Fact: Everything written in the Holy Bible was written and preserved for thousands of years in order to teach people from Adam to the beginning of eternity the one and only way of the Lord which must be obeyed in order to spend eternity with Him and His Son. In Matthew 15:6-9 we find Jesus Christ telling those who are comprise a segment of professing Christendom today that they are living their lives in a state of religious vanity.

In this passage He is addressing some Pharisees and scribes–the religious leaders of that time–concerning God’s Ten Commandment Law. They were guilty of transgressing His Law (sinning–1 Jn. 3:4) by replacing His Ten commandments with doctrines generated by their religious fathers. Though He was talking to the religious leaders of His day, Jesus is also speaking to and about the New Testament Church that would dominate the religious scene in the distant future, a future that did not look promising. In Second Thessalonians 2:3 the Apostle Paul prophesied that prior to Christ’s return there would first come a “FALLING AWAY” from the Lord. The Greek word for “falling away” is “apostasy.” Read about that religious movement away from God using Apostasy as the key word.

The church world is now in the beginning phase of that deadly, end-time movement. In Matthew 24:4-8 and Revelation chapter 6 Jesus describes the curses God would pour out on the church and its national hosts in an attempt to warn the people what would take place over time because of their apostasy–false prophets, wars, famines, disease pandemics, natural disasters, etc. In Revelation 6 He explains that, because religious man would embrace the rider on the white horse (Satan) who would conquer all but a few of the world’s people, the following seals, horses and riders would ravage sinning mankind until His (Christ’s) return to earth to bring an end to the 3 1/2 year-long Tribulation period. Now back to Matthew 15.

Jesus is chastising the Jewish leaders for having abandoned the Law and the prophetical writings. By this time they were using the Talmud as their written rules of engagement with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Talmud is a collection of teachings and beliefs of ancient Jewish fathers. It had been created during the 70 years the Jews were in Babylonian captivity. Several years ago I read that Jewish priests were still being trained using the teachings of the Talmud. A recent check reveals that the practice continues to this day.

In what I refer to as the church’s Talmud, we find that the modern day descendants of the Pharisees and scribes (church leaders) are carrying on their ancient methods of determining truth and obeying it. And, like their ancestors, the masses believe and follow what they are being told, commonly known as “church doctrine” that has replaced the Holy Bible as the church’s “go to” source of truth. Where the Talmud reflects the teachings of the Jew’s ancient religious fathers, modern church doctrines are accomplishing the same goal–to deceive the people and draw them away from the God of the Holy Bible. Modern church doctrines reflect the myriad of “improved” versions of God’s Word designed by Satan to gather salvation seekers into hundreds of different cults. Each denomination, faith, church, etc. has its own god, savior, truths, plan of salvation, etc. What those in the various groups do not realize is that they serve the same god as do the Muslims, Hindus, etc. of the world. He is identified in Second Corinthians 4:4 as the god of this world–Satan.

Jesus addresses this heretical belief system in Matthew 7 in what is known as “the sermon on the mount.” In verses 21-23 He prophesies what will take place on Judgment Day when those who embraced any non-Biblical theology, including so-called “Christianity,” come before Him. Here He tells us what He will say to those masses them when they stand before Him on “that day.” He will say to them: “I NEVER KNEW YOU.” In other words, people who had spent much of their lives supposedly worshiping and serving Him will learn that they had practiced the brand of religion that Satan had designed specifically for them. As a result, they never heard God’s Truth.

Study Matthew 7:21-23 carefully and learn the lessons taught in that passage. Notice that the condemned ones will call Him their “Lord,” but will not have obeyed Him as their Lord/Master/King. Notice that they will remind Him that they had preached, performed miracles and done many wonderful works in His Name. That will mean nothing to Him. Obviously, their disciples who had believed and followed them will receive the same treatment from the Lord.

Compare Christ’s response to the chapter 7 people to His response to the five foolish virgins written about in Matthew 25:1-13. They, like the super religious Matthew 7 believers, have come to Him expecting to be welcomed into His presence. However, they are turned away. But notice the difference in His verbal response: “I DO NOT (NOW) KNOW YOU” (vs 12). He had “known” them before they “fell away” from Him. They had abandoned the “hope of salvation” that was designed to keep them walking in obedience until His return at the end of the age. Read Hope and Salvation. Key word–Hope. The end result of the sins of both groups will be the same: REJECTION.

This teaching has important meaning for the end-time Laodicean Church of today. In a series concerning the “Great Spiritual Awakenings” that have taken place throughout church history I describe how people react to great moves of God’s Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, God’s tiny church is not an option for them because of professing Christendom’s rejection of those Jesus calls His “little flock” (Lk. 12:32), His tiny “remnant” of true saints (Rom. 11;5). Invariably, newly “saved” people follow Satan’s false prophets into his Catholic/Protestant Religious System where they languish for the remainder of their lives.

I have predicted that there will come a time of revival before the Tribulation Period arrives. Sadly, I believe that those touched by the Holy spirit will react as have their predecessors–they will end up in the same churches where they will learn and believe Satan’s various versions of God’s Truth. They will learn the same church “truths” that have led billions of people to ignore the Lord’s still, small, spiritual voice and to blindly embrace Satan’s loud, religious voice. A perfect example of church heresy was voiced by a famous church pastor not long ago on television. He proclaimed that in order to get to heaven, one needed to “… obey church doctrine.” Two Satanic lies were voiced in that short statement. One, no one is going to heaven. God’s Very Elect saints will live forever in His earthly kingdom. Two, church doctrine is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

As was the case with their religious predecessors, the church member’s religiosity will all have been practiced in vain. They will die never having heard God’s true Gospel/Truth/Light/Law. Fortunately, there is hope for them following the second resurrection. Read about that situation using the key word–Second.

I have questioned the Almighty about what I am about to write. He has assured me that I have His Truth in the matter. Millions of people have been martyred for their belief in and service to what they believe to be the Biblical God. Many more will be killed for the same reason. Sadly, their deaths will have all been in vain, for they will have heard only the church’s wishful thinking about the Word of God and will have walked in obedience to it. As a result, they will have never been forgiven of their sins (transgressions of God’s Law–1 Jn. 3:4). Sadly, they will face their “Lord” in anticipation of being welcomed into His presence, only to be told: “I NEVER KNEW YOU.” As stated, due to the incredible grace of the incredible God, there is hope for them.

This group does not include the multitude of people who will be martyred during the Great Tribulation Period because they will turn to the Lord during that time and will be beheaded for doing so. Read about them in the Great Multitude series. Key word–Multitude. L.J.