When Jesus died on the cross, He did so for all of humanity, not only for professing Christians. Saying “I believe in Jesus” or “I believe Jesus died on the cross” does not by itself mean you will go to heaven.
The Bible tells us in many places that Christianity, as a whole, has fallen — that many Christians sound like devils: arrogant, proud, selfish, unloving. We need to become like Jesus to enter heaven.
There are many churches around the world, and the first step is to come out of the false churches and enter the true church. Every organization — including atheism — contains some truth, but mixes that truth with lies, and this is what deceives people. Christian churches are no different. Yet one church is true — the Revelation 12 church — and all other churches are false, identified in Revelation chapters 17 and 18.
1. The True Church Keeps the Commandments
Jesus wrote the book of Revelation. He gave it to an angel, who gave it to John, who gave it to the seven churches. Those seven churches signify all churches since the time of Jesus.
Jesus gives us signs to help us identify the true church. First, He tells us there are two kinds of Christianity:
THE REMNANT — Revelation Chapter 12
BABYLON — Revelation Chapters 17 and 18
So someone may say, “I am a Christian,” but this is not really the question. The real question is: which church do you belong to? Do you belong to the remnant church, or do you belong to Babylon? “What difference does it make, as long as I believe in Jesus?” you might ask.
It makes all the difference, because:
- Babylon will receive the seven last plagues.
- Jesus asks all people in Babylon to come out before the plagues fall.
- Jesus said that fifty percent of Christians are Babylon — the foolish virgins.
- Babylon will receive the wrath of God, poured out without mixture.
- The people of Babylon will receive the seven last plagues and be destroyed forever.
The true church is the pure woman of Revelation 12. Jesus gives us signs to identify her. The true church:
- Keeps the commandments
- Keeps the Sabbath
- Has a true prophet bearing the Testimony of Jesus
- Preaches the three angels’ messages
- Preaches the sanctuary judgment message
How do we know this is the last church? Because in Revelation 14, once the three angels’ message has finished being preached to all people, Jesus returns.
Revelation 14:14 — And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
Jesus returns once the three angels’ message has been preached to all people. Who gives this three angels’ message?
Revelation 14:6 — Having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.
One great sign of the true church is that it keeps the Ten Commandments. We are not saved by obedience — we obey because we love Jesus. No one will be saved by the works of the law, and no one will be saved while in disobedience. All true obedience flows from the righteousness of Jesus.
Revelation 12:17 — And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
They believe in the Ten Commandments. Almost every Christian church today says, “We do not need to keep the Ten Commandments; they have passed away.” Yet the Bible, through Jesus’ prophecy in Revelation, foretells that the Christian world will lie to God by claiming the cross of Jesus made the law worthless — that there is no more sin because there is supposedly no more law, when in fact sin is the transgression of the law. The true church keeps the commandments of God, including the seventh-day Sabbath, the fourth commandment.
2. The True Church Keeps the Sabbath
This is one of the key signs of the end-time events — it is the test of loyalty. Those who bear the name of Jesus but do not care about truth, and are not honest, reject the Sabbath. They are content to settle for the minimum. The true church of God in Christ keeps the Sabbath.
Some say the Sabbath was done away with — but no, it is part of the Ten Commandments. We cannot remove one commandment while saying the others remain binding; that is a lie. The true church is the one that rebuilds the old waste places and teaches people to return to the Bible and leave the teachings of Babylon.
Exodus 20:8–11 — Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labour, and do all your work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
It is true that Colossians 2 says:
Colossians 2:16 — Let no man therefore judge you in respect of… the sabbath days.
Here “sabbath days” is plural, so this is not referring to the seventh-day Sabbath. Those sabbath days were the Levitical, yearly ceremonial sabbaths, which fell on various days such as Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. These were done away with because they pointed forward to the cross of Jesus. The seventh-day Sabbath, on Saturday, cannot be done away with, since it is a memorial of creation. Heaven and earth will pass away before the Sabbath passes away.
3. The True Church Has the Testimony of Jesus
What is the Testimony of Jesus? It is the Spirit of Prophecy — it identifies a church that has true prophecy.
Revelation 12:17 — Those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:10 — For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
This is one more very important sign of the true end-time church. In fact, the whole of Revelation 12 tells the story of the woman, the true church. It begins with the apostles, continues with the Waldenses, who fled into the mountains and the wilderness for 1,260 years, and the true church emerges after 1798, following the 1,260 years of papal persecution.
The true church has a true prophet, and as a whole, holds true prophetic interpretation. The Bible says that in the end times, many will come with false prophecy, but Jesus tells us how to discern the truth.
The true church of God in Christ correctly interprets the prophecies of the Bible, with God inspiring its teachers to explain them. It keeps the commandments, it keeps the Sabbath, and it has the Testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy.
4. The True Church Preaches the Three Angels’ Message
The true church of God in Christ preaches the three angels’ message. How many churches around the world preach this message? Only one. How many churches preach the three angels’ message and also keep the Sabbath? Only one church.
The three angels’ message sets the true church apart from other churches, which only talk about Jesus without much insight into prophecy or present truth. The three angels’ message is a solemn warning that all Christians who remain in their fallen churches will receive the mark of the beast. All Christians who refuse end-time truth and remain attached to traditions such as Sunday-keeping, eternal hellfire, or the secret rapture will not make it to heaven, because in refusing truth, they refuse Jesus and are being dishonest with themselves — since the only reason someone would refuse the truth is dishonesty. The true church keeps the commandments, keeps the Sabbath, and preaches the three angels’ message.
5. The True Church Preaches the Sanctuary Judgment Message
The true church preaches the sanctuary judgment message. Every year, the Jews observed the Day of Atonement, during which all Israel had to fast and search their hearts. Anyone who failed to do so was cut off from the camp.
The same thing is happening today, and only one church is preaching this message — that Jesus is in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, and that He is currently deciding our eternal destiny. The true church knows, from Bible prophecy, that it has been sent by God to deliver this message: that the judgment is happening now, and all cases are being decided by Jesus.
Once Jesus has examined all the cases of all humanity, He will return. It is a solemn message that all humans are under the scrutiny of the heavenly Judge and Creator, and that all of us will soon receive our sentence: eternal damnation or eternal life.
The true church is one church, and only one, because Jesus gives us these signs so that we can know without doubt which church He is speaking of. He could not be referring to Mary, for instance, as “the woman,” since Mary did not go into the wilderness for 1,260 years, did not flee to another continent as described in Revelation 12, and did not face a flood sent against her.
Jesus says the true church keeps the commandments, keeps the Sabbath, preaches the three angels’ message, and preaches the sanctuary message. This church is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. All other churches, Jesus says, are Babylon.
Repeat after me: Father God, help me to come out of Babylon. Help me to study this message clearly and in detail. Give me Your righteousness, forgive my sins, and provide for all my needs, in the name of Jesus, amen.