Sent to Reveal the Father

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The churches of the world routinely speak about Jesus Christ. How often did you hear about the Father in the church you attended before you were called? Probably never or almost never.

Remember Christ explained that His purpose was not to speak of Himself, but rather to reveal the Father to mankind for the first time. In fact, He said this: “He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory: but he that seeks His [the Father’s] glory that sent Him [Jesus], the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him” (John 7:18).

Consider what Jesus was saying. If the gospel of the kingdom of God was either an equation with the Person of Jesus Christ or He was a major component of the gospel along with the kingdom, then Christ would have had to speak of Himself almost continually, meaning as often as He preached the gospel. How many have thought of this? And how many have recognized that Christ would have had to routinely violate His own acknowledgement every time He preached the gospel?

Of course, Jesus certainly did explain His role as mankind’s Savior when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Even this revelatory information given to His listeners was intended to show that He was the way to have access to the Father. Matthew 11:27 is plainer, stating, “neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Jesus understood that He must both reveal the Father and point people to the Father. This is what He always did!

Now remember the “Lord’s prayer.” Jesus explained that it was to teach people how to pray to the Father. Sadly, most in the world ignore this and pray primarily to Christ (or Mary) and they speak almost continually of “the Lord this” and “the Lord that.” Few pray to the Father, and even fewer regularly speak of the One who is the ultimate Head of a Family into which we are called to be His sons, not Christ’s.

In John 6 ALL, Jesus also called Himself the “Bread of life” (John 6:48). Then, later in this chapter He spoke of how the Father must do the calling of anyone who comes “to the Son” (John 6:44, 65).

This is all very, very basic understanding that the entire Church once seemed to understand. Why will not the entire world of Christendom understand that the Christ who spoke the gospel everywhere He went also uttered what He did in John 7:18? Much more important, why will not the splinter leaders remember what they once knew? But the greatest question may be why so many thousands in the splinters seem so willing to believe that Christ (if He were part of the gospel) must have talked continually about Himself.

Jesus Christ did not do this, because He is not part of the gospel!

This requires mentioning again the vital principle forgotten by so many: One of the 12 rules of Bible study is toalways begin with the most basic, plain scriptures, and only then go on to verses which are less clear. We have applied that principle, only this time we employed it with what Mr. Armstrong wrote about a doctrine.

Understand a most basic point: When leaders deceive, they have to employ a methodology—an often predetermined LOGIC OF DECEPTION—to the process. False teachers today must do FOUR THINGS ( wittingly or unwittingly), with the latter three employed when they cite Mr. Armstrong as the authority for the error—any error—that they teach:

(1) Ignore (or twist) the clear weight of scripture.

(2) In this case, ignore the mountain of crystal clear—absolutely plain—and conclusive statements from Mr. Armstrong emphatically stating, for instance, that the gospel is only about the kingdom of God.

(3) Isolate one less clear quote from him to make their point.

(4) Carefully ellipse that one statement because even it demonstrates, if shown in its entirety, that the gospel has nothing to do with Jesus Christ’s sacrifice or anything else. LCG has done this in the most egregious fashion when they offer the only quote they could find to suit their purpose, which is to alter the gospel, baldly lie to God’s people about it and continue seizing His tithes for themselves!

The subject of how splinter leaders deceive is of colossal importance to the twenty-first century people of God. Chapter Twelve will take you much deeper into why and how God has permitted their presence as one of the final great tests for His people.