Most people, when purchasing even a trivial item, will consider many things, examine carefully, weigh the details thoroughly, and choose with great caution. Yet there are hardly any believers who discern whether the shepherd guiding their life and soul is truly the true shepherd of Christ or merely a false shepherd holding only a pastor’s license. The standard of nearly all believers is not set by the Word, but instead, according to their own tastes, conveniences, and comforts, or—just as worldly people do—they follow academic foundations and believe under the pretext of denominational names such as Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, or Baptist. Yet in truth, the greatest heresies in Christianity have all arisen under the pretext and banner of Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, or Baptist, and this is the very reason why countless believers today inevitably stumble.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.(1 John 4 : 1)
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.(2 Corinthians 11 : 13~15)
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.(Matthew 7 : 15)
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.(Revelation 2 : 9)
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.(Romans 16 : 17~19)
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.(2 Peter 2 : 1~3)
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.(Isaiah 29 : 13~14)
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?(James 2 : 15~20)
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:(Revelation 2 : 2)
Today, the interpretations and sermons through which pastors teach the Bible are all different from one another. Moreover, there are so many pastors whose teachings are completely opposite in interpretation. It is very doubtful to say that all of them are teaching by the Spirit of God. Furthermore, why is it that even when the same verse is taught, the senior pastor gives a different interpretation each time? I sincerely want to know clearly which pastor’s sermon is truly correct, what the standard of right preaching and teaching actually is, and how one may gain the wisdom for proper discernment. Truly, God is one, and His teaching works under one Holy Spirit—so why is it that pastors, even under the same Spirit, can each teach things that are not only different but even completely contradictory?
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.(1 Corinthians 2 : 10)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.(1 John 2 : 27)
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counseller hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?(Isaiah 40 : 13~14)
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.(1 John 2 : 20)
In truth, if one had truly received the Holy Spirit who comprehends all things, then he would never fail to fully expound all of Scripture, nor would he resort to reading commentaries or interpretations, nor draw in worldly teachings, inspirations, and common sense that have nothing to do with salvation or the gospel and wisdom of heaven, nor would he rely on human writings, proverbs, or precepts of life to teach. As the above Word declares, if the anointing and the Spirit were truly teaching all things through the heart, and if from creation onward all the heavens and the mysteries of God were revealed and taught one by one so that I came to know them truly, then this would indeed be the Spirit of truth and the Holy Spirit of God.
Yet, unfortunately, there are countless believers who claim to have received the Holy Spirit that comprehends all things, who should lack nothing in understanding, and still there are few who question or doubt why such people must continue going to church to hear sermons from pastors. This means they are blind believers who rely only on the preaching of pastors that is not centered on the Word. Moreover, if one were truly a shepherd of God who had received the anointing and the Spirit and thus knew and comprehended all things, then according to the Word, there would never be any need to look at human books, commentaries, or interpretations in order to prepare sermons, nor would there be any need for a bookshelf so filled with books as to resemble a library.
The lamentable reality of today’s Christianity is that there are scarcely any who possess the wise discernment to judge these things coldly and according to the Word. This is the greatest reason why all churches inevitably fall into distortion upon distortion, corruption upon corruption, and decay upon decay.
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 7 : 4~11)
The reason so many believers today so easily fall prey to evil heresies is that their faith is not founded upon reverence for the Word, with the Word as their center and standard, but rather they are mostly believers who have been trained by the teachings of pastors who interpret according to their own tastes and by human writings rooted in the nature of the flesh, built not on the Word but on human thoughts and judgments. In other words, if they had become true believers who feared the Word and armed themselves with the Word as their center, then in their life of faith they would have been able to discern clearly whether the pastor from whom they were learning was truly teaching rightly, whether he had become corrupted, or whether the books they had read were truly based on the Word and interpreted from a Word-centered foundation. If this had been the case, the world today would never have become one where countless heresies flourish under the pretext of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Holiness denominations, nor would there be believers swaying this way and that under those same banners. Already this has gone beyond its course and its limits, so that today heresies upon heresies that deceive countless believers and souls have surpassed every boundary and measure, causing great harm.
