind that wants to make an about face and turn to God. This faith is confidence in a real God and in the promises He makes. It results in action! “Faith without works is dead,” the Apostle James wrote in James 2:17. To really believe and trust, God makes it possible for us to absolutely, unconditionally surrender to Him.

Hebrews 11 is often called the “faith chapter” of the Bible. In Hebrews 11:13 we learn that the men and women of faith did certain things. Understanding what they did helps us to understand life-changing faith. We are told that they “saw the promises afar off, were persuaded of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

First, we must see and understand the promises that God makes, be convinced of both their value and their reality, and then we must embrace them. To embrace is to hold dear and precious. If we do not value and cherish what God offers, we simply will not hold on and endure through the ups and downs of life. Because the men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 held dear what God promised, they demonstrated by word and action that they were not part of this world.

We cannot fit in with this world and fit in with God at the same time (James 4:4). In order to fit in with and cultivate the acceptance and approval of this world, a person must be in harmony with the values of this age. John summed up the values of this world as appealing to “the lust of flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). This age and its corrupt, decadent value system is going to pass away, but there is a new world coming based upon eternal values. That new world, tomorrow’s world, will be permanent.

If we really believe that, then we will want to turn to God with all of our hearts and learn how to dwell in harmony with Him forever. Living faith produces action, and genuine repentance is one of the first actions it produces. That is what Peter’s audience displayed when they asked him: “What shall we do?” They offered no excuses. They did not attempt to minimize their actions. They did not begin blaming others. Rather, they were humble, teachable, and surrendered in their heart and mind. Peter had preached the Gospel and they believed his message. They evidenced faith by their heartfelt desire to act upon that faith. So they asked the question that day that all who desire genuine change in their lives must ask, “What shall we do?”

Does Obedience Earn Salvation?

God’s law tells us how to be like God (1 Peter 1:15–16). However, all of us have fallen far short of being like God. What can we do? No amount of future good deeds can ever make up for what we have done in the past. This ought to be obvious even from looking at man’s laws. If you were arrested for murder, would the promise to refrain from ever doing it again earn your acquittal? Of course not! If we keep the law in the future, we are merely doing what is expected. No amount of future law keeping can ever atone for past law breaking.

All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God made possible our release from the death penalty, the curse of the law, by giving Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, to die in our stead. He took our place. We are, therefore, reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Romans 5:10).

God took the initiative to bring us into harmony with Himself, which is what reconcile means. He has demonstrated His love by giving the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His Son, to pay the penalty that you and I have incurred by our thoughts, attitudes, and actions (John 3:16). However, we must respond to God’s grace through faith and repentance. God’s intent is to save us from our sins, not in our sins. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”, Paul asks. “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1–2). If we are to accept God’s freely offered gift of eternal life, which we could never earn or deserve in a thousand lifetimes, then we must respond to Him by turning from our ways to His ways (Acts 2:38).

An attitude of unconditional surrender of our life and of our will is the attitude of repentance. If we come to really see the reality of the glorious future that God offers and to genuinely believe His Word, then we will want to seek God and His ways with all of our heart. That is what led to changes in the lives of the men and women of faith of whom we read in Hebrews 11. Living faith always results in action! Repentance is a response to living faith. While it starts on the inside, it will also be reflected in outward changes. If we really have come to hate the old ways, we will want to turn from them.

Have you been led by God to see that your very nature is wrong? Have you come to sincerely want to get rid of your own rotten, selfish, carnal human nature? Again, are you ready to repent of not only what you have done—but of what you are?

King David knew that this was what God required. He said: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart; these O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Before anyone—and this does mean anyone—is really and truly converted, he has to be humbled, beaten down and made to realize his own nothingness by God. He has to go through a period of time when he is abhorring himself, acknowledging his sins to God and repenting of them—turning around in his heart, mind and will and determining to go the other way.

When that time comes, a person will quit arguing and reasoning with God or with His ministers doing His Work. He will not grudgingly hang on to false concepts of God. He will quit trying to reason around obedience to God’s commandments and literally living by every word of the Bible. He will not get his “feelings” hurt at the correction and exhortation of God’s chosen servants. Rather, he will give his life to God as the Apostle Paul instructs us all to do: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1–2). As Paul instructed, even our thoughts must be changed by the “renewing” of our minds!

The Symbolism of Baptism

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13. John the Baptist said that the Messiah would offer two baptisms—Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11–12). Those who will not be “plunged into” the Family of God through the Spirit of God, will ultimately be immersed in a lake of fire that will leave them “neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1). Jesus Christ compared the Holy Spirit to “rivers of living water” (John 4:14; 7:38–39).

Paul explains in Colossians 2:12 that baptism symbolizes a burial. The “old man” is symbolically put to death. We emerge a new creature. Arising from the watery grave of baptism pictures our faith in the resurrection, which is our ultimate hope to become a new creature.

In Romans 6:4–5 we read: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Baptism is not an empty ritual or a magical rite. It is, however, a very important symbol and is not something into which we should enter lightly.

Predicated upon faith and repentance, baptism is an outward sign of our commitment. It represents a new beginning. The old person with all of his sinful past is symbolically buried and a new creature comes forth. The waters of baptism symbolize the fact that we are washed clean inwardly through the Holy Spirit. Christ’s sacrifice has paid for our sins and we come forth from baptism clean in God’s sight. This represents not the end, however, but the beginning of the real conversion process!

The Role of God’s Holy Spirit

Following baptism, we find that it was the practice of Christ’s first century ministry to practice the laying on of hands (Acts 8:18; Hebrews 6:2). This laying on of hands symbolized a special setting apart by God. In the aftermath of baptism, it set apart the newly baptized person to receive God’s Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:1–6 we read that Paul encountered in Ephesus some people who believed his preaching, and previously had been baptized. However, they had not fully understood the Gospel when they were baptized and had never received the Holy Spirit, nor indeed even knew of it. After counseling with them, Paul re-baptized them in Jesus’ name and laid hands on them for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit. God showed through an unusual miracle, such as had occurred on the first Pentecost of the New Testament era, that they did indeed receive the Spirit this time. Why was all of this necessary?

