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The Bible teaches only one church that each of us must join, for us to be saved by Jesus Christ. In fact, the Church in the Bible will become God'’ instrument in making the Gentiles heirs to the promise of eternal life. This is what is written in Ephesians 3:10-11—
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose of which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Therefore, the church is the medium that God uses in order to make known “the principalities and powers in heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose.” If there are Gentiles who want to go back to God, to be worthy of salvation which will come from our Lord Jesus Christ, they must make themselves a part of the body, or the Church. And all of those who claim that the church is no longer necessary are all liars and deceivers!
Now, we may ask, what could be the reason why, instead of just joining the Church of God, they preferred to build their own churches? We can read the answer in Romans 10:2-3—
“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
What could be the motive of these people who built their own churches? In Isaiah 56:10-11, it says—
“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark: sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds, that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, everyone for his gain, from his quarter.”
What is the reason why they turned to their own way? Why did they build their own church, and teach their own doctrines? According to the Bible, it is because each of them only thought of personal gains. In other words, these pastors are teaching and preaching only for personal gains … only for money! Aside from that, the Bible also said that, they are never satisfied with what they have. In fact, formerly, the people that we see in the streets that are asking for alms are the needy – the beggars, who are financially hard up. We see them dirty, and they wear tattered clothes. But nowadays, aside from those beggars, there are other mendicants in the streets. But unlike the beggars, these mendicants are well dressed. They even wear long sleeved shirt and necktie. And in their desire to solicit as much alms, they capitalize on the name of the Lord. They deceive people by saying that the alms that they give are offerings to the Lord.
Beware of those people! What they do is a clear deception. They tell the people that the money they give is for the Lord, but the truth is, they are using the money in constructing buildings and mansions, and even palaces, for their pastors. And why have those pastors gone to that point? According to a prophecy in the Bible, it is because these pastors are like greedy dogs, whose stomachs are never filled. And at this point, it is no longer surprising to see religious leaders acting like dogs. This is what the Apostle Peter prophesied in II Peter 2:1-3, which says—
“But there were false prophets who among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And though covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
The ulterior motive of these false prophets is to make business out of religion. They make business out of the people’s faith. They teach damnable heresies whose inevitable end is destruction and damnation. It’s a shame that they are even addressed as “reverend,” “most reverend,” or “his eminence.” This is but a confirmation that they are really fond of earthly honors. Of course, I am not saying that all of them are like that but what I mean is that, those titles of respect are not supposed to be used by men. This is in Psalms 111:9—
“He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.”
In the entire Bible, it is only in this verse that the word “reverend” is used. And this word is attributed only to the Lord. However, today, so many preachers have attached the word “reverend” to their names. They do not even show shamefulness to the Lord. They have been trying persistently to make themselves of equal rank to God.
Ironically though, most of those so-called “reverend” are cheaters and liars. They are only using religion to amass wealth. They are using their religious organizations as a front to their business. Actually, if you are going to study the beginnings of many pastors today, you will find out that most of them were but good-for-nothing loafers. But today, they are already millionaires … living in plush palaces … riding very expensive cars.
But our group believes that, in serving God, benefits and personal gains must be out of the question. In fact, in serving God, you have to sacrifice a lot, in terms of material things. Serving God is rewarding only in matters of spirituality. Anyone who thinks that religion is a means of enriching oneself is not of God! That is what I Timothy 6:3-5 says—
“If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrines which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
We must avoid those kinds of beliefs because they will never help us in attaining salvation. Instead, they will just bring us to destruction and damnation.
Do you want to be a part of our Lord’s salvation come judgment day? The Bible teaches us how. Everyone must make himself a part of the Church, which is written in the Bible – The CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS, PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH.
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Bible
The
Way to Salvation
