IF YOU WERE DECEIVED… WOULD YOU KNOW IT? WHICH JESUS HAVE YOU

BELIEVED IN?…

Edward O’Hara Fri 8/28/2020 11:56 AM,

This message is to those people who believe they have put their faith in the Jesus of the Bible. If you have believed in the Biblical Jesus then praise God. But, I have a question. One that we should ask when we are first told about Jesus. And one we should continue asking of ourselves as soon as we grow past the very early stage of our first having trusted in the Jesus we begin learning about. So now that you know some Bible and have gleaned from it some information about who Jesus is, can you say with certainty that the Jesus you have come to know matches exactly with what the Bible says about Him? 

I’m not asking how sincere you are about what you believe about Jesus. And I am not saying you need to be a scholar to be saved. If you are reading this you more than likely have a very sincere belief. I’m simply asking if after really examining what you have come to know and believe about Jesus can you say with certainty that the Jesus you have come to know is the Jesus of the Bible? This is a very important issue because Jesus said there would come many false Christs. 

Which Jesus have you believed in? Is it the Jesus of Mormonism? Do you believe that Mormons know the Jesus of the Bible? What about Jehovah’s Witnesses? Or do you believe these have come to know a different Jesus? Do you believe that Roman Catholicism teaches us to know Him? What about the Protestants? Do you believe theirs is the Jesus of the Bible? Or do you believe that these are all believing in the Jesus of the Bible only having some inconsequential differences? Or are these all cults that have been deceived by a false Christ? 

The reason I ask is because Jesus Himself, the Biblical Jesus, said “For there shall arise false Christs… that may deceive the very elect if it were possible.” So the question is, if you have believed in Jesus how can you know it is the Jesus of the Bible you have believed in? And not one of the “false Christs that shall come” that Jesus spoke of? Is it true that all we need to believe about Jesus to be saved is that He was born in Bethlehem, of a virgin, and died on a cross and rose again on the third day? If so then why do so many believe that other religions than their own who say they believe in this Jesus are cults? If we truly want to be sure we have believed in the Jesus the apostles preached. The one who showed Himself to Israel and the world 2000 years ago. We must compare what these believe and teach about their Jesus with the Jesus the Bible proclaims. Making sure that we trust in the Biblical Jesus by believing only what the Bible plainly teaches about Him. Paul referred to this as “examining yourselves to see whether you be in the faith lest you be reprobate” in 2Cor.13:5. And this is what we will do so that we will know for sure whether we have believed in the Jesus of the Bible, or a false christ.  

But, first let me give an example of how we can mistake the Biblical Jesus for one of the false Christs. When speaking with someone about who our Jesus is we may begin with His birth 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem. We may go on to say He was born of a virgin. So far so good, right? Then we add that He died on the cross for our sins. And rose again on the third day. And even believe that He ascended to heaven. Still on the right track, right? But, then something happens. When we digress back to who He was as a man, and who He is now in heaven, we begin to encounter some differences from the Biblical description that prove we are not talking about the same person at all. The question is then, if the substantive differences you might find in your preferred beliefs about Jesus doesn’t mean that you have missed knowing the Jesus of the Bible? Then why would we say any of those you have not preferred that also have some significant differences means they have? 

It’s like two people talking about someone it at first appears that they both know. But, then after further discussion they find that they are actually talking about two separate people. They may have some similarities like the same name and being born in the same town from parents with the same names who died under similar circumstances. But, when all the information on this person is revealed we discover that it’s not the same person at all. 

An example of this is found in what we discover in conversation with Mormons. They say that their Jesus is one that was a man just like us that only became a God through a system of “eternal progression” that they believe is true for all men. But, is that what the Bible says about the Biblical Jesus? Let’s compare. The Bible says Jesus was always God. And was never not God(John1:1). And that before God there have been no other Gods formed. And neither does He know of any other Gods(Isaiah43:10). And that after Him there will be no other Gods. And that He only became a man temporarily in the incarnation so that He could die the same death all men die so that by His resurrection He could conquer death for all mankind(Heb.2:14). Paul also saying that men die once and after that they are judged. So there is no “eternal progression” possible. So by comparing what Mormonism teaches about their Jesus to what the Bible says the Mormon Jesus can not be the Jesus of the Bible. So we can plainly see when we examine their Jesus that theirs is an imposter. He is one of the “false Christs” Jesus said would come. 