Peter told his listeners on the day of Pentecost that following repentance and baptism they would “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). What is receiving the Holy Spirit intended to accomplish in our lives?

Peter explains that it is through the Holy Spirit, God’s divine power, that we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). It is through the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ dwells in us and empowers us to live the same kind of life that He lived when He walked the earth as a human being (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:5).

Since Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, our bodies are accounted as the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) and we are told to glorify God in all aspects of life (1 Corinthians 6:20). Having God’s Spirit in us is what makes us a holy people, or what the Bible terms “saints.” We cannot make ourselves (or anything else for that matter!) holy. God is holy and only He can impart holiness. If we truly repent and turn to God in faith, He promises not only to forgive us our past, but also to impart His Holy Spirit to us. God’s Spirit, given us as a gift, is intended to transform our lives by renewing our minds (Titus 3:5; Romans 12:2). We become a new creation because God is changing us by writing His laws in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10).

Though it is the power of God that makes this transformation possible, nevertheless we have our part to play. We have to exercise God’s Spirit, we have to follow the lead of God’s Spirit—in short, we must walk with God. God’s Spirit will lead and empower, but it will not possess or control us. We must seek and desire to follow God’s lead in our lives. Our efforts apart from God’s empowering Spirit are futile, yet God’s power without our efforts simply represents potential energy. It is like a light switch in the off position; the potential to light up the room is present, but the circuit is open and nothing is flowing through. It is the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God that will ultimately make possible the completion of our salvation.

Upon faith and repentance, we are justified, made innocent and brought into right standing before God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). Next, since we have now turned to God, He sanctifies us—makes us holy—by placing His Holy Spirit within us. The Spirit is there to give us deeper understanding of spiritual things and to empower us to live Godly lives. As Christians, we must continue to grow in grace and in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). If we follow the urging of God’s Spirit, then the righteousness of God as defined in His law will be fulfilled in our lives (Romans 8:4).

While we are justified by Christ’s death, we are finally saved through His life (Romans 5:9–10). Christ is alive right now at the right hand of the Father on high! He actively intercedes for us as our living High Priest when we slip up and sin (Hebrews 4:14–16) and He lives His life of overcoming sin in the flesh in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20). The very fact of His triumph over death through the resurrection is the proof that we will ultimately be given immortal life at His return (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

God “Inducts” You into His Church

Through baptism and the receipt of God’s Holy Spirit, you are automatically baptized into the true Church of God. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13), for God’s Church is composed of those people who are filled with and led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).

You cannot just “join” the true Church of God! God must “draw” you or “call” you and then place you in His Church by giving you His Holy Spirit. Remember how Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

Yet God does have an organized Church—and always has! Jesus Christ stated: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). That “Hades” or the grave, would not prevail over God’s true Church may be taken in two ways: First, God will never permit His Church to be completely destroyed or cease to exist. Second, the basic hope of all true Christians is the resurrection from the dead. So although individual Christians may die, they will live again at the seventh trumpet when Christ returns to this earth as King of kings! “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Paul instructs us that those in the Church are the spiritual “body” of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). As the hands and feet and eyes and ears and minds of our physical bodies must work together for the body to function properly, so the spiritual body—the Church of God—must be organized and its members cooperating to carry on the assigned functions of the Church. Jesus Christ is the living, active Head of the true Church (Ephesians 1:22–23). He sets the goals and missions for His Church. After His resurrection and just before His ascension to heaven, Jesus commanded: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).

So the primary function of the true Church is to go to all nations and preach the same powerful message Jesus preached about the coming Kingdom of God! Then the Church is to “teach” the people all things that Christ taught His disciples—the entire Way of God based upon heartfelt obedience to God’s great spiritual law—and upon total surrender, to let Jesus Christ live His life within each of the people of God.

We all need to be instructed, taught, encouraged and guided toward the Kingdom of God. Therefore we are commanded: “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24–25). Notice that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together! Rather, we are to meet regularly on God’s Sabbaths and on His Holy Days just like Jesus and the early Apostles did (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2).

Though some people pride themselves upon being “independent Christians,” that has never been God’s way. The entire story of the book of Acts describes a unified Church meeting together and all working together whenever possible! All of us need the fellowship, the love, the examples and the encouragement of fellow Christians who are committed to “live by every Word of God.” The true Church—called twelve times the “Church of God” in the New Testament—provides this opportunity for proper spiritual fellowship, growth and service.

Refusing to meet with those who are growing and those who are doing the Work of God is the complete antithesis of what Christ and the Apostles taught and practiced. For all of us must learn to love one another, to forgive one another and—through God’s Holy Spirit within us—to grow in that love. For God’s Word tells us: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20–21).

A Covenant with Your Creator

God’s Word makes it very clear that genuine Christian baptism is an adult decision to be made after deep reflection and heartfelt repentance. For, again, it truly pictures the death and burial of our old selfish selves. And in this decision and in this action we are making a covenant with our Creator to accept Jesus Christ’s shed blood as payment for our sins and to truly acknowledge Him as our Lord, or Master, and our coming King whom we will henceforth obey!

On God’s part, we are promised the precious “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Receiving God’s Holy Spirit involves being impregnated with His very nature and character. As the Apostle Paul explains: “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). And, as we read in Galatians 5:22–23, the “fruit” or result of the Holy Spirit in our lives is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

God’s Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual love and spiritual strength to obey God, to control our lusts, and to walk in His commandments as a way of life. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So it is not us—in our human strength—keeping God’s commandments; it is Christ living within us His life through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” If we wish to inherit the Kingdom that God has prepared for those that love Him, we must remain faithful till the end. We do this by continuing to abide in Christ (John 15:3). How do you abide in Christ? Notice what John explained in 1 John 2:3–6: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

To abide or endure means to remain faithfully anchored and established in the Truth of God. Remember, the Bible shows that the Truth is not merely a list of doctrines to be argued about, but rather, a way of life that must be obeyed and lived (Galatians 3:1; 2 Peter 2:2, 21).

