Apostate American Church: Sanctification through Participation

SANCTIFICATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION: "It's holy because I do. Because I do it, it has to be holy!"
SANCTIFICATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION: “It’s holy because I do. Because I do it, it must be holy!”

The Apostate American Church

HOW WE GOT HERE

SANCTIFICATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION

IF a Christian from the early 19th century were transported into most American churches in 2014, he would not recognize many of the rituals and practices taking place in the church.

In fact, there’s a good chance he would not recognize that he was in a Christian church at all.  He might even run from the building thinking he had blundered into a meeting of a pagan cult instead of a meeting of believers on Jesus Christ.

Our 19th century Christian would we wondering “How did to this ever come about?”

How did the American churches come to incorporate so many practices from witchcraft, the occult, satanism, paganism and the mystery religions? Why are so many practices which were superseded by Jesus shedding His blood on Calvary back in style?

Why are so many rituals which are not in the Bible–or worse, which are not referred to in the Bible in a GOOD WAY–being used in what is being marketed as American Christianity?

How did this happen?

HOW IT HAPPENED

Before covering any of the specific non-Christian rituals and practices, it might be beneficial to take a look at HOW these practices became a regular part of so many American churches.

Some were introduced over time.

Some were justified by bad readings of Scripture or by wrenching one verse out of context to justify bringing it into the Church.

Others were introduced by a wolf who claimed to be a “man of God.”  Because the people in the churches had little discernment, they largely went along with the crowd and the unholy practice gradually became a part of the church’s practice.

 APOSTASY: WHAT APOSTASY IS

Believers should not be shocked or dismayed: Christians were warned of end times apostasy.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
—1 Timothy 4:1

Paul doesn’t say “In the end times, individuals will leave the church.”  No, what Paul says is “some shall depart from the faith…”

Peter was even more outspoken.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
—2 Peter 2:1

Apostasy is not individuals leaving the Church.  Apostasy takes place when individuals who should leave REMAIN in the Church and corrupt it from within. Apostasy is what is left when worldly individuals remake their churches in their own worldly image.

This is not referring to the “great falling away.”

When the “falling away” of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 occurs, it will be marked by a rush of worldly people into the worldwide apostate whore Church. This falling away will look like a great revival to the ungodly apostates who control and inhabit the churches.

HOW APOSTATE RITUALS AND PRACTICES ARE JUSTIFIED

ALL of the ungodly rituals and practice in the churches benefited from a few apostate American assumptions. These assumption are used to bless many practices which are from the enemy.

  1. Sanctification through participation – The idea apostates use that they would never do anything that wasn’t holy and proper and right. The feeling is “I am a good person and I would never do anything that wasn’t holy. Therefore what I am doing must be holy.”
  2. Assuming what is not prohibited is permitted by God – Instead of searching God’s Word to find what God states is the proper way to worship a perfectly holy God, apostates operate on the principle: “Hey, the Bible doesn’t prohibit it, so it must be fine with God. God likes innovation! What’s the problem? I’m honoring God with my New Thing!”
  3. The pleasing of the flesh equals the pleasing of God – Apostates point to “goosebumps” or other fleshy reactions as ‘proof’ that their rituals are godly.  Some even characterize these emotional or bodily reactions as the “Holy Spirit” or proof that the Holy Spirit is “moving.”
  4. Loyalty to a church is the same as loyalty to Jesus Christ – Because apostates view their undertakings, their congregation and even their building as holy, they easily confuse self-worship and praise of their church as praise of Jesus.
  5. The approval of the world equals the approval of God – Because a roomful of apostates approves of a practice in no way indicates that God approves of it also.  But, many churches are run by either hirelings, wolves or merchandisers.  Other churches operate on “consensus”: if most of the rest of the apostates think it’s okay, it must be holy.

Although #2 is used almost universally in America, by far the most popular (at least in this writer’s experience) response used to justify pagan or occult practices in the apostate Church is a bit of circular reasoning: Sanctification through participation.

SANCTIFICATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION

IN THE HOUSE OF A GOD
AMERICAN APOSTASY: IN THE HOUSE OF A GOD

This writer once engaged in a discussion with a church-goer over the practice of prayer circles.

PRAYER CIRCLES: Another Pagan Practice in the Church

When it was pointed out that there was no biblical support for joining hands and praying in a circle, the pew-sitter became uncomfortable.

“So what? The Bible doesn’t say not to do it.”

When it was pointed out that the practice was a fairly recent one in the Christian Church and had been common for centuries among pagans, witches, satanists and other occult groups, the man became very offended.

“Are you saying that praying in a circle is not godly?”

That was exactly what this writer had clearly said. The man’s justification for continuing in the practice in his church was that he would never do anything that was ungodly–to even hint at such a possibility was very offensive to him.

In other words: Sanctification through participation.

Prayer circles just had to be a holy practice because he participated in prayer circles.

Because he claimed he would never engage in anything that was not holy, what he did engage in was sanctified (“set apart for use by God”) by his very act of participation.  Because he participated (and he would never do anything unholy), the practice was holy; the practice was holy because he participated in it.

This is basically the reasoning so many apostate American churches use to justify a host of unholy, ungodly or just plain worldly practices.

In the near future, each individual practice will merit a separate article. Prayer circles has already been covered.

THE APOSTATE AMERICAN CHURCH

Apostate American Church: Sanctification through Participation

PRAYER CIRCLES: Another Pagan Practice in the Church

But will anyone have ears to hear?  Will any listen?

Time is running out.

Is your calling and election sure?

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by Jeremiah J. Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

images:
1- ETPR/pd
2- Salvatore Vuono, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR

© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-13. © Mondo Frazier, DBKP and End Times Prophecy Report, 2007-13. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Author: Jeremiah J Jameson

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