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External vs. Internal Salvation
Dr. Stephen Phinney
Droves of people have been curious for generations about the "why" the Catholic Church changes their doctrines according to religious trends. A bigger question is, Why does mainstream Christianity follow suit without hesitation – like lambs to slaughter? There are good reasons.
Recently, Pope Francis revealed his support for gay civil unions, breaking away from the Catholic church's leading doctrine. While most are shocked by this coming out of the closet proclamation, those who understand the Catholic church & the liberal church institution know that this is just the next big reveal.
The way to control global religious, political, and cultural thought is by delivering one decision at a time – over a long period OF time.
What is Liberation Theology?
The official definition is, "A movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation."
Ironically this definition is at the heart of the "why" Pope Francis decided to support gay civil unions. Unfortunately, this ideation reinforces the demonic beliefs of "following Christians" can find salvation in social justice reform.
Church culture tends to forget how the decisions of the papacy have dominated modern culture. The Catholic church is the single largest entity in influencing religious thought globally. For example, most religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, and a host of others, are all social justice decisions made by the papacy throughout history. The problem is these antioppressive shifts almost always trickle down into the daily beliefs of a generalized culture.
Those who practice Liberation Theology are trapped in the thinking that social justice reform equals salvation – as stated in their definition. It is the leading religious ideation propagated by the Roman State Church & now the populated liberal church institution.
Catholics have always been open regarding their push for salvation through external Christology, meaning salvation by the church's indoctrination of social reform & membership. Our challenge? External Christology, salvation through external following, is proof of their baseline beliefs of salvation through what they believe as THE church. Which completely removes authentic indwelling salvation from church culture, let alone the organic meaning of the Body of Christ.
Ninety-two percent of surveyed “Christians” do not believe in indwelling salvation.
Once the synthesis of the theology of external Christianity and socio-economic analyses infuses itself into religious thought, the misplaced imagination of such beliefs become a global culture. Beginning in the 1960s after the Second Vatican Council, liberation theology became the political praxis of Latin American theologians; Liberation Theology slowly evolved into global thought. Shortly after the World Synod of Catholic Bishops propagated this "theology" to the World Council of Churches in 1971, the theme of "Justice in the World" swept the globe like cancer.
The World Council of Churches controls global religious beliefs.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. Ecumenicalism is the blending of multiple denominational beliefs into one single objective. It is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It has a membership of over 340 churches and denominations. The organization claims their churches and denominations host well over 400 million Christian members throughout more than 120 countries. You probably have one or two of them down the street from where you live.
Here is how it works. These "high-end" theologians decide what their people should believe. Once the council mutually agrees to the adjustment(s) of universal doctrinal beliefs, each massages them into their local fellowships and communities as the "norm of culture." It just so happens that the Roman State Church has led the WCC from the day of its conception in 1948, which was a political and religious reaction to Israel becoming a state – revealing their antisemitic beliefs. Israel, more specifically, the Jews, have always been a threat to the Roman State Church. Since God's Word makes immovable claims to Judaism being the primary, or only, religion God sustains, the Roman church has historically attempted to remove this religion from religious culture.
One of the leading methods the Catholic church has attempted to remove Judaism from catholicism is through social justice reform & one-world-religion. Even though the papacy is just now coming out with their decision on gay civil unions, this displaced theology has been going through their political stages since 1962. The Catholic church's pattern has always been to test doctrinal changes on the World Council of Churches before stepping into the mud-hole of cultural kick-back. Those of us who understand the political papacy environment understand these changes are NOT “shocking.”
Are you “shocked” by the fact that the lion’s share of modern “Christianity” is external vs. indwelling?
Don’t be. The antichrist needs indwelling Christianity to evolve into impotence. His “slight of hand” in global religious thought is imperative for him to introduce a global religion, which, of course, is a single religion - led by him. As long as the masses matriculate external Christianity (following Christ), he can surface as the “Christ.” BUT, if indwelling salvation through the Holy Spirit dominates, he can’t keep the masses from experiencing authentic Christianity, the lead threat to the antichrist’s agenda.
