GOSPELS
In this age we are experiencing a great rise in the number of
false religions throughout the world. Satan aware that his time
is growing shorter in the light of the soon return of Jesus
Christ to the earth, has unleashed his greatest campaign to
deceive men and blind them to the true Gospel message. False
religions have always been with us and must continually be
exposed. One could spend hours discussing all the false
teachings of some religions, but I feel that all religions either
stand or fall on the Gospel message they present. A religion is
either a true one that has a true gospel at its core and leads
its followers into the kingdom of heaven or they have a false
gospel message and continue to lead men and women into the fires
of hell.
The following is a listing of the major false religions of our
day. I have presented their false gospel message with their own
source reference. I purposely have planned for this file to be
brief because if people are made aware of the false gospel
message than all the other lies merely confirm the core lie...the
gospel.
First the True Gospel as presented in the Scriptures....
Gospel According to the Bible
All men and women are sinners and condemned to the fire of
torment for their punishment. However, salvation from sin is
available to all if they will repent and cry out to Jesus to save
them. There is no merit for any work involved, salvation is
strictly by grace through faith and not by any works.
Repenting from our sins is the conscious act of turning away from
a life of sin and yielding total control to Jesus Christ, being
willing to do all that He may command us through His Word. Also
being aware that the very first command Jesus gives to all new
believers is "water baptism." If a person claims that they are
ready to become a Christian but will not yield to public baptism
in a local Church at the next available opportunity, then they
are "not ready to accept Christ" for they are not willing to obey
His very first command.
I. MORMONS
The False Gospel according to the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints) says....
"We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may
be saved, by 'obedience' to the 'laws' and ordinances of the
Gospel." (Article No. 3 of the MORMON ARTICLES OF FAITH).
"The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: Faith on
the Lord Jesus Christ; repentance; baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins; and laying on of hands for the gift of the
Holy Spirit." (Article No. 4 of the MORMON ARTICLES OF FAITH).
"I want to tell them and tell all the great men of the earth,
that the Latter-day Saints [Mormons] are to be their redeemer. .
.Believe in God, believe in Jesus, and believe in Joseph [Smith]
his prophet, and Brigham [Young] his successor, and I add, If you
will believe in your hearts and confess with your mouth Jesus is
the Christ, that Joseph [Smith] was a prophet, and that Brigham
[Young] is his successor, you shall be saved in the kingdom of
God. No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into
the celestial Kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph
Smith...I cannot go there without his consent. . .he reigns there
as supreme. . ." (quote from Brigham Young, JOURNAL OF
DISCOURSES, 6:299, 7:289).
SUMMARY - The False Mormon Gospel--in order to enter into
Salvation one must "prior to salvation:"
1. Believe in Jesus Christ
2. Believe in Joseph Smith
3. Believe in Brigham Young
4. Confess Jesus is the Christ
5. Confess Joseph Smith was the prophet
6. Confess Brigham Young was Smith's Successor
7. Repent
8. Be Baptized by Immersion [before salvation]
9. Receive the Holy Spirit by the "laying on of
hands."
Then and only then will you receive salvation! All nine steps
must be completed prior to salvation which are the "works" of the
Mormon faith necessary for salvation.
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
Salvation comes by faith and faith alone. All that is necessary
to receive total salvation is faith in Jesus which is a "gift" of
God. A faith not generated within ourselves. Baptism is to
occur after salvation to provide an outward expression of what
has already taken place inside the heart. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
II. CATHOLICS
The False Gospel of the Roman Catholic Church says....
"If anyone says that man can be justified before God by his own
works, whether done by his own natural powers or through the
teaching of the law, 'without' [in addition to man's works]
divine grace through Jesus Christ, let him be anathema [cursed]."
(Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Justification, Canon 1).
"If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone,
meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to
obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way
necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his
own will, let him be anathema." (Council of Trent, Sixth Session,
Justification, Canon 9).
"If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than
confidence [faith] in divine mercy, which remits sins for
Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone that justifies
us, let him be anathema." (Council of Trent, Sixth Session,
Justification, Canon 12).
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so no one
can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The False Gospel of the Roman Catholic Church says....