Most professing Christians think that salvation is merely a one time affair. Many who claim to be God’s representatives have trivialized God’s promises and His purpose. They have offered a cheap grace that costs the believer nothing. They have promised “liberty” by teaching that God’s law is a yoke of bondage and that real obedience to it is unnecessary. In reality their “easy grace” doctrine that Christ somehow did it all for us only leaves their adherents ensnared in the corruption of sin (2 Peter 2:19).

In contrast, Jesus said that those who would come after Him must stand ready to give up everything, even their very lives (Matthew 16:24–25). Christ requires nothing less than total, unconditional commitment and devotion from those who would accept Him as their Lord and Savior. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction”, Christ said. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:13, 21). This is the covenant that we are making with our Creator at baptism.

The Bible shows a great and awesome destiny for those who inherit God’s salvation. It also reveals the process by which God is reproducing Himself in us. Conversion is the key to that process. True conversion involves the total surrender of our life and of our will to Almighty God.

For those who turn to Him in this way, God makes possible our forgiveness, our transformation from the inside out, and our ultimate entry into His glorious Kingdom as one of His very sons. Will we encounter difficulties and even suffer persecution sometimes because we are trying to live by God’s instructions rather than by the traditions and customs of the world around us? You bet we will! But we must never forget the Apostle Paul’s admonition that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Our personal covenant with our Creator at baptism involves a commitment to a lifetime of change. There will be changes in how we feel, in what we do, and, most of all, in what we are on the inside. True conversion leads to our being “conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Christ] might be the firstborn of many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

ACT on the Truth

God tells us that we are not merely to be “interested” in His Truth, but we must act upon it! “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror” (James 1:22–23). No doubt thousands of you who read this are beginning to realize that somehow God has brought you into contact with His Church on this earth today. You have been learning, through the Work of the Living Church of God, through the Tomorrow’s World television program and the Tomorrow’s World magazine, the very purpose of human existence and the Way of life God commands. Now it may be time to act on this precious Truth. Do not treat it cheaply! Do not delay and procrastinate once you understand what God’s purpose is in your life. Do not wait until you think you have already overcome or until you have “perfect” understanding or “perfect” repentance, for you cannot even start toward perfection until after you have been baptized and received God’s promised Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you!

So once you are sincerely repentant and have “counted the cost” and realize your need to be baptized, let us hear from you. The Living Church of God has ministers or trained representatives in most parts of the world. If you request this, they will call and set up an appointment with you for baptismal counseling. They will not show up unexpectedly. They will contact you ahead of time and get together at a time and place of your convenience.

You will not be pressured to “join” anything! In fact, our ministers may simply talk with you, answer your questions and give you some material to read and study before you are actually baptized. We want to be sure—as much as you do—that you are truly ready to be baptized. But this initial visit will give you the opportunity—probably for the first time in your life—to counsel with a true minister of God who genuinely understands and teaches the full Truth of God.

So call or write to us today.

Again, we look forward to hearing from you and serving you, for you are now in contact with the Living Church of God. May God grant you the understanding, the love and the courage to act upon the precious Truth you have been given.

Booklet Category

Christian Living

Doctrine

God

What Is a True Christian?

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:56:08 +0000

What Is a True Christian? 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 21:56

What Is a True Christian?

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christian Living

#Christianity

#God

#Jesus Christ

More than 400 sects and denominations call themselves “Christian”—but they all have some basic, and often fundamental, differences. Would Jesus Christ recognize the organizations using His name today?

Have you ever met a true Christian? Have you ever attended a church full of true Christians? Are you sure? What is it that makes a person truly Christian?

America calls itself a Christian nation. We even print the words, “In God We Trust,” on our currency. In many Western nations, Christianity is the official state religion.

Yet in our mixed-up, confused world, there are more than 400 sects and denominations calling themselves “Christian.” They all have somewhat different beliefs and practices. Even so, every one of them is named after Jesus Christ! Partly because of this, many non-Christians scoff at the idea that Christianity is directly inspired by God.

And no wonder. For many of the greatest wars in modern history have been started by professing Christian nations. And statistics show that the incidence of rape, robbery and murder has been skyrocketing in many of the Western, so-called “Christian” nations over the past several decades.

Why?

Could it be that they do not really understand what Christianity is all about? Could it be that, even though millions are heavily involved in “churchianity,” they do not really grasp—or live by—the plain, clear teachings of Christ?

Modern philosopher Sören Kierkegaard, in his Attack Upon Christendom, wrote: “The Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist. Millions of people through the centuries have little by little cheated God out of Christianity, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament” (pp. 32–33).

Why would he say this? Part of the answer is in the fact that the greatest and most bloody wars in all human history have been waged primarily in Europe—the very heart of western, “Christian” civilization. In fact, the professing Christian church directly instigated a series of “holy wars” during the Middle Ages, called the “Crusades.” Here is one description of the supposed blessings which “Christians” put on the murderous and bloodthirsty activities of the Crusaders: “The knight who joined the Crusades might thus indulge the bellicose side of his genius—under the aegis and at the bidding of the Church; and in so doing he would also attain what the spiritual side of his nature ardently sought—a perfect salvation and remission of sins. He might butcher all day, till he waded ankle-deep in blood, and then at nightfall kneel, sobbing for very joy, at the altar of the Sepulchre—for was he not red from the winepress of the Lord?” (“Crusades,” Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed.)

Were these men true followers of the humble carpenter of Nazareth who said: “Love your enemies”?

Yet remember that these men called themselves by the name of Christ—”Christian.” It seems that nearly all western religions, philosophies and sects insist upon applying the name of Christ to their own ideas, teachings and practices. In ancient times, the pagans at least openly and honestly acknowledged their worship of the various “gods” and demon spirits of their own choosing.

The NAME of Christ Is Often Misused

Since the life, death and resurrection of the Son of God, a great deception has resulted in the placing of Christ’s name on every type of pagan, heathen, perverted philosophy of man that has come along!

Shocking as it may sound, the fact that many churches, doctrines, ideas and practices of men are called “Christian” proves absolutely nothing!

Did Christ start these ideas and institutions? Do they follow His teaching and His example?

How can you know?

Almighty God inspired the Apostle John to describe the Devil as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Again, in Revelation 20:1–3, God describes how Satan will soon be restrained “that he should deceive the nations no more.”

