Tag: non-Trinitarian

The Word was God

The beginning statement of John’s Gospel is the favorite of Trinitarian ministers to teach that Jesus Christ is God Himself, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (Jhn 1:1-2). But twice John said He was “with God” which corresponds with what he later wrote in his first letter, “That which was from the beginning … the Word of life … which was with the Father” (1Jo 1:2). John clarified that the Father is God and the Word was with Him.

The phrase “the Word was God” is simply a metaphor or figure of speech because not only the context contains other metaphors but this very phrase does as well. The Son of God isn’t literally “the Word” nor is He literally “the Light” (v. 7). These are metaphors. And just as “the light was the life” (v. 4) is a metaphor, so is “the Word was God.” He represented God to such perfection that He “was God” in metaphorical equivalence. He said of Himself, “he that seeth me seeth him that sent me” (Jhn 12:45), “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jhn 14:9). When people saw the Son literally, they were seeing the Father figuratively. His apostles also wrote, “Christ, who is the image of God” (2Co 4:4), “Who is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15), “the express image of his person” (Heb 1:3). He is the precise image, figure, or representation of God.

Not only Christ isn’t God Himself but has a God Himself—God the Father is His God as He called Him before He died, after He was resurrected, and after He was seated at His right hand: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mat 27:46; Mar 15:34); “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (Jhn 20:17); “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God” (Rev 3:12).

Several times the apostles called God the Father, Jesus Christ’s God: “God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 15:6); “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1Co 3:23); “the head of Christ is God” (1Co 11:3); “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Co 11:31); “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:3) “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:17); “God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Col 1:3).

The writer of Hebrews wasn’t calling the Son “God” in “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God” (Heb 1:8). This was a quote from a passage in Psalm 45 which begins with “Thy throne, O God.” However, the part where God was speaking to His Son, “God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” God wasn’t calling His Son “God” but calling Himself His Son’s God!

It isn’t the Son but the Father that is called “God” in these places: “God my Saviour” (Lke 1:47); “God, who is the Saviour” (1Ti 4:10); “God our Saviour” (1Ti 1:1; 1Ti 2:3; Tit 1:3, 2:10, 3:4; Jde 1:25). Many times God is called the Savior of His people: “They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt” (Psa 106:21); “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour” (Isa 45:15); “there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour” (Isa 45:21); “I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer” (Isa 49:26,60:16); “there is no saviour beside me” (Hos 13:4).

That Christ “said also that God was his Father, making himself equal [isos 2470] with God” (Jhn 5:18), was equality with God by virtue of having been begotten of God, “his only begotten Son … the only begotten Son of God” (Jhn 3:16,18). As a human son is equally human as his father but not in authority, so it is with the Son and His Father. Trinitarianism, however, teaches that they are coequal: “equal with another or each other in rank, ability, extent, etc.” Dictionary.com.

Christ isn’t God Himself but God’s Son. Many times Christ called God His Father and Himself His Son. And He never once called Himself “God” but did call His Father “God,” and the only true God, “thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent” (Jhn 17:3). Likewise, the Father never called His Son “God” but twice from heaven—at His baptism and transfiguration—called Him “My Beloved Son.” What they said about themselves and each other is the truth and last word on the matter.

Can anyone be saved while knowingly disagreeing with the Savior? Trinitarian ministers are educated, intelligent, and knowledgeable. Of course they know what the Son said about God and about Himself, yet they preach something different. If they won’t listen to the Son, why listen to them?

How to Know We Know God

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1Jo 2:3). “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him” (1Jo 3:24). John didn’t say that we know God when we’re believers but when we’re keeping His commandments. That we must keep His commandments to know Him, then when we keep His commandments we know that we know Him.

