“Our Father” is one of the most oft-spoken expressions heard in professing Christendom. The words flow from religious lips without hesitation because it is an accepted “fact” that if one “belongs” to a church, attends it regularly, obeys its doctrines and “feels” saved that the Biblical God is one’s spiritual father. But what does God say about the belief that is a foundational principle of faith for hundreds of millions of believers–the same believers who repeatedly and openly refute both Biblical Father and Son? Are They in fact their Father and Savior? A few passages from the Book will answer those questions. Keep in mind that man can serve only one deity–God or Satan–and that he serves that deity totally (Rom. 6:16). In the spiritual world, it is all or nothing. God will not share His vessel with the devil. In this regard we must “… right(ly) divid(ing) the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). “Rightly dividing” in Greek means to “make a clean cut”–to separate right from wrong totally and permanently. One of Israel’s and the church’s many failings is that they both failed to distinguish between the holy and the profane (Eze. 22:26) as God commands. The numerous pagan beliefs and practices embraced by the church highlights this fact. God sent Israel into national defeat and slavery because of this. Because He is just (Rom. 3:26), so must He do to the so-called “Christian nations.”

In John 8:41-47 Jesus graphically identifies those who belong to Him and His Father and who belongs to Satan. Here He leaves no room for interpretation as He links the Father’s people to the Father’s Words. In this passage Jesus is addressing the religious hierarchy of that day and this day: “You do the works of your father.” “You are of your father, the devil” who “is a liar and the father of lies.” While identifying false believers Jesus explains what makes them fakes: “You do not believe what I say because you refuse to hear it;” “He who is of God believes what I say; you refuse to hear My Words and obey them because you are not of God.” Note it: God conjoins His Word and His people. One is either of His Word/people or is not. One’s father is either God or Satan. One believes God’s Words and obeys them or believes Satan’s words and obeys them–there is no middle ground, no mixing. Those who do so in God’s name (Catholicism/Protestantism) He will vomit out as bile (Rev. 3:16,17). Here He is writing to the church at Laodicea, which represented the final church era in which we now live. In this passage He is speaking to the church of today who claims that she is “… rich, wealthy and in need of nothing,” but is in fact “… wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.” The Biblical God is her Father in name only. Like the five foolish virgins, she blindly trods Satan’s wide way while believing that she is on God’s narrow way (Mat. 7:13,14).

In 1 John 2:3-5 the apostle said: “This is how we know that we know him–if we keep His (10) Commandments. He that claims to know Him and does not keep His Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.” In 3:8,10 God says that anyone who sins (breaks the commandments-3:4) is of the devil. “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest–whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God.” Here God equates righteousness with obedience to His 10 Commandments. God tells us in 1 Peter 4:17,18 that only the righteous can be saved. In 2 John 9 God said: “Whoever does not obey God’s doctrine does not have the Father.” By rejecting commandment #4 and replacing it with a heathen holiday, the church publicly and continuously announces her rejection of God’s moral Law, thereby disqualifying herself from becoming His people. To be continued.