I know this subject might be a bit touchy, but it is something I encounter fairly often, so I decided to delve into it a bit here. There is a common sentiment that, even though folks have differences of opinion about spiritual matters, and even stark disagreements over doctrinal teachings, we are all part of the “body of Christ,” and, in the end, we’ll all end up in heaven.
Actually, that sentiment, while seemingly hopeful, is false. We are not all part of the same body. Differences of opinion are not doctrinal truths. And, the Holy Spirit’s truths are singular, not denominational. One either believes His truths, or one is in error. There are not varying shades of His truth. There is spiritual truth, and there is spiritual error. There is no in-between.
Now, I understand that, in the journey for truth, one must always start somewhere, and often, that starting point is a matter of contention, or argument. As those of us who were educated in christianity must do, it is necessary, usually, to discover something we have believed that is actually a false teaching, and then, to start questioning what else we have learned that is not true. Once that door opens, the Holy Spirit will start filling in those blanks.
And, even those who are willing to unlearn the false teachings of the “church” can find it difficult to let go of teachings that are strongly embedded in our hearts and minds. Those whose understanding has been illuminated by the Holy Spirit should take the time to explain and expound His truths to those who are seeking to understand them—even though it can sometimes be difficult and tedious to do so.
However, there is a difference between expounding the truths at length for those who are genuinely seeking the truth, but have not yet put those pieces of the puzzle together, and those who stand in staid opposition to those truths, and who want to do nothing else but prove that the false things they believe are true.
Discerning the difference between the two can sometimes be difficult. But, when someone is repeatedly shown spiritual truths that negate christian teachings, and that person doesn’t actually even consider those truths, and research their veracity, but is bent only on repeatedly responding with the same christian dogmas that are negated by the Spirit’s truths, that person eventually is exposed as an enemy of the truth, and, by extension, an enemy of Messiah.
And, that’s where it can become difficult, for, sometimes, that person is a friend or a loved one, and because of human emotions, we all want to think the best of those we love. So, there is a tendency to want to blur the distinctions between truth and error, and, at least imply that we’re all part of the family, and we’re all heading for the same eternity.
But, that’s just not the case. Spiritually, prophetically, christianity is Babylon. Those who are Messiah’s (they have received the covenant—the seal of the Holy Spirit) are Y’isra-el. Babylon and Y’isra-el are not the same family. Babylon will be destroyed. Y’isra-el will live eternally. One cannot be part of both families.
Now, there are those who believe in Messiah Yahoshua, and have faith that they will receive the covenant, but their adoption by the Most High has not yet been declared. Those who endure in that belief before others (usually enduring persecution, and risking human relationships), will be saved—they will receive the covenant and be told they are Yah’s children. But, they are those who believe the truth—they are not those who stand opposed to it.
Those who have no interest in leaving Babylon (christianity) are, in no ways, spiritually related to those who have been made Jews by circumcision of the heart—the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29). And, those who have been added to Y’isra-el are given the evidence of it (1 John 5:10).
Those who have merely declared a “personal decision” or prayed a “sinner’s prayer,” and believe those things saved them, are not Y’isra-el. They may be sincere in their beliefs, but they are sincerely wrong. They cling to a counterfeit of the true faith—and no counterfeit is of the Holy Spirit.
Are we then to treat such people with disdain and be purposely rude to them? Of course not. But, we must understand that implying to them that they are something they have never actually been told they are (born again) is not loving from an eternal perspective. It is far more loving to let someone know they have been deceived than it is to make them think they’re just fine with the false beliefs they have.
And, when that kind of distinction is made with someone, the result will often be exactly what “enduring in belief” is all about, which is to suffer persecution, mocking, ridicule, anger, hatred, and ultimately, rejection. In the end, those who embrace a false belief system like christianity, and who are told, in no uncertain terms, that they are not saved by their christianity, will often not respond affectionately toward the messenger of the Spirit’s truth.
There is truth and there is counterfeit. They are not the same. Christianity is a counterfeit of the Gospel of Yahoshua, and therefore, those who reject the Spirit’s truths to cling to a counterfeit are exactly who we see in Matthew 7:21-23. They are those who Paul refers to in 2 Thessalonians 2:11—they have a spirit of delusion, and believe a lie.
Christianity is “another gospel,” and scripture is clear how we’re to relate to those who bring another gospel. We can be cordial and thoughtful, but we must remember that light has no fellowship with darkness. And, christianity is darkness just like every other religion out there. They all contain grains of truth, but they are polluted by false teachings and the traditions of men.
If Yah has sent someone a spirit of delusion (2 Thess. 2:11), that person will not receive the truths of the Holy Spirit—no matter how hard you try to convince him, which is why Paul went on to say, four verses later, that we should stand fast and hold (keep) the traditions (“paradosis”), which are the very things christianity abolished when it was invented and codified in the 4th century.
For more information: Circumcision and Spiritual Reproduction