There are two main distinctions to recognize with the law of Moses: (1) the moral righteousness of the law; (2) the non-moral actions of the law. The moral righteousness of the law is expressed in the second half of the Decalogue, “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet” (Exo 20:13-17). Such morality is true of all people made after the image of God. But the non-moral actions of the law, “the deeds [actions] of the law” (Rom 3:20,28), “the works [actions] of the law” (Gal 2:6,3:2,5,10), are the ordinances God imposed upon His people by circumcision, mainly abstinence from unclean meats, keeping the Sabbath day, observing the annual feasts, and animal sacrifices.

Jesus Christ upheld the moral righteousness of the law: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mat 5:17); “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Mat 7:12); “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Mat 22:37-40). Paul and James agreed: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (13:9-10); “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal 5:14); “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (Jas 2:8).

However, Christ set us free from the actions of the law: “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man” (Mat 15:11); “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him” (Mar 7:15); “all things are clean unto you” (Luk 11:41); “the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (Jhn 4:21); “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself” (Rom 14:14); “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Gal 5:1).

That Peter “did eat with the Gentiles” (Gal 2:12), was when the Lord sent him to Cornelius’ house, “Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean” (Act 10:13-14). These were the actions of the law Paul was addressing with the Galatians, “no one is justified by the works [actions] of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works [actions] of the law, because by the works [actions] of the law no one will be justified” (Gal 2:16 NET).

False teachers were compelling the Galatians to be circumcised, “they constrain you to be circumcised” (Gal 6:12). But this was a different message than what Christ and His apostles preached, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8). Circumcision requires doing all the law, “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law” (Gal 5:2-3), not just the moral righteousness but also the non-moral actions. Paul’s message was that keeping one commandment fulfills all that’s required, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal 5:13-14).

The false message of salvation by faith being preached today is given credibility by conflating the moral righteousness of the law with its non-moral actions. Therefore, when Paul stated, “a man is justified by faith [faithfulness] without the deeds [actions] of the law” (Rom 3:28), “a man is not justified by the works [actions] of the law, but by the faith [faithfulness] of Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16), rather than justification by Jesus Christ’s faithfulness and not the non-moral actions of the law, it’s supposedly justification by our believing and not by morally righteous living. It’s a different “gospel” message than what Jesus Christ and His apostles preached.

Christ bound the moral righteousness of the law upon us while also freeing us from its non-moral actions. We know God by keeping His commandments, therefore we know that we know Him when we’re keeping His commandments, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1Jo 2:3).

What is the Gospel?

When Paul said, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them … For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts” (2Co 4:4,6), he was revealing the mystery of the gospel hidden since the beginning, “darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit [breath] of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen 1:2-3). This literal, historic event was figurative and prophetic of what would come—mankind’s minds would be blind and hearts dark but God would send His Son to preach the “light” of His gospel. The gospel is the message God’s Son was sent to preach. There’s no other gospel.

Christ’s 12 apostles, including Paul, were all saved by His gospel message. And the gospel they took to the world is the message they learned from Him. There’s no disagreement or disconnect whatsoever in the message they all preached. Paul said he learned the gospel from Christ Himself, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:11-12). And he was unashamed to preach the same gospel Christ preached, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth [trusts]” (Rom 1:16), “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Rom 16:25).

The gospel is everything Jesus Christ taught and preached collectively. The gospel can’t be compartmentalized apart from other subjects—as it’s done today—because it’s composed of everything Jesus preached. What Christ taught about God, Himself, mankind, righteousness, eternal life, judgment, and the last days is the gospel. It’s not “Steps to Peace with God” or the “Romans Road to Salvation.”

Jesus told a Samaritan woman, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit [breath] and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit [breath] and in truth.” (Jhn 4:22-24). The Samaritans were the closest people to the Jews yet even they weren’t saved because they didn’t know and worship the true God. We must worship the true God to be saved. Nobody but the only begotten Son has seen God, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (Jhn 1:18). Therefore, what He said about God is the truth and the only way of eternal life, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (Jhn 17:3). There’s no other gospel.

Christ taught that we must live righteously to enter the kingdom, “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:20). And that He will deny entrance to those breaking God’s laws, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat 7:23), “you lawbreakers!” (NET), “you who practice lawlessness!” (NKJV), “you who break God’s laws” (NLT). In His last words to us, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev 22:14).

