The Shifting Sands of Mainstream Christianity

Major Protestant denominations of Christendom are in the throes of controversy, some to the point of dissolution. Millions of members of the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Churches of America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Pentecostal World Fellowship, the Anglican Communion in the United States, and many smaller denominations are in a state of angst. They are being hammered with protests and litigation by homosexual, transgender, and abortion proponents to accept those who practice and support these aberrant lifestyles and behaviors. The Catholic Church hierarchy is also wrestling with these incessant demands. These religious organizations are aware of the Bible’s clear teachings against such sins, but they do not want to alienate the proponents who demand recognition and acceptance as members.

The resulting factions within the major denominations are increasingly dissatisfied with the responses of their leaders. Some denominations are going through a “disassociation” process, dividing church property, pension funds, and other assets as revenues plummet because of declining attendance and support.

In taking a close look at the history of these mainstream churches, it becomes obvious that compromise, division, dissolution, and major schisms have occurred all the way back to the early centuries following the foundation of the original church.

The church founded by Jesus Christ was built on a rock (Matthew 16:18). The Apostle Paul explained that this Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). The prophet Malachi, quoting God, wrote, “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Jesus explained the perils of building one’s house on sand, pointing out that it would not withstand the storms that are bound to come (Matthew 7:26–27).

A study of the practices of the early Church of God (referred to by that name twelve times in the New Testament) reveals that within 200 years after the time of Jesus Christ, pagan practices were adopted by many who professed to follow Christ but did not adhere to His teachings. For example, Jesus taught, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven” (John 3:13). Yet a basic tenet of mainstream Christianity is that heaven is the reward of the “saved.” The pagan belief of the “immortality of the soul” is without biblical foundation. Only God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15–16; cf. Isaiah 57:15).

The “Rapture” is another popular teaching; many claim that God will suddenly take some people away, leaving those around them astounded and wondering what happened. Yet Jesus said that after the Tribulation and the heavenly signs occur, “the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). Then, His elect will be gathered from the four winds. Paul gave more details of this major event in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.

Early Christians followed Christ’s instructions to keep His commandments (John 14:15; 15:10). Yet most churches today teach that the Ten Commandments were abolished or “nailed to the cross.” Most denominations completely ignore the Fourth Commandment—“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11).

Christ observed the Passover and told His disciples, “This do… in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Yet most Christians today observe Easter instead, which is named for a pagan deity and cluttered with many fertility symbols, such as rabbits and dyed eggs. Christ and the Apostles kept the seven annual Holy Days (Leviticus 23) picturing God’s plan of salvation for mankind, while mainstream Christianity observes Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas—all of which have their origins in idolatry and paganism.

So, we should not be surprised when we see these denominations accept things that are prohibited by biblical instruction, such as homosexuals being accepted as members and ministers. These developments are a continuation of “Christian” denominations claiming to follow Christ but building on the shifting sands of human reasoning and political pressures rather than the solid foundation of biblical truth.

Jesus anticipated this situation when He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name… ?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23).

The church that Jesus Christ built on the Rock still exists today—and it is actively preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, feeding a flock of local congregations around the world, and giving the Ezekiel 33 warning of the end-time catastrophes yet to come.

If you want to know more about this church, study guides entitled Satan’s Counterfeit Christianity and Restoring Original Christianity are available right here at TomorrowsWorld.org, and they can be read online or in print. All of this literature and more is free of charge.