Greetings,
What we are going to do here is observe a number of issues often misquoted of the Church and the Salvation Message of the Gospel. Then we shall answer these issues according to doctrine. The dialog in this document has been written simplistic in nature, so that all visitors might understand the issues which will be presented and answered herein. Blessings to you all in Christ Jesus. Please read on.
Myths often believed about the Church
Many people believe that as long as I attend a church and am a good and moral person I shall go to Heaven. Well, that is not the way it is explained in the Holy Bible. First off the Word of God points out that our righteousness (or goodness in deed) is as filthy rags to God.
Isaiah:64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Isaiah:53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Rom:3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.This is understood when you try to look at it thru the eyes of God. Because we are born sinners and have failed so many times to be completely without sin (as Jesus did) God sees us as nothing but carnal sinners in our own flesh. But when one becomes part of the body of Christ, all things of the flesh (spiritually) are washed away by the effectual work of the cross and the obedience of Baptism in JESUS name.
1Cor:6:11: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Rv:7:14: And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.So to say that any church and any moral way of living will give you salvation and merit favor in Gods eyes is to fool yourself. There are prerequisites given in the word of God for salvation to be imputed upon your soul. There is Repentance, Baptism in Jesus name and Receiving the Promise of the seal of God upon your soul (The Holy Ghost). These are the beginning prerequisites. One must then live a life led of Gods word and HIS Holy Spirit to become justified in them.
Acts:2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye "SHALL" receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
There are many denominational quote/unquote Christian Churches in the world. These have all separated themselves because this church wanted to believe this scripture and that church that scripture. But let me say this, the true church of God walks not in this or that scripture. The True Church of God walks in the WHOLE scripture. You can go to the priest and do all your confessions in your little box, but you better check what the word of God says first. You can pray to Mary, but you better check the whole word of God before you do. You can call your leader John Smith, but you better check what the Bible says about Jesus returning to the world and how valid Mr. Smiths documentations are (revised over 3,000 times). So what do we do? What we do is we obey the ENTIRE word of God beginning at the alter with the words found in ACTS 2:38 which is noted above. The choice is yours.
The truth about the Church (Bride of Christ)
Now let us observe what signs are those of the True Church of God:
The New Testament Messianic Church began on the Day of Pentecost. But the church actually began with the nation of Israel and all those who obeyed the oracles given unto the Prophets by God. Those who obeyed were called "the seed of Abraham". The church (from the day of Pentecost forward) is also called the "the spiritual seed of Abraham, "because of our faith in Jesus". It is important to understand that the Church today is spiritually equal with Old Testament Israel for a number of reasons. Firstly because she is a spiritual virgin (pure in the eyes of Christ). This is because she has been cleansed and purged of all unrighteousness in the blood of Jesus. She has been born again of the Spirit of Jesus Messiah (the Holy Ghost). She is a new "creature" in Christ. All that was prophesied by the Old Testament Prophets and the Law, WAS FULFILLED IN CHRIST JESUS, THROUGH HIS BIRTH, LIFE, MINISTRY, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND GLORIFICATION.
The following is a list of biblical qualifications for one to truly be numbered as part of the Church body:(1) One must come before an alter of God and Humble his or her self before the Lord by confessing to God that he or she is a born sinner and is in need of the Grace given unto all men by the sacrifice on the cross by the Lord Jesus. This is not just a "say it" confession. This must come from the heart. You must have a will to want to change and be transformed by the confession of your faith and the working of the Holy Ghost which WILL be given if you obey the word of God as it is written in Acts 2:38.
Acts:2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(2) One must have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. There are many controversies on this subject, They have been explained in greater detail on the baptism page on this site. You can learn more about the name required in baptism by clicking here. In short I will say however that the Apostles walked and talked with the Lord Jesus for over three years. They understood what the Lord meant by his words Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Ghost:
Matthew:28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
They obeyed that command on the day of Pentecost. When Peter stood up before the multitude of those who had just heard the Apostles numbered with the 120 Galileans in the upper room prophecy in their own native tongues. The people were pricked in their hearts as to what Peter had told them. He reminded them that it was they who had killed the Lord and they felt convicted immediately and asked "What must we do". Then Peter answered the Question of Baptism and the name to be baptized under by saying:
Acts:2:38: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins....
