Doctrines of Demons (Part 2)

 

Please read Part I to get our whole theme.  This is on Ron Matsen’s sermon “Doctrines of Demons.”  We are focusing on Satan’s desire to deceive us from seeing Jesus as God.  Now let’s look at specific antichrist cults, whose gospel was perfected by Satan.

Let’s look at the Gnostics first, since that deviation from orthodoxy happened first. Interestingly, the cult was birthed in a seminary In Alexandria, Egypt, during the days of the apostles. So Satan wasted no time introducing the first heresy.  They believed in another Jesus because their theology taught that material things must have been created by an inferior god, since they believed that no physical thing, no physical body, can be pure and holy.  Those two qualities belong to the spirit realm, which were created by a higher god. (They believed in multiple gods.) Therefore, Jesus, as a higher god, could not have physically visited the earth, because He was holy. So His “appearance” on earth had to be in a ghost form only. He was an aura. This took away the humanity of Jesus, which was important, as we saw in Hebrews in Part I. II John 7 also says:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

An antichrist, as the term “anti,” says, is one who believes a false Jesus—and also teaches it. Gnosticism was on Satan’s side, because it was against the real, physical Jesus in His incarnation.

Now let’s bring up the Muslim Jesus.  Keep in mind, if you will, that I am not writing arguments against every one of these “facts” they assert.  I assume that you know enough of the Scripture to know that there is no one named Issa in the Bible, that Jesus’s mother is Mary, etc.  The false stuff that these cults believe is usually because they have an alternative book to the Bible.  It might be the book of Mormon, the Quran, the Watchtower, etc.  Their books they consider higher than the Bible.  In the U.S., there was superb Bible training in the past.  How could anyone in this country believe these books were superior to the Bible?  Total disrespect for God’s Word will not do people well on Judgment Day.  We must read it to our kids, tell them that we love God’s Word, that He gave it to us, and it is the only Truth we can be sure of.  Sunday School doesn’t cut it.

Anyway, here are religious Muslim beliefs surrounding Jesus:  His true name, according to the Quran, is “Issa,” or “Isa.” They did not believe Jesus, or “Issa,” was God.  He was only a prophet, and his main two messages in coming to earth were: Surrender to Allah; and Muhammad is Coming.  His original disciples, they say, were Muslims.  Issa’s mother was Miriam, who was sister to Aaron and Moses. (They have a problem with time scale, since those Biblical characters lived over a thousand years earlier.)  Despite the clarity of Scripture and other writings and events as proof, Issa was not crucified and did not die. Those who say otherwise “lied.”  Instead of dying, he ascended to Allah. This bypasses His death on the cross; thus, it tries to wipe away His redemptive payment for our sin—but that was His main purpose in coming to earth. This idea was a serious heresy in doctrine.  At Resurrection, they say, Allah will be a witness against Jews and Christians, for believing that Issa died. Muhammad was God’s gift to Christians because he corrected their misunderstanding by writing the Quran.

This hyper-distortion guarantees that religious Muslims are unsaved, and almost all bound for hell if they die believing it.  But some Muslims are additionally a danger to Christians and Jews, because the Quran is extremely antisemitic, and their teaching on End Times is apocalyptic destruction.  We do not have the space to deal with it here; just be warned. These people have nothing to tell you.  Turn away from those who preach it.

Next, the Mormon Jesus.  Jesus was conceived, they say, through sexual intercourse between God the Father and Mary—yet they believe Mary was still a virgin at Jesus’ birth. They believe that Jesus was the literal brother of Lucifer (or Satan). How could anybody believe this?  Their leaders must never speak of this ‘brother of Satan’ openly in their weekly meetings, it is so audacious. Yet they have 6.5 million Mormons in the U.S., whose eternal destiny is on the edge of a cliff; if they accept it, and do not think of fighting against this..this chunder, their destiny is hell.  They have a mind; we all have a responsibility to know our church’s doctrine.  If God gives these people the light to see this as insolence against Him, and they are willing to walk away from it, they have a chance for heaven.  Ignorance doesn’t save you from hell’s grasp.  

Even worse, if possible, is their statement that Jesus earned His salvation while on earth—and offers His grace only to those who work hard enough. This is salvation through works, which is against Scripture. Also, it again takes away His sinless divinity (since He “had to earn His salvation”).  But the Bible clearly teaches that through His grace, our trust in Him and why He died on the cross is the key on the way to our salvation. 

