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How Iniquity Can Affect the Church of God #3
Fred R. Coulter
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In this sermon we will essentially cover Protestantism. Many of the things concerning Catholicism we've already covered and know how pagan they are.
Let's begin this by going to Gal. 1, because here is what happens with the mystery of lawlessness. They do have some of the laws of God, which they keep and profess, but then they reject mainly the Sabbath, Holy Days and idolatry. Then they add in their other own writing.
The Catholics, in particularly, have what are called the 'church fathers.' The church fathers are the ones who were the Gnostics at the end of the first century and the beginning of the second century, where they were changing the doctrines over to what eventually became the Catholic Church.
In Protestantism we see there was beginning with it a move away from Catholicism because it got so absolutely corrupt. Even though you're involved right in the middle of the mystery of iniquity of Catholicism, you could see how absolutely wrong that it was.
All of this began back here in Gal. 1, because Satan is in a war against the Church. One of the ways he attacks it, when he cannot come against people to kill them openly, is by stealth to attack doctrine and to pervert the Gospel.
Galatians 1:6: "I am astonished…" Paul wrote this in 52-53AD. So, it started early on. This is why in the end-time that true doctrine from the Scriptures is so important. Jesus said that when He would come to the earth, 'would He find the faith, meaning the true faith that He originally delivered and gave to His apostles?
So, Paul was "…astonished that you are so quickly being turned away from Him Who called you into the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which in reality is not another Gospel; but there are some who are troubling you and are desiring to pervert the Gospel of Christ" (vs 6-7).
What Paul is really saying here is that there is only one true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which He brought and that the apostles taught. There is no other Gospel! When people pervert it, they even use Scripture. That's the thing that is so confounding which many people do not understand or realize.
Verse 8: "But if we…" Paul is including the brethren here,
Verse 2: "And all the brethren who are with me…" We also includes the apostles because later on he takes on Peter who was beginning to pervert the Gospel by going back to Judaism; which was a hard thing to do if you're an apostle to the circumcised. It's easy to get wrapped up in that.
Verse 8: "…or even an angel from heaven…" This covers something very important because what has been told to many people is that after Christ rose from the dead the angels gave the message, which then formed the basis of Gnosticism. So, they claimed that angels were revealing these things; meaning that demons were. "…or even an angel from heaven…" even an angel from God. If Gabriel came, who was an angel who he said 'stands in the presence of God,' if he came and brought another gospel:
"…should preach a gospel to you that is contrary to what we have preached, LET HIM BE ACCURSED!" (v 8). Here, Paul is bring anathema to angels and men as well.
Verse 9: "As we have said before, I also now say again. If anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to what you have received, LET HIM BE ACCURSED!" Here he's bringing anathema to angels and men, as well.
We saw this happen even within the Church of God even by the so-called apostle of God who changed the Gospel. Many people didn't even recognize it or understand it.
- How did he change the Gospel?
- What is the Gospel?
- The Gospel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of the coming Kingdom of God!
It was subtly changed from the Gospel of Christ to the gospel of 'give and get.' That is perverting the Gospel. Did it bring a curse upon the Church? Yes, it did! It has almost been wiped from the face of the earth, from what we've understood from the past.
He also said that once he gave this message to the leaders, then the leaders were responsible to preaching it to the masses of their people. Nowhere in the Scriptures do you find that that was authorized to do. That is one of the major perversions of the Gospel that took place. There were others that took place, which we won't get into.
It brings a curse. The reason this was done was so that this apostle, as he was called, would be able to have entrance into the kings and leaders of the world. So, he modified the Gospel as he was counseled by his 'right-hand councilman,' so that he could get in and preach to them. What happened was that they ended up pleasing men.
Do you think that the Apostle Paul would go in and sit down and have a jolly nice dinner—with many toasts and friendship talk—with the king of Thailand, knowing that he was the head of the Buddhist religion in Thailand, and that every year his official duty was to change the clothes of the official state idol? Do you think the Apostle Paul would come in there and talk to him about the gospel of 'give and get'? or Do you think the Apostle Paul would call him to repentance and to stop his idolatry?
Verse 10: "Now then, am I striving to please men, or God? Or am I motivated to please men? For if I am yet pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Because the Truth hurts! The Truth cuts and people don't like the Truth!
Rather than repenting when they hear the Truth, they want to defend their own actions. If you try and please people, rather than please God… Paul, ended up all alone when he was finished. He said, 'All of those in Asia have left me.' Everyone wanted to end up with a gospel that pleased men. That's exactly what has happened to Protestantism. I think we will see how powerful that is.
2-Corinthians 2:17: "For we are not like the many…" When Paul uses the word 'many,' that means that there were a lot of people going around there. We have the same thing today. We have literally hundreds of thousands that corrupt the Word of God. They can get on the Internet and say anything they want to and affect many people all around the world just anytime anyone wants to click onto the website.
