Article 42
SIN HAS CONFUSED MAN AND MAN HAS CONFUSED THE TRUTH OF GOD !
Israel was God` s true people for 2,000 years. Then they crucified Christ.
God` s church at Rome became confused and formed the Holy Roman Empire which used the state to enforce its teaching and to kill those who resisted . It ended in 1798 after 1260 years of persecution.
It is the Catholic Church of the past that is referred to here. There are many true believers in the Catholic Church of today.
According to Revelation 13 another power will appear and for 1260 days or 3 ½ literal years, and will form an IMAGE to the Holy Roman Empire [beast] which will again use the state to enforce its teachings.
As of today, the USA is the only political power with enough world influence to do this. It is the world` s super power and the center of Christian endeavors with more churches, preachers, seminaries, publishing houses and the base for more missionaries.
One point of confusion is that most churches teach that man must have faith, believe, repent and be baptized to be saved. It is true that those in the kingdom will have had faith, believed and repented .
However, these are gifts of God :
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [faith] not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9 .
Here are more texts which confirm the truth of this one :
Romans 12:3; Matthew 16:17; Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2Timothy 2:25.
Please read them all.
If man could do some thing that would save him, it would be salvation by works.
Our Judeo-Christian religion began 4,000 years ago when Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees. The ruins of Ur are found in Iraq which in old times was known as Babylonia.
Abraham was called out of Babylon. In the ancient tongue the word Babylon means Gate of God. In the Bible it is associated with the confusion of the language at the Tower of Babel. Yet it was the people who were confused thinking that they could build a tower which would reach to heaven.
BABYLON IS A CONFUSED GATE OF GOD !
BABYLON IS A CONFUSED WAY TO HEAVEN !
As mentioned above, most believe that they must have faith and repent when these are gifts of God. An even more serious point of confusion is illustrated by Lucifer` s experience .
He was beautiful. God made him that way. It was sin when Lucifer became focused on GOD` S WORK IN HIS PERSON, rather than on God who had done the work. Ezekiel 28:13-19.
THEREFORE AS BY THE OFFENCE OF ONE JUDGMENT CAME UPON ALL MEN TO CONDEMNATION; EVEN SO BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ONE THE FREE GIFT CAME UPON ALL MEN UNTO JUSTIFICATION.
Romans 5:18.
We became sinners by what Adam did.
We become righteous before God because of what Jesus did.
Read the whole passage, verses 12-19.
It is clearly stated in Romans 3:24 that our redemption is IN – emphasis on IN – Jesus Christ … and not IN us.
BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.
IN THE LORD SHALL ALL THE SEED OF ISRAEL BE JUSTIFIED, AND GLORY. Isaiah 45:25.
IN HIS DAYS SHALL JUDAH BE SAVED , AND ISRAEL SHALL DWELL SAFELY: AND THIS IS HIS NAME WHEREBY HE SHALL BE CALLED
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS !
Jeremiah 23:6. See I Corinthians 1: 30.
Man was created in God` s IMAGE who is good, outgoing, concerned for others and willing to sacrifice for their good. Because of sin, man became SELF-centered, ego-centric, and is entirely focused on himself. His strongest urge is SELF preservation .
Just as Lucifer became focused on God` s WORK IN HIS PERSON rather that on God who did the work, so it is today.
The preaching, teaching and Bible study is about man, his new birth, his sanctification, his success in the new life, and his abiding trust in God.
No such example can be found the New Testament.
THIS IS THE CONFUSION WHICH IF POSSIBLE THAT WOULD DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT !
The Apostle Paul tells us that the gospel is about Christ who died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day. I Corinthians 15:1-4.
There is not one word about man and his experience which is a consequence, a results a fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT HIM !