These inspired scriptures certainly show that most people and nations have been misled and deceived by Satan the Devil! This, very frankly, is the “key,” which explains why there are so many obvious contradictions in our supposedly “Christian” society. It shows why this world is so mixed up and confused about what the word “Christian” really means. It shows that our civilization has not been following Christ, but has been deceived into going many different ways under Satan’s confusing influence!

Strangely, yet at least honestly, some of this world’s noted religious leaders and scholars have acknowledged that our professing “Christianity” has not even seriously tried to follow the literal teaching and example of Jesus Christ—its supposed Author!

Observe also this revealing and even shocking quote from highly respected historian Will Durant:

“Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. The Greek mind, dying, came to a transmigrated life in the theology and liturgy of the church; the Greek language, having reigned for centuries over philosophy, became the vehicle of Christian literature and ritual; the Greek mysteries passed down into the impressive mystery of the Mass. Other pagan cultures contributed to the syncretist result. From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity… and a personal immortality of reward and punishment; from Egypt the adoration of the Mother and Child, and the mystic theosophy that made Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, and obscured the Christian creed; there, too, Christian monasticism would find its exemplars and its source. From Phrygia came the worship of the Great Mother; from Syria the resurrection drama of Adonis; from Thrace, perhaps, the cult of Dionysus, the dying and saving god.… The Mithraic ritual so closely resembled the eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass that Christian fathers charged the Devil with inventing these similarities to mislead frail minds. Christianity was the last creation of the ancient pagan world… [The Eucharist] was the conception long sanctified by time; the pagan mind needed no schooling to receive it; by embodying the ‘mystery of the Mass,’ Christianity became the last and greatest of the mystery religions” (The Story of Civilization, pp. 595, 599).

This noted historian plainly acknowledges that church leaders did not take Jesus’ life and His teaching as the standard for their so-called “Christian” churches!

Ask yourself, honestly: What other true standard could there possibly be?

Several years ago, evangelist Billy Graham was quoted as saying that, while many Americans believe there is a God, most “have not accepted true Christianity or Judaism or Islam. They believe the Bible, but they don’t read it or obey it.” (U.S. News & World Report, April 4, 1994). This same article quotes famous pollster George Gallup, Jr. as saying that America is “a nation of biblical illiterates… the stark fact is most Americans don’t know what they believe or why.”

This statement by Dr. Gallup is one of the key reasons why Satan has been so successful in deceiving the vast majority even of those who profess Christianity! These professing Christians “don’t know what they believe or why!”

They do not really study or understand the Bible. They only have vague ideas of what they think the Bible says. Other religious polls have shown that most Americans are unable even to name more than one or two of the four gospels—let alone understand them. Apart from a vague, sentimental recollection of the Lord’s Prayer or the 23rd Psalm, the Bible is truly a “mystery book”—even to most churchgoers. Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4). How can one live by “every word” of the Bible and yet not even know what the Bible says!

Yet the Bible provides the foundational knowledge upon which true Christianity is built. For unless one proves—to his own satisfaction—that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to mankind, then one is “lost in the fog.” But today most people follow the dictates of their own conscience without biblical understanding in religious matters. People make up their own religious ideas and concepts as they go along.

As a result, you have utter confusion. “Here is the way I feel,” some will say, or “Here is the way I look at it.” How you and I “look at it” may make interesting coffee-cup chatter, but what truly matters is: “How does God look at it!”

Are Denominations “Christian” Because They Do Good Works?

There is no question that good works have been done by a wide spectrum of religious organizations. As people treat their neighbors well, they and those around them experience blessings. Speaking of the spiritual laws and principles of the Bible, Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). In other words, these inspired words describe intrinsic values and forces that operate automatically in many cases—just like the law of gravity. If a person does good to others and treats them with love and kindness, it almost automatically works out that he is going to be blessed in one way or another. This principle holds true no matter what someone’s religion might be.

However, actions like being personally helpful and loving—or doing “good works” in some kind of organized effort—in no way, of themselves, qualify people for eternal life in the Kingdom of God. I have had fellow ministers of Christ tell me more than once that some of the most loving, generous and religiously devoted people they have ever known are the Thai Buddhists. Many exhibit a personal warmth, grace, gentleness and spirit of service that is seldom seen even in the Christian world—despite the general destructiveness of their false religion, which rejects the very Savior of all humanity, Jesus Christ. Many professing Christian organizations today—as well as secular ones—ought likewise to be commended for their service and acts of charity on behalf of the needy or disadvantaged. But if these same groups reject God’s laws and the entire way of life that Christ revealed, then what will be the end of their good works?

The point is that, historically, these people may do “good works” one day and the very next day pull out their long knives or guns and butcher their neighbor! Not truly knowing or fearing the true God—and not being led by His Spirit—they do not have the capacity to live, consistently, as Christians should live.

Jesus Christ said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'” (Matthew 7:21–23). And Christ spoke further about those who worshiped Him to no avail: “‘In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men'” (Mark 7:7–8).

So although doing good works is an integral part of Christianity, there is much more. Yes, we certainly do need to work on developing gentleness, kindness and service toward others. But we must also—in a very real sense—be conquered by God. Realizing that our own righteousness is simply not good enough (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23), we must be totally surrendered to do God’s will in every phase and facet of our lives—not just in “good works.” We must obey His Ten Commandments (Matthew 19:17), keep holy the days He made holy (Exodus 20:8) and let Jesus Christ live His life within us fully through the Holy Spirit (cf. Galatians 2:20, KJV). For we should, in fact, be preparing now to be kings and priests in Christ’s soon-coming world government (1 Corinthians 6:2–3; Revelation 5:9–10). Christ and the Father need to know where we stand. We must demonstrate consistent obedience and genuine good character—a truly surrendered attitude—in order to be fit to assist Christ in His coming kingdom!