"…who for their own profit are corrupting the Word of God…" (v 17). How do they corrupt the Word of God? By giving false interpretations! The main way they do it is by saying that God didn't mean what He said. He says, concerning themselves:
"…but we speak with sincerity, as from God, and before God, and in Christ" (v 17).
2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain…" (vs 1-2). That's a continuing thing of putting down human nature, but in handling the Word of God it means that they are handling it properly.
"…not walking in cunning craftiness…" (v 2). That is having a secret agenda.
There was a Seventh-Day Adventist minister in Holland who took his congregation and went to a Catholic Church on Sunday and the Seventh-Day Adventist minister got up there and gave the Roman Catholic Mass right in the Catholic Church. That could not be done unless he was a Jesuit; absolutely could not be done. He received a mild reprimand and then a promotion, which is you move him to another area.
"…nor handling the Word of God deceitfully…" (v 2). That's exactly what happens in all of these cases. We're going to see some of that. That's why this is called the mystery of iniquity, in 2-Thess. 2. The Greek behind it is 'anomia' which means lawlessness.
"…but by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God. But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (vs 2-4).
Then Paul talks about false apostles in 2-Cor. 11, who come as 'ministers of light' and 'ministers of righteousness,' but they are workers of Satan the devil.
Jude is really a powerful little book, showing what was really taking place. If this exhortation was given to them at that time, just think how much more this applies to us.
Jude 3: "Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled…"—which means obligated before God and Christ.
"…to write to you, exhorting you to ferventlyfight for the faith, which once for all time has been delivered to the saints" (v 3). Today, that is even much more powerful for us.
I just read a report that said that the American people today are:
- so complacent
- so set in the things that they are doing
- so mesmerized by prosperity and peace
—that they don't understand what is happening. They don't want to hear anything bad and negative. They don't want to be told the truth. He put in there that nearly all of the conservative preaching ministries that are out there, have fallen off by 75% in income. Can you imagine that? People don't want to hear it!
With us today, it is so easy to let little things—problems, difficulties, cares of this life—to crowd in so that we don't apply ourselves to the vocation of maintaining our relationship with God. Today, v 3 applies to us more profoundly than back then.
Verse 4: "For certain men have stealthily crept in…" We didn't know it; they came in. We've had different ones down through the years even try it with us. I think 1995 at the Feast of Tabernacles was a great assault against us. It was really a tremendous battle going on. They want to come in because they hate Sabbath-keepers. They hate the Truth of God. They want to establish their own ecumenical thing.
"…those who long ago have been written about, condemning them to thisjudgment…" (v 4). The KJV says, 'who were before ordained to this condemnation.' It means who were written of before, of old or "…who long ago have been written about…" in Isa., Jer., Ezek, and the other Prophets.
"…They are ungodly men, who are perverting the grace of our God, turning it into licentiousness, and are personally denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (v 4). We're going to see how they changed this into lasciviousness.
I'm going to read you a quote of Martin Luther. I remember the first time that I ever heard something akin to this was from a woman who talked to a Baptist woman who said that 'once saved, always saved.' In other words, this is what is called in Protestantism 'eternal security.' Once you are saved, you can never be lost. That is completely against Scripture. Paul says that those who have sinned willfully, are looking forward to the 'fiery indignation,' which we know is the second death in the Lake of Fire.
This woman told her, 'Oh, I don't have to even worry about any of the laws of God; I'm saved, and nothing can take me away from the Lord.' So she said, 'Okay. Let me ask you a question. If you were in the middle of an act of committing adultery and it was time for the rapture—in other words, using their own theories—would you be taken away in the rapture?' She said, 'Yes, I would, absolutely.'
Where did this thinking come from? I'll tell you; it came from Martin Luther! Martin Luther's real attempt was to reform the Catholic Church, but He couldn't reform the Catholic Church so what he did was he carried over into it. He never got to the point of really even understanding about the Sabbath and Holy Days. I think that there was one point in his life where he came close. Here's what he wrote concerning what is called 'eternal security':
Quote from Martin Luther (letter No. 99, Aug. 1, 1521, The Wittenberg Project, The Wartburg Segment) http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2005/12/luther-be-sinner-and-let-your-sins-be.html
"Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides... No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day."
That is lasciviousness, because 'by grace we are saved, through faith,' but we are not saved in our sins, we are saved from our sins. This kind of thing is being saved in your sins. We're going to see that Tyndale is a little different and he was martyred. We'll see why.
Let's come to Rom. 5 to show that sin brings wrath and sin brings death: The wages of sin is death! That's what Luther's talking about right here, sinning a thousand times a day. Can you imagine if you killed a thousand people each day that you think you would be saved? I don't think anyone has the energy to commit adultery a thousand times a day, but I suppose in battle you could kill a thousand people every day. That means that when we understand it, if that be true, the SS Gestapo are the sons of God, because they killed how many Jews during the Holocaust? That means that the troops of Stalin—who believed in Orthodoxy and killed many people—are the sons of God because 'once saved, always saved.' That cannot be!
