Christians (so-called)

Pope Francis released a video recently, calling for people of all religions to work together for peace. Predictably, interfaith unity is his way of seeing it come to pass, not faith in the Prince of Peace Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ Isaiah 9:6. His video features a Jewish Rabbi, “I believe in God,” a Muslim leader, “I believe in God, Allah,” a Roman Catholic priest, “I believe in Jesus Christ,” and a Buddhist teacher, “I have confidence in the Buddha.” Pope Francis says, “Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers. This should lead to dialogue among religions. We should not stop praying for it and collaborating with those who think differently.”

He continues, “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this range of religions, there is only one certainty we have for all: we are all children of God.” Whilst it is true we are all creations of God, it is not true we are all children of God. That right applies to spiritually born again people only. But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God John 1:12-13. Christians must understand it is no big deal that most of the world’s inhabitants declare themselves believers in God. Even the demons believe – and tremble! James 2:19.

Of course people will, “think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways.” Discard, deny or downgrade the Bible, the one source of revelation as to Who and what God truly is, and you can nothing but think, feel and seek differently. But whatever god you meet will not be God Almighty, the Supreme Being and Creator of the heavens and earth Genesis 1:1, revealed only in Jesus Christ John 1:1-3, 10; Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-2. How remarkable that people can come up with all sorts of faulty concepts about God, yet how offended they would be if others came up with all sorts of faulty concepts about them! “Your concepts of me are totally inaccurate,” they would say. Well, guess what!

Pope Francis will get his wish. Whether he’s the pope to bring a one-world religion into being is not certain, but one of them will. Revelation 17 confirms it. The whole world is crying out for peace and it doesn’t care who brings it to pass just so long as somebody does. A few more terrorist attacks around the world, an escalation of Middle East wars plus a major new one somewhere else and it will be ready for it. Throw a catastrophic economic collapse into the mix and the world will demand peace. There’s only one problem with this, however. Just as it will be a false religion, it will be a false peace.  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape 1 Thessalonians 5:3.   

Notice the Scripture says, they shall not escape, not “we”, born again believers. Born again believers won’t be here, we’ll be in heaven with the one true God and the one (and only) true Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Notice too, Pope Francis seeks to, “dialogue among religions.” One dictionary describes the word ‘dialogue’ as an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, especially a political or religious issue, with a view to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement – to discuss areas of disagreement frankly in order to resolve them. An important note for newly born again believers: There is nothing to exchange with anyone, nothing to agree on or settle with anyone and nothing to resolve with anyone – end of story!

Christians (so-called), willing to dialogue on any part of Scripture with non-Christians for the sake of unity (so-called), are sell-outs every bit as much as Judas Iscariot was a sell-out. If they die without repentance, the same end awaits them that awaits him – cast into the lake of fire Revelation 20:14. “We all worship the same God,” so say the politicians, the religious and the politically correct. How foolish! A true Muslim doesn’t believe that for a moment. Neither does a true Christian! Of the two though, only the true Christian gets vilified and castigated for holding his beliefs. And after the church is removed from the earth and the Tribulation gets under way, it will be true Christians only who lose their head for holding those beliefs Revelation 20:4.

Given that we know there will be a one-world religion in the very near future, what biblical doctrines might these Christians (so called) be willing to part with for the sake of “peace” and “unity”? An opinion only: Any doctrines exclusive or restricted to the Bible they’ll be willing to part with. Take Jesus’ proclamation for example, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me John 14:6. It doesn’t get any more exclusive than that! The way, the truth, the life and nobody gets to God unless they come through Jesus. That blows the Jewish, the Muslim, the Roman Catholic and the Buddhist argument out of the water. Nevertheless, somehow through dialogue they will whittle that exclusive truth away.

Another proclamation: If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free John 8:32-32. Although there will be dialogue here, truth has never been the main issue for most religious people, Christian or otherwise. It’ll be the same for this crowd. That’s why the pope’s video shows each religious leader repeating the same refrain: “I believe in love.” They’re willing to discard truth for love. But that’s not reality either because without truth it’s not possible to define love. True, they’ll say, “God is love” which He is, but without Jesus they can never know God to experience Him as such. So the love they experience is merely human, not divine – natural love, not supernatural.

Another exclusive or restricted doctrine: the salvation of souls from eternal damnation. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus Christ) under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved Acts 4:12 NIV. This truth applies to none but the name of Jesus, the person of Jesus, the blood of Jesus and the righteousness of Jesus. And if not Jesus, then who? Not Allah, not Mary, not Buddha, not Pope Francis. How much dialogue will it take for them to get around that truth and push it to the curb? Whether it takes a lot or a little, they’ll get around it somehow – to cost of their soul! But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven Matthew 10:33.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast Ephesians 2:8-9. There’s not an ounce of human worthiness implied in that Scripture no matter how much Pope Francis and the others desire to “dialogue among religions.” Deny grace and you deny faith. Deny faith and you deny God. How hard it is for religious men and women to humble themselves – especially the leaders! The greatest problem Jesus ever had was with religious leaders – it still is His greatest problem. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up and it shall be brought low Isaiah 2:12. Only a fool would dialogue that truth away!

On earth, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father Philippians 2:8-11. The Jewish Rabbi, the Muslim leader, the Roman Catholic priest and the Buddhist teacher in the pope’s video don’t for one second believe what follows “Therefore God.” Neither does Francis, it seems. If he did, he would not dare call people of other religions to work together for peace and unity through a one-world religion.

Paul the apostle told the church, the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth…… 2 Timothy 4:3-4. There has always been a time when Christians (so-called) have done that, but there’s never been a time such as this time for Jesus’ all-exclusive doctrines of the Bible to be fully rejected by them and for the all-inclusive “doctrines” of a one-world religion to be fully accepted by them. Newly born again believer, regardless of who says what about Jesus Christ and the Bible, each can be relied upon totally for every facet of your life. Not so, those pushing for a one-world religion – totally not so! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever Hebrews 13:8.