John stated, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1Jo 2:3-4). It’s not “believers” but those keeping His commandments that know Him. Those transgressing or not abiding in what Christ taught, don’t have God, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (2Jo 1:9). There’s no other gospel.

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Mat 4:23), “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Mat 9:35), “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Mat 24:14). So called evangelistic organizations track how many people groups in the world today are still unreached. The fact is, they all are! None have been reached with “this gospel of the kingdom” Jesus Christ preached. What’s being preached today is a god in three persons, a heavenly destiny of man, and salvation by believing some facts are true.

The gospel is the message God’s Son preached—everything He preached! But if we won’t listen to Him, we have no hope and we’ll perish. There’s no other gospel.

Baptism in the Name of Jesus

There’s evidence from church history that the statement “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mat 28:19), is a corruption by the Roman Catholic Church into this Trinitarian formula. That Matthew wrote his Gospel originally in Hebrew was attested by Ireneus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome. And the Hebrew says nothing about baptism or any name, “To me has been given all power in heaven and earth. Go and (teach) them to carry out all things which I have commanded you forever” (“The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew” George Howard, Mercer University Press 1995). Christ’s commission in Mark, however, includes both baptism and His name: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils” (Mar 16:16-17). And in Luke, His name: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luk 24:47).

That baptism is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is what the apostles and early church practiced without exception: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” (Act 2:38); “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Act 8:16); “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Act 10:48); “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Act 19:5); “be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Act 22:16).

In the very first evangelistic sermon, Peter quoted Joel, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Act 2:21), then instructed, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Act 2:38). He later declared that salvation is in the name of Jesus Christ, “the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth … there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Act 4:10,12). Paul himself called upon the name of the Lord when he was baptized, “be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Act 22:16). And Paul also quoted Joel, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:13). Baptism isn’t someone else calling a name over us, but us calling upon the name of the Lord.

It’s in His name that we must believe or trust for salvation: “to them that believe [trust] on his name” (Jhn 1:12); “many believed [trusted] in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did” (Jhn 2:23); “because he hath not believed [trusted] in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jhn 3:18); “and that believing [trusting] ye might have life through his name” (Jhn 20:31); “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth [trusts] in him shall receive remission of sins” (Act 10:43); “That we should believe [trust] on the name of his Son Jesus Christ” (1Jo 3:23); “you that believe [trust] on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe [trust] on the name of the Son of God” (1Jo 5:13).

Furthermore, servants of the Lord Jesus Christ suffer for His name: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake” (Mat 10:22); “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” (Mat 24:9); “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake” (Mar 13:13); “they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake” (Luk 21:12); “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me” (Jhn 15:21); “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Act 5:41); “For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Act 9:16); “Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Act 15:26); “I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Act 21:13); “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ” (1Pe 4:14).

Finally, Christ commended three of the churches in Asia for upholding and not denying His name: “And hast bourne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted” (Rev 2:3); “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name” (Rev 2:13); “and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Rev 3:8).

The name of “the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” isn’t the name of one person but three—the name “Trinity.” And Jesus taught nothing about a name of three persons. Peter declared, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Salvation is limited exclusively to the name of one person—the Lord Jesus Christ while excluding all other names entirely. Where does that leave the name “Trinity”?

Hedge Apple Trees, Known by Their Fruits

Hedge apple trees (Maclura pomifera), in contrast with apple trees, bear fruit that’s unpalatable and useless for food by either people or animals. But consistent with apple trees, the seeds from its fruit produce more of the same kind of trees, “the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself … the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind” (Gen 1:11,12).

Christ warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Mat 7:15-16). As there were false prophets among God’s people, false teachers are the equivalent today, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you” (2Pe 2:1). And Christ wasn’t just teaching us how to identify them, but urging us to identify them. He commended the church at Ephesus for doing so, “thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars” (Rev 2:2).