Romans 5:6: "For even when we were without strength, at the appointed time Christ died for the ungodly…. [not so they can continue in their ungodliness] …For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, although perhaps someone might have the courage even to die for a good man. But God commends His own love to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (vs 6-8)—to bring us out of sin. Christ said several times in the Gospels, 'Go and sin no more.'
Verse 9: "Much more, therefore, having been justified now 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 own Son, much more then, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (vs 9-10). That is only if you:
- understand about baptism
- receive the proper baptism
- the Holy Spirit
- walk in grace and knowledge
- continue keeping the commandments of God
That's how you're going to be saved. We covered that many times.
Let's see what Tyndale had to say. I believe if he had not been martyred—I'll have to say that this is my opinion—just reading what he wrote here in what is called A Pathway into the Holy Scripture, where he says that 'the way you understand the Holy Scriptures is the plain sense of what it means.' You don't give allegories to it, you don't add to it, you don't take away from it, you understand exactly what it says. He says here, concerning Christ:
From: A Pathway into the Holy Scripture by William Tyndale: (http://www.newmatthewbible.org/pathway.html)
Things to keep in mind and memory
These things are important to know:
First, the law, and that it is natural righteousness and equity
Or as we would say today, equitable. Far contrary to what Luther was preaching.
That we have but one God to put our hope and trust in, and we are to love him with all the heart, all the soul, and all our might and power….
We are not to move heart nor hand but at his commandment…
Don't add to or take away from, that's what he's saying.
…because he first created us from nothing, and heaven and earth for our sakes. And afterwards, when we had marred ourselves through sin, he forgave us and created us again in the blood of his beloved Son.
Let's go to Eph. 2 and see exactly what he's talking about, showing that he understood this. He wrote this, I believe, two years before his martyrdom. I forget the exact year of his martyrdom: 1532 or 1534. Remember, he published the first New Testament in 1525. So, that's just a period of nine years.
What he did is he translated this to send it to England and he caused the Reformation to take place in England because of what he wrote. It started off on a different footing than the Reformation in Germany. You can see how that Luther ended up. Sooner or later, all Protestantism came to that. Had William Tyndale lived longer, I believe he would have fully embraced the Sabbath and Holy Days. You'll see when I read some of the other things about how to understand the Scriptures. What happened was, they twisted and turned it.
Romans 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this especially is not of your own selves…"—meaning, it doesn't come from within you. You don't love God so that you have a warm feeling in your heart so that you can make up your own laws and rules, and so forth. You can't do that. You love God so you can keep His commandments. "…not of your own selves…"—so anything you have comes from God!
"…it is the gift of God… [this is what he is talking about here with the gifts of God] …not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, being in Christ Jesus unto the good works…" (vs 8-10).
Tyndale talks about that we are 'created us again in the blood of His beloved Son.' He understood that that God was creating in us His Holy, righteous and perfect character.
"…that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them" (v 10).
That we are to hold the name of our one God in fear and reverence, and that we are not to dishonor his name in swearing by it about light trifles or vanities, or call it to record for the confirming of wickedness or falsehood or anything that is to the dishonor of God—which is the breaking of his laws…
Showing that he believed that you shouldn't sin after you've been saved.
…or doing what tends to hurt our neighbor.
Isn't it very interesting that you hear a lot about Luther when you get into Protestantism, but you hear very little about William Tyndale. This is why; what I'm reading to you right now:
And inasmuch as he is our Lord and God and we are his double possession, by creation and redemption, and therefore we ought not (as I said) to move heart or hand without his commandment, it is right to have needful holy days to come together.…
I believe he was on the verge of accepting them. First he translated the New Testament, which he didn't understand the Holy Days at that time, I'm convinced, but then he translated the Old Testament and he got half of it translated before he was martyred. I think that if he would have finished the whole thing, we would have seen this thought concerning 'needful Holy Days,' to come to fruition concerning the Sabbath and true Holy Days of God.
…These times are to learn his will—both the law which he will have us ruled by, and also the promises of mercy upon which he will have us place our trust; and to give thanks together to God for his mercy; and to commit our infirmities …
Infirmities means weakness of human nature.
…to him through our Savior Jesus; and to reconcile ourselves to him and to each other, if anything has come between brother and brother that requires it. And only for such purposes, and such as visiting the sick and needy and redressing peace and unity, were the holy days ordained, and to this extent they are to be kept holy from all manner of work that may be conveniently let go for the time, until these be done and no further; but then lawfully to work.
That is, after that.
And even so, he who trusts in anything except God and his Son Jesus Christ keeps no commandment at all in the sight of God. For he that has trust in any creature, whether in heaven or in earth, except God and his Son Jesus, can see no reason to love God with all his heart &c., nor to abstain from dishonoring his name, nor to keep the holy day for the love of his doctrine, nor to obey lovingly the rulers of this world; nor any reason to love his neighbor as himself or abstain from hurting him if and when he may get some profit by him while keeping himself safe. And likewise, I may obey no worldly power against the law to love my neighbor as myself, if to do anything at any man's commandment would be to the hurt of my neighbor who has not deserved it, even if he is a Turk [of a Muslim tribe, generally fierce and marauding].
