Hidden Error

[WordSword]

It's my understanding that any religion that teaches anything that is against the Scriptures is a false religion, i.e. anti-Christian! This article is not for the purpose of judging anyone in particular but only for revealing error (sin), via the Word of God!



Overview of the Seven Sacraments

Sacrament Description
Baptism Cleanses a person from original sin and welcomes them into the Church.
Only confession of sins to God cleanses one from sin, and "all unrighteousness" (1Jn 1:9).

Confirmation Strengthens the baptized person in their faith, typically performed by a bishop.
Baptism does not affect any type of power, it only reveals obedience of Christ's command to “baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Mat 28:19. It gives encouragement, but no attributed power.

Eucharist Also known as Holy Communion (or Transubstantiation), it is the central rite of Catholic worship, involving the body and blood of Christ.
This is one of the most anti-Christian doctrines, in that it assumes, during the Mass, that the Lord Jesus literally enters the implement of the Body (for re-sacrificing), and the Blood literally becomes the implement of His Blood.

Penance (Reconciliation) Allows individuals to confess sins and receive forgiveness, restoring their relationship with God.
Only if we confess our sins to God can there be forgiveness (1Jn 1:9).

Anointing of the Sick Offers comfort and healing to those who are seriously ill or near death.
Only if requests are made to God can He possibly heal.

Holy Orders The sacrament through which men are ordained as deacons, priests, or bishops for service in the Church. If anyone believes any of the before mentioned Catholic teachings, they are without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and do not possess any godliness.

Matrimony The covenant between a man and a woman, establishing a lifelong partnership in love and faith.
The authority God gives to marry anyone absent of indwelling of the Holy Spirit is want of any authority of God.

–Wikipedia


This final doctrine isn't a sacrament, but are significant enough to mention. If you look in a dictionary for the term, Immaculate Conception, it will define it as "a doctrine of the Catholic Church, that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin." It is stated in Scripture that, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23).

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

It's my understanding that any religion that teaches anything that is against the Scriptures is a false religion, i.e. anti-Christian!

This seems to be an impossible standard. I have not run across any denomination or individual church or pastor whose doctrines contain no error whatsoever.

 

[WordSword]

This seems to be an impossible standard. I have not run across any denomination or individual church or pastor whose doctrines contain no error whatsoever.

Hi NLICJ, and appreciate your reply! The error I'm referring to is that which is intended by, not those who believe they have truth but may contain error, but those who want to believe what they want, even if it's not according to Scriptures. I do not see this anywhere at a high level when considering how many Churches there are that want truth!

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

I am currently looking for a church home. I visited the latest one twice and listened to a few other sermons online. It seems that the pastor is strong on preaching against sin (some sins) but is weak on 1) how to avoid sin, 2) what to do about sin after you do it, and 3) the lack of condemnation for those who are in Christ. As a result, I decided to look elsewhere primarily because of the weaknesses above. I thought I could help them if I joined, but I decided that inertia was against me and I didn't want to become like them.

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

Hi NLICJ, and appreciate your reply! The error I'm referring to is that which is intended by, not those who believe they have truth but may contain error, but those who want to believe what they want, even if it's not according to Scriptures. I do not see this anywhere at a high level when considering how many Churches there are that want truth!

It is hard to overlook the many doctrinal mis-steps of a few denominations. I will never consider joining any of them. So that is why I am doing my research ahead of time. Even if it has "Baptist" in its name, that doesn't mean it is a good church.

 

[WordSword]

3) the lack of condemnation for those who are in Christ.

I like what you said, but I'm not sure of what you mean here. Thanks!

 

[WordSword]

It is hard to overlook the many doctrinal mis-steps of a few denominations. I will never consider joining any of them. So that is why I am doing my research ahead of time. Even if it has "Baptist" in its name, that doesn't mean it is a good church.

I know what you mean. I kept asking God to guide me to a good Church and He eventually did.

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

I like what you said, but I'm not sure of what you mean here. Thanks!

I was just thinking about Romans 8:1. It comes right after chapter 7's discusion of the conflicts inside a person who serves God with his mind but serves sin with the flesh (Ro 7:25 b) and it expounds upon the victory Christ gives us over the wretchedness we feel for being so close to sin (Ro 7:24-25a).

The point is that God corrects us whenever we go astray (Heb 12). His correction does not come with condemnation. Instead, It comes with love. And His correction is not pleasant, but painful. But it still does not come with condemnation. Yes, the sin is condemned, but the child is still loved. And the pain of His correction goes away and peace is restored when His correction has it's intended effect.

We all sin (even though a select few deny it). If a preacher does not preach the whole truth about sin including that those who are in Christ face no condemnation even while they are being corrected, then they are not preaching the whole gospel. They are just preaching against sin but don't help their flock understand how to deal with their sins. This makes for a legalistic congregation that I have no desire to be a part of (unless God gives me that mission). Been there, done that.

 

[WordSword]

I was just thinking about Romans 8:1. It comes right after chapter 7's discusion of the conflicts inside a person who serves God with his mind but serves sin with the flesh (Ro 7:25 b) and it expounds upon the victory Christ gives us over the wretchedness we feel for being so close to sin (Ro 7:24-25a).

The point is that God corrects us whenever we go astray (Heb 12). His correction does not come with condemnation.

I know we're never judged by God but "chastened" (Heb 12:6, 7), unless you can judge the Lord Jesus! I don't know why I didn't understand what you meant by "the lack of condemnation for those who are in Christ." Of course it means absence of judgement to believers.

I'm trying to let others know that believers are always forgiven, it's not like we go in and out of His forgiveness. He knows we want to please Him as much as possible, because He always "works" (causes) this in us (Phl 2:13). I thank God for His forgiveness all the time.

Under the Law, Christ gave the Jews a model prayer that involved asking for forgiveness when they pray, because "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins" (Heb 10:4). They still had to offer up sin sacrifices because the sin was still present, since the blood of animals could not "take away sin"; but "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1John 1:9).

Forgiving all unrighteousness means permanent forgiveness, so we don't need to continue asking (unless we don't understand permanent forgiveness), but thanking Him. God can do this because the Lord Jesus' expiation for our sin permanently "took away" all our sin, past, present and future. Taking away "all unrighteousness" is the same as saying all our sin!

Though we ignorantly sin (Num 15:24-29), God does not see us as after the old man or sin nature, because "You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit" (Rom 8:9). To be in the flesh (sin nature) means your sin is yet with you! The word "flesh" in the NT almost always refers to the sin nature of man's spirit:

1. the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. -Strong's G4561 - sarx. G4561 - sarx - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)