WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DECEPTION?
ATTENDING CHURCH DOES NOT EQUAL CHRISTIANITY
Several recent conversations have touched on the question “What is the biggest deception?”
As might be guessed, there were several nominations. But one suggestion which sparked discussion was that the churches have promoted the notion of showing up every week at a building called a church as a substitute for a transformed life as to what it means to be a Christian. The heavily-promoted equation is that church attendance somehow equals the new birth of conversion.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
—John 3:3
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
—2 Corinthians 5:17
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
—Romans 12:2
Because there are so few who have experienced the transformed life and become new creatures, it’s hard for them to recognize other pretenders. Also, because the pretenders do not have the Holy Spirit within them, they have no Guide to the truth.
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
—John 14:17
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
—John 16:13
Because there are so many pretending to be new creatures and so many pretending to have the Holy Spirit, it’s been fairly easy for many ungodly doctrines to take root in the churches. Having never experienced the new birth, most church-goers have to take someone else’s word for what the experience is like. There are also a great majority who take someone else’s word for what being a Christian is all about.
With no Holy Spirit, there is no discernment. With no discernment, the churches have become easy targets, with the pulpits filled with wolves and the sanctuaries, with serpents.
Because they have been sold a bill of goods about Church Attendance = Christianity, the modern church-goers have been submerged into a miasma of witchcraft, other gospels, paganism, idols, hucksterism and superstition all the while believing they are serving God Almighty of the Bible.
The end times are a time of extreme deception (Jesus warned three separate times in Matthew 24 about the coming end times deception).
But one can easily see how this was a contender for the Biggest Deception. Promoting the tale that church attendance equals being a born again believer has deceived many. And to the devil’s delight, the deception has eternal consequences.
Showing up every week at a building called a “church” doesn’t qualify a person for anything but a good attendance record.
[Parts of this piece originally appeared in End Times Prophecy Headlines: March 11, 2015.]
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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
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© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-15. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2015. 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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