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Have you heard Christians in your faith community teach ideas similar to any of these great heresies? Which biblical passages and ideas can be most useful in helping you guard against these mistakes?
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I attend a church where there is zero heresy issues. As a Christian, I must put on the full armor of God daily. The devil would like to trick a person to believe and practice half truths.
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Yes, some believe that we can work our way to salvation.
Biblical passages that have been helpful to me in guarding against heresies are:
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ideas that are useful in keeping a guard against heresies: read the Bible and to fellowship with other believers who are maturing in their walk with God.
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Yes, I have heard Christians in your faith community teach ideas similar to any of these great heresies. This observation is not just a casual observation but is the result of a comprehensive study conducted by our church’s pastoral group. The study revealed that about four groups of Christians teach such ideas in our churches. Among these, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) are two of the more organized groups. Their teachings diverge significantly from mainstream Christian doctrine, sometimes reflecting elements of historical heresies, which is important for us to understand and address.
Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the Trinity, viewing Jehovah as the sole true God, Jesus as His first creation, and the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force. Biblical counterarguments to this view include John 1:1-3, which affirms Jesus’ divinity and co-eternity with God; Matthew 28:19, which references the Trinity; and John 10:30, where Jesus claims unity with the Father. Similarly, Mormons believe in a concept of God the Father that was once a man who progressed to godhood and taught that humans can become gods. Biblical counterarguments to this view include Psalm 90:2, emphasizing God’s eternal nature; Isaiah 43:10, declaring no gods existed before or after God; and Malachi 3:6, asserting God’s unchanging nature.
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I am happy to say that I have never frequented a church organization with serious heresy issues, If I had I probably would have run. But I have heard about certain groups who have unsuccessfully dealt with such disappointments and neglect of the church. One form of heresy that I have heard of was the JW’s claim against the Trinity. Another form of heresy would have been the worshipping of the mother of Christ (Virgin Mary). Lastly the Church of God & The Latter-Day Saints, they preached about other prophets not mentioned in the Holy Bible, also they studied their own book of faith in addition to the Bible.
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No, I have not heard Christians in my faith community teach similar ideas of these great heresies. Galatian’s 1: 3-9 as previously stated. John 3:16-18, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9: these will help us to guard against these mistakes.