Concerning the Pharisees, He said, “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.” (Mat 12:33-34). What the fruit is to the tree, the mouth is to the heart. God first created trees whose seeds are from its fruit, then created humans whose words are from their hearts. And as good fruit comes from good trees and corrupt fruit from corrupt trees, so it is with true and false teachers. The seeds from their fruit produces more trees just like them.

Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus the requirements for ordaining bishops, deacons, and elders over churches, “A bishop then must be blameless” (1Ti 3:2), “ordain elders in every city … If any be blameless … For a bishop must be blameless” (Tit 1:5,6,7). To “Lay hands suddenly on no man” (1Ti 5:22), is to give time for men to be proven first before ordaining them, “And let these also first be proved” (1Ti 3:10). All of this was to ensure that “apple trees” were in fact being planted because the same principle is true with hedge apple trees.

Hedge apple trees only plant other hedge apple trees. They’re not going to ordain and place apple trees—men truly leading people to salvation—over churches. They only plant hedge apple trees which, in turn, plant more hedge apple trees. This is why all “Christian” churches over the entire world today are simply a vast forest of hedge apple trees. And anyone within these churches sincerely seeking the truth objectively, questioning from the Scriptures what’s being taught, are kept in check or pressured to leave if not conforming. This ensures entire churches continue to be hedge apple trees on their way to destruction.

Hedge apple trees placed over churches aren’t passive either. It isn’t that they’re just not helping people get saved but that they’re preventing it. They’re not simply neglecting to gather with Christ, but working to scatter from Him, “he that gathereth not with me scattereth” (Mat 12:30; Luk 11:23).

False teachers will never agree with Christ’s claims about God and about Himself any more than a hedge apple tree can grow apples from its branches. Time and again I’ve spoken with Trinitarian “ministers” who deny Christ’s own claim that His Father is the one true God and His God. But when they become irate and contentious, it’s not against my words but against His.

When I was a Trinitarian, there was one minister in particular I was very close with. He was the utmost example of how I wanted to be one day in my walk with God. And over the years we had many, many good times together in study, prayer, small group discussions, co-teaching, home visitations, retreats, and just talking with each other. He always had time for me, and I consistently sensed warmth and care from him. There were a few times, however, when sharing with him in private the truths I was learning from the Scriptures, that I experienced conflict. It bothered me that he not only wasn’t excited about discovering the truth like I was, but was actually resisting it. But I didn’t know then what I know now.

Wolves can’t be known by their lifestyles because their “clothing” is virtually that of sheep. In fact, they’re usually better “sheep” than true sheep! They can be known only by their fruits, just as Jesus said. It’s because they’re all on the same side—in agreement, fellowship, endorsement, and support of each other—that they’re all hedge apple trees. They keep us listening to their sermons, reading their books, and using their study resources because they don’t want us understanding the Scriptures for ourselves and becoming apple trees. After all, if we become apple trees ourselves, we’ll be a threat to their agenda by planting apple trees.

Blinded by the “Light”

Protestant Trinitarians—what I was for almost 30 years—are difficult to reach with the truth because they’ve been instilled with the fear of falling into error if they were to ever question the Trinity. But what they really should fear is the error in which they’ve already fallen. They’re already at, where they fear to be.

God didn’t create Adam and Eve “blind,” i.e. ignorant of the truth, but had given them all they needed to know. The serpent, however, convinced the woman she was blind but would see by listening to him, “then your eyes shall be opened” (Gen 3:5). Once both were blind, he then convinced them they could now see, “And the eyes of them both were opened” (Gen 3:7). And his tactics haven’t changed, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2Co 2:11), “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11).

The serpent’s deceptions are diabolical. After getting people to the very place they don’t want to be, he makes them want to stay! He blinds people from the truth then convinces them they can see. Thinking they already have the light, when the light really does come, they reject it as darkness. Thinking they’re already saved, they fight against salvation itself.

