Many Other Important Truths

I have mentioned that, when God first called me, I was amazed at how many plain doctrinal truths the Bible taught that I had never heard. As explained before, this booklet could not contain them all. Here are a few others.

I learned that the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Yet, I had always been taught that there was an “ever-burning hell,” where “bad people” went because they were still alive after death. I had been taught that people have immortal souls that survive death. Yet, Ezekiel 18:4, 20 states, “The soul that sins, it shall die,” and Matthew 10:28 states, “Fear Him [God] which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [gehenna: “lake of fire,” which burns up the wicked (Mal. 4:3)].” Countless millions have feared going to a an ever-burning “hell” that does not exist! The Greek word for hell is hades, meaning “the grave.” Again, Christ’s Church teaches the truth about death and hell and the scriptures that explain them. (Read our booklet The Truth About Hell.)

I came to see that Christmas and Easter (as well as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, April Fool’s, New Year’s and certain other popular observances) are not Bible customs. Rather, they are completely PAGAN in origin, and have nothing to do with God!—and are actually condemned in scripture in the strongest possible terms. (You may wish to read our booklets The True Origin of Christmas and The True Origin of Easter, and articles about others of these days to learn more about these holidays that men have used to replace God’s true Holy Days.) The true Church teaches the truth about the pagan origin of all these days and the scriptures that condemn them.

I also came to see how Satan the devil “deceives the whole world,” including the deception about who and what he is—and that he is the “god of this world.” (You may read our booklets Who Is the Devil? and A World in Captivity to learn about his role in God’s Plan.) I also learned that one-third of the original angels (now demons) joined Lucifer (Satan) in rebellion against God’s government—and that the faithful angels are God’s ministering spirits. Once again, the true Church of God teaches the truth about the devil and the scriptures that support this understanding.

Regarding when Christians are to be BORN AGAIN, I came to understand what Christ really taught was “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). I had been taught that people could be born again in this life, while they are still made of flesh. No one told me that Jesus Christ, only after His Resurrection, was called “the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). No wonder He said that those who are born again are spirit—they are no longer composed of flesh. God’s Holy Spirit has “changed” them (I Cor. 15:50-52) from “flesh and blood” to spirit. Then I understood why Romans 8:29 described Christ as “the firstborn among many brethren.” It became clear that I could be one of those “many brethren”—if I QUALIFIED! Again, the Church built by Christ teaches the truth about these doctrines and the many scriptures that support them. (You are urged to read our thorough booklet What Does “Born Again” Mean? to learn more about this.)

I learned that “sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4), and that the law of God was “holy, just, good” and “spiritual” (Rom. 7:12, 14). I had been told that Christ had “done away” with the law. Instead, I found that He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets [I had also been told that the Old Testament, which contains the writings of the prophets, was basically “done away”]: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled,” and that “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom…but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom” (Matt. 5:17-19).

I came to recognize that, when people keep the law of God, it KEEPS THEM! This is because it is a law. And I also learned that, again because it is a law, when people break it, it BREAKS THEM! If the whole world were keeping this law, it would be a very different place. Again, the true Church teaches the truth about law and sin and the many scriptures that explain them. (Read our article “What Does the New Testament Teach About Law And Grace?”)

It became clear that the Bible method of baptism is immersion, and that God says that no other form of baptism is acceptable to Him. (Read our booklet What Do You Mean Water Baptism? I learned that proper baptism must be preceded by repentance and recognition of what human nature really is—where it came from and why it needs to be repented of. (Read our booklet Did God Create Human Nature?) I came to understand that “the laying on of hands” immediately follows baptism and that it is the only way a person can receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. The true Church teaches the truth about proper baptism and the scriptures supporting it.

I learned that God’s true Church protects and feeds His Flock. Christ said (three times) to Peter that if he loved Christ, he would “Feed My [Christ’s] sheep” (John 21:15-17). I also learned that there is loving authority in the Church Christ built. Hebrews 13:7, 17, Acts 16:4, II Thessalonians 2:15, 3:6 and numerous other places explain that God gives His true ministers authority over His Flock—partly so that they are better able to protect it. Of course, God’s Church teaches the truth about this understanding and the scriptures supporting it.

