Cultural Christianity  V  The True church

At one time it was always understood by Evangelical Christians, that there was a true church and there was that which was considered to be the false church. The true church was made up of all those that believed in salvation by grace through faith alone apart from works.
This was made clear by the early reformers, by the teaching of the five Solas.
Sola Fide (Faith alone).
Sola Gratia, (Grace alone) .
Solus Christus, (Christ alone) .
Sola Scriptura, (Scripture alone) .
Sola Dio Gloria, (God alone).

The false church was understood to be Babylon.
So who is Babylon?
Who is Mystery Babylon?

Revelation 17:3-5. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 

A mystery is something secret or hidden— a thing that some understand while others do not. In Revelation 17, there are several clues given to the identity of Mystery Babylon.

Mystery Babylon is a city.
Notice in the above prophecy that a woman is used to symbolize Mystery Babylon. Verse 18 of the chapter tells us that the woman is a city. “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”

Mystery Babylon presides over a vast international system.
In verse 1, we are told that the woman sits on many waters.
Verse 15 explains the meaning of the waters. “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

Not only is this woman a city, but the city is apparently the headquarters over a vast international system. 

The city sits on 7 hills.
In verse 3, we are told that the woman rides on a beast with 7 heads.
Verse 9 reveals the meaning of the heads. “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.”

Remember, we’ve already learned that the woman is a city. This passage tells us that the city sits on seven mountains. There is a city on earth that is known as “The City of Seven Hills.” It’s the city of Rome.
But is Rome the headquarters for an international power that rules over “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues?”
The Vatican claims to rule over one billion Roman Catholics worldwide. Remember, this prophecy was written long before the Catholic Church existed and long before Rome became her
headquarters. 

She is clothed in purple and red.
Revelation 17:4 “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:”

“Cardinals wear red, while non-Cardinal Bishops and Archbishops wear purple.”

One other factor should be understood. In Revelation 17, God chose to use a woman—a whore—to symbolize the false church. Why?
It’s really very simple. In scripture, God always used a woman to symbolize a church. He used a virgin to represent His true church
(II Corinthians 11:2), and He used a harlot to represent a false church as he did in Revelation 17-19.

There can be only one conclusion:
The Roman church is the Mystery Babylon of Revelation. And it is this false religious system that has deceived the people of the world that will be destroyed at the time of Armageddon.

Constantine was the one that made Christianity the accepted religion of the Empire. It was from this time that pagan beliefs were adopted into the church and became part of the Roman Catholic Church during the 4th century AD.
Pagan festivals where kept but the names were changed. It is believed by some that Easter was kept because it coincided with the resurrection of Jesus but that it was originally a pagan festival to the goddess Estarte who was believed to be the queen of heaven.
Christmas, 25th December, also is believed by some to have been a pagan festival prior to it being adopted by the church.
Practically all the known pagan Sun-deities were born on the 25th December. In S.E. Titcomb’s book, “Aryan Sun myths, the Origin of Religions”, we find it cited, quoted from primary sources, that the following Sun-deities were all born on 25 December, according to their legends: Crishna (Vishnu), Mithra (Mithras), Osiris, Horus, Hercules, Dionysus (Bacchus), Tammuz, Indra, Buddha.

The Papacy claims that its system of worship has been handed down through tradition. They are absolutely correct. But these are not the teachings of Jesus or the early church, but rather the traditions of Babylon.

Roman Catholic doctrines such as infant baptism, sprinkling during baptism, tonsured and celibate priests with power over the dead, prayers to saints, prayers to the dead and to relics, idols, and icons, repetitive prayers with the use of beads, doctrines on the confessional and forgiveness of sins, teachings on purgatory, the mass, are doctrines actually derived directly from ancient Babylon, not the Bible.