The major “Christian” denominations, down through history, have not really taught these truths at all. And they have not been explaining God’s awesome plan and purpose for mankind. They have not been actively preparing their followers to be kings and priests in the soon-coming Government of God to be set up on this earth under Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:26–27). They have not been preaching the Bible’s prophetic warnings about end-time events that our people so desperately need to hear. In fact, most of them have virtually no understanding of the vital one-fourth of the Bible devoted to prophecy—so they seldom have anything to say about it. And so, because of all this, these major denominations are not doing the Work of God or preparing their people for the Kingdom of God.

So read (and carefully re-read!) this vital booklet—so that you can understand what true Christianity is really all about!

A Planned Deception

The fact is, true Christianity—and true Christians—do exist. But they may be harder to find than you would think. If you will examine what the Bible teaches, you will find out why there are so few true Christians.

Let me explain. Jesus said, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:5, KJV). Notice that these people do not come in their own name! Many people erroneously believe that this verse refers to a multitude of “false Messiahs,” each pretending that he, personally, is the true Christ. Some misguided men have, in fact, made such blasphemous claims. A famous recent example is David Koresh, who died at the besieged Branch Davidian compound in 1993.

But common sense should tell us that this is a misinterpretation of the Scriptures. Remember that the Bible says “many shall come,” and shall “deceive many.” The fact is, there just have not been many who have personally claimed to be Christ. And there most certainly have not been many who were taken in—”deceived”—by them. David Koresh himself hoodwinked no more than a few. He definitely did not sway teeming millions of human beings into believing that he, personally, was the Messiah!

What, then, is the answer? Is Jesus mistaken in His claim? Not at all. The correct interpretation of Matthew 24:5 is that many people would come and claim that Jesus Christ was the Messiah—but that they would “deceive many” by subverting, twisting and perverting all that Christ taught and stood for.

These false prophets, then, come in Jesus’ name and tell people that He is the Christ. Using His name, they go on to palm off their own false religious ideas and philosophies under the banner of “Christianity”!

Some of these “false prophets” go so far as to take for themselves titles that rightfully belong only to Jesus Christ Himself. They may compose their own “prophecies” and pass them off as “divinely inspired” or “revealed by an angel.” Some may try to exalt their own writings almost to the level of Scripture—all the while claiming falsely to have derived their prophecies and their authority from Christ. In the name of “Christianity” they draw people further and further away from the true Jesus Christ of the Bible.

You see, if people are “clever” enough, they can apply the term “Christian” to almost anything. They can wrap an idea or philosophy in nice, religious-sounding phrases and get others to believe it.

But there is even more to it than that. For behind misguided men and women, there is a powerful spirit being called Satan the Devil. Formerly an extremely wise and beautiful cherub or angel (Ezekiel 28:12–15), he is now fiendishly clever and still very attractive and compelling in his appeal to unsuspecting individuals (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14).

God calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). And Satan is further described in Revelation 12:9 as the “great dragon… that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.”

So if Satan works in the sons of disobedience, and if he “deceives the whole world,” then obviously billions of people are taken in by him!

The point is that, under the invisible but powerful influence of Satan, there have been all kinds of ideas presented as “Christian” that are not Christian at all. Some of them come directly from paganism. Furthermore, the clear, straightforward teachings of Jesus Christ about a way of life have been virtually buried under an avalanche of strange creeds, doctrines and liturgy.

Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, in his handbook, The Story of the Christian Church, makes this striking point:

“We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 A.D., “The Age of Shadows,” partly because the gloom of persecution was over the church; but more especially because of all periods in the history, it is the one about which we know the least. We have no longer the clear light of the Book of Acts to guide us; and no author of that age has filled the blank in the history. We would like to read of the later work by such helpers of St. Paul as Timothy, Apollos and Titus, but all these and St. Paul’s other friends drop out of the record at his death. For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (1970, p. 33).

In the above quote, this mainstream Protestant author acknowledges that the professing Christian church became vastly “different” after the original Apostles died. Why? Who gave anyone the authority to change the beliefs and practices of the Church? Or did deceived men just take it on themselves to make these profound changes?

What Jesus Actually Taught

To understand how the various churches have become so “different” from one another, we need to get back to the source of Christianity—Jesus Christ. If anyone knows what true Christianity is, it would certainly be Christ Himself!

As a young Jew in Israel, Jesus was reared to keep the Ten Commandments. He observed God’s weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days that God had revealed to ancient Israel. It seems easy for Bible scholars to forget these simple facts, gloss over them or pretend they are irrelevant.

But as we shall see, the fact that Christ kept God’s laws makes a huge difference. And those who pretend otherwise do so at great peril to their eternal lives!

Listen!

Jesus was asked by a young man: “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life.” Christ answered: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The young man then asked: “Which ones?” And Jesus replied: “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 19:16–19).

So Jesus clearly taught that the way to eternal life was to obey God by keeping His Ten Commandments!

In His “Sermon” on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly magnified the Ten Commandments. He said: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). A careful study shows that far from “doing away” with these commandments, Jesus made them even more binding. Christ revealed that they formed a spiritual law, including, but far greater in scope than, the literal requirements God had given to ancient Israel. He taught that His followers were not only to refrain from murder, but also that they were not even to harbor the spirit of murder—misguided anger, hatred and rage—in their hearts (Matthew 5:21–22).

He went on to show that not only must a true Christian never commit adultery, but that “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (v. 28). So even the spirit or attitude of adultery is breaking God’s great spiritual Law, the Ten Commandments. And who, pray tell, had the authority to “do away” with this clear instruction?

The Law of Liberty

Think of it! If the whole world would start living by the Ten Commandments—as magnified by Jesus Christ—we would have no crime, no murder, no adultery, no broken homes, no displaced children and no wars! The deep sense of stability, peace and security that would then fill the world would have a definite healing effect in every way. The incidence of depression and mental disease would greatly diminish. Even physical sickness and suffering would decline because mental attitudes affect our physical health.

Obedience to God’s law frees us from harmful conduct. The Apostle James called it the “law of liberty.” He wrote: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:10–12).

This New Testament Apostle, then, was inspired to urge us to keep the law of God—summarized by the Ten Commandments! He also said that if we obey only part of that law, while disobeying other parts, we are “convicted by the law as transgressors” (v. 9). So the Ten Commandments were not done away or “nailed to the cross”—otherwise, they could not convict anyone of anything!

