The Ultimate Test

It was once said about religion that you can be right about everything, but if you’re wrong about Jesus, you’re dead wrong! The apostle Paul understood this fact so well that he wrote to the first century church, warning them of false teachers who would come and preach another Jesus!1 “What....another Jesus?” you ask. Wait a minute, there’s only one Jesus….right?

Today, more than ever before, new religious sects and cults are being birthed at an alarming rate. While they all claim to be God’s established church and the restoration of true Christianity on earth, they all interpret the bible so differently that it can confuse the best of us. Although we can argue about many things pertaining to their beliefs, the single, most important teaching is the true identity of Jesus Christ. Even Jesus Himself asked the all important question, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am”?2 So get your pencils out and let’s take this test to find out if you have the right Jesus.

Directions: Please circle the description of the Jesus that most accurately describes your Jesus. Choose only one answer. Believing in more than one Jesus will result in an automatic failure with eternal consequences!

A. Jesus According to the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (Jehovah‘s Witnesses):

Jesus is the first created being by Jehovah God and is also known as Michael the Archangel. To enable us to earn our salvation, he came to earth in flesh, lived a perfect life and died for inherited (not personal) sin when he was impaled on an upright stake. He was buried, his body was annihilated by Jehovah God and he was re-created as an invisible spirit creature. He ascended back to heaven and returned invisibly in 1914 to begin re-establishing Jehovah’s kingdom on the earth.

B. Jesus According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons):

Jesus is the first spirit child begotten in heaven by Elohim (God) and one of Elohim’s wives. However, he is not the only begotten son since Jesus’ brother, Lucifer (who became Satan), was also begotten by Elohim, in addition to billions of other spirit children. When it was time for Jesus to come to the world to redeem mankind, Elohim came to earth, married the Virgin Mary and had sexual relations with her to produce the baby Jesus. Jesus grew up, married Mary, Martha and Mary Magdalene, and paid for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane before being crucified.

The human man, Jesus, was conceived and born from the illumination of the Virgin Mary’s spiritual sense. He later unveiled the Christ, which is the eternal divine idea of Father-Mother God. Jesus demonstrated this truth to man’s consciousness by teaching scientific mind healing, thus enabling man to be saved by overcoming the illusion of all matter, including sin, sickness, death and evil. Jesus was crucified and resurrected to free mankind from their sins through spiritual understanding of the Christ principle (not through the shedding of his material blood), by proving to his disciples that he had not died but had overcome death by practicing divine Science - the supremacy of Mind over matter.

Jesus is Almighty God, the second Person of the Trinity, existing from all eternity, without beginning or end.3 Over 2000 years ago, when the set time came for Him to redeem mankind from their sins, He humbled Himself and was miraculously conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary.4 He was born on earth as a man but never ceased to be God.5 By becoming flesh and walking among us, He was able to sympathize with our weaknesses, live a perfect, sinless life and be a spotless and holy sacrifice unto God the Father when He was crucified.6 By His death and shedding of blood, He, once for all time, completely paid for the inherited and personal sins of all humanity.7 Since rising bodily from the grave and ascending into heaven, He continues to intercede between us and His Father, forgiving all who will believe in Him, repent of their sins, and put faith in His finished work alone for salvation.8 He will come again, bodily and visibly, to rule and reign on the earth for 1000 years, judge the living and the dead and, ultimately, create a new heaven and new earth where righteous mankind will dwell with Him for ever and ever.9

If you have chosen A, B or C as your Jesus, you have answered incorrectly. The correct answer is D. Please re-study your bible and take this test again. Remember, this is the most important test you will ever take! Jesus Himself said, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many”.10

Endnotes:

1 2 Corinthians 11:1-4

2 Matthew 16:13 (NKJV)

3 John 1:1; Isaiah 9:6

4 Philippians 2:5-8; Luke 1:34,35

5 Matthew 1:23; John 10:30-33

6 Hebrews 4:15; John 1:29

7 Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 3:18

8 Luke 24:36-39; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 3:16

9 Revelation 1:7; 20:4; 21:1

10 Matthew 24:4,5 (NKJV)