CHRISTIANITY is the true and undefiled religion founded by Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. In spite of Satan’s attempt to give it many faces as to make it appear as though it were self- contradictory, Christianity, like the sunbeam, remains unsoiled. Its triumph over evil has been predestined and was further sealed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has been given all powers and made the author of eternal salvation. And so, when iniquity shall be brought to an end at the forthcoming battle of the great day of the LORD, only the true and undefiled religion will survive.
Jesus Christ established Christianity upon pure doctrines, principles and beliefs as enunciated in the Holy Scripture. It offers remission for the past grace for the present and glory for the future, in a way no other religion professes to offer. Its peculiarity is not in doubt. Truth adorned with grace is the distinctive characteristic of the Christian Faith. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) No wonder the founder of Christianity is truth personified. “I am the way, truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6.
The fundamental unifying factor in Christianity is the TRUTH. It must not be mingled with falsehood, and any deviation from it is bound to bring about misgivings and lead to schism. A distortion of the gospel of Christ must not be tolerated or condoned in the church. On this score, St. Paul warned the Christians thus: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that, which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”- Gal. 1:8, 9
Jesus Christ knew what the devil, the arch-enemy of God and Man, is capable of doing to cause confusion and mislead men. He spoke about false prophets who, as the agents of Satan, would come in His name to deceive the people and warned against them. It was because the religious leaders of his day rejected the truth, he often had confrontation with them. In argument on doctrines he put them to silence –both the Sadducees and Pharisees. As regards resurrection he told the Sadducees, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” – Matthew 22: 23-30, 34-46.
St. Paul, in his address to the Ephesian elders, indicated that after his departure some evil men whom he described as savage wolves would spring up at the instance of the devil, even from among themselves, to distort the truth and induce disciples to follow them. He warned the faithful to be on alert. (Acts 20:28-31) And in his first letter to Timothy, he stated: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome word, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of word, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” – 1 Timothy 6:3-5.
Since the days of the early apostles of Jesus Christ, false prophets and teachers had been insinuating themselves into the church and perverting the gospel. Today, the situation is worse, and will soon reach the worst. People who are known to have confessed to witchcraft in their villages surfaced in urban cities overnight as “superior supreme apostles” and draw large followers. It is in our time we have women apostles and they command a lot of followership. Like Simon in the days of the apostles, some who consult with witch doctors use evil means to attract disciples who hail them as first class evangelists, prophets and pastors.
The devil knows that Christianity is a force that he has not the capacity to eliminate. What he has been doing apart from persecution of believers, is to mimic Christianity, give it the appearance of many faces as if it contradicts itself, all with a view of confusing men and making it difficult for them to find and identify the WAY, the TRUTH. This accounts for the proliferation of churches and the unprecedented increase in the number of fake teachers and self – anointed pastors on the religious scene the world over in these last days. Christians, if truly they are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, ought to be united in their teachings and beliefs. To this end, St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10. It is common knowledge that, that oneness is no longer there among those who profess Christianity. This is so because false teachings, invented dogmas and even superstitions have all infiltrated into the church. Idols are adored to “glorify” the so-called saints; pagan institutions have been baptized into “Christianity”, people pay money to enable their dead relations to obtain absolution through the prayer of priests as to gain entry into heaven; the threat of unquenchable “fire of hell” is used to extract money from the gullible.
The vogue now, which is sweeping across the continents, is signs, wonders and miracles. Modern – day miracle-pastors go to any length to induce the people to follow them and to amass wealth. Exploitation has become the order of the day. Money is offered to obtain visions from the prophets; candles are purchased for use in prayer and those said to be “sanctified” attract more money; paw-paw seeds have the barren fruitful and the poor rich; oil is poured on people’s heads so that they may receive the Holy Spirit. People’s wives stripped naked are bathed with “holy water”, and in the guise of prayer many women, married and unmarried have been defiled. These are atrocities committed by men who profess to be the servants of Christ. Yet the people cannot discern. God did say, “My people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?” – Jer. 5:29-31; 23:21, 22; Ezekiel 13:6-9, etc.
Jesus Christ foresaw that this situation would arise at this end-time and he gave warning, said he, “And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before…” – Matthew 24:11, 24-25. We have seen many false Christs, some of whom assured their teeming followers that they would not die but who had passed away. The agents of the devil use the name of Christ even more vigorously and frequently, and show signs and wonders, to win disciples. Like the Scribes and Pharisees they travel overseas and on the land to win one convert but the pity of it is that when they have won him they make him, through false teachings, twice as fit for hell as they themselves are. (Matthew 23:15) Therefore, the existence of nominal Christianity in our time is not in dispute. The days of false prophets are numbered. John the Baptists ho testified to the greatness and advent of the messiah, declared: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.” (Matt. 2:10) Jesus Christ threw more light on this when he likened his true servant to a good tree that always bears good fruit by preaching the truth, and a false prophet to a corrupt tree yields evil fruits (falsehood). He then warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” And in regard to their fate, he said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt. 7:7-20) The fire symbolizes the vengeance of God that will be wreaked upon the wicked in this last day. He said further: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”- verses 22-23.
Jesus Christ condemned false worship. He told the Pharisees and Scribes that they honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from him and that they worshipped in vain, teaching as doctrines the percepts of men. When his disciples informed him that they were offended, he retorted: “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matt 15:13-14.
It cannot be disputed that there are the counterparts of the Pharisees and Scribes in our time, therefore people should not take things for granted but should examine doctrines, using the Bible as the yard-stick, before associating with any Christian body or group. St. Paul counseled, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21) And John the apostle cautioned: “Beloved, believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) To fail to distinguish between true Christianity and counterfeit Christianity is dangerous.
The intensification of activities by false prophets as we are seeing in the world is one of the signs of the times, showing that the end of all evil is now near. Blind leaders and their blind followers will certainly fall into the ditch of destruction. It is only those who know and identify themselves with the TRUTH that will be saved on that great day of the LORD. Concerning this age, St. Paul stated that the mystery of iniquity is already at work and that the destruction of the wicked by Jesus Christ in his second presence will be preceded by the activity of Satan with power and signs and lying wonders to deceive those who will perish for refusing to love the truth, – 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.
Without the knowledge and acceptance of the truth there can be no salvation for anyone. It is the will of God that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3,4) And Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31, 32).
At the impending Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty when evil in any shape or form will be destroyed, all the survivors described by St. John as “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations” were, the angel said, “These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-14) The robes are the adornment of righteousness.
The survivors will enter the New Earth, the World Without End, where they, under the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, will live in perfect peace and happiness forever and ever. The notion of some that St. G. M. Urhobo imparted only the knowledge of doctrines to us simply to sharpen our sensibility towards indulging in criticism of others, is very wrong. We give attention to doctrines because they are fundamental in Christianity, and constitute the determinant factor by which a true servant of Christ can be distinguished from an impostor or false prophet.
To the Galatians, St. Paul wrote: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that, which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8) And he warned Timothy: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome word, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing…”( 1 Timothy 6:3-5) But most striking is John’s assertion: “…that no lie is of the truth.” (1 John 2:21) Hardly in general exhortations on faith, love and morals will one find fault but in doctrines, errors, lies or falsehoods are easily manifest.