If you haven’t noticed, today's dominant religious movement is “following Christ,” not the old-school beliefs of being indwelt by Him. It is impossible NOT to notice that the world's populous believes in salvation through social justice. Most news trends are saturated in this rhetoric. The consequences of this deluded thinking are authentic salvations in, and through the possession of the Holy Spirit has faded from church-society. Leaving the “norm” of Christianity based on “I am a follower of Christ.” This is not only despised by Jesus; it sets the stage for Him to separate the goats from the sheep.
We have entered the phase of prophecies where the Lion of Judah, Jesus, is stepping up to separate fake-Christians from the authentic. He accomplishes this through the birth-pangs stated throughout the New Testament, particularly the book of Revelation. He will use calamities such as earthquakes, diseases, floods, fires, pestilence – to list a few. He will remain relentless in this until a full separation has occurred. After this objective is accomplished, He will set the stage for the gathering of His Bride – the Rapture.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:1-10)
Our passage reveals a humbling reality. Five of the virgins keep oil in their lamps – with reserves. Five used the oil for self-justifiable reasons. When it came to the time of the Groom gathering up His Bride, half were unprepared. In the Greek text, the oil in this passage is the Holy Spirit. Could it be that each of the ten virgins had the fulness of the Holy Spirit in the beginning? Could it be that 50% of the indwelt members wasted and abused the Holy Spirit’s filling? Could it be Jesus is warning us of fake-Christians? Is Jesus warning us of those that use Jesus, versus those that preserve the Holy Spirit for the day of the eternal gathering? You have to answer those questions. I did.
THE PROPHETIC BOTTOM LINE
Research states that 85% of global “Christian” churches adopt this malignant movement, which puts the authentic Church at risk. God's objective is to dissolve the institution (denominations) the world calls the church and re-establish the Church being the authentic indwelt Bridal members of Jesus Christ. Since the majority of the “church attenders” are encapsulated by the ideology of denominations and organized church, few will realize that the Body of Christ has nothing to do with being an institution but rather is an organism sprouting from the indwelling Life of Christ. Christ's actions conducting this objective is what the Word calls, Separating the goats from the sheep.
THE SOLUTION
Stop being ignorant. Church attenders protecting their denominations and institutions is not the answer. Protecting fellow Body members of Christ is or should be the objective. These actions are not ecumenicalism but rather defending fellow Bridal members in Christ.
Become eschatologically brilliant. An objective that can only be maturated through the indwelling mind of Christ. He knows the past, present, AND future because He is what Hebrews 13:8 says.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
To be “brilliant,” one must be proactive in releasing the mind of Jesus from the inside out. It isn’t about intelligence; it is about His mind functioning within the believer. Study the Word of God in an eschatological way. I often tell people to study two primary books after studying John – Ezekiel and the book of Revelation, two of the most ignored books in the Bible.
Refute the ideology. Drop the ridiculous misnomer that the book of Revelation is for the mature Christian. Since when do we decide what books are for beginners versus those who are "mature" in their faith? Let the Holy Spirit do what He does best, interpret the Word.
Banking on outdated tickets. Don’t “buy into” the myth of security of salvation comes by way of a ticket in your pocket, which is a doctrinal misnomer. The Bible says It is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved (Matt. 10:22). Our passage is depicting the virgins solidifying this verse. The believer should always keep Matthew 7:22 at the forefront of their minds.
"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'” (Matthew 7:22)
Within this passage reveals Satan’s greatest deception for self-proclaimed “believers.” The evidence is NOT in the ticket, but rather in enduring to the end – through His indwelling.
As for Liberation Theology, well, do your homework. As this label begins to trend on the internet or in your church, remember, the basic definition is external Christianity. If you are content with being a “Christ-follower” vs. being indwelt by Him, it is time to put your head back into the sand. Continue your attempt to find contentment in being associated with the 92% of Christians that propagate “following.” If you're late for the party, as Jesus is gathering His Bride, don’t expect authentic indwelt believers to give up their Holy Spirit for you. Like most who use silence to cope, when you realize this Truth, the door to the Wedding Feast will be shut.
©2020 Eschatology Series, Dr. Stephen Phinney