Turk in the 1500s means the Turks they pushed back from invading Europe.
And to know how contrary this law is to our nature, and understand that it is condemnation not to have this law written in our hearts even though we never commit the forbidden deeds…
The Protestants claim that they are preaching the New Covenant. What I want to point out is that had they followed Tyndale instead of Luther, I think that the whole history would be entirely different. What Tyndale is saying here is that we are to have these laws written in our hearts and in our minds, which is the New Covenant.
Hebrews 10:16: "'This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will give My laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds'"—which is the total opposite of what Luther said.
If you had God's laws written in your heart and in your mind, you could never do as Luther said, 'No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery a thousand times each day.' There are a lot of people who like to read that and like to say, 'Oh, yes. That's good. We like that.'
Revelation 21:8: "But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators…" Which is adultery a thousand times a day. Would you not say that's whoremongering? Yes!
"…and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death" (v 8). No salvation!
And to know how contrary this law is to our nature…
That's why God had to command it.
…and understand that it is condemnation not to have this law written in our hearts even though we never commit the forbidden deeds; and how there is no other way to be saved from this condemnation than through repentance toward the law and faith in Christ's blood, which are the very inward baptism of our souls.…
That is being converted.
…Of these, the washing and the dipping of our bodies in the water are the outward sign.
The outward plunging of the body under water signifies that we repent inwardly, and that we profess to fight against sin and lusts and to kill them every day more and more with the help of God…
These are the writings, I believe, of a converted man. It could not be anything other.
…and with our diligence in following the doctrine of Christ and the leading of his Spirit. It also signifies that we believe ourselves to be washed from the natural condemnation in which we are born…
The 'law of sin and death.'
…and from all the wrath of the law and from all the infirmities and weaknesses that yet remain in us after we have consented to the law…
Just like Paul, 'I consent to the law that it is good, it is holy, it is true, its righteous.' What does it do? It points out that I, personally, am a sinner!
…and yielded ourselves to be students thereof….
Yield ourselves to understand the law and the Word of God.
…And we believe ourselves to be washed from all the imperfectness of all our deeds done with cold love, and from all actual sins which chance upon us while we try to do differently and fight against them, hoping to sin no more.
Quite different from Luther.
Thus repentance and faith begin at our baptism and when we first profess the laws of God. They continue unto our life's end, and grow as we grow in the Spirit: for the more perfect we are, the greater is our repentance and the stronger our faith….
That's why those who know the Truth of God, the longer you have God's Spirit, the more that you're going to be in a constant attitude of repentance because you understand what human nature really is and there are the pulls of the flesh that you're dealing with.
This is very interesting what William Tyndale wrote. This is for our edification today. I know in reading many of the things that he wrote I get very inspired. You can tell that it's the Spirit of God motivating him to do it. That's one of the reasons why he was martyred. You've seen the video The Indestructible Book. I've seen that perhaps 30 or 40 times. Maybe more. It inspires me every time I see it.
And thus, as the Spirit and doctrine on God's part and repentance and faith on our part, beget us anew in Christ….
Are we begotten anew? Yes! That's what Peter said. Tyndale does use 'born again' in other places, but I think toward the end of his life he's got it more closely defined than when he first started.
1-Peter 1:2: "Who have been chosen according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father, by sanctification through the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (vs 2-3). William Tyndale knew that.
…they also make us grow ever more perfect and save us unto the end; and never leave us until all sin be put off and we are clean purified and full formed and fashioned after the similitude and likeness of the perfection of our Savior Jesus, whose gift all is.
And finally, to know that whatsoever good thing is in us, it is the gift of grace and therefore not a result of our deserving the same…
In other words, God was not obligated to give it to us.
…although many things are given by God which otherwise would not be, through our diligence in working his laws and chastising our bodies, praying for them and believing his promises; still, our working does not mean we deserve these gifts any more than the diligence of a merchant in seeking a good ship brings the goods safely to land, although such diligence does now and then assist. But when we believe in God and then do all we can in our strength, and do not test him, then he is true to his promise to help us. And he will perform alone when our strength is past.
In other words, this is totally the opposite of what Luther wrote.
Conclusion
To know these things, I say, is to have all the scripture unlocked and opened before you…
In other words, he's saying that this is the only way you're going to understand the Scriptures because this is taken from A Pathway into the Holy Scripture.
…so that if you will go in and read, you cannot but understand. And to be ignorant in these things is to have all the scripture locked up…
If you reject it it's going to be locked up and you won't understand it.
…so that the more you read it, the blinder you are and the more contrariety you find in it…
That is if you approach it from a carnal point of view.
…and the more tangled you become in it, to be unable to find the way through it. For if you have a gloss in one place, in another place it will not serve. And therefore because we are never taught the profession of our baptism we remain always unlearned—as much the spiritual leaders for all their great clergy and high learning (so-called) as the lay people.
