Post by steve on Aug 8, 2013 2:00:14 GMT -5
I respectfully disagree.
Do you know what the JW believe? - or better yet - Do you know what the Mormons believe?
I have no doubt about the heretical teachings that these sects adhere to. I am mindful of the warnings given to the seven churches of Asia Minor... there were some in the churches who followed the heretical teachings of the Nicolatians, and Balaam, Balak, and Jezebel, etc. They all had a fundamental belief that Jesus is the Messiah, and an awareness of repentance, but apart from that, the churches comprising christendom are mostly identified with apostasy and heresy. These were the churches John had written to, and whom Christ had spoken to at the end-times. Christ warned them of the consequences that would befall them at the time of His coming if they did not repent; so these ones are concurrent with His coming.
I do not want to say that you are wrong, because I do not think you are. Apostasy is apostasy and heresy is heresy. However, we may all have drifted so far away from the Apostolic church, in doctrine and practice, that we are all as guilty as each other. That is what happened by the time Christ came the first time. The Pharisaic system believed that they represented orthodox Judaism. They did not. Christ did not choose the Pharisees; Christ gathered all those who loved God and who were prepared to abandon their religious puritism. I personally think that this method will be duplicated in the end-time. There will be the Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea come forth from every sect of Christendom. It will be hard for them (us) to abandon their/our religious traditions, but we must all come to God with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (Psalms 51).
Of course, I could be wrong on this. I do not hold this or any view as if the view owns me. God alone I give this power to.
God Bless
Steve