"It was through the Redemption that the Savior exercised his
mediatorial reconciliation, and that his 'mother shares' in the
process." (The Catholic Catechism, John A. Hardon S.J., p168,
Doctrines of the Faith)
"Vatican II viewed the Mother of Christ in co-operating with the
atonement. Her supporting role is stated in a single sentence:
The Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and
faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross,
where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, grieving
exceedingly with her only-begotten Son, uniting herself with a
maternal heart with his sacrifice. . .Mary's title to 'mediatrix-
in-atonement' rests on the pain she freely underwent in union
with her Son. The sins of men called for suffering from the God-
man, and 'he wished his mother to share' in the pain. .
.Alongside her Son, Mary has become part of this plan by
contributing HER SHARE TO THE JUSTIFICATION of the human race."
(The Catholic Catechism, John A. Hardon S.J., pp168-169,
Doctrines of the Faith)
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
"There is one God and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men. . ."
(1Timothy 2:5-6).
III. JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
The False Gospel of the Jehovah's Witnesses says....
"God's personal name is Jehovah (The Truth Shall Make You Free,
p. 17). "Only Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting. .
.Jesus Christ is not One God with the Father (Make Sure of All
Things, 1965, p. 486).
The True Gospel of the Bible....
Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the
Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:13). "I and the
Father are one." (John 10:30). "If you do not believe that I am
the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." (John
8:24).
The False Gospel of the Jehovah's Witnesses says....
"They [the lost] must be recovered from blindness as well as from
death, that they, each for himself, may have a full chance to
prove, by obedience or disobedience, their worthiness of eternal
life" (Charles Taze Russell [founder of the JW's], Studies in the
Scriptures, Vol. 1, p. 158).
"All who by reason of faith in Jehovah God and in Christ Jesus
dedicate themselves to do God's will and then faithfully carry
out their dedication [doing works!] will be rewarded with
everlasting life. . ." (Let God be True, p. 298).
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no
one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). "He saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." (Titus
3:5).
IV. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
The False Gospel of the Christian Science Religion is....
"The material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious [power to
produce effect] to cleanse from sin, when it was shed upon 'the
accursed tree,' than when it was flowing in His veins. . ."
(Science and Health, page 330, source document for their
religion, written by their founder, Mary Baker Eddy.)
"The real atonement--so infinitely beyond the heathen conception
that God requires human blood to propitiate [to gain the favor
of] His justice and bring His mercy. . ." (No and Yes [1893],
pages 44-45).
"Jesus' students, not sufficiently advanced to understand fully
their Master's triumph, did not perform many wonderful works
until they saw Him after His crucifixion, and learned that 'He
had not died'!" (Science and Health, page 350, 351).
"His disciples believed Jesus dead while He was hidden in the
sepulcher, whereas He was alive. . ." (Science and Health, Page
349).
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
"Christ 'died' for the ungodly. . .God demonstrates His own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ 'died' for
us. . .we have been justified by His 'blood'. . ." (Romans 5:6-
9).
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews
9:22).
"In Him we have redemption through His 'blood,' the forgiveness
of sins. . .(Ephesians 1:7).
"God was pleased to have all fullness dwell in Him, and through
Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, by making peace through His 'blood,' shed on
the cross." (Colossians 1:19)
"It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that
you were redeemed. . .but with the precious blood of Christ." (1
Peter 18-19).
The False Gospel of the Christian Science Religion is....
"Final deliverance from error--whereby we rejoice in immortality,
boundless freedom, and sinless sense--is neither reached through
paths of flowers, nor by 'pinning one's faith to another's
vicarious [substituted] effort.'" (Science and Health, page 327).
The True Gospel of the Bible says....
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever
rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on
him." (John 3:36)
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith [in Christ's
vicarious death]--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).
V. CONCLUSION
Note that in all four false gospels there is the element of
"works" as a requirement for salvation. The Mormons, Catholics,
Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Science all require "works" be
done "before" salvation can occur. The true Gospel says that
works are a result of salvation--not a requirement for salvation!
There will be more false gospels added to this file in the
future.
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 115
Galveston, IN 46932
Modem (317)-452-1535
December 28, 1986