In other words, all the clergy of the Catholic Church.
And now, because the lay and unlearned people are taught these first principles of our profession, they read the scripture and understand and delight in it. And our great pillars of the holy church, who have nailed a veil of false glosses on Moses' face…
In other words, covering up the laws of God.
…to corrupt the true understanding of his law, cannot come in. And therefore they bark and say the scripture makes heretics. And it is not possible for them to understand the scripture in English because they do not understand it in Latin. And from pure malice, because they cannot have their way, they slay their brethren for their faith in our Savior—and thereby show forth their bloody wolfish tyranny and what they are within, and whose disciples they are.
Herewith, reader, be committed unto the grace of our Savior Jesus, to whom, and to God our Father through him, be praise forever and forever. Amen
That's how he finished A Pathway into the Holy Scripture, giving people the understanding that follows along right with this Psalm.
Let's go to Psa. 111:7: "The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever; they are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto His people; He has commanded His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever" (vs 7-10). That's just what William Tyndale said.
Tyndale was giving the correct understanding and he died for the Word of God and the testimony that he held. It's just a very sorrowful thing that the world did not follow through, especially the English people, did not follow through with what he wrote. A lot of the clergy that came into the Anglican Church were just warmed over Catholics. There was a raging war between the time of the martyrdom of William Tyndale in 1534 and before King James said we need to up-grade the Bible and the King James Version was put out. Remember this: Ninety percent of the King James Version of the Bible is the translation of William Tyndale.
I want you to see a comparison of some of the doctrines of Protestantism in the Churches of God. These are not all the doctrines. It doesn't cover the 'rapture,' which the rapture is an insidious counterfeit of God taking some of His people to a place of safety. That's why the Protestants go along with the same attitude as Luther, that we're comfortable in our sins and the grace of God will help us and when the rapture comes we'll all be raptured away and we'll be taken away from the Tribulation and we won't have to face it. That isn't even listed here.
This is done by Steve Goff whose home I stayed in when I was in New Zealand, Christian Biblical Church of God. I'm not going to go through and read the whole thing. He has 14 points in the differences between Protestantism and the Truth of the Bible or the True doctrines of the Churches of God.
Not all Churches of God believe in keeping the Holy Days. The Church of God Seventh-Day doesn't and so forth. That's why you still have to keep searching. These are the things that are the signs of the Church of God and the differences between the Truth of the Scripture and the lawlessness of Protestantism.
from: Fourteen Points in the Differences Between Protestantism and the Truth of the Bible by Steve Goff:
- Sabbath:
Church of God: That's the Seventh day of the week. The Day Christ, the Creator, made by resting and the day which He said, 'He is the Lord.' The New Testament Church kept the Sabbath for around three centuries until Emperor Constantine enforced the observance of Sunday.
This will be a quick good summary of all the sermons that I've done concerning Refuting Sunday-Keeping and The Holy Sabbath.
Protestantism is Sunday: That's the day of the sun and is celebrated by pagans in honor of the sun god. Of course, that's what Constantine worshipped and the cross by which he said he was to fight was not a Christian symbol, but a pagan symbol.
(go to the next track)
- Holy Days of God:
Church of God: Leviticus 23 and the New Testament Church kept these days until the false church substituted pagan days and forced out the true Christians.
We have seen how cleverly that was done.
Back then it said that when Sunday first began they kept Sabbath and Sunday.
Protestantism: Is that not what they did here just this last few years in going from Sabbath to Sunday? Yes! Then Gradually, they said, 'Okay, we're going to keep Sunday and everyone who wants to keep Sabbath is out.' Then what they do is they re-write the history so that it appear that Sunday was always the day. Protestantism: keeps all the pagan holidays.
- The Law is established:
Church of God: God keeps the Laws of God. Christ said He did not come to do away with His Father's Law, but to make it more binding and honorable.
I have a long section of that, that's in A Harmony of the Gospels.
Rom. 3 is a very powerful Scripture for you to use when you connect it with Heb. 10:16, that through the grace of God you establish the Law.
Romans 3:31: "Are we, then, abolishing the law through faith? MAY IT NEVER BE! Rather, we are establishing the Law." If anyone comes and tells you that by grace the Law is done away, remember Rom. 3:31, you 'establish the Law.' Why? 'It's written in your heart and your mind' (Heb. 10:16). That's how you establish the Law; it is not done away. 'What is sin?' The transgression of the law! One of the first things we learn.
Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?… [Luther says yes; Paul says…]: …MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?" (vs 1-2). I submit to you that if you:
- murder or commit adultery a 1000 times a day
- steal a 1000 times a day
- lie a 1000 times a day
- dishonor your mother and father a 1000 times a day
- bow down to idols a 1000 times a day
You are living in sin! There can be no way around it.
