WHAT IS TRUTH?

Truth is not a feeling. Truth is not an idea. The truth is found in the Bible. The cults are wrong because they do not have the truth. That is, they have a false understanding of God the Father, of God the Son, of the Holy Spirit, and the work of Christ on the Cross. Because they are in error in these things, they are in error concerning the doctrine of salvation.
Sincerity and good works do not bridge the gap of sin between God and man. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a person (Heb. 9:22; John 14:6). Sincerity and good works are merely the reliance upon what is in the individual to merit favor with God. Sincerity is a form of pride when it is appealed to as a justification for being accepted by God: "But God, look at my heart. See how sincere I was? I deserve to be in heaven."
No. If sincerity and good works were good enough to satisfy God, then He wouldn't have given us the Bible to correct our sincerely wrong ideas, and He wouldn't have sent His Son to do what our good works cannot.
Truth is what God says is true.
Only One God
· Christianity:
True Christian doctrine is that there is only one God who has ever existed anywhere, anyplace, anytime. There is no God formed before God; there will be no God formed after God (Isaiah 43:10). God doesn't even know of any other Gods (Isaiah 44:8). There is only one God in existence in the entire universe. Just one. This is called monotheism.
· Mormonism:
The god of earth is only one of many, many gods (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 163). This is called polytheism. However, they worship only one of the many gods, the one called Elohim. This is called monolatry.

Elohim (as the Mormons like to call the Father) used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321). Elohim became a God and came to this world with his goddess wife (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443). Mormons have the potential of becoming gods of their own worlds (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354).

This contradicts the teachings of scripture. Mormons are polytheists. Christianity is monotheistic. Mormonism is very wrong.
· Jehovah's Witnesses:
They believe in only one God (Make Sure of All Things, p 188). They call God "Jehovah." In this, the J.W.'s are correct. There is only one God.
The Trinity
· Christianity:
God is a Trinity of persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son. The Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the same person as the Father. They all are eternal, divine, and omniscient.

Objections to the Trinity are that it is not logical. Logic should not rule scripture. If it is from God, there will be things in it that are difficult to understand. Additionally, the fingerprints of God are seen all over creation. In Romans 1:20 it says that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in creation. Creation is made up of a trinity of trinities: time, space, and matter. Time is past, present, and future. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: time. Space is height, width, and depth. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: space. Matter is solid, liquid, and gas. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: matter.
· Mormonism:
The Trinity is an office held by three separate gods: a god called the father, a god called the son, and a god called the holy spirit. They error in assuming that a "person" must be in a fleshly form (Doctrine and Covenants, 130:22) -- something like flesh and blood.

This contradicts the orthodox view of the Trinity as well as teaching that there is more than one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8).
· Jehovah's Witnesses:
They deny the Trinity (Let God be True, p. 100-101;Make Sure of All Things, p.386). They say there is only one person in the Godhead: the Father. They are in error by denying the true doctrine of the Trinity.
Jesus
· Christianity:
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is both God and man. He is fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9). He was in the form of God, emptied Himself, and became a man (Phil. 2:5-8). As the God man, He is the mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus was not created (John 1:1-3), but is the creator of all things (Col. 1:16-17).
· Mormonism:
Jesus, the devil, and all of us are literal spirit children born in a pre-existence, the literal offspring of God the Father and his goddess wife (Mormon Doctrine p. 516; Journal of Discourse, Vol. 4, p. 218).
· Jehovah's Witnesses:
Jesus is Michael the Archangel who became a man, died on a stake -- not a cross -- rose in a spirit body, and returned to heaven to be an angel again (The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284).
The problem here is that Jesus (Michael) would be a created thing. This is why the J.W. Bible adds the words "other" four times in Col. 1:16-17. The word "other" is not in the original text of the Bible.
Salvation
· Christianity:
Salvation, or the forgiveness of sins, is something that is given to you by God. It is a free gift (Rom. 6:23). The sinner is made righteous in God's eyes solely by the faith that the believer has in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Justification, or being declared righteous, is accomplished by faith (Rom. 5:1). Our works play no part in salvation. If our works could play any part at all, then Jesus died needlessly (Gal. 2:21).
· Mormonism:
The doctrine of the forgiveness of sins in Mormonism is that you are saved by grace after all you can do (Article 8 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 92). They add to the finished work of Christ on the cross and say that Jesus made it possible for us to be forgiven. Our works must be mixed with the finished work of Christ and then our forgiveness of sins is merited before God.

