Woe! Why is This Considered Evil? A wake-up call to all professing Christians

FRIEND, A LOT OF THINGS in this world have taken a turn for the      worse.   It's even become hard sometimes to tell the difference between      good and evil--in some cases they've traded places!   For instance, abortion used to be considered evil, but now it's viewed as a good exercise of a woman's free choice.   The "evil" that was once pride is now called positive thinking.   Living together before marriage, once a taboo, is now a good idea. God has something to say about this sort of thing.   Centuries ago, when Israel was following a similar trend, God warned: "WOE UNTO THEM THAT CALL EVIL GOOD, AND GOOD EVIL; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20 Now, it's bad enough when the secular world calls what's evil, good, and vice-versa; but things are really bad when professing "Christians" start doing the same thing.   For example: within the Bible we find God commanding Christians to take a stand against false religious doctrine.   The Bible says that: "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth NOT IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, HATH NOT GOD..." (2 John 1:9).   A Christian is commanded to discern when a doctrine is not of Christ, and therefore, separate themselves from having anything to do with it.   "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed" (2 John 1:1).    Exposing false doctrine is a GOOD thing to do.   But for some reason, when it comes to scrutinizing the doctrine of any "Christian" denomination, most professing Christians hesitate.   They consider it divisive, mean-spirited, intolerant, unloving, and downright EVIL to speak out against a denominational practice even when it clearly doesn't line up with God's Word.   Why is that? Why is it considered EVIL to exericise GOOD biblical discernment?   Let's look at just three reasons commonly sighted: It's considered evil because: "It's nit-picking; as long as a denomination worships Jesus, who cares what they practice?!" By that reasoning, every Christian should be perfectly willing to embrace all the cults that worship Jesus, too!   The issue is not whether you worship Jesus or not, the problem is most denominations insist on ADDING to what Christ has already done.   The Bible clearly teaches that if a person ends up trusting anything other than Christ ALONE to save them, they will end up in Hell.    Salvation is NOT through Christ PLUS infant baptism, or Christ PLUS confirmation, or Christ PLUS good works, or Christ PLUS any church sacrament that a given denomination may practice.

Christ, PLUS NOTHING is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.   Jesus said, "I AM THE WAY, the truth, and the life: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME" (John 14:6).   He said, "I AM THE DOOR: by me if any man enter in, HE SHALL BE SAVED."   John 10:9    The Apostle Paul didn't go around preaching Christ PLUS some other sacrament.   He told the Church at Corinth: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, SAVE [EXCEPT] Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).   Only the blood of Christ, which He shed on the cross for you and me, can wash away our sins: "Jesus Christ, ...loved us, and washed us from our sins IN HIS OWN BLOOD."   Rev. 1:5 Christ's saving blood can only be applied to us when we REPENT and TRUST Christ ALONE to save us.   "For whosoever shall call upon the NAME of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED" (Rom. 10:13).   "Neither is there salvation IN ANY OTHER: for there is NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED."   Acts 4:12    Tragically, it's often the case that exposure to any sacrament tends to give the impression that it is a required part of one's salvation.   Therefore, it is best to not even practice it.   Why confuse the members?   Why not get rid of all such practices and preach the shed blood of Christ and Him ALONE? It's considered evil because: "It's divisive; it destroys unity between the denominations." This reason it totally irrelevant; there can never be unity as long as each denomination hangs on to its own doctrine.   "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3).   God wants unity done in a biblical way.    When Christ prayed for unity among Christians, He asked His heavenly Father that: "They may be one, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE" (John 17:22).   Those five little words at the end form a stipulation.   Christ wants Christians to be in the same accord that He was with God the Father, and that means in complete agreement in everything, including DOCTRINE--God's doctrine, as found in the Bible. Scrutinizing a denominational practice is considered evil because: "It is a very unloving thing to do." Friend, in Matthew Chapter Seven, we find Jesus providing a glimpse of the future judgment the unsaved must face.   Notice the following people He describes: "NOT EVERY ONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done MANY WONDERFUL WORKS?" Matthew 7:21-22

Notice their actions, and the fact that they call Christ Lord.   These are not atheists nor God haters, but professing Christians.   Yet, look at what Christ says to them: "And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY."   Matthew 7:23    No doubt, among these poor surprised souls are those who were trusting in some of the very denominational practices we have been referring to.   No, friend, it is not unloving to expose a denominational practice that misleads someone into thinking that they are right with God.   Isn't it better to expose it now, while there's still time, before the person finds themselves among those mentioned in Matthew Seven?   ISN'T THAT THE REAL LOVING THING TO DO? False doctrine will mislead a person into Hell, that's why God wants it exposed. Christians are exhorted to scrutinize and speak out against false doctrine whenever possible.   God considers it a GOOD thing to do; it's speaking "the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15).   Let's not forget what Jesus taught His disciples.   He warned them to: "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, which come to you IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15).   This requires exercising discernment, and discriminating between right and wrong doctrine NO MATTER HOW "CHRISTIAN" IT MAY APPEAR.   Jesus said they will, "come to you in sheep's clothing[.]" The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome: "Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK THEM which cause divisions and offences CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE which ye have learned; AND AVOID THEM" (Rom. 16:17).   This means we may have to practice separation, not "unity".    Look at what Paul also said to the Church at Colosse "BEWARE lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after THE TRADITION OF MEN, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8). Since when is it evil to practice what God tells us to do? The person who calls it evil is showing A LACK OF REPENTANCE.   It says that they would rather avoid what seems unpopular than take a stand and do what God's Word commands.   What if the Old Testament prophets had shied away from exposing false doctrine?   What about Paul or Stephen, who preached it like it is?   Were they doing an evil thing?    Or, what about Christ Himself, who was so "straight and narrow," He got Himself crucified?   Many today would have to consider Jesus Christ divisive as well.   It is God's will that Christians: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, BUT RATHER REPROVE [EXPOSE] THEM" (Eph. 5:11).    It's time to repent and stop calling that which is good, evil.

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13). BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because: "...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2. In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   Eph. 2:8-9   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5. THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   (Rom. 5:8-9) THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Romans 10:9 SEND THE LIGHT P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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