Verse 2: "We who died to sin… [through the covenant baptism] …live any longer therein. Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?…. [exactly what Tyndale was teaching] …Therefore, we were buried with Him through the baptism into the death; so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, in the same way, we also should walk in newness of life…." (vs 2-4)—not the old sins.
Verse 5: "For if we have been conjoined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him… [that's the operation of baptism] …in order that the body of sin… [which is the law of 'sin and death' within us.] …might be destroyed…" (vs 5-6). Showing that it's a process, even as Tyndale understood.
"…so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin; because the one who has died to sin… [dead to sin through baptism] …has been justified from sin" (vs 6-7). That's quite the opposite of the Protestant doctrine. We'll have more about this concerning the Law.
Protestantism:The Law is abolished. The Law is abolished and they actually believe it came to an end. They actually believe that Christ, in John 5, abolished the Sabbath. Protestants say the law has been abolished thereby making a liar of Him Whom they profess to believe. They say the New Testament teaches that Christ was the end of the Law, when the true meaning in the Greek is that Christ was the goal of the Law. In any case, you cannot negate Christ's own statement that He did not come to do away with the Law.
- The Mortal Soul:
Church of God: That's what the Church teaches and believes. "The soul that sins, it shall die," and only Christ has immortality.
When He was raised from the dead and we're waiting for the resurrection.
It's still a mystery to me how these Catholic and Protestant ministers can preach a funeral sermon and say that they're up in heaven looking down on us now but they wait the resurrection. That's a contradiction in terms. If they're already in heaven there's no need for a resurrection. If there's no need for a resurrection, then Christ didn't have to be raised.
1-Corinthians 15:16: "For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins" (vs 16-17).
That's exactly what it is with Protestantism. They think that they are saved from their sins, but if they believe in the immortality of the soul—though they may believe in the resurrection of Christ—they're still in their sin.
Verse 18: "And those who have fallen asleep in Christ have then perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit 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, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order…" (vs 18-23).
We talk about that on the Last Great Day: the first resurrection, the second resurrection, the resurrection of the wicked.
Showing the resurrection from the dead, v 42: "So also is the resurrection of the dead…. [there it is] …It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption…. [there's no immortality of the soul] …It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (vs 42-44). It doesn't say soul—does it?
Verse 45: "Accordingly, it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul…'" Not that he had one, but he was one—'the soul that sins shall die.' Did Adam die? Yes!
"…the last Adam became an ever-living Spirit" (v 45). When did that take place? At the resurrection when Christ was raised from the dead!
Verse 46: "However, the spiritual was not first, but the natural—then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth—made of dust. The second Man is the Lord from heaven. As is the one made of dust, so also are all those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly one, so also are all those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly One" (vs 46-49). We have to be changed. There's only one time that will take place.
Verse 50: "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (vs 50-52).
If you already have an immortal soul within you, then you don't need any of this. You already have immortality, but that contradicts:
Verse 53: "For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality." Clearly saying that no one has an immortal soul.
Verse 54: "Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'"
As Steve Goff wrote, that comes from Satan when he told Eve, 'You shall not surely die.'
- Church of God is the Family of God
Church of God: The Bible teaches that God and Christ are a family composed of Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is the power by which They operate and those who have been begotten, and have the Spirit of God, will at the resurrection, join the family of God.
Protestantism follows right along with Catholicism and belief in a trinity.
They believe either in one being or three beings or three beings in one, exactly the same as the Catholics.
- God is a personal being
Church of God: We can say, made in the image of God as God said, meaning form and shape and the Bible shows that God has eyes and hands and arms and legs and feet, a body, hair, fingers, etc.
Remember when the booklet God Is came out? What was it explaining? It was saying that God is transcended everywhere, which is a pagan philosophy and that God is in everything! That's the whole root belief of Hinduism; that every living thing has part of God in it. Therefore, it is God. Therefore, you can't kill it.
I recently watched a program on the Discovery Channel. I'd seen part of it in the past. It was showing about rats in the world. There are more rats than human beings. They got down and showed what it's like in the sewers. My, what's going on down there is amazing! The cockroaches and rats and the cockroaches are eaten by the rats.
Then it went to India and showed how that there is this temple to this female goddess and she has been reincarnated in rats. So, there is a temple that has rats everywhere in it. Everyone—to do their good works so they could eventually get to whatever reward they're going to get—brings food to the rats. There are priests who are so kind and good that they break up the food for the rats so they can eat it. All of that is based on the immortality of the soul, you don't believe God is a personal Being. I have a sermon on that, Is Your God a Glob?
- The Passover:
We've got a whole book written on that.
Protestantism have communion or the Lord's Supper.
Which is just a take-off of the Eucharist. Whatever their Church doctrine says, they can take it quarterly, weekly or whatever. The Catholics say, 'Phooey on that. Come and have it every day.'
- Afterlife—heaven:
Church of God: Heaven is coming to the earth. The Kingdom of God is coming here. You can read Rev. 21. Where is New Jerusalem coming to? Coming to the earth! The saints are going to reign and priests on the earth!
