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There are many roads in life, but we can only choose one. The joys of group success are fleeting. The joys of individual success is yours to keep. The Master said, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2). In like manner, “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? (Eccl. 5:6). Therefore, “Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good” (Job 34:4).
There is no EASY ROAD
There is only A ROAD
A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it” (Isaiah 35:8).
The Journey
There are a great many doctrines that come to play when mankind gets its fingers in the equation, as the apostle Peter wrote: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye maThere are numerous “commentary” views regarding John’s application. To avoid using the passage as a “proof text,” (to put a foundation under a particular doctrinal position), involving today’s 45,000 Christian religions, there is a reality that must be addressed, i.e., Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). The “church” is a “the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth” (Thayer’s). The apostle Paul referred to these Christians as, “giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins” (Col. 1:12-13): of this “kingdom”, Paul revealed, “Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor.15:24). With that said, the church that belongs to Christ has never gone into extinction. It was the Holy Spirit, who said, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6): one body, the church; one Lord, Jesus Christ; one faith, system of faith (not personal faith); one baptism, water baptism (although there are seven baptisms mentioned in the scriptures, there is only one connected with salvation; one God and Father of all (self-defined). Consider the following “roads” may has carved out of God’s plan of Salvation: John 3:16-17, 36.
Rember the words of the Holy Spirit (through the apostle Paul), saying, “And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15).y be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Pet. 3:14-18).
In like manner, the apostle Paul stated: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15), and as for our time, “But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Pet. 2:1-2). False teachers, who shall bring in destructive heresies, i.e., “properly a choice, that is, (specifically) a party or (abstractly) disunion. (“heresy” is the Greek word itself.): – heresy [which is the Greek word itself], sect.” These false teachers would express heresies and thereby create disunion and develop a sect: “and many shall follow their lascivious doings” (ibid).
This endeavor will consider some of the heresies that were developed over the past two thousand years, but more specifically the last seventeen hundred years. The doctrines under consideration will include Catholicism, Protestantism: Calvinism (John Calvin), Arminians (Jacob Arminis), Methodism (John and Charles Wesley), Free-Will Baptist (Jacob Arminius), Reformed Baptist (Calvin), Presbyterian (John Knox, Calvin), Anabaptist, Lutheran (Martin Luther). These denominations will not be singled out as per denomination, but as per doctrine and practice.
The apostle John made a statement regarding a doctrinal separation, within the faith, saying, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us” (1 Jn. 2:19).
There are numerous “commentary” views regarding John’s application. To avoid using the passage as a “proof text,” (to put a foundation under a particular doctrinal position), involving today’s 45,000 Christian religions, there is a reality that must be addressed, i.e., Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). The “church” is a “the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth” (Thayer’s). The apostle Paul referred to these Christians as, “giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins” (Col. 1:12-13): of this “kingdom”, Paul revealed, “Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor.15:24). With that said, the church that belongs to Christ has never gone into extinction. It was the Holy Spirit, who said, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6): one body, the church; one Lord, Jesus Christ; one faith, system of faith (not personal faith); one baptism, water baptism (although there are seven baptisms mentioned in the scriptures, there is only one connected with salvation; one God and Father of all (self-defined). Consider the following “roads” many has carved out of God’s plan of Salvation: John 3:16-17, 36.
Think about it:
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