Another example of this is found when in conversation with Jehovah’s Witnesses they say that their Jesus was only ever a man. And that He was never God. And is not now God. And that he was only given authority, an anointing, to bring a special message to his people like Moses did. But, the Bible says that Jesus was and is and always has been God(John1:1). That He is the “almighty God” and “the everlasting Father”(Isaiah9:6). Jesus even saying Himself that before Abraham was I AM. So by comparing their Jesus to what the Bible says about Jesus it is easily discerned that theirs is not the Biblical Jesus either. But, he is an imposter. One of the false Christs Jesus said would come. 

And we find this as well when talking with Roman Catholics who say that their Jesus could not come in the same flesh all men have. Because they think that if he did come in the same flesh all men have then he would have a sin nature and therefore would not be sinlessly pure. So even though they say that their Jesus was born of a virgin, the purpose of this virgin birth is not the stated purpose the Bible gives. So they invented a doctrine to account for this that says Jesus’ mother was made sinlessly pure by a special “grace” given to her by God so that Jesus would not inherit this sin nature from his parents. Because if he had the same flesh his parents had, and they were human parents with a sin nature, then he could not have been the unblemished lamb. Because then he too would have sin. This doctrine was codified to the Roman Catholic religion when Augustine, a man schooled in the doctrines of Gnosticism, twisted the plain meaning of the Bible to comply with his Gnostic beliefs about the flesh being evil. 

But, in contrast the Bible proclaims that it is imperative that Jesus came in the same flesh all men have(Heb.2:14). And yet He was still without sin as Heb.4:15 says. Proving that the sin nature and original sin doctrines of Augustine are not the teaching the Bible conveys. Because only by coming in the same flesh all men have could He die the same death all men die so that by His resurrection He could conquer death for all mankind. So by comparing the Jesus of Roman Catholicism with what the Bible says about Jesus we see clearly that their Jesus can not possibly be the Jesus of the Bible. Even though there are similarities as there are with any counterfeit, it becomes abundantly clear that their Jesus is an imposter and an antichrist. One of the “false Christs” that Jesus said would come. 

For similar reasons as the Roman Catholics the Protestants also say their Jesus could not have come in the same flesh all men have. So they proclaim that their Jesus too was born in Bethlehem of a virgin. But, in contrast to their Roman Catholic mother, Protestants say that their Jesus’ mother did have a sin nature. And to get around the possibility that this sin nature was passed on to Jesus from His mother they devised a different doctrine that would keep their Jesus from inheriting her sin nature. They invented a doctrine that says that the sin nature only passes from the father to the child which erased the need for the mother to be sinless as their mother the Roman Catholics had said. 

This was one of their reasons for “protesting” her doctrines. But, she is their mother because it is from her that their doctrine of sin nature and original sin was born. Because while they claim their Jesus’ father was God just as their mother had, the Bible makes no such claim about a sin nature passing from parent to child. Truth be told the Bible never says anything about anyone ever having a sin nature at all at any time. To the contrary, the Bible says that when all men are born they are exactly as Adam was when he was made(1Cor.15:45-50). A doctrine that these false religions do not believe. But, one that Paul was adamant about. 

So this is a false narrative built into their system that John said came from the spirit of antichrist to keep them from knowing the Jesus of the Bible. So just as their mother the Roman Catholic religion, Protestants have also believed in direct contradiction to Heb.2:14, that their Jesus’ flesh could not have been the same flesh all men have. All because, like their mother the Roman Catholic religion, their Jesus had to be born without a sin nature the Bible never says anything about. In contrast the Bible says the Biblical Jesus’ flesh was the same flesh all men have(Heb.2:14). So after examining what they believe about their Jesus it is abundantly clear that they too have believed in a “false christ”. Just as these other cults have. 