They further claim that Jesus is finite, not infinite, saying He began His existence when He was born on earth. This denies an essential quality of God, that He is Eternal.  They have made Him immortal, as a higher angel. But Jesus is God; He is infinitely higher than the angels; He created them! And, they say, He had to submit to a moral law that “began before He did.” But Jesus gave a New Covenant, and was not under the Moses law, as they are implying.  He sets the laws; He is sovereign to it.  The purpose of that Law, for us, was to teach us that we, who have the nature of sin, can never be perfect enough to obtain heaven.  We were not created so we could brag that our obedience to law brought us to heaven. Note Hebrews 7:18—19:

For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

The “better hope” is Jesus, through whom we have a shot at heaven, by true faith. We must admit that we are sinners; trusting that His redemption on the cross initially saves us.  After that, loving and obeying Him, our Savior, is possible with the Holy Spirit helping. If it doesn’t make us a radically different person, we missed what it is to be truly ‘saved.’

To continue Mormon dogma:  They say, beyond death, we will be just like Him. So we will be little gods?  Here is what the sources say: 

Mortals themselves may become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, be rulers of their own heavenly kingdoms, have spirit children, and increase in power and glory forever.

Jesus plainly taught that there will be no marriage in heaven. Matthew 22:30:

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven

(Final note:  Mr. Matsen questions Christian acceptance of Mormons such as Glenn Beck and Mitt Romney, since they, as Mormons, believe in “another Jesus.” Do you want unsaved people, whose spiritual father (John 8:44) is still Satan (whether they know it or not), directing our thoughts, or our legislation? Take that time instead to read the Scripture. No lies, just the truth.

Next, the Jehovah Witness Jesus.  He was Michael the archangel before He came to earth. After resurrection, He was again Michael, leading angels in fighting with the dragon (Satan).  Again, we have the lack of faith of Jesus being an angel.  See prior paragraph.  They changed John 1:1; their Bible says “the Word (or Jesus) was a god.” The Bible actually reads “the Word was God.”)  By adding that little word, they are vague about Jesus being uniquely God.  That’s because they do not believe in the trinity.  Hard as that concept is to understand, there is no way we can understand everything about an infinite God. Scripture teaches it, so we believe it.  We trust God to tell the truth.  Here’s additional proof that they are lowering Jesus. From my source:   

They affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God's agent, 

But an agent is not God. In explaining Jesus as “a god,” they say, “the Word was a powerful godlike one. Clearly Jesus is not Almighty God.” Unfortunately, this quote was another step backward—godlike isn’t God. The term Almighty God may suggest the Father’s unique trait to some people, but there is no question that Jesus has infinite power as well, so He deserves the title Almighty as well. 

Side note:  their fixation on a date for Christ’s return.  Charles Taze Russell, their founder, began this sect in the 1880’s.  He originally taught that Jesus would return to earth invisibly in 1914. They played this up, and got a huge boost in their membership. They shouldn’t have, since the Bible says that when He makes His Second Coming, we will all see Him. The sky will be dark, then suddenly a bright lightning, then He appears on a horse in the sky with His angels (Matthew 24:27ff).  As Judge of all the earth. What is “invisible” about that?  When the anticipated 1914 passed, they were forced to change that doctrine later.  They really, really wanted to set a date for Christ’s return to earth, so they kept setting dates, and when the date passed, they changed the doctrine yet again.  Here again, the Bible teaches that’s wrong. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 

BUT He tells us that there are signs so we will know that we are close, Matthew 24:32-33:

Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

The point being, no matter how bad it gets in those last days, there is comfort for a believer if the signs in the world match up, and we can say the rapture is near.  But we cannot fix a date, and then just exist, making no plans for the future, thinking about that so much.  We should not be so enslaved by the future that we forget to live in the present so we, as Christians, can do some good for the Lord.

When a Mormon or a JW comes to your door, and says “I believe in Jesus, you shouldn’t fall for the deception and ignorantly say, “Well, I do too.” You have nothing in common, knowing their doctrine was fostered by Satan. They believe in another pseudo-Jesus.  Both cults deny some necessary attribute of divinity, so both cripple the story of His Redemption—because He was God and Human while on earth, and He was sinless and His death could redeem us if we have trusting faith.  Those who believe these  are anti-Christ, and are bound for hell until they see the Gospel. They have nothing to teach you.

 I don’t think most of us could successfully teach such visitors to our door the Truth—they almost always have a second person around to keep you from saying much.  Nothing wrong in you learning how to present the Gospel, but I wouldn’t suggest you engage them if you’re a young one in the Lord.

There are other denominations who have “another Jesus,” but I only had room for the main ones.  Millions of people have been deceived, not only in these groups, but Jesus has been distorted by groups even calling themselves “evangelical.”  Many of my other blogs can tell you about that.  I just hope you will study His Truth before looking for a church that betrays what a church is for. God go with you.