When Constantine married paganism and Christianity, the door was opened for false doctrines to creep into the early Christian Church, and they were gradually introduced into the system. The Church became divided into the Roman Catholic Church who accepted the pagan doctrines, and the true Christian Church who resisted Constantine’s indoctrination.
It was an early attempt at interfaith.
The organizations that fit this picture of Babylon were primarily, the Roman Catholic Church and those that came out of Rome but kept its pagan doctrines.
The Eastern Orthodox church, the Russian Orthodox church and the many cultish organizations that denied the Diety of Christ.
These teachings were opposed by true Christians such as the Moravian Brethren and Jan Huss, the Waldensian’s and Peter Waldo and the Lollards and John Wicliffe.
These were the original protestant’s, the first reformers.
Then came Martin Luther and the Great Reformation, men like John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingley etc.

Out of the Reformation, there was a growth of many branches of Protestantism. The Anglican Church, the Church of England and
Scotland, the Puritans, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Brethren and all the other offshoots. All these held to the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. However slowly, the scriptural truths began to be eroded.

There has been and still is a growing trend in Cultural Christianity.
Those that profess Christ and may have all the correct doctrines in writing, however, they deny the truth of it.
A typical example of this is the Church of England, who has the document called the 39 Articles.
Most Evangelical Christians will accept the teachings stated in this document, however there are many in that organization, even Bishops and Archbishops that don’t.

The scripture that comes to mind here is 2 Timothy 3:5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
The sad thing is that the evangelical church is being led into error by certain teachers who have in the words of Jude 1: crept in unawares.
Jude 1:3. Beloved, although I made every effort to write you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. 
4 For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed— ungodly ones who were designated for condemnation. They turn the grace of God   into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and  Lord Jesus Christ. 

We are warned in scripture to be awake and be aware of false teachers.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

There are many today that have itching ears and are so eager to listen to false doctrine and will be so easily taken in by charismatic men and women who teach a false Gospel and a false Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

The Apostle Paul also warns us about being enticed by a false Gospel.
Galatians 1:8-9  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2 Corinthians 11:4 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
 

Where at one time the Bible was held in high regard, its position in society today is being lost. Adding to that, the fact that it is slowly being removed from schools and its teachings are not being taught because of the demise of churches and Sunday schools. Many of the teachings of the Bible are being ignored by society and the Bible is seen as an outdated book.
Coupled with the multitude of new translations that are misquoting, omitting and reducing particular verses and words to footnotes, we are seeing a denigration of the Word of God.

The Bible teaches that there will be a great apostasy in the last days. An apostasy is falling away from the truth.

The Great Apostasy.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3  Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

The fact that we are warned “let no one deceive you by any means” shows us that we are in those times now.

Jesus also warned us in Mathew 24 of deceivers, false prophets and false teachers in the last days.

Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mark 13:6 for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many.

If we cannot recognise these false teachers, there is no way we will recognise the antichrist when he shows up. He will be the master deceiver. He receives his power from Satan.

Satan never changes his tactics. The antichrist will do exactly the same as Satan did in the garden of Eden.

1. He questioned the Word of God, throwing doubt on its validity.
Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 
 

2.He tricked Eve into misquoting the Word of God.
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 

Nowhere previously had God said not to touch it, only that they should not eat of it.

3. Satan then twisted the Word of God.
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 

This is exactly what is happening today in preparation for the antichrist kingdom.
Throw doubt on the Word.
Misquote the Word.
Twist the Word.

Again we saw this with the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness by Satan.
Satan quoted the scripture at Jesus.
But notice how Jesus counteracted. He quoted the scriptures back at him.
 

The Man of Sin has not yet appeared but the mystery of lawlessness is already at work in the world.

2 Thessalonians 2: 6 – 8: 6 And you know what is now restraining him, so that he will be revealed at the proper time. 
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. 
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and abolish by the majesty of His arrival.

The diluting of the Word of God is already taking place and it is time for the true church to stand up for the Word of God.
We must use the only weapon that we have to fight this apostasy and that weapon is the unadulterated Bible, the infallible and inherent Word of God. We need to hold on to the truths of scripture, correctly dividing the Word, showing up the errors that are being taught by these false prophets and teachers that are waylaying many souls.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

There is an attempt today and has been for many years, to counteract the Reformation, by turning the Evangelical church back to Rome and bringing about an interfaith church. A one world religion.

Babylon the Great.

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

It is our commission as believers, to stand up for the truth by preaching an unadulterated Gospel. That Jesus Christ is the only way to God.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.