Protestantism: Afterlife, heaven: Protestants teach that at death, the saved go straight to heaven, and yet, John says, 'No man has ascended into heaven,' and Peter said, 'David has not ascended into heaven.'
We just covered the things in 1-Cor. 15.
- Afterlife—Hell:
Church of God: The afterlife, hell. Scriptures say, 'The soul that sins, it shall die.' 'The wages of sin is death,' not eternal life in hellfire, 'but the gift of God is eternal life.'
Protestantism: The afterlife. There is hell. The Protestants twist the Scriptures to support the doctrine inherited from Catholicism that the unsaved don't die but have eternal life in hellfire.
Even the worst sinner of Protestantism has never been consigned to hell. Has anyone ever heard a sermon preached by Protestant ministers saying that this person now is in hell and I can hear his flesh popping and cracking? No! They say, 'Oh, he's in heaven.' At least the Catholics try to make a little sense out of it. They say, 'Babies that die don't go to hell and burn, they go to purgatory.' There's a special compartment in purgatory for babies, but you have to have a certain number M that you pay for in order to get them out of purgatory—the baby section.
- Salvation:
Church of God: The people who keep the Holy Days of God know there are two harvests. The first small harvest. The Firstfruits in the present age and later great harvest at the end of the Millennium.
Protestantism believes that this is the only day of salvation and those who are not saved in this life, even if they never heard of Christ, are doomed to eternal hellfire.
They're beginning to change that a little bit so that other religions can be included in the ecumenical movement. Even Billy Graham has said that 'others have a different pathway to heaven, even those who do not have Christ, because they believe in the existence of God.' That is how they get to heaven because they believe in the existence of God.
Let's see what James has to say about those who believe in God. God expects everyone to believe in Him.
James 2:19: "Do you believe that God is one? You do well to believe this. Even the demons believe—and tremble in fear."
It's not believing that God exists which saves. It is believing God that saves. That's entirely different. Do you understand the difference? You can believe in God, but not believe anything He says. But if you believe God you will 'obey His voice,' which is the whole sum of the Bible. If you want to give a summary of the Bible, it is, 'Obey My voice.' Three words!
- believing in one God is not the way
- their way in believing in God is not the way
We understand through the second resurrection that all those who are unsaved will have an opportunity for salvation, which the Protestants are just vehemently and adamantly opposed to. They say, 'You're giving them a second chance for salvation.' No, you're not. It's a second life, but a first chance. That's what the second resurrection is all about! Any Feast of Tabernacles, Day Seven and Last Great Day sermon will give you the story of the second resurrection.
- Sign of the Messiah: Three days and three nights
Matt. 12—here is what Jesus told them when they wanted a sign. This shows you what kind of generation we're into now.
- Don't they like magic?
- Don't they like things that take place?
- How many television shows do they have where they allegedly make buildings, elephants and mountains disappear and everyone is awed?
- Isn't that marvelous?
They want to see a sign!
Matthew 12:38: "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, 'Master, we desire to see a sign from You.' And He answered and said to them, 'A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights in like manner… [exactly in the same way] … the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights'" (vs 38-40).
When you go back to the book of Jonah, the three days and three nights is not a so-called idiomatic expression. They use that as an excuse to claim that any part of any three days is three days and three nights. As a matter of fact, one of the nights that they count is the period of darkness when Jesus was on the cross from noon until three when He died, but that's the first night. You have a great problem with that. He was on the cross and still alive even though it was dark and He wasn't in the 'heart of the earth.' So, how can you count that as one of the periods of night?
What they do, the very sign of His Messiahship that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, they change, and that is fully documented in A Harmony of the Gospels. It's very strong that there's no other way, no other day, no other time that Christ could have been crucified and raised from the dead.
They pick many different things. There are some who believe in a Friday crucifixion. Some who believe in a Thursday crucifixion, but most of them believe in a Friday crucifixion and go along with the Catholics.
- Clean and Unclean:
It has to do with clean and unclean meats. There's a whole argument there. Let's look at the one that Paul gave. Remember, we've covered on the series Epistle to the Galatians: Circumcision Wars, that Peter was told to call no man common or unclean. It had nothing to do with clean or unclean meats whatsoever. Let's see what Paul clearly wrote concerning clean and unclean:
1-Timothy 4:1: "Now, the Spirit tells us explicitly that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith and shall follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons."
One of the things of the doctrines of demons is that doctrine is not important. Isn't that amazing. They say that doctrine is not important, yet they are espousing a doctrine by say doctrine is not important. Paul says that it's doctrine unto salvation.
Verse 2: "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, their consciences having been cauterized with a hot iron; forbidding to marry; and commanding to abstain from meats…" (vs 2-3).
The Catholics forbid marriage and the Gnostics forbad marriage, if you weren't married and preached abstinence the rest of your life.
"…which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, even by those who know the Truth" (v 3).
