The True End-Time Church of Jesus Christ
What are the shortcomings of Institutionalized Christianity?
What does the Bible say about false churches at the end of the age?
And what are the characteristics of the true church – the one loved by Christ?
See also: The False Church and Roman Catholicism
“The marks by which the true Church is known are these: if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached . . . if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments . . . if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin” [Belgic Confession, 1561]
Apostasy
When the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
Luke 18:8
In this verse Jesus implies that at the end of this age many will fall away from the true faith. And in the context of the revealing of the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:8), Paul writes:
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first
2 Thessolonians 2:3
Apostasy means ‘a falling away from, and often deliberate rejection of biblical truth’. The man in the street no longer seeks truth. As the Bible says, “truth is fallen in the street” (Isa 59:14). For example, Britain, despite her Christian heritage, has now largely abandoned biblical statements on morality, creation and marriage:
- In 2018 just over a third of people in the United Kingdom identified as being Christian compared with two-thirds in 1983 [Statistica.com]
- For the period 1980-2015, UK Church attendance declined from 11.8% to 5.0% of the population [Faith Survey]
- In 2011, an ICM poll found that 45% of Britons approved of legalising gay marriage. Same-sex marriage was legalised in the UK in July 2013
Apostate Christianity
Of those who still regularly attend church, we should ask ‘what church?’ Jesus warned of deception from end-time false prophets (Mat 24:11) and today we see this in modern cults like the Word of Faith Movement. This teaches ‘health and wealth’, which of course is very attractive, but does this agree with Jesus’ vision of believer’s “endurance” at the end of the age (Mat 24:13)?
Then there’s the Interfaith branch of the church which embraces members of other religions for the purpose of finding common ground. But usually other faiths reject the divinity and purpose of Jesus. So what true fellowship has light with darkness?
Today we also see a liberal church, one that has departed from true biblical doctrine:
In later times some will fall away … paying attention to doctrines of demons. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine … they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires … and will turn aside to myths
2 Timothy 4:1-4
Such churches take a ‘politically correct’ stance on homosexual acts, gay marriage, evolution and replacement theology (concerning the church and Israel). Today some institutionalised churches favour the acceptance of gay marriage, link.
The End-time World Church (Ecclesiastical Babylon)
Apart from false prophets and liberal churches, there is an even worse end-time apostate church. Scholars agree that Christ’s messages to the seven historic churches in Asia (Revelation 2 and 3) also apply to the state of the church at any one time. For instance, there are always suffering (persecuted) churches, biblically faithful churches, and apostate churches. But scholars also see the messages depicting the historical progression of the church, with the Church at Ephesus representing the early Apostolic Church, and the Laodicean Church being the main end-time church.
The Laodicean Church is the only church not indwelt by Christ; He stands outside, waiting to be asked in by any in that church who repent and ask Him in (Rev 3:20). ‘Laodicea’ means ‘men’s opinions ruling in place of God’. This is how Christ sees such a church:
You say ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked
Revelation 3:17
Rome and Babylon
We can identify such a church today from Rev 17:1-6. Here we see an end-time ‘ecclesiastical Babylon’ – a worldly, wealthy, powerful, political church. Many see this final apostate church as being headed by the Roman Catholic Church. This church claims that it is the only true church, all others being ‘defective’:
The Catholic Church is the one, holy, apostolic Church of Christ. This one Church of Christ … constituted and organised in this world as a society, subsists in (is) the Catholic Church …
Vatican Doctrinal Congregation
Rome’s claim to be the one true church was recognised as unbiblical by Wycliffe, Huss, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Whitefield, the Wesley’s, and others. The Reformers were ‘Protestant’ in that they ‘protested’ against and rebelled from the supreme authority of the pope. Unfortunately, the Reformation led to many forms of Protestant Church: Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Charismatics, Unitarians, Methodists and so on.
The Ecumenical Movement – towards a World Church
So today there is a strong move to unify all churches – eventually to be under Rome. The Ecumenical Movement (EM) is led by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and promotes worldwide unity between all the major Christian groups:
A united church is no optional extra
Desmond Tutu, WCC, Brazil, 2006
The Anglican Church claims that “Ecumenism is at the very heart of Anglicanism”. And the UK Methodist Church wishes to work with ecumenical partners wherever possible. Its ecumenical strategy includes:
A vision of one Church for one World; a desire to share in a common life with all Christian people; and a commitment to seeking the full visible unity of the Church
The restoration of unity among all Christians was one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Note that the word ‘ecumenical’ literally means ‘the inhabited earth’ or ‘the whole world’, so here we have the birth of a World Church. But there are dangers in Ecumenism. For example:
- Ecumenism leads to the blurring of doctrinal distinctions: it can involve people who believe in salvation by grace working with those who believe it can be earned through baptism or church membership
- Ecumenism leads to the making of unholy alliances: it can involve churches that hold to the authority of Scripture joining with groups that have extra-Biblical beliefs
- Ecumenism leads to a false understanding of unity: it is not the unity that is described in the New Testament. In fact, it is the type of union that the apostles repeatedly warned against throughout their writings
Clearly, the Ecumenical Movement will eventually absorb ‘Institutionalized Christianity’, as found in the mainstream Protestant churches. So where is the true church of Christ?