The new religions and churches of today have gone beyond their course and limits and have become tools that threaten even the very foundation of Christianity. The greatest reason why Christianity has come to be in a form that is attacked by these doctrines is that believers have not been led by a Word-centered standard, but have instead been led to believe in the denominations and sects of Presbyterian, Baptist, Holiness, and Methodist, which were created for power and selfish ambition, born out of the doctrines of institutionalized Christianity. The reality is that Christianity has become one of the religions that has produced the greatest number of heresies on this earth. This arises from the fact that, contrary to the claim of being Word-centered and Christ-centered, Christianity has been shaped by the guise of denominational names and official recognition such as Presbyterian, Baptist, Holiness, and Methodist, created for the selfish ambition and power of pastors.
Today, countless churches, pastors, and believers whom we recognize as legitimate all alike claim to be Word-centered, God-centered, or Christ-centered. Yet in reality, all believers alike are not truly centered on the Word as it is, but are centered on sermons and teachings interpreted according to the tastes of pastors, having no relation to the righteousness or truth of the Word. As a result, their faith has become unstable, foolish faith that sways according to the interpretation of those who teach. Even when those interpretations stand against the Word and become enemies of God, believers still unconditionally accept them as if they were God’s Word. Thus, because they believe teachings and inspirations that misuse the Word, standing against the Word and against God, today there are no believers who, by embracing the entirety of the Word, possess strong faith that fully believes in the Word.
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 23 : 30~32)
Most believers today are merely trained under the biased teachings of their pastors, not truly making the Word of Scripture their standard, but instead being armed and conditioned by interpretations and explanations that use only one or two verses while standing in opposition to the rest of the recorded Word of Scripture. Thus, though in title and claim everything is said to be “Word-centered,” in reality countless believers are not centered on the Word itself, but on the interpretations and explanations of pastors who use the Word, which have been turned into the center, into the Word itself, into God, and into faith. This is the very reason why pastors inevitably become deified.
Of course, if these teachings and interpretations were truly interpretations and teachings founded upon the Word, there would be no problem. But unfortunately, as the Scripture itself testifies, there is not a single person on this earth who has truly received the Holy Spirit. For the Word says, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” (Matthew 17:20). According to the Word, if indeed today there are hundreds of millions who claim to have received the Holy Spirit, then surely already thousands—no, tens of thousands—of mountains should have been moved. And if, as the Word says, “nothing shall be impossible unto you” for those who believe, then why is it that those who teach this very verse cannot heal even the illnesses of their own faithful elders and deacons within their churches? Is the “Holy Spirit” of these pastors who teach that nothing is impossible for the believer truly the Holy Spirit of God, who possesses divine authority?
Now is the time to clearly distinguish and discern what is true and what is right. One must determine without doubt whether it is the record of the Word that is false, or whether it is the so-called “hundreds of millions” who claim to have the Holy Spirit without evidence according to the Word that are false. Only by possessing this discernment can one come to know the true way of Christ, the path that makes one a true child of God, worthy of salvation.
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.(Matthew 17 : 20)
If you truly believe in the Word rightly, then according to the Word, the so-called hundreds of millions of “Holy Spirits” that are taught and claimed by countless churches and pastors—yet show no evidence, no proof, and no power—are clearly false. Truly, if the “Holy Spirits” that today’s pastors proclaim and speak of were real, then there should be countless believers moving mountains and raising the dead. Why is it that those who supposedly comprehend all of God’s creation, providence, and order must listen to sermons and read human writings, commentaries, and interpretations to learn? While claiming to believe, are they not in fact dishonoring the Holy Spirit of God? Now is the time to examine this coldly and discern it rightly.
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.(Deuteronomy 18 : 22)
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.(1 Corinthians 4 : 20)
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.(1 Thessalonians 2 : 13)
No matter how moving or instructive the teaching may be, if the teaching and instruction stand opposed to or contradict the entirety of the Word, then it must be examined whether these are not vainly and willfully taught by pastors, or whether this is not a biased faith that selects and accepts only what suits their own tastes. Faith without fruit, and spirits and gifts without evidence, must now be scrutinized carefully and compared thoroughly, one by one, against the Word. Although countless pastors’ teachings and countless believers’ learning all claim to be Word-centered, in reality the Word is used according to their own tastes, taught and received in ways that pursue their own success, hopes, ideals, and desires. Thus, what they call the “Word” is in fact the Word selectively taught and learned by pastors and believers as a means and tool to rationalize their own worldly and fleshly standards and experiences. In other words, instead of true faith that pursues the hope of Christ and the life of the true Christian—the life of the Spirit—through the love of the cross that leads to salvation, they are those who believe only in the Word as a means and tool to rationalize their own sins and desires of the world and of the flesh. Therefore, what governs and instructs them is a shallow and cunning faith of a double mind, incapable of true rebirth, without the example and model of being light and salt that pursue the love of the cross.
