The Genuine and counterfeits. What is of value has its counterfeits. It is note worthy that Christianity has more counterfeits than any other faith system. Little wonder. Genesis 3:1, ". . . hath God said . . . ."
Basiclly there are two religous systems in the world. God bringing Himself to man and man claiming to reach out to God. The free gift of God versus the [Satanic] man made faith plus works religions.
". . . But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. . . ." -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
". . . But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 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, . . . For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. . . ." -- 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; 2 Corithians 11:13-14.
". . . For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. . . ." -- Romans 6:23.
The lost do not understand that, not any kind of works can ever satisfy the requirement of death for sin. So it is that salvation can only be a totally free gift received only as that gift, which can not be kept, earned or obtained by any kind of works.
". . . All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. . . ." -- Isaiah 53:6.
Christianity has more sects than any other faith system.
Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by 37818, Nov 28, 2019.
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The Selfish and Salvation-Obsessed brethren don't understand the concept of doing good things for free or no reward, nor the idea of trusting God well enough to not seek leverage of salvation over him.
1 John 3
10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. -
Some added thoughts . . .
2 Corinthians 5:17, ". . . Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. . . ."
Ephesisans 2:8-10, ". . . For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. . . ."
Galatians 5:16-23, ". . . Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. . . ."
Galatians 2:21, ". . . I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. . . ."
Romans 3:19, ". . . Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. . . ."
James 2:10, ". . . For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. . . ."
Romans 10:, ". . . For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. . . ."
1 John 5:1, ". . . Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: . . ."
1 John 5:4, ". . . For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. . . ."
Revelation 21:7, ". . . He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. . . ."
Revelation 2:11, ". . . He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. . . ."
Revelation 3:5, ". . . He that overcometh, . . . I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, . . ."
Revelation 20:15, ". . . And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. . . ." -
Luke 14
12And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13“But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” -
Religious freedom and the spirit of anti-denominationalism that has come into the world recently is why there are so many Christian sects. -
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Then look at their fruits against what the Bible says a true teacher should look like ( Matthew 7:16, 2 Timothy 2:21-26 ), and that should go a long way towards identifying which "sects" are close to or in the truth, and which ones are not. :) -
I'd also say that there are quite a few groups, historically, that have professed Christ and that have become involved in bad behavior and seeking to leverage salvation over a person.