As magnified by Christ, God’s wonderful “law of liberty” would indeed provide humanity with world peace and individual happiness—if it were universally obeyed! But will that ever happen?

Yes, indeed!

Jeremiah’s inspired prophecy describing the coming 1,000-year rule of Christ is quoted in the letter to the Hebrews: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them” (Hebrews 8:10–11).

So it is clear that the very basis of life in the Millennium will be God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments. All will come to love, adore and worship the true God—and do what He commands. All will learn to love their neighbors as themselves. Through true conversion and the empowerment of God’s Spirit, they will gradually learn to “get inside the head” of their fellow men and—with understanding—be able to help, serve, build and encourage all human beings to lead happy and productive lives.

As stated above, when God’s “law of liberty” is universally understood and obeyed, the world will truly be “at peace”—in a way it has never been since Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden.

What Should You Do?

If you want to become a true Christian—the kind of Christian the Bible describes—there are several things you need to do.

First, you must absolutely prove to yourself that there is a real God—not an “essence of good” somewhere out in the heavens, but the actual Spirit Personality who created and now rules the entire universe. As the book of Hebrews tells us: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (11:6).

Furthermore, you need to prove to your own satisfaction that the Bible is truly God’s inspired revelation to man. As Paul explained: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Then you need to begin to really study the Bible! Do not just “read” it. Rather, with different translations, a concordance and other study aids, begin to carefully pore over the Bible. Meditate on what you read, pray about it and determine to obey God’s Word—to do what God says.

For Jesus said: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4). So you must sincerely yield yourself to live by every Word of God! Then, through this personal, genuine approach of seeking the true God and His will, you will no doubt be led by His Spirit to see that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God and Savior of the world—that He is your Savior from your sins.

Paul describes it this way: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:8–10).

So we are “justified,” that is, made right—reconciled to God—by our heartfelt acceptance of Christ’s death as payment for our personal sins. We all must continually have a deep, personal sense of appreciation and loyalty to Jesus for having so “emptied Himself” on our behalf. The Apostle Paul stated in Philippians 2:5–9: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”

For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave Himself for us! And now He is our faithful High Priest, sitting in glory at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us as we seek God in prayer (Hebrews 4:14–16). Christ is also the Living Head of His Church (Ephesians 1:22–23). And He is coming soon to reign as King over the whole earth (Revelation 11:15).

You, personally, must accept the real Jesus Christ of the Bible as your personal Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest and coming King. Your commitment to Christ must be absolutely genuine!

But next is a vital “key.”

You must not merely accept Jesus’ person. You must also believe in His Message—in what He taught and stood for! For Jesus Himself asks: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

We have already noted this same sentiment in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

So what was the Message that Jesus preached? “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14–15).

Jesus came preaching the Good News of the Kingdom or Government of God. As we have already seen, He clearly taught that the laws of that Kingdom are based on the Ten Commandments.

Therefore, to be a true Christian, you must repent of your sins and dedicate yourself to begin keeping the laws of that coming Government, to believe the Good News about the Kingdom of God and to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior from sin and your Lord—your absolute “Boss” whom you willingly and lovingly obey!

If you would like more information about the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, please call or write to request your free copy of our eye-opening booklet, Do You Believe the True Gospel?

Repent and Be Baptized

We have already seen from James 2:9 that sinners are convicted by the law. James also states: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (v. 10). The law has ten fundamental points—the Ten Commandments. If we break any of them, we are convicted by the law.

The Bible makes it very clear what sin is. Near the end of his life, John wrote: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). He further wrote: “And whatever we ask [of God] we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (v. 22). This verse clearly shows that keeping God’s law is so important that even the answers to our prayers depend—at least in large measure—upon it. How vital it is that true Christians come to grasp the fact that they are accountable to God to keep the Ten Commandments!

The New Testament tells us what sin is. It never says that sin is dancing or going to a movie. For sin cannot, in every case, be defined simply by what you do. But sin always involves wrong thoughts or attitudes that violate the spirit of the law of God.

Certainly, the kind of dancing that incites sexual lust is always sinful. And viewing movies that glorify violence and lust will undoubtedly ease the way for sinful thoughts to rule your mind. But remember that the standard is not “here’s the way I look at it” or “here’s what so-and-so says.” The true standard for determining right and wrong is the law of God. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Could anything be clearer?

A true Christian, then, must internalize God’s law so that it becomes part of his thinking and identity—the very fabric of his being. For that to happen, he must be filled with, and led by, God’s Holy Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,” Paul stated, “they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14, KJV).

But how do you receive the Holy Spirit? And how does it function? The way to receive the Holy Spirit was revealed by the Apostle Peter. He said: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Since your old self must be baptized, that is “immersed”—figuratively buried—in water for the remission of sin, you must repent of, or turn back from, sin! Recall that “sin is the transgression of the law.” So you must turn back from breaking God’s Law!

You must be baptized in a “watery grave” as an outward acknowledgment of both the death penalty you have brought on yourself by disobeying the law of your Creator and your willingness to let the old self die.

God’s Word tells us: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–4).

A Covenant with Your Creator

So when you decide you want to become a true Christian, you need to be willing to “bury” the old selfish self in baptism. Frankly, only God can grant you the real repentance you need to fulfill His will (Acts 11:18). But if He is, in fact, opening your mind to grasp what true Christianity is all about—and calling you to be in the first resurrection—then you must utterly surrender your will to the Creator. You must sincerely and bitterly repent of having carelessly gone your own way all these years—and repent of continually breaking and smashing God’s Holy law in both your thoughts and your actions. Real repentance means to be profoundly sorry—so sorry that you turn around and go the other way! You must, then, make a covenant with your Creator not only to stop breaking the Ten Commandments but—with the power of God’s promised Holy Spirit—to start keeping them as a way of life.

You must determine that, with God’s help, you will never let any desires or vanities or other “gods” come between you and the true God. That you will remember to keep holy His Sabbath day. That you will truly honor your parents. That you will not only refrain from committing murder, but will carefully guard your mind against even entertaining murderous thoughts of hatred or violence against your neighbor. That you will not only refrain from ever committing adultery, but you will not even let your mind dwell on lust (Matthew 5:27–28). You must also determine that you will constantly ask God for the strength not to steal, not to lie and not to covet. As we will explain, it is the power of Christ in you which enables you to keep the Ten Commandments as a way of life.