They learn and listen only through selfish eyes and ears fixed on their own center, but in reality they turn away from the words of instruction that rebuke and admonish their sins and desires. Thus, though they have eyes, they do not see; though they have ears, they do not hear. Most are armed with a biased and cunning faith. As a result, their learning and teaching do not lead to repentance that makes one truly reborn, but instead they remain in evil habits and lives in which they repent and regret all their lives, yet turn back again to commit sin, piling up sin upon sin.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.(Romans 1 : 28~32)
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.(James 2 : 10~11)
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.(John 8 : 34)
If we base ourselves on the above Word, we human beings, in the course of a single day, repeat jealousy, envy, quarrels, hatred, lies, and disputes dozens of times. In other words, according to the content of the Word, we are committing the sin of murder dozens of times each day. Yet none of us consider such sins as murder or receive them with seriousness. We only regard as sin those wrongs that harm others or are exposed, but we do not consider the sins mentioned above as grave. This is because every human being, bearing the flesh, has from childhood been trained in habits that arise from the selfish thoughts and covetous values of the evil nature of the flesh. Thus, while many believers are very conscious and cautious of the standards of sin set by the world, in reality, concerning the sins arising in their own hearts, they continue in the repeated habit of sinning, regretting, and turning back again to sin, so that instead of warning and guarding themselves against sin, they are raised in evil habits that take their own sins lightly, grow dull toward them, or rationalize them.
Therefore, all mankind, grounding their lives in worldly and fleshly standards, cannot help but repeat sin and desire endlessly. Thus today, by those who, unable to forsake the world and the flesh, try instead to serve God alongside them, teaching and learning in accordance with worldly and fleshly standards, increasingly many pastors and believers have been armed with distortion upon distortion, corruption upon corruption, fall upon fall, falsehood upon falsehood, and heresy upon heresy. As a result, their own self and their own standards have been exalted into the “Word,” into “faith,” into “God.” The sermons and interpretations put forward under the name of the Word actually depart from the Word, setting against the Word inspirations and teachings of the world and the flesh, so that the true wisdom of God fitting for salvation has vanished, and the standard that governs their hearing and learning is nothing more than sermons, interpretations, and explanations fitted to human worldly and fleshly lives. Thus the world and the churches have become those where the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the pit.
In other words, what exists is not a Word-centered faith bearing the true fruit of Christ as evidence, but teachings and learning that pursue the hopes, ideals, success, satisfaction, and desires of worldly and fleshly humanity, which have been turned into the “Word” and into “faith,” though they have nothing to do with salvation.
Making worldly goals seem as though they were the hope and faith of Christ; making one’s own fleshly skills and abilities, which have nothing to do with salvation, seem as though they were Christ’s talents and callings; reducing the love of the cross, which gives even one’s life, to the mere act of feeding a single meal while hanging a banner to boast of oneself and one’s church, or wrapping a sash bearing the church’s name while picking up trash in the street as though this were the gospel; handing out clothes and shoes one would not wear or would otherwise discard, teaching and regarding this as charity—because of such churches and pastors, the love of the cross has become a laughingstock before unbelievers and idol worshipers. Since they take moral and ethical values, which the world and even worldly companies already practice, and exalt them as though they were the love of the cross that gives even one’s life, unbelievers and idolaters also parade their moral and ethical values of service and charity, using them to boast of and advertise themselves and their enterprises, while Christianity itself regards this as the love of the cross. Therefore, the love of the cross has inevitably become a laughingstock before unbelievers and idol worshipers.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.(Matthew 5 : 46~48)
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.(Luke 6 : 32~33)
More and more, through interpretations shaped by their own tastes and claims—interpretation upon interpretation, explanation upon explanation, distortion upon distortion, corruption upon corruption, decay upon decay, presumption upon presumption, falsehood upon falsehood—churches and pastors, all alike, rationalize themselves as being Word-centered, God-centered, and Christ-centered, while in reality they are armed with such distortions. As a result, according to their own tastes, various distortions and arguments have only produced heresies upon heresies. And likewise, the believers themselves have come to a state where their faith is nothing more than a matter of picking and choosing according to their own tastes, so that their self-centered standards and taste-based preferences have become the faith of countless believers today.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:(Isaiah 28 : 10~15)
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!(Isaiah 5 : 18~23)
Because today’s teachers are those who have not fulfilled repentance worthy of true repentance in Christ, they remain trapped in the vicious cycle of reflecting and regretting just like worldly people, only to turn back and commit sin again. Thus, under a repentance that amounts to nothing more than vain regret, they spend their whole lives committing sin while claiming to be “born again.” They boast that they have received the Holy Spirit and the anointing, yet far from being examples, churches, pastors, and believers alike only repeat crimes that make them a reproach and a target of scorn to the world. Are these truly the proofs and fruits of those who have received the Holy Spirit?