Characteristics of the True End-Time Church
Christ sees the end-time World Church (or ecclesiastical Babylon) as “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”. So where is the true end-time church? Note that in Revelation 2 and 3 Christ avoids chastening just two of the seven types of church. These are the suffering church (Smyrna) and the faithful church (Philadelphia). The true end-time church will be like Smyrna and Philadelphia combined:
Like Smyrna
Jesus said the end-time church will be rejected by the world, even hated, and it will need to ‘endure’ (Mat 24:9-13). He didn’t paint a picture of world-wide ‘Holy Spirit revival’ at the end of this age, as some do. Note that, whilst the Holy Spirit was ‘poured out’ upon the church at Pentecost, giving the church great power to witness (Acts 1:8), the pouring out of God’s Spirit in Joel 2:28-32 may well apply in its fullness to God’s chosen people Israel as they at last recognise Christ as Saviour when He returns at the very end of this age.
The true church will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12). But even in poverty and persecution Jesus sees it as ‘rich’ (Rev 2:9). Jesus sees faithfulness even to martyrdom as leading to ‘the crown of life’ (Rev 2:10). Some 32,000 Christians were butchered in 2020 [Gatestone Institute], and today over 200 million Christians (one in seven) are being persecuted.
Like Philadelphia
In contrast to the apostate World Church, the true end-time church will not be powerful, wealthy, liberal and politically influential. Rather, it has ‘a little power’, ‘keeps God’s word’ and ‘lifts up the name of Jesus’ (Rev 3:8). And because of this, Jesus opens doors for such a church to work in the world. He sees this relatively small church as ‘holy and true’ (implied from Rev 3:7).
Jesus promises to protect this faithful church from the end-time judgements coming on the world (Rev 3:10). This may be a reference to the rapture of the true church prior to the 7-year tribulation period.
The Non-Institutionalized Church
An ‘Institutionalized Church’ is one that exists independent of its members. It is the traditionally accepted form of church in Western culture since the Reformation. It is organized religion that meets in the weekly worship service. Clearly, there are true followers of Christ in such churches, and a particular institutionalized church may appear biblical. But, as discussed, this form of church will eventually be absorbed by the Ecumenical Movement into an apostate World Church. Beware!
In contrast, a non-institutionalized church is simply an ordered assembly of its individual members, much like the Acts 2 church. Today we might identify this in the house churches and in the underground church. These faithful believers will be part of the true end-time church of Christ – churches that reflect the characteristics of Smyrna and Philadelphia. To them will be added those faithful believers who still find themselves in institutionalized churches when Christ comes for His bride (Mat 24:36-42, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). More at the Rapture.
A formal identification of a true church, and one closely aligned to the early Acts 2 church, comes from the Belgic Confession (1561) of the Protestant Reformation:
The marks by which the true Church is known are these: if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin.
The True End Time Church – Summary
The true end-time church will be more like an Acts 2 church than one of the more formal Protestant churches we see now.
- it will be free of worldly compromise (as in the acceptance of gay-marriage)
- it will follow the biblical teaching about Israel and reject Replacement Theology
- it will be a suffering, enduring, persecuted church, but seen by Christ as holy and true
- it will have little worldly power, but it will see the power of God (Acts 2:43)
- it will be known for its love for people (John 13:35) and for the presence of God
- it will keep God’s word and lift up the name of Jesus as Savour and Lord (Rev 3:8)
- it will seek God in sustained prayer with a desire to know Him (John 17:3)
Today, it is all too easy to be deceived: to follow false, cultish teaching (as in the Word of Faith Movement), to accept politically-correct worldviews (as in the liberal church), to promote ‘church unity’ at the expense of truth (as in the Ecumenical Movement), to promote ‘cheap grace’ (through lack of emphasis on sin and forgiveness), or to attempt man’s methods to build the church rather than rely upon the Holy Spirit to convict (John 16:8).
The true end-time church must therefore move in the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, and seek the gifts of the Spirit, as in 1 Corinthians 12.
Test everything; hold fast what is good
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Dear brethren,
We are a group of Nigerians who were repatriated from Kenycovid19 and now we want to start a place of worship since there is no church around us, so we want you to guide us with some teachings books and bibles. cos your teachings are undiluted word of God also seed to sow for food because we are very hungry with our children.
Thanks
I am your brother and a servant of God.
Pastor Solomon
Many institutionalised churches are moving away from biblical principles. So house churches are increasingly common. Where the groups are too large for a house they hire a public venue for worship. We would encourage you to do the same. Please feel free to use material on our site. There is no copyright.
My sisters and I can not find a true church that is in a building, but we do get together and do bible study, we want to include others and put a sign up with our phone number as we really want to fellowship with others but not one person called, no one is interested. So my question is are we since our bodies are the temple a part of the true church?
Jan, you ARE part of the true church since you meet faithfully in a home to study God’s word (Acts 2:40-47, Rev 3:8). Your bodies are the temple – not church buildings which are becoming less important as the institutionalised church moves away from God’s word.