Knocking on the Wrong Door
By Paul Miller
July 1, 2018
There are many, many different beliefs in the world. There are even hundreds or thousands of different groups that all claim to be right, and they each say that they are following the Bible. How can this be? How do we know if what we believe is really right? Jesus said that many religious people will find out too late that they were not on the right path, but we never stop to consider if He might have been talking about us.
So, how do we determine whether or not our beliefs are right? We must go to the Scriptures. God’s Word is the only right and true and perfect standard that we have. It is not good enough to say that what we believe must be right because I was taught it in church or the preacher said it was right. We must go to the Scriptures and see what God really says.
It is simple to take a few Bible verses and show someone that Jesus is really a man. It is simple to take a few Bible verses and show someone that Jesus is really God. Both of these are correct, of course, even if we do not fully understand it all. We can see from the Bible that Jesus is both man and God.
It is easy to take a few Bible verses and show that salvation is a lifelong process. It is even easier to take a few verses and show that we can be born again now and know that we have salvation and have been saved. There are aspects to both of these that are true. The problem is when we only take one of these and reject or ignore the other one.
There are some groups that only take one side from the Bible and deceive many people. For example, the Mormons say that Jesus is God, but not man. They teach that we can become gods, too. The group that calls themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) take the other side, that Jesus is man and not God. They are both wrong, for they only teach half the truth. Both groups deceive many people. We must be wise and learn the Scriptures.
Some groups go around and visit others, trying to get them to join their group. They seem like nice people and good family people. However, they believe a lie and so are teaching that lie to others. People who do not search the Scriptures and do not know the truth can easily be deceived.
Some of the groups are so zealous that they even learn the language of the Plain People. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, or JWs, are one such group. If we simply listen to what they say, it sounds nice. Who does not want the world to get better and better and become a nice paradise? Mormons are nice family people. They even claim to have another gospel of Jesus! However, when we compare their teachings with the Bible, we see that these people are really leading others to hell.
To help see the difference between what these two groups teach and what the Bible says, the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry has put together the following Warning tract.
— Paul Miller
WARNING!
There are two cults going door-to-door: Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses. They claim to be Christian religions, but they are not.
Mormonism teaches:
God used to be a man on another planet and Mormon members can become gods of their own worlds.1
There are many gods.2
The Trinity is three separate gods.3
Entrance into celestial heaven is by the consent of God and the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith.4
God has a body of flesh and bones.5
God is married and produces spirit babies by having physical relations with his goddess wife.6
Jesus, Satan, and all of us are spirit brothers and sisters procreated in a pre-existent spirit life.7
God had relations with Mary to make Jesus’ body.8
You must shed your own blood for the forgiveness of some sins.9
Good works are necessary for the forgiveness of sins.10
Be careful. Rarely will they mention these “higher” doctrines. Therefore, you really don't know what they are teaching until long after you have joined. Be warned.
The Jehovah's Witnesses teach:
Their church organization is the prophet of God.11
Jesus returned invisibly in 1914.12
Blood transfusions are sinful.13
The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force.14
Only their church members will be saved.15
Jesus was an angel who became a man.16
Jesus did not rise from the dead physically.17
There is no Trinity.18
Good works are necessary for the forgiveness of sins.19
Be careful. Jehovah's Witnesses will want to begin a home “Bible study” with you. What they really want is for you to join their religion.
These groups are non-Christian cults because they deny the true biblical doctrines of Jesus and salvation. First, Mormonism says Jesus is the brother of the devil.7 JWs teach that he is an angel who became a man.16 These teachings are not biblical.
Second, both these cults erroneously say that in order to be saved you must cooperate with God by doing good works. The Bible says that salvation is a free gift from God.21 The Bible condemns the addition of our works to the finished sacrifice of Jesus.22 Galatians 2:21 says that if salvation comes by works (if righteousness come by the Law), then Jesus died needlessly. Salvation comes by God's grace through faith alone, not by our works21 which are impure.29 Simply put, both Mormons and JWs preach a false message of salvation.
The Bible teaches that there is only one God;23 God is spirit;24 Jesus' sacrifice cleanses from all sin;25 Jesus is the only way to God;26 all who receive Jesus as Savior will be saved;27 and Jesus is God in flesh20 who rose from the dead in the same body in which He died.28
These are some of the things the Christian Church has always believed. These two cults distort them and thus lead many into eternal damnation. Why? Because:
Only the Jesus of the Bible saves, not the brother of Satan (Mormonism), and not an angel made into a man (Jehovah's Witnesses). Faith works only when you trust someone who is true.
The Mormons and JWs are good people, and we love them, but they are misled.30 They do not know that the true gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins, and that we receive His forgiveness by faith alone (faith in the true Jesus). Satan has blinded them.30 Jesus said that if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.31 That is why this Christian ministry is exposing these cults, so you won't be deceived.
If you want to be assured of the forgiveness of your sins and have peace with God, then you must realize that you have sinned against God32 and are separated from Him.33 Then, repent and turn from your sins. Ask Jesus into your life. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and save you. He will.27 He is Savior and Lord, and He is as close as the call of your heart. Then read your Bible and follow Jesus. At least now you know two groups not to join. Eternity is a long time to be wrong.
DOCUMENTATION FROM MORMON WRITINGS
1. Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, p. 321. 2. Ibid., p. 163. 3. Ibid., p. 319. 4. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 289. 5. Doctrine and Covenants 130:22. 6. McConkie, p. 516. 7. Ibid., pp. 192; 589. 8. Ibid., pp. 741-742; The Seer, p. 158. 9. Doctrines of Salvation by Joseph Smith, Vol. I, p. 135. 10. Articles of Faith, p. 79.
DOCUMENTATION FROM JW WRITINGS
11. The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, pp. 197, 200. 12. You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p. 147. 13. Reasoning from the Scriptures, pp. 70-76. 14. Holy Spirit, 1976, p. 11. 15. Ibid., Feb. 15, 1979, p. 30. 16. Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1152; New Heavens and New Earth, p. 30. 17. You Can Live Forever . . . pp. 143, 144, 172. 18. Let God be True, p. 101. 19. Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. I, pp. 150, 152.
DOCUMENTATION FROM THE BIBLE (GOD)
20. Jn. 1:1, 14, 8:58, 10:30; Col. 2:9. 21. Rom. 6:23; 3:28; 4:5. Eph. 2:8-9. 22. Gal. 3:1-2; 5:1-4. 23. Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8. 24. Jn. 4:24. 25. 1 Jn. 1:7, 2:2. 26. Jn. 14:6. 27. Jn. 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10. 28. Lk. 24:39; Jn. 2:19-21. 29. Isaiah 64:6. 30. 2 Cor. 4:3-4. 31. Lk. 6:39. 32. Rom. 3:23, 5:12. 33. Isaiah 59:2.
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