In this world, where both teachers and learners alike repeat the foolish cycle of sinning, regretting, and then returning to sin, it is filled with so-called spirits armed with repentance of folly and rebirth that pricks their own conscience, but bearing no fruits or evidence of Christ. Because there is neither the teaching nor the learning of true Christ that leads believers on the way to cease from sin, most faith today is nothing more than a repetition of sinning and regretting in foolishness. All that exists is the same as with worldly teachers: exhortations to reflect upon sin, repent, and try not to commit sin again; moral and ethical rebukes and admonitions. Yet there is no one who fully and clearly reveals the fundamental cause and reason why sin cannot help but be repeated, and teaches it rightly.
If there had been a true shepherd of God, then he would have revealed clearly the fundamental cause and reason why believers cannot help but repeat sin in their lives, and he would have led them to cut off sin completely, turning them away from the foolish cycle of sinning and repenting. He would have guided them to build within themselves the temple of the heart and the fruit that possesses the love of the cross, resembling God, which is truly fitting to lead to salvation.
But instead, because these leaders always remain in vain repentance and reflection according to their own interests, never escaping the life of sin that must repeat itself throughout their lives, believers become increasingly weary and worn down by worldly living, their consciences growing ever more desolate, their faith marked by poverty and hardship, their lives weighed down by distress. And most pastors, instead of leading believers into true renewal, teach and guide them by putting forward mere words, their own pride, zeal, and fleshly will—as though these were united with the love of Christ.
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.(Jeremiah 23 : 21~22)
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.(Jeremiah 50 : 6~7)
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.(2 Peter 2 : 17~22)
They themselves, being slaves of sin, cannot escape the vicious cycle of regretting, reflecting, and then turning back to commit sin again, yet they still claim to be born-again shepherds who have accomplished repentance worthy of salvation, and apostles who have received the Holy Spirit. Thus, both teachers and learners alike, shepherds and believers alike, are all the same. Though they may reflect, repent, awaken, and resolve, they nevertheless remain as those belonging to the path of sinners—trapped in the vicious cycle where they cannot help but return to sin. Therefore, it is as the blind leading the blind.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.(Proverbs 30 : 12)
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:(Luke 18 : 9)
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.(James 1 : 22~27)
If you truly desire to receive the genuine wisdom of God and the true praise, tongues, and prophecy that reveal the perfect fruits and evidence of Christ according to the Word of Scripture, then do as the Word says: cast away anything that lacks the content and example of the Word. And know this—that your own taste-driven thoughts and claims are your greatest enemy and a heresy in themselves. Scripture calls human thoughts deceit, fraud, and vanity. The Word is God, who rightly guides us. The Word is the light that leads us to salvation, possessing the wisdom that delivers us from sin and desire. Therefore, do not listen to the words of anyone who takes a few verses of Scripture and, avoiding that light, uses them to oppose and distort the fullness of the Word.
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.(Matthew 12 : 33~37)
The most dangerous, fearful, and dreadful heresy in this land today is by no means Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam, which are visible outwardly. One of the religions that has produced the greatest number of heresies on this earth is Christianity itself. Beloved, the greatest antichrist and heresy in this land are none other than the Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, and Baptist denominations that we publicly recognize and acknowledge. Even now, at this very hour, heresies upon heresies continue to arise from these sects. Yet why do you place your trust in denominations that ceaselessly produce heresies? Because you have not trusted in and centered yourself upon the Word, but have instead believed only in the words of men—the pastors—countless people have been harmed and led into trials. Is this not the lamentable reality of today?
The greatest heresy is the thoughts, judgments, claims, and standards of man. This applies equally to both those who teach and those who learn. Teachings, lessons, and inspirations that are not found in the Word are never the grace or wisdom of God that leads to salvation. Likewise, standards not grounded in the Word are nothing more than self-centeredness, self-will, self-assurance, and self-pride; they are not the faith of Christ united with the love of the cross. Therefore, cast away everything that is not in the Word.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.(Romans 8 : 5~8)
Standards based on experiences and achievements that pursue the world and the flesh become opposed to the Word and turn into its enemy. Likewise, teachings and learning that seek to serve God alongside the world and material things only result in teaching and learning corruption and falsehood that misuse the Word.