Paul said, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2Co 11:3), “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel [messenger] of light” (v. 14). The serpent deceived Eve by seeming to be a messenger of light for her blindness, when actually he was the blinder. Paul went on to say that the serpent’s ministers employ those same tactics, “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (v. 15). They feign helping people get right with God only to get them even farther away. And they keep people listening to them under the guise that they don’t want them falling into error, when in reality they don’t want them learning the truth.

We all have been blinded by sin. But religious people are in worse shape than before because now they’re not only blind but also think they can see. Jesus warned, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mat 6:23). It’s bad enough to be blind and know it, but far worse to be blind but think we can see. If the “light” we’re seeing isn’t truly light but darkness, then how great of darkness we’re truly in. Thus, religious people think they’re the ones that can see while everyone else is blind.

Religious people have two main problems: (1) they’ve been blinded but think they can see; (2) they’re in bondage to the praises and privileges of the organization to which they belong. Even when they can be shown the error into which they’ve fallen, it’s very difficult for them to forsake everything they’ve invested their lives into. They crave the approval of people and dread their rejection. And they’ve become dependent upon the benefits received from their religious group: access, accreditation, belonging, endorsement, image, influence, positions, prominence, recognition, resources, support, titles, validation and much more. They don’t want to lose these things, therefore they forfeit Christ instead, “whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luk 14:33). If we’re unwilling to stand alone, even from those closest to us, we’re not worthy of Christ.

Peace with God must be more important to us than peace even in our own home, “And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Mat 10:36-37), “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luk 14:26). We should do all we can to nourish peace in our home without compromising the truth.

Religious people just can’t fathom that Satan’s deceptions have been so pervasive and successful to the point that over 2 billion people in the world identifying as Trinitarian Christians are on the broad way that leads to destruction. It just can’t be that every single local church in cities across America and all over the world are false. And if they were to leave, where can they go?

Personally, I’m just unwilling to consider for a moment that Trinitarian ministers are right while Christ is wrong. In my humble opinion, the safest place is standing alone on His side with everyone else standing on the other. I would rather do my best to serve Christ on my own and understand the truth from the Scriptures for myself than to trust men that are teaching differently than He taught.

Trust in God

Paul’s famous statement, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe [pisteuō 4100] in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9), is misunderstood to mean that we’re saved by simply believing that the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened as an historical fact. Thus, countless sermons have been preached and books written lending evidence to the resurrection for us to have firm belief. But that this wasn’t what Paul meant is apparent by his quote from Isaiah, “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth [pisteuō 4100] on him shall not be ashamed” (v. 11), and by what he had written earlier, “if we believe [pisteuō 4100] on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (4:24). The Greek verb pisteuō appears about 250 times in the New Testament and usually rendered “believe” but actually means “trust.” It’s not believing Jesus was raised but trusting in Him that raised Jesus.

Peter quoted the same from Isaiah, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth [pisteuō 4100] on him shall not be confounded [ashamed]” (1Pe 2:6. And he had already said earlier, “Who by him do believe [pisteuō 4100] in God, that raised him up from the dead” (1Pe 1:21). It’s trusting in Him that raised Jesus from the dead.

That “Whosoever believeth [trusts] on him shall not be ashamed” is that we won’t be put to shame, let down, or disappointed when we trust in Him. David said: “they trusted in thee, and were not confounded” (Psa 22:5); “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me” (Psa 25:2); “let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee” (Psa 25:20).

To “believe [trust] in thine heart” is to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Pro 3:5). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said nothing about believing. He taught us to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven … For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat 6:20,21). This treasure is trusting in our hearts our “Father which is in heaven” (v. 1). We must live with no thought about our life or tomorrow, “Take no thought for your life … Take therefore no thought for the morrow” (vs. 25,34). We’re not to try and understand, figure out, and plan out everything but simply trust in God.