This error is that works play a part in our salvation, our forgiveness of sins. They do not. In Galatians chapters 3 and 5, Paul addressed the issue and condemned the thought of keeping even one part of the Law in order to be righteous with God. Salvation is a free gift, paid for by the blood of Christ.
· Jehovah's Witnesses:
Forgiveness of sins is by good works and cooperation with God (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152). They maintain that the sacrifice of Jesus (really Michael the archangel) opened the door that Adam closed. In other words, because of Jesus' sacrifice you are able to cooperate with God and earn salvation.
The error here is the same as that in Mormonism listed above. Works do not play a part in our salvation. They come after we are saved, not before, and not in cooperation with anything. To add to the work of Christ is to say that what Jesus did on the cross isn't enough. This is an insult to God.
Conclusion
The truth is important not because it is simply true. It is important because truth is what defines whom and what we believe. Is Jesus the brother of the devil as in Mormonism? Is he an angel who became a man? Or, is He the creator of the universe, second person of the Trinity? Only one is right.
Faith is vital. But faith placed in something false is the same as having no faith at all. Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed. That is why it is important to have the true Jesus. The true Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of Mormonism, nor the Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong, especially about Jesus.

Pride in the Church

There is in the Christian Church a great gifting in the area of pride. It is everywhere, in every Church, in every denomination. It manifests itself in division and polite "Christian" mockery, gossip, and condemnation of other Christians who do not believe as they do. Don't think you are so innocent. The pride that I speak of is that which is anchored in our self-assured opinions about non-essential doctrines. I am not speaking of the central doctrines upon which the Christian faith depends and by which we are able to recognize and refute error. Such central doctrines as the Trinity, the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, Jesus' physical resurrection, salvation by grace, etc., are the basics of the Christian faith that unites us all. It is not these that are the problem. Rather, it is the non-essentials of the faith where we draw the dividing line in our hearts and look down upon other Christians who are not as wise as we and then we say, "Lord, I thank you that I am not like that Christian over there."

One Church teaches a pre-tribulation rapture and subtly implies that its doctrine is the true doctrine, rightly divided; other options are systematically looked down upon and indirectly division in the body of Christ is increased. Another church teaches that amillennialism is correct and that anyone not believing in it cannot rightly understand God's word. Another church condemns the Charismatic gifts in such a way that you are left believing that anyone who is charismatic is without maturity in the Lord. It is not an opinion that is offered, but the "truth" that is offered at the expense of humility and love and unity in the body of Christ.

Do these teachers who "knowingly" teach that they have the truth say that their positions are opinions and that they are debatable and that the believer should study for himself and make up his own mind -- even if it is contrary to the teacher's position? Do these teachers leave the listeners believing that the grace of God is also working in others with whom they disagree in the non-essentials?

Is not God the God of all Christians? Didn't Jesus shed His blood for all Christians, even the charismatics, even the Calvinists, even the Baptists, even for those steeped in quiet tradition and liturgy, and even for those who weep during worship? Yes, He did.

Where is the humility of teaching about the non-essentials and saying that it is possible that another position on them may be true? When do teachers say that other gifted teachers see things differently...and that that is okay? Unfortunately, those who focus on the non-essentials to the point of division in the body of Christ counter Christ's own words that speak of unity and love. Am I right or am I wrong? Are we prideful in our hearts or not?

Pride, like humility, hides itself in its host so that it cannot be seen except by others. Pride is in the Christian Church. We see it in the denominational divisions that are rampantly scorching the land. Instead of uniting in humility, instead of admitting that our own sinfulness is what has resulted in our inability to come to a unified belief in the non-essentials is simply proof that we all must be humble before God and live according to (Romans 14: 1-7),

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. ²One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. ³Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ⁷For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lords.