I learned God’s principle of tithing (Hebrew means “tenthing”) on one’s income because “the tithe belongs to God” (Lev. 27:30). Also, in Malachi 3:8-10, God declares that He considers those who do not both pay Him His tithes and give Him His offerings to be “robbers”! I also learned that in these same verses He promised to open the windows of heaven and pour out tremendous blessings on those who were willing to “prove Him” regarding this promise—and that this is the way He finances His Work of preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the world and the warning message to the modern descendants of ancient Israel. I found that Christ affirmed the tithing law in Matthew 23:23. Other places in the New Testament confirmed Christ’s words. (Our booklet End All Your Financial Worries explains these things.) And again, the true Church teaches the truth about tithing and the many scriptures supporting it.

I learned that there is a great false religious system that the Bible calls “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:5), which masquerades as Christianity. It is pictured as a “mother church” who has protesting “daughters” who left it, but who are still part of her system. This system has carefully counterfeited all of the doctrines of God and has continually tried to penetrate, capture and destroy the true Church of God. I learned that the Bible warns God’s people about being swept into the deadly deception perpetrated by this large false church. And by studying true Church history, I learned that this false woman invariably finds a way to enter the true Church, causing those who are determined to hold fast to the full truth of God to have to flee her seductive intrusion and influence! (Read our extensive brochure The White Horse – “Many Shall Come in My Name…” to learn more about this system.)

Finally, the true Church of God teaches the truth about all of these doctrines and the many scriptures supporting them!

Some Recent History

After the original apostles died, the false church did come in and largely destroy the visible Church. Because of persecution, often including threats, imprisonment, torture and death, most people gave in and departed from the truth of God’s Way and therefore from the true Church. This period is often called “The Lost Century.” Yet, as Jesus promised, His Church has always survived. It has never completely disappeared or been destroyed—though it has certainly remained a “little flock” that has kept His Word, and the Church that has always been kept in God’s name.

Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in DAMNABLE HERESIES, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom THE WAY OF TRUTH shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (II Pet. 2:1-3).

Before his death, Paul explicitly warned the Ephesian elders to understand what would happen after he was gone. Notice: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).

History records that this is exactly what happened during (and after) The Lost Century. A major defection within the true Church happened again at the end of the twentieth century. And it occurred precisely as Peter and Paul had warned would happen in the first-century Church. This requires explanation.

I have previously explained that God called me into His truth in 1966. I was blessed to learn and to know God’s marvellous Plan and to be personally trained by Herbert W. Armstrong. My relationship with this man primarily began when I met and married his secretary in 1971.

God used Mr. Armstrong to restore truths that had been lost to His Church for centuries. Attendance in the Church exceeded 150,000 shortly after his death—when his successors did, in fact, “enter in” and “arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

From the time of Mr. Armstrong’s death in January 1986, this process of destruction lasted approximately nine years. As has been the historical pattern, the vast majority (about 80%) completely departed from the truth, the true Church and the true God. They scattered back into the world or remained where they were, returning to and re-accepting hundreds of false doctrines and practices. (The complete story has been told in my book THERE CAME A FALLING AWAY.)

The other 20%, who did not accept the direction of the false teachers who captured the visible corporation, also scattered into a variety of organizations that held to varying amounts of the truth we all had learned under Mr. Armstrong’s leadership. Who these groups represent in prophecy will be momentarily explained. All that I have described here was actually prophesied to occur. Paul was inspired to foretell and warn of this falling away just before the Return of Christ. Notice what he recorded: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the Return of Christ described two verses earlier] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

Paul explained that this falling away would affect all who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thes. 2:3, 10). The Greek word for “falling away” is apostasia, meaning literally “to defect from the truth.”

When God called me, this prophesied “falling away” had, of course, not yet occurred. While all in the Church had been warned it was coming, most still became entangled in false teachings because they had not stayed close to God, as they should have, through fervent prayer, Bible study, meditation and regular fasting. They were caught unaware.