There are several key words right here in this verse. They are to 'abstain from meats "…which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, even by those who know the Truth." What is the Truth? Jesus said, 'Your Word is Truth!'
Verse 4: "For every creature of God designated for human consumption is good…" This means: Not anything that He has created, but every creature that God created to be received with thanksgiving. That's what that means.
"…and nothing to be refused, if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer" (vs 4-5)—which means that this upholds the teachings that we are to follow the law of 'clean and unclean meats' today.
God never sanctified the hog, nor snake, nor unclean fish. I think one of the worse things people can eat is raw oysters. In certain seasons, they have a bacteria that if you eat them you're flesh will be consumed right off the bones.
I tell you how they could clean up all of the harbors. Quit harvesting the crabs, the shrimp, the lobsters, the oysters and the clams. Let them do their work and you will have pristine water. That's what they were created to do. This proves, by the Word of God, that you're not to eat unclean foods.
- The Holy Spirit:
Church of God: Holy Spirit is the power of God not a person.
We've got all kinds of literature on that:
- Is God a Trinity?
- Defining the Oneness of God
- The Two Jehovahs of the Pentateuch
- The Two Jehovahs of the Psalms
Protestantism: Holy Spirit is a person.
I also have the sermon series concerning The Holy Spirit. We go through it verse-by-verse and word-by-word and into the Greek to show that it was completely mistranslated by the translators.
- The Gospel:
Church of God: Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel. What is the Gospel? It is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is coming to this earth
Protestantism teaches about the person of Christ.
It's quite a lengthy dissertation that he's written after all the Scriptures that are there. I'll let you go through and finish studying the rest of it. This is why Paul said that the mystery of iniquity does already work.
Let's show that this is one of the things that we would be fighting right down to the end: 2-Thessalonians 2:7: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already working… [now we see it in it's full bloom] …only there is one Who is restraining at the present time … [holding back until the antichrist, the final one, comes] …until it arises out of the midst. And then the lawless one will be revealed…" (vs 7-8). It's going to be the antichrist and the pope, both of them, as we see in Rev.: the beast and the false prophet.
"…(whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming); even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders… [ahead of us] …and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved" (vs 8-10). Protestantism does not love the Truth of God:
- Protestantism uses the New Testament
- Protestantism perverts the grace of God
- perverts the understanding concerning all of the doctrines—the 14 that we just covered here
- Protestantism rejects the commands of God
Yet, says that they have the grace, that they have the true understanding for salvation. They have no more understanding for salvation than the pagans in India, the Far East, Africa or South America. The only difference is, they use the name of Christ, whereas the other's don't. That's the only difference.
You have the Biblical principle, 'A little leaven leavens the whole lump.' Now the whole lump has been leavened! It started out with Luther. Tyndale was bringing it on the right course to show what it should be. Protestantism never got away from Sunday and the holidays of this world.
Though they preached about the person of Christ, they never understood salvation. Though they did have some understanding concerning the grace of God and forgiveness of sin, they never understood obedience to the commandments of God. Though they claim that the New Testament is based on love and this love is so that you can define your own laws, they never understood that the love of God required obedience to the commandments of God.
Therefore, Protestantism is a lying deception, which is going to fall to the ecumenical one world movement and religion. It's going to be exposed for what it is, "…because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved."
Verse 11: "And for this cause, God will send upon them a powerful deception…" That's what we see happening right now in the world of religion today.
"…that will cause them to believe the lie. So that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness" (vs 11-12). That's where all of these lawless doctrines are going to lead to!
We've seen that all the religions of the world are part of the 'mystery of iniquity' and part of mother Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations in the earth!
All Scripture from The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version
Scriptural References:
- Galatians 1:6-8, 2, 8-10
- 2-Corinthians 2:17
- 2-Corinthinas 4:1-4
- Jude 3-4
- Romans 5:6-10
- Ephesians 2:8-10
- Hebrews 10:16
- Revelation 21:8
- 1-Peter 1:2-3
- Psalms 111:7-10
- Romans 3:31
- Romans 6:1-7
- 1-Corinthians 15:16-23, 42-54
- James 2:19
- Matthew 12:38-40
- 1-Timothy 4:1-5
- 2-Thessalonians 2:7-12
Scripture referenced, not quoted: 2 Corinthians 11
Also referenced:
Books:
- A Pathway into the Holy Scripture by William Tyndale
- A Harmony of the Gospels by Fred R. Coulter
Sermons:
- Is Your God a Glob?
- Feast of Tabernacles Day 7
- Last Great Day
Sermon Series:
- Refuting Sunday-Keeping
- The Holy Sabbath
- Epistle to the Galatians: Circumcision Wars
Studies:
- Is God a Trinity? by George Johnson & Fred R. Coulter
- Defining the Oneness of God by Fred R. Coulter
- Two Jehovahs of the Pentateuch by Carl Franklin
- The Two Jehovahs of the Psalms by Carl Franklin
FRC:nfs Transcribed:07-22-16
Proofed: bo—7/27/16