It is at this point of Scripture that we might conclude that Peters command for Jesus named baptism was the understood interpretation of the Apostles when the Lord had spoken the words Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They knew very well who the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost was. They knew his name all too well. They had sojourned with him for over three years. There is only one name whereby we MUST be saved; not three:
Acts:4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
(3) The third and final requirement to be a saint or true Bride of Christ is to have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some believe that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being filled with the spirit of God, but it is not. Jesus stated that we would know the ones who are his saints by the fruit that they would bring forth. Tongues is one of the gifts of the spirit. None of the gifts of the spirit are evidence of the spirit of God. Satan can imitate every gift, but Satan cannot bring forth only good fruit in ones life. If someone is not a true Christian they will appear to be a tree of good and evil.
John:3:5-8:
5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.Mk:16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
So let's observe that he says believeth (or believes) and is baptized. The argument as to the requirement of baptism as it pertains to Water and Spirit (as commanded by Jesus in John 3:5) can be answered by the above points of Scripture. You must receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost to have the seal of God upon your soul. It is not a point of argument, it is a commandment of God, a requirement. God has always made provisions in his dealings of Grace with men throughout the age of mankind. He commands it and we (by free choice) either accept it as truth, or deny it and suffer the consequences on the last day. The controversy of this point of Scripture shall end for each man or woman on his or her last day. We shall all see who is right then.
In closing let me point out a few scriptures on the Bride of Christ:
Mt:9:15: And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
A message to the World and those who chose not to believe the words of Christ before the Church (Bride) has been taken away by Jesus (the Bridegroom):
Rv:18:23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
A final message of Grace to all who would have and ear to hear the truth and believe (While the church is here on earth and you still have a chance):
Rv:22:17: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
It is my hope that all who have not answered the calling of the Lord will hear the message of this site and come to the Lord. He will give you all mercy if you will but humble yourselves before him. Satan is the father of pride. It is his pride that caused one-third of the angels of heaven to believe his lies and follow him in rebellion against the Lord. One-third of these angels shall be put to the lake of fire because of this deceiver (Lucifer). And yet, we see that it is our own pride or shame that seems to keep us from the church house and a holy way of living. Please hear me on this. Do not let yourselves be any longer deceived and bound by foolish pride. It will be and eternal mistake to do so.
You have grace under the blood of Jesus Christ to cover your sins. Why don't you throw down your pride and run for an alter. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, would you run to that alter? Well, you don't know. Only God knows. I say, it is all the more reason to run to that alter. Because you don't know the number of your days. Be not deceived, that which a man sews (deeds of the flesh) he shall also reap (judgment of the flesh).
Gal:6:7: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
If you choose Christ and the PROVISIONS written above which are made not of this author but of the author of the Holy Bible (GOD), then your fleshly deeds can and will be covered under the sacrificial blood Jesus gave on the cross. It is the reason he came into this world. Please make the right choice. I speak to those not currently in the true (Baptized in Jesus name, Holy Ghost filled) church of course. Don't let yourselves be deceived into thinking that your good deeds or "I am a good person" will get you into the Kingdom of Heaven. Those words would be contrary to the word of God:
Isa:53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.So we see clearly in the above scriptures just what God thinks of our "I'm a good person" statements. He clearly identifies the righteousness or deeds of man as filthy rags. It is only our faith in Christ and the working of the Cross that merits any favor with God. You cannot "DO GOOD" your way into Heaven. It is ONLY the Grace of God that allows us to enter. And this is done by obedience to his provisions called for in Acts 2:38 along with a continued life of obedience to the ENTIRE word of God; keeping his word with all diligence and faith unto ETERNAL LIFE.
And a final message to you all about the grace of God toward all nations:
2 Chronicles:7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
So it is written, so it shall become.