Remember, after real repentance from rebelling against God and a heartfelt disavowal of your own carnal ways and desires, you should be baptized—signifying your acceptance of, and faith in, Christ’s shed blood as payment for your past sins. After baptism, you are promised the “gift” of God’s Holy Spirit. Then, through His Spirit, Christ places His nature within you—His love, His faith, His strength to overcome your weaknesses and the temptations of Satan and this world.

The love you receive through God’s Spirit is not mere human love. It is the very love of God, “because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5).

Now how does this love operate? Let God’s Word give the true answer! “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Through God’s love placed in us by His Spirit, we are able to keep His commandments!

It is not through your mental strength, but through God’s spiritual power—which His Holy Spirit imparts—that you can follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ! You can yield to let Jesus live the same kind of life in you that He did live almost 2,000 years ago—keeping the same laws of God, worshiping on the same Holy Days that God ordained, remaining separate from this world’s society, politics and wars. And—through earnest prayer, constant Bible study, occasional fasting and consistent spiritual overcoming and growth—you can yield to let God fashion you in His image, to be resurrected as His Spirit-born child—possessed of His very nature!

This is, in fact, the very purpose of your existence!

The Spiritual POWER You Need

As we have seen, in order to keep God’s spiritual law and to overcome our own sinful ways, we need the love that only God can give. And this He has promised through His Spirit. Furthermore, we have just learned from 1 John 5:3 that God’s love operates through keeping His law.

Again, John—the Apostle Jesus especially loved in a personal way—writing near the end of the Apostolic Era, tells us that God’s love leads us to “keep His commandments.” And in spite of clever modern theological arguments to the contrary, John says God’s “commandments are not burdensome.”

A true Christian, then, will have God’s love flowing through him like “rivers of living water” (John 7:38–39). As he deeply studies the Bible and feeds on it, and as he fervently prays to God every day on his knees for the spiritual strength, faith, guidance and love he needs, the true Christian grows spiritually.

It is obvious that millions of professing Christians never change! They may have “grown up” in a particular church. Or they may have “accepted Jesus” in some evangelistic meeting. But in most cases, the “Christ” they have accepted is not the true Christ of the Bible! In most cases, the “gospel” they have been taught is not the Gospel of the Bible! Far too often, it is just an incomplete message about the person of Jesus Christ—teaching that the only thing we need to do is “believe” that He died for our sins.

Usually, these unwitting victims of Satan’s massive deception are not told to keep the Ten Commandments! They are not told that Christ must live the same kind of life within them that He lived as a human being almost 2,000 years ago. They are not told about the glorious good news of Tomorrow’s World—that all true saints are preparing to be kings and priests who will assist Christ in ruling the world (1 Corinthians 6:2–3; Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 5:9–10). The Apostle Paul was inspired to warn us about this false Christianity, which was already beginning in his day: “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it” (2 Corinthians 11:4)!

Unwittingly, most of us have “put up” with the kind of empty, namby-pamby “gospel” described above! Many people prefer this kind of watered-down “gospel” message, because it lets them feel comfortable in their sins. It is a kind of “cheap grace” (as Dietrich Bonhoffer put it) that by neglecting God’s Law tempts its adherents to “crucify again for themselves the Son of God” (Hebrews 6:6).

But the true Gospel tells Christians to grow and change—to develop the very character of God (cf. 1 Peter 1:15–16). The true Gospel—the real “Good News”—tells us that we are to be kings and priests in the soon-coming Kingdom of God (Luke 19:11–19; Revelation 20:6). Paul challenged the Corinthians: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2–3).

So, in this life, we are to wisely use the natural abilities God has given us to prepare for the goal of assisting Jesus Christ in bringing genuine peace and joy to this earth through a government based on God’s spiritual Law—the Ten Commandments. As all the world will eventually experience, we must have God’s Law written in our hearts and minds now: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put My Law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'” (Jeremiah 31:33).

As we actively surrender to allow God—through His Spirit—to build His very character within us, we should genuinely become better, kinder, more loving neighbors. We should become better, wiser, more dedicated workers or professional people. We should become more thoughtful, loving and patient fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. And we should become more zealous bondslaves of Jesus Christ in the great Work of His true Church—proclaiming the Truth to all nations.

As Paul wrote: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV). That is what true Christianity is all about—not merely believing in Christ, but having the Living Jesus Christ live within us by the power of the Holy Spirit! That is what gives us the spiritual strength and love to live by God’s law. It is not our strength. It is Christ’s strength—His power and His spiritual love placed within us by the Holy Spirit! For Christ lives within the true Christian. That is the key!

Bit by bit and step by step, each of us must “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Through God’s help and His Spirit in us, we are to surrender ourselves daily to let Jesus Christ live His life in us.

God’s Word tells us: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Since Jesus Christ bought and paid for each of us by shedding His own blood, true Christians need to realize their responsibility to seek God’s will daily in everything they think, say and do.

Certainly we will all stumble at times, falling short of the goal of letting Christ live in us. One must not be discouraged by this. It happens to everyone. John, the “Apostle of love,” wrote about this problem to the true Christians of his day: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).

So when we “slip up” after conversion and repeat old mistakes (or make new ones!), if we are truly repentant and confess these sins to God, He will forgive us. Further, as John stated, God will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Overcoming, then, takes time. It does not happen all at once. That is why we must never get discouraged and give up.

Is There Hope for Me?

Many people are wrongly convinced that God could never forgive them because their sins are so awful. Yet, speaking as a sinner in serious need of forgiveness, the prophet Micah wrote: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God?… .Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6–7).

The answer seems too good to be true: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (v. 8).

Jesus Christ, the Lord God of Israel, came into this world to save mankind—not to condemn us, but to condemn sin (cf. John 1:1, 11–14; 3:17; Romans 8:2–3). Our part is to repent, to accept Christ as our Savior, to turn toward God and His perfect law with our whole being—and to be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). God will completely forgive and forget the past sins of every person who takes these actions sincerely (1 John 1:8–9). There is no limit to the mercy and goodness God will show to every person who seeks Him wholeheartedly (cf. Jeremiah 29:12–13).