“The just shall live by faith [pistis 4102]” (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:10; Heb 10:38), is mistranslated. The Greek pistis doesn’t mean “faith” but “faithfulness” which is proven by Habakkuk’s statement, “the just shall live by his faith [‘ĕmûnȃ 530]” (Hab 2:4). The Hebrew ‘ĕmûnȃ appears about 50 times in the Old Testament and always indicates faithfulness in every context. Rendered more clearly in other translations, “live because of his faithfulness” (NET), “live by his faithfulness” (NIV), Habakkuk wasn’t speaking of our faith but His faithfulness! Abraham foretold of God providing the Lamb, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb” (Gen 22:8), and God swore His faithfulness to do it, “By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD” (v. 16). Isaiah later wrote of the Lamb to come, “he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa 53:7), and John announced the Lamb had come, “Behold the Lamb of God” (Jhn 1:29,36). Therefore, the just will live—have eternal life—by trusting in God’s faithfulness.

The German Reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) is the man that gave us the misunderstanding that “The shall live by faith” means we’re saved by faith. And he’s also the man that wrote the scathing antisemitic book “The Jews and Their Lies” which was used about 400 years later by another antisemitic German leader Adolph Hitler to fuel hatred for the Jews in the Holocaust. Yet ministers, pastors, scholars, and theologians sing the praises of Luther! Why keep his dark side a secret? Maybe because revealing it would hinder his doctrine of salvation by faith?

There are many places in Scripture where God’s people were called or called themselves “servants” or “faithful.” But there’s nowhere in Scripture where they ever called themselves “believers” as they do today. There are two places in the KJV where statements were mistranslated to sound that way, “And believers [pisteuō 4100] were the more added to the Lord” (Act 5:14), “be thou an example of the believers [pistos 4103]” (1Ti 4:12). The verb pisteuo and adjective pistos were both erroneously rendered as the noun “believers.” And the problem is far more pervasive in modern Bible Versions. The ASV has 4 places calling them “believers,” the ESV 15, the NET about 25, the NIV about 50, and the NLT about 175! Why such vast inconsistencies?

Salvation isn’t about simply believing the resurrection happened but trusting God that made it happen. Our salvation is victory over death in resurrection. But if we can’t even trust God in our life, “Take no thought for your life,” how can we trust God in our death?

Say Not in Your Heart

Paul quoted Moses’ words from Deuteronomy, “Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart” (Rom 10:6-8). After having given the First and Great Commandment, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deu 6:4-5), Moses said the same thing several times: “If thou shalt say in thine heart” (7:17); “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart” (8:5); “And thou say in thine heart” (8:17); “Speak not thou in thine heart” (9:4); “there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying” (15:9); “And if thou say in thine heart” (18:21); “that he bless himself in his heart, saying” (29:19); “But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart” (30:14). Loving God with all our hearts isn’t just what we say out of our mouths, but what we say to ourselves in our hearts, “in thy mouth, and in thy heart.”

Abraham learned the hard way to NOT laugh at God, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac [laughter]” (Gen 17:17-19). Telling Abraham to name his son “laughter” indicated that God knew he had just laughed at Him in his heart. Abraham got the point.

Jesus and John the baptizer both taught: “And think not to say within yourselves” (Mat 3:9); “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart” (Mat 24:48); “and begin not to say within yourselves” (Luk 3:8); “he spake within himself, saying” (Luk 7:39); “And he thought within himself, saying” (Luk 12:17); “But and if that servant say in his heart” (Luk 12:45); “but afterward he said within himself” (Luk 18:4); “Then the steward said within himself” (Luk 16:3). We all speak to ourselves in our hearts. And since people don’t know what we’re saying, it’s very easy to forget that God does and begin speaking to ourselves evil things.

