My testimony was already given in my bio, and since I'm lazy let's skip that part.
Some of you may know of my fellowship with that street evangelist (who I will call John).
It was more of a teacher-student relationship than a fellowship.
Anyway, that being put aside, let's get to the story. After meeting him I started studying under him for a while learning more doctrine. Some of it was good doctrine (Calvinism... really that might be the only one...), but then he started teaching me newer and stranger doctrine. For instance that we had to keep the OT laws. That in of itself wasn't so bad until he started teaching me that it was a sin if you don't keep them.
After studying under him for some time he eventually taught me that we still need an earthly covering for our sin, but that spiritual covering was what was achieved by Christ on the cross.
This was a perversion of the Gospel, but I bought into it for a time. Later in my fellowship I admitted to someone else (whom I love dearly as my brother in Christ) that I doubted that doctrine. I would speculate that perhaps other offerings such as the free will offerings that don't have to do with sin could still be offered, possibly, but not the sin offerings. I knew in my heart there was something wrong with what he was saying, but I kept following him for a while.
Eventually I left fellowship with him, but it wasn't because of his teachings. I left fellowship with him because of my own sin (long story for another time). Shortly after leaving I started abandoning the doctrines he taught me.
I cannot warn you enough how heretical and blasphemous it is to say that we still need an earthly covering. This is a teaching that is contrary to the Gospel and contrary to the person of Christ.
Anyone who has studied Christology has probably heard the saying, "That which was not assumed is not healed; but that which is united to God is saved." This was an argument used by St. Gregory of Nazianzus to defend the person of Jesus Christ and maintain a proper understanding of the Hypostatic Union.
Christ assumed a human body and a human soul and therefore He redeemed our human bodies and human souls. If Christ had not covered our earthly bodies then the work of glorification (the restoration of our flesh) must be merited and the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. would mean that we cannot be glorified.
John not only taught me false doctrine, but a false Gospel. The truth of the matter is that Christ assumed flesh and soul and redeemed us flesh and soul.
Now I have abandoned many (not all) of the doctrines he taught me, but I still have the consequences of being in that cult. To this day I still have certain convictions that I live by. I still only eat Kosher (although I don't believe it's a sin not to) due to my conscience. I don't think I will be able to ever eat anything not Kosher again.
For those of you in the audience who are curious as to what I still believe: I still believe that Saturday is the Sabbath. I am protected under Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14 to observe the Sabbath day. However, I will not condemn anyone who doesn't observe the Sabbath.
I know this very sloppy
***EDIT:
I forgot to include some of my errors during that time.
While I was studying under John, I did tell others that they had to keep the OT laws too. I tried to put a yoke on them that was too much to bare.
Since then, I have been seeking the forgiveness of those whom I oppressed. If you are one of those people reading this (and you know who you are) I'm deeply sorry. Brothers, please forgive me.
Some of you may know of my fellowship with that street evangelist (who I will call John).
It was more of a teacher-student relationship than a fellowship.
Anyway, that being put aside, let's get to the story. After meeting him I started studying under him for a while learning more doctrine. Some of it was good doctrine (Calvinism... really that might be the only one...), but then he started teaching me newer and stranger doctrine. For instance that we had to keep the OT laws. That in of itself wasn't so bad until he started teaching me that it was a sin if you don't keep them.
After studying under him for some time he eventually taught me that we still need an earthly covering for our sin, but that spiritual covering was what was achieved by Christ on the cross.
This was a perversion of the Gospel, but I bought into it for a time. Later in my fellowship I admitted to someone else (whom I love dearly as my brother in Christ) that I doubted that doctrine. I would speculate that perhaps other offerings such as the free will offerings that don't have to do with sin could still be offered, possibly, but not the sin offerings. I knew in my heart there was something wrong with what he was saying, but I kept following him for a while.
Eventually I left fellowship with him, but it wasn't because of his teachings. I left fellowship with him because of my own sin (long story for another time). Shortly after leaving I started abandoning the doctrines he taught me.
I cannot warn you enough how heretical and blasphemous it is to say that we still need an earthly covering. This is a teaching that is contrary to the Gospel and contrary to the person of Christ.
Anyone who has studied Christology has probably heard the saying, "That which was not assumed is not healed; but that which is united to God is saved." This was an argument used by St. Gregory of Nazianzus to defend the person of Jesus Christ and maintain a proper understanding of the Hypostatic Union.
Christ assumed a human body and a human soul and therefore He redeemed our human bodies and human souls. If Christ had not covered our earthly bodies then the work of glorification (the restoration of our flesh) must be merited and the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. would mean that we cannot be glorified.
John not only taught me false doctrine, but a false Gospel. The truth of the matter is that Christ assumed flesh and soul and redeemed us flesh and soul.
Now I have abandoned many (not all) of the doctrines he taught me, but I still have the consequences of being in that cult. To this day I still have certain convictions that I live by. I still only eat Kosher (although I don't believe it's a sin not to) due to my conscience. I don't think I will be able to ever eat anything not Kosher again.
For those of you in the audience who are curious as to what I still believe: I still believe that Saturday is the Sabbath. I am protected under Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14 to observe the Sabbath day. However, I will not condemn anyone who doesn't observe the Sabbath.
I know this very sloppy
***EDIT:
I forgot to include some of my errors during that time.
While I was studying under John, I did tell others that they had to keep the OT laws too. I tried to put a yoke on them that was too much to bare.
Since then, I have been seeking the forgiveness of those whom I oppressed. If you are one of those people reading this (and you know who you are) I'm deeply sorry. Brothers, please forgive me.