Are you beginning to see a pattern? The problem in all these groups who say they have believed in the Biblical Jesus does not match exactly with the Jesus the Bible proclaims. And those differences make the difference between the Jesus of the Bible and the false Christs Jesus said would come. They all miss the Jesus of the Bible by 1.claiming he did not come in the same flesh all men have. Or 2.that he did but was only a man and is not and never was God at all. Or 3.that he became a God through eternal progression. The common denominator for all of these, and what determines that these are all cults, is that they all change who Jesus is. 

And as a consequence of this they have rejected the Biblical Jesus and all come to the same conclusion about how their Jesus saves. By works. Because by making works the reason for their need for Jesus. Works must also become the answer to their need for Jesus. So their Jesus is only able to save them because he did not have a sin nature and kept the law perfectly. They make the works of the flesh, the keeping of the law, always the central issue in regard to his being the unblemished lamb. So that this is what their Jesus imputes to them to make them acceptable to their god. While Paul said it is a personal relationship like that which Jesus had with the Father that justifies the believer. 

Consequently, if you have believed that perfect law keeping is what made Jesus the unblemished lamb you have been deceived to trust in a salvation by works. But,Paul says plainly that “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”. So clearly, it could not be because Jesus kept the law perfectly that He was the unblemished lamb as the cults that do not know the Biblical Jesus, and instead have trusted in one of the false Christs, teach. Paul explains the reason Jesus was the unblemished lamb by saying that we are justified by the faith of Christ and not by anyone’s works of the law in Gal.2:16. 

But, how does “the faith of Christ” make Him the unblemished lamb? Because His being unblemished has to do with His relationship with the Father, just as our justification has to do with our relationship with Him. And has nothing to do with His or anyone else’s works of the law. This is why Paul said that we are saved by grace through faith not of works. Because believing Him as He believed the Father is righteousness. The Biblical Jesus always trusted in and knew the Father. There was never a time when He did not trust in and know the Father. This is the faith of Christ that makes Him the unblemished lamb. And this is the faith of Christ by which men are justified, made righteous, just as Jesus was. For only when we believe in Jesus as He believed the Father saying “Nevertheless not my will but thine be done”, showing our complete trust and reliance on Him, are we justified. It is only then that we are reckoned righteous because righteousness is knowing Him. It is not works. We are reckoned to be unblemished just as our forerunner Jesus was by faith. Not by works. But, by the faith of Christ. 

So you see it is not because of a sin nature that all men have that Jesus could not have come in the same flesh all men have as the Protestants and Roman Catholics preach. That is a belief in a false Christ. It is the teaching of the spirit of antichrist. A Gnostic belief in a false pagan god and not the true God at all. And it is not because Jesus became a God through eternal progression as Mormons preach. That too is a belief in a false Christ. And it is not because Jesus was only a man just like us and not God as the Jehovah’s witnesses preach. This is also a belief in a false Christ. 

If you have believed in any of these Jesus’ you have been deceived to believe in one of the “false Christs” that Jesus spoke of in Mt.24. You have believed the teaching of the spirit of antichrist that John spoke of in 1John4:1-3 and 2John1:7-11 where John proclaims of those who have believed in such a Jesus that “they have not God”. 

If you have now seen that you have been deceived by any of these false Christs will you turn from it and it’s false doctrines to trust in the true and living God? Will you now trust in the God of the Bible who came in the same flesh all men have to join with man in his death to conquer death for all mankind? Because only by believing in the Jesus of the Bible can one have the eternal life that Jesus came to provide you with. And if you have never acknowledged Jesus as Lord and now believe that He is and has raised from the dead to conquer your death and mine will you pray with me? 

Dear Jesus, thank you for joining with me in my death so that I could join with you in your eternal life. I believe in you and your resurrection. I proclaim now, nevertheless not my will but thy will be done. Thank you for conquering death. Thank you for giving me your eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

If you prayed with me then God bless you and welcome to the family of God. Come back here often to hear the true word of God. So that you can grow to be the mature man or woman of God that He wants you to be. So that by reason of use you can learn to discern between good and evil. And between what is right and almost right. 

See you there or in the air! 

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Author Edward O’Hara