Jesus didn’t just suggest but commanded us, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on … take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? … Take therefore no thought for the morrow” (Mat 6:25,31,34). We can’t be saved if we’re sinning against Christ’s commandment by thinking to ourselves about tomorrow. To take no thought for tomorrow requires that we trust God—that He becomes the God of our lives: “I will be their God” (Gen 17:8; Jer 24:7,32:38; Eze 11:20,36:28,37:23,27; Zec 8:8), “I will be their God” (2Co 6:16); “I will be to them a God” (Heb 8:10); “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Heb 11:16); “God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev 21:3); “I will be his God” (Rev 21:7). For God to be our Savior, God must be our God. It means no longer running our lives and ruining our lives!

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Pro 3:5), requires that we don’t say anything to ourselves displeasing to God, try to figure out situations, or “help” God work things out. It means being truly at peace with any outcome and sincerely content in any circumstance we find ourselves, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phl 4:11). And this isn’t just a better way to live—it’s the way we must live to be saved.

The Greek verb pisteuō appears about 250 times in the New Testament and is almost always translated as “believe” but actually means “trust.” Paul taught about salvation, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe [trust] in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth [trusts] unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth [trusts] on him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom 10:9-11). That salvation isn’t by believing but by trusting is evident by what David said, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me … O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee” (Psa 25:2,20), “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed” (Psa 31:1). Salvation isn’t by believing but by trusting God. Our trust in Him won’t be put to shame, “Whosoever believeth [trusts] on him shall not be ashamed.”

Paul understood Moses’ words “Say not in thine heart … in thy mouth, and in thy heart,” that we confess the Lord publicly out of our mouths, and speak trust in God privately within our hearts. To be saved, we must trust the Father and obey His Son.

Examining Sola Fide

Habakkuk’s famous statement “but the just shall live by his faith [‘ĕmûnȃ 530]” (Hab 2:4), isn’t about faith but faithfulness as rendered correctly in some versions, “but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness” (NET), “but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness” (NIV). The Hebrew noun ‘ĕmûnȃ appears about 50 times in the Old Testament and without exception, expresses faithfulness. The Greek noun pistis in “The just shall live by faith [pistis 4102]” (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38) is wrongly translated as “faith” in accordance with the Reformer Martin Luther’s false salvation message of sola fide or faith alone.

The absurdity of sola fide becomes apparent when introduced into the context of everyday life. Take the workplace as somewhat of an example of our walk with God. Our time belongs to our employer. We abide by the company rules. We do the work we’re told to do while being dependable, honest, and faithful. We don’t always know why our employer wants us to do specific things but we trust that they know the bigger picture and how it will positively affect the overall health of the company and the community. We also know that since we’re simply doing what we’re told, we trust that our employer has our back if we were to experience any repercussions from doing an assignment. If we’re doing a good job we’ll be rewarded but if we’re doing poorly, then it can result in disciplinary action and possible termination. All of that makes perfect sense.

Now, let’s interject “faith” or “belief” as the sole requisite for employment. Employees get hired because they express belief in their employer. After getting hired many of them argue among themselves about whether they were hired because they believe the employer, or if they believe the employer because they were hired. Some even dare to claim that their employer gave them the belief they needed to get hired. They also squabble about whether they do a good job because they believe the employer, or if they believe the employer because they do a good job. Of course some claim that performance has a direct bearing on their job security but others claim Once Employed Always Employed. Therefore, when someone quits or gets let go, those that embrace OEAE have to say, “Well, I guess they never really were employed, because if they had been they would have continued to be employed. Therefore, they never truly believed the employer!”

In his letter to the Romans, Paul was expounding the gospel Jesus Christ Himself preached, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Rom 1:16), “the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Rom 16:25). And the gospel Christ preached is faithful service to Him as Lord: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant” (Mat 24:45); “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Mat 25:21); “Who then is that faithful and wise steward” (Luk 12:42); “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luk 16:10); “Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little” (Luk 19:17); “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luk 6:46).

Paul’s statement, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe [trust] in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9), has been turned into a salvation formula—just call Him “Lord” from our mouths. However, Paul had already taught earlier, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey” (Rom 6:16). We’re servants of whom we obey as Lord, not just call “Lord.”