The fundamental reason why God, who is the source of love, created mankind and gave rest, commemorations, tithes and offerings, the Word, shepherds, faith, hope, prayer, and gifts is only this: that through feeding, giving, and caring for poor and needy brothers and neighbors, through charity and service, we may practice the love of the cross by which we care for one another, cherish one another, and serve one another, and thus form within ourselves the character of God that resembles Him, becoming His perfect children.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.(1 Corinthians 3 : 18~20)
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.(Psalms 17 : 9~10)
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.(Proverbs 18 : 2)
If salvation could be attained merely by words and theories—by the pride, zeal, and assurance of those who say, “I believe”—then all the blood shed by God’s apostles from the beginning of creation, and the example of Christ and of the apostles who pursued the love of the cross, would be in vain. Do not follow any longer those who put forward only words and theories. The Word is not theory, but power. Faith without power and love is nothing but a dead faith.
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.(Ezekiel 33 : 31)
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.(Psalms 28 : 3)
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.(James 2 : 14~17)
The pride and assurance of those who say, “I believe,” have nothing to do with the faith of Christ united with the love of the cross, which alone is fitting to lead to salvation. It is nothing more than a human resolution or determination that constantly wavers according to circumstance. Yet because such faith and such believers regard this as true faith, their conduct inside the church and outside the church is always different, their inner intentions and outward appearances are different, their words and actions are different. Thus, repentance and sin are always repeated according to their interests, resulting in a vain faith that cannot help but waver.
They are only in words “born again” and only in words “filled with the Holy Spirit,” yet in reality they have no evidence or fruit grounded in the Word. Their faith and offices put forward only the shell and the outward form, and most of these faiths are walking on the broad and smooth road of destruction on the Day of Judgment.
And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.(2 Thessalonians 3 : 2)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.(Ephesians 2 : 8~9)
The reason people cannot see the depth and mystery of God’s holy Word hidden within Scripture is that they try to see, hear, and understand it with human intellect and head, rather than with the eyes and ears of the heart. And because they pursue worldly and fleshly desires, ambitions, ideals, and cravings that have nothing to do with salvation—seeking to serve God alongside the world and material things—they are veiled by their own sin and greed, and thus lack the discernment to truly and rightly see and hear the Word and truth of God.
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.(Jeremiah 6 : 10)
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.(Acts 7 : 51)
The eyes and ears that can truly discern the Word are only the eyes and ears of a beautiful heart united with the love of the cross. Moreover, the way to obtain the opportunity to receive the gift of perfect discernment is by being directly taught and helped to gain it. God’s perfect discernment is the wisdom that enables one to discern all of God’s purposes, righteousness, and wisdom, and to recognize the schemes of Satan and the full reality of Satan himself.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.(2 Corinthians 9 : 8~9)(Psalms 112 : 6~9)
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.(Proverbs 14 : 31)
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.(Jeremiah 22 : 16)
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.(John 15 : 9~14)
The reason why God created mankind, established the Sabbath, tithes, and offerings, sent forth His Word and His apostles, and gave faith, hope, love, and prayer is only this: that He might make us His eternal and glorious children. All the purposes and values that exist are for this—to cause mankind to gain the divine nature that resembles God, the love of the cross, which is absolutely necessary for becoming children of God. God is love. Therefore, He sent the love of the cross to this earth so that we might gain the divine nature that resembles Him, which alone is fitting to lead to true salvation. Hence the love of the cross is the way, the truth, and the life; it is our eternal and perfect covenant, the sign of our salvation and resurrection.
Thus the cross is the love of the cross sent by God, so that by following the love and sacrifice of the cross as our Lord did, we might obtain salvation and resurrection. Therefore, any spirit that does not possess the love of the cross, which is the very nature of God, must be rejected regardless of position or rank; it is the spirit of the world, a false spirit, a counterfeit anointing, an unregenerate repentance, a perverted preaching that misuses the Word, a false wisdom, a vain gift, and an abominable salvation.
God is love. Therefore, in order for us to become children of God, all the Word, gifts, prayer, and faith exist for this purpose: to build within us the holy nature of God, which is the love of the cross of Christ. And so, faith without love is dead.