Gospels of the cults by Tony Capoccia
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
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