The Church that has given us the Bible and the Apostolic worship called the Liturgy has had many false followers and bishops through the centuries. This did not prevent the Holy Spirit to enforce Jesus' words that "the gates of hell would never prevail against it." Why? Because Jesus established the Church as a supernatural entity also supernaturally ordained Apostles to lead the Church. These Apostles were given the power by Jesus to forgive sins and to administer the sacrament of Holy Communion---"Body and Blood of Christ".
.......Jesus gives Apostles(leaders of His Church) Power to forgive sins:
John 20---[21] Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.[22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
.........Jesus proclaims Holy Communion as mandatory for Christians:
[53] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
[54] Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
[56] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
[57] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
...........Notice how those who couldn't accept the Word about Holy Communion simply walked away from Jesus :
John
"[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
[68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life
Jesus could have easily appeased those who rejected his words on "eating his body and drinking his bloos" by calling them back and saying: ....come back. This is all symbolic and you don't really have to eat my body and drink my blood..... Instead Jesus repeats the basic thought of Holy Communion three times in the John 6. He totally insists on Holy Communion until the majority of the follower abandon him leaving him with his inner disciples.
The sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion were ordained by Jesus and provided a means of sanctification for Born Again Christians who were learning to crucify the flesh. Saint John tells us this much in 1John 1:9. Speaking to Christians, St. John says:
"8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
You need to get yourself in an Apostolic Church that still provides the fullness of the Gospel, the fullness of worship (the Apostolic Liturgy) and the full means of sanctification. As Jesus said: 'don't worry about the many tares in these apostolic churches. Too much pulling of the tares will cause you to pull out the wheat. Look for the core of their teachings which is found in the Nicene Creed--believing in Father, Son, Holy Spirit and the holy apostolic Church that Jesus created. |