The Fruits of a True Christian

Jesus said: “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). The “fruits” or results of God’s Holy Spirit working in our lives show whether or not we are truly Christian. Jesus explained the most important thing for a Christian to do when He said: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37–39).

For the true Christian, God becomes the center of everything. The genuine Christian is really God-centered. He will want to please God in all his thoughts and actions. He will constantly remember that God is his Father and that Jesus is his Savior, his High Priest and his living, active Head. Therefore he will not be looking for clever trick arguments to “get around” keeping God’s commandments or His inspired Holy Days.

Rather, he will “feed” on Christ by constantly studying and drinking in the inspired Word of God, the Bible (cf. John 6:56–57). He will learn the habit of seeking God in earnest prayer as Jesus did (Mark 1:35). In all of this, he will learn to “walk with God”—to have his thoughts and actions more in tune with God and Christ every day of his Christian life.

A genuine Christian will also be led by God’s Spirit to “love his neighbor as himself.” He will strive, with God’s help and guidance, to be kind, loving and giving. The real Christian will seek to live by Christ’s instruction: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

A genuine follower of Jesus will strive to be a “giver”—to help, serve, encourage and lift up his fellow human beings. And he will put his whole heart into helping to give God’s precious Truth to others. As Daniel wrote: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

In his own life and personality, the Christian will, more and more, manifest the spiritual “fruit” that Paul described: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

Through Christ’s Spirit living within him, the true Christian will demonstrate love—a sincere, outflowing concern for all men—and warmth and affection for all those around him. And the true Christian will always have a deep and abiding love for God and for Christ His Savior. He will appreciate forever the fact that Jesus Christ came down to this earth to suffer, to shed His blood and to die in order to reconcile us with God. So the genuine Christian will have an everlasting feeling of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ!

Furthermore, true Christians will experience inward joy and peace, which are priceless. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). And all Christians will grow in the spirit of kindness, longsuffering, goodness and gentleness that the above passage describes.

Another vital fruit is faith—the spiritual strength to trust in God and demonstrate commitment to that trust in every area of life. As King David was inspired to state: “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:11–12).

The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control—the spiritual strength to master one’s sins and lusts in order to obey God. Again, if you truly surrender your heart, mind and will to God, accept Jesus Christ and are baptized in His name, you are promised the power of the Holy Spirit to give you this kind of strength and self-control.

Paul wrote to Timothy: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Through God’s Spirit, He gives us the power to obey His commandments. And our obedience shows that we have that Spirit. As John wrote, “he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24).

John also states: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (2:3–6). The Living Bible paraphrases these last two sentences: “That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.” And, as we know, Christ kept His Father’s commandments—including the fourth commandment—setting us an example. And as we know, Christ set us an example—by keeping the fourth commandment and all of His Father’s commandments (John 15:10).

But we should not expect “perfection” in our lives all at once! We have already learned that we are to “grow in grace and in knowledge.” The true Christian life is one of overcoming and growing to become more like Jesus Christ—even in our innermost thoughts and desires.

But for the true Christian, the magnificent future makes all the trials, tests and “growing pains” more than worth it (cf. Romans 8:18).

Keep Your Eyes on the GOAL

If God has called you to true understanding and you grasp what you have been reading in this booklet, you have undoubtedly been called to become a full son or daughter of God (2 Corinthians 6:18). The meaning and ultimate purpose of your calling is awesome.

For as you daily yield your thoughts, your time, your energy and your very life to letting Jesus Christ live His life in you, you will be building more and more of the very character of God. Month by month and year by year, you will be learning to think, act and live like Christ Himself.

Finally, at Jesus Christ’s return to this earth as King of kings, you will be either resurrected or changed from flesh into spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). As a Spirit-born child of God, you will then join with Jesus Christ in ruling the nations of this earth (Revelation 2:26) and in bringing the entire world genuine peace and joy at last!

In your own right, you will then be glorified as a ruling member of the Kingdom or Government of God. The Apostle John writes: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

In the resurrection, the true saints will be fully like Christ. They will be offered the awesome opportunity and responsibility to help rule the cities and nations of this earth. The Apostle John was inspired to reveal to us the “prayer of the saints” in Revelation 5:9–10: “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.'” The saints will then have glorified spirit bodies that will enable them to do the job. For they will never become tired, never become sick and never die!

Composed of spirit, filled with drive, energy and joy, the resurrected saints will live forever in the very Family of God. For they will have surrendered to let God build within them the very wisdom and character of Christ in order to assist Him in ruling this entire world and even judging angels!

Thus John continues: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Truly there is a transcendent reason to become a genuine Christian!

If you would like to know more about the glory and power ahead for true Christians, then call or write today for our truly exciting booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny. It is offered to you free for the asking—just phone us, or write to us at one of the addresses listed in the back of this booklet. If you have access to the Internet, you can view or download all this material, and more, from our Web site. Just go to www.tomorrowsworldhk.com and you will find dozens of booklets and articles, along with audio and video programs, to help you learn more about these vital topics.

And if you wish to talk to someone personally about baptism, meet with others who believe the Truth, or inquire about related matters, please write or call us and request a visit. And also request our very informative booklet, Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning.

All of us who understand God’s Truth have every good reason to want to yield to the God who made us, accept His Son as our Savior and Lord, surrender our lives to live by every Word of God, keep His commandments, allow him to build within us His character and so prepare for the real Tomorrow’s World—the soon-coming Kingdom of our God to be set up on this earth.

Booklet Category

John 3:16

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 20:54:49 +0000

John 3:16 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 20:54

John 3:16

Gerald E. Weston

Booklet Media

#Afterlife

#God

#golden verse

#Jesus Christ

#John 3:16

How does God’s love for the world, and for you individually, affect His Eternal promise for you and all mankind? You can understand John 3:16 in a much more profound way than you might ever have!

Booklet Category

Doctrine

God

The Afterlife