Counterfeit Christianity

I got this flyer in the mail some time ago. What really caught my eye is the date: May 21, 2011 – my wedding anniversary! The end of the world on my anniversary?! Maybe I need to rethink my dinner plans....Or maybe not.

Eschatology is my least favorite subject so I didn’t rush to read through the flyer. It is a legal-sized piece of paper divided into four columns, printed on the front and back in smallish (for my old eyes) print. It is from Family Radio.

So this week I finally read the flyer. First time through I thought (among other things) Where’s the Gospel? The second time through I found what I think is suppose to be the Gospel. It is the only time Jesus is mentioned. From the bottom of page 2 and top of page 3 of the flyer:

Because God is so great and glorious He calls Himself by many different names. Each name tells us something about the glorious character and nature of God. Thus in the Bible we find such names as God, Jehovah, Christ, Jesus, Lord, Allah, Holy Spirit, Savior, etc. Names such as Jehovah, Jesus, Savior, and Christ particularly point to God as the only means by which forgiveness from all of our sins and eternal life can be obtained by God’s merciful and glorious actions.

This forgiveness was made possible because Christ took upon Himself each and every sin of each and every person He saves from the wrath of God. The Holy Bible describes this astounding action as it was demonstrated by Jesus, who never ceased to be God, being put to death on the cross to show how He paid for sins. He then was raised from the grave and returned into heaven.

That is why the Bible has much to say about those who place their complete trust in Christ, who did all the work required for salvation, after they become saved from the wrath of God.

To make things more interesting, the last two paragraphs are deleted from Family Radio’s html version here, but are still found on the website’s pdf version here.

Family Radio claims to be a Bible-based Christian broadcasting ministry with no church affiliation. If Family Radio is Christian, and its founder Harold Camping claims to be Christian, why are they ashamed of the Gospel???

Salvation comes by the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior who was crucified and died on the cross for our sins.

…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. – Romans 5:8-9

A creed by any other name...

I have been working on a procedures manual at work, that is why I called my last post Company Policy and then posted the Nicene Creed. My brain has been playing connect the dots with corporate handbooks and church doctrine. Many similarities, but I'll save that for another post, another day.

A creed is a statement of what we believe, teach and confess.

A creed is not Scripture - but it summarizes what we believe Scripture teaches.

Almost all Christian Churches have creeds, but they don't all call them by that name. You'll find creeds called Doctrinal Statements, Confessions, Articles, Catechisms, Beliefs, Declarations, Statements of Faith, Agreements, Expositions, Canons, and so on and so on.

At some point, someone or some group, committee or council gets together, puts pen to paper and writes "We believe..." or "We profess..."  and before you know it, they are telling you "what the Bible means."  Or what they believe it means....And a creed is born.

Is it wrong for a church to develop creeds or doctrinal statements etc? No, it is not wrong as long as those creeds/statements are in agreement with Scripture. And do the churches that claim not to have creeds, develop creeds? Yes they do.

Company Policy

I believe in one God,

the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth

and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of His Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light,

very God of very God,

begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father;

by whom all things were made;

who for us men and for our salvation

came down from heaven,

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

and was made man;

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried.

And the third day He rose again

according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of the Father.

And He will come again with glory to judge

both the living and the dead,

whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son together

is worshiped and glorified,

who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

and I look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.