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GOSPELS
AUTHOR: Capoccia, Tony
PUBLISHED ON: April 25, 2003
DOC SOURCE: CCN

                                  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 of their known sins, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Submit to His
Lordship.  There is no merit for any work involved, salvation is strictly by
grace through faith and not by any works.  The ability to Repent, Believe and
Submit is the direct result of the gift of Faith from God the Father and not
the result of any works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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 one must be aware that the very
first command Jesus gives to all new believers is to submit to “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.  ARMSTRONGISM

The False Gospel of the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrongism) is….

The blood of Jesus Christ does not finally save anyone.  It saves merely from
the death penalty [of sin] (All About Water Baptism, pp. 1-3).

The True Gospel of the Bible says….

In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).

The False Gospel of the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrongism) is….

Baptism is an essential ordinance for salvation.  You must be baptized to
become a true Christian (“This is the Worldwide Church of God,” in Tomorrow’s
World, Feb 1971, pp. 16-17).

The True Gospel of the Bible says….

For 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. 

The False Gospel of the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrongism) is….

We . . . will generate eternal life intrinsically within ourselves (What it
Means to Be Equal with God, p. 44).

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).

VI.  CONCLUSION

Note that in all five false gospels there is the element of “works” as a
requirement for salvation.  Mormonism, Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witnesses,
Christian Science, and Armstrongism all require that “works” be done “before”
salvation can occur.  The true Gospel says that works are a result of
salvation–not a requirement for salvation!

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 130
Shreveport, LA 71110
MODEM (318)-949-1456
300/1200/2400/9600 Baud

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