Furthermore, Romans 10:9 must be understood within the context of its preceding quotation: “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deu 30:12-14). Moses was prophesying about Christ’s coming as Lord, “heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them … heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not” (Mat 7:24,26). Confessing Him as Lord is a commitment or pledge to do what He said. The pledge itself doesn’t save, faithfully keeping the pledge does.

The apostles and early church called themselves “servants,” “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:1); “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas 1:1); “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (2Pe 1:1); “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ” (Jde 1:1). They never once called themselves “believers” but translations have been doctored to read as though they did.

We’ve been sold the lie of sola fide. And to discourage us even further from obeying the Lord, we’re told that anything we do is our own meritorious works and not faith. It’s a devious and absurd “gospel” message that assures we won’t be saved.

Known by Their Fruits

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Mat 7:15-20).

We think we can spot wolves. We say to ourselves, “Well, if I ever come across one, I’ll be sure to stay away.” But Jesus said that the only way they can be known is “by their fruits.” This indicates just how incredibly covert they truly are. They’re so extremely convincing as sheep that we CANNOT know them by any other way. And we’re fooling ourselves if we think we can. A “corrupt tree” can only be known in that it cannot “bring forth good fruit.” Therefore, we’ll know wolves by their fruits.

Christ later applied this same analogy of trees and fruit to the Pharisees, “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” (Mat 12:33-34). The mouth is to the heart what fruit is to a tree. As a tree is known by its fruit, the heart is known by the mouth. As Christ said of the Pharisees, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Mat 12:30). Anyone not with Christ—saying what He said, preaching what He preached, and teaching what He taught—is against Him.

What Jesus Christ taught about His Father God and about Himself is the truth, and anyone teaching different is wrong. Trinitarian ministers teach different. Therefore, they’re wrong. Now, all they need to do is repent and begin teaching what Jesus taught. But if they won’t, then they’re not with Him but against Him. They’re known by their fruits. Their fruits betray them as wolves.

Trinitarian ministers are warm, funny, and down-to-earth. They’re family men that love their wives and children. They invest in the lives of others and shed tears of joy and sorrow with them. They labor and serve in the church and in the community. They sing praise music and know their Bible well. They foster and adopt children. They enjoy visiting over a cup of coffee and having cookouts and gatherings. But there’s just one glaring problem—they disagree with Jesus! Wolves can seem just like sheep and in some ways even more so. They can only be known by their fruits.

Paul taught that as the serpent was in the beginning, his ministers are now, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit [breath], which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2Co 11:3-4), “Satan himself is transformed into an angel [messenger] of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2Co 11:14-15). His ministers pose as messengers of truth. They’re extremely subtle and convincing.

Trinitarian ministers preach “another Jesus,” a “Jesus” that is God Himself. They deny His literal begetting by preaching that He has always existed as God. They deny that He is now 100% human by preaching the illogical claim that He is both 100% God and 100% human at the same time. They deny that His miracles were of God Himself by preaching they were of Himself as God.

Trinitarian ministers preach “another gospel,” a “gospel” of sola fide or faith alone. They deny that we can live righteously to the standard Christ commanded by preaching we’re born with an innate sin nature that prevents it. They deny faithful service to Jesus as Lord by preaching a faith confession. They deny eternal life and annihilation by preaching that man is an eternal spirit being that will always exist either in heaven or in hell.

I was a Trinitarian for almost 30 years and had plenty of amiable disagreements with them along the way. However, the dynamics changed completely once I began agreeing with Christ in contradistinction with them. And I was shocked to hear some of the things that began coming out of their mouths. If you want to put them to the test yourself—and I’m not suggesting you should—just keep pressing them to agree with Christ that His Father is His God (Mat 27:46; Mar 15:34; Jhn 20:17; Rom 15:6; 1Co 3:23,11:3; 2Co 11:31; Eph 1:3,1:17; Col 1:3; Heb 1:9; 1Pe 1:3; Rev 3:12). You’ll find out if they’re with Him or against Him. They’re known by their fruits.