Christians who disagree should admit to each other that the reason we disagree is because of our own shortsightedness, our own inability to rightly divide God's word. All of us must and should admit that we can be wrong in these non-essentials. If we can do this, then it is necessarily true that the other person may be correct. This is humility. But, I know, you don't believe the other person is correct. Fine, neither does he about you.

Look into your own heart. Are you so confidence about when the rapture will happen, or about predestination or the lack thereof, or baptism for infants or not, or alter calls, or Saturday or Sunday worship, or hymns verses praise music, or the charismatic gifts, that you will look down in your own heart upon a brother or sister in Christ for whom the Lord has shed His precious blood? Or, do you love them instead?

Ask God to examine your heart and see if there be any prideful or hurtful way in it.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way," (Psalm 139: 22-23, NASB).

Federal Headship

Federal Headship is foreign to the modern mind, but it is a biblical concept. It is the teaching that the father is the one who represents his family, his descendants. Hebrews 7:8-10 explains this.

"Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him."

Levi was a distant descendant of Abraham, yet it is said that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek even though he wasn't born. How is this so? We know that Levi did not physically carry out the act of paying tithes, but we do know that Abraham did and we also know that Abraham was the representative head of his descendants. This is how it can be said that Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek.
Federal Headship also finds its place in Romans 5:12-14 when Paul says,

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come."

The Bible knowledge Commentary says, "The federal headship view considers Adam, the first man, as the representative of the human race that generated from him. As the representative of all humans, Adam’s act of sin was considered by God to be the act of all people and his penalty of death was judicially made the penalty of everybody." Also, "The federal headship of Adam presupposes and rests upon his natural headship. He was our natural head before he was our federal head. He was doubtless made our federal representative because he was our natural progenitor, and was so conditioned that his agency must affect our destinies, and because our very nature was on trial (typically if not essentially) in him. Whatever, therefore, of virtue in this explanation the natural headship of Adam may be supposed to contain the federal theory retains." Therefore, it should be clear that Adam represented us and when he fell, we fell.
But some may object and say that this is not fair. They will say that we should not be held responsible for Adam's sin because we never sinned. If this is the position that they want to hold, then let's take a look at the cross and see why Federal Headship is important in relation to Jesus.

Jesus represented His people

1 Cor. 15:45 says, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." The "last Adam" is a reference to Jesus because of the similar relationship that exists between them both. That is, both Adam and Jesus are representative heads. Please consider 1 Cor. 15:22 that says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." This is teaching us that Adam and Christ are heads of groups. Notice "in Adam" and "in Christ" referencing our position in relationship to both of them.
If Adam did not represent mankind, then Jesus could not represent the Christians when He died on the cross. As Adam's offense resulted in condemnation to all people, so also, Jesus' sacrifice results in justification for those who believe in Him (Romans 5:18). It is because of Federal Headship -- legal representation -- that we are able to be saved at all. As Adam's sin was imputed to us because of the Fall, our sin was likewise imputed to Jesus on the cross and Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us when we receive Him. In other words, if it was not for the biblical idea of Federal Headship (of one person representing others), then Jesus could not have represented us on the cross. If Jesus did not represent us on the cross, then it could not be said of us that "...you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col 3:3); and, "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him," (Romans 6:8).
Jesus represented us so completely on the cross that it can be said that we have died with Him. If it were not for Federal Headship, this would not be possible and we could not have died to sin.

Federal Headship is a biblical concept with some very important ramifications. Because of the biblical concept, we are able to enjoy salvation; we have died to sin, and we can rest in Christ who represented us before the Father in His satisfaction of the Law of God.
Federal Headship has other important applications in the family and in the church. This will be discussed later when establishing why the elder/pastor is to be male. Nevertheless, because of the representation of Adam we all died. Because of the representation of Jesus, we can all live. Our salvation is found in Christ, or Federal Head.