What is Iglesia ni Cristo?" They deny the divinity of Jesus Christ (as do all cults and false religions) and assert that Jesus was created by God and enabled to do miraculous works by God. They deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They claim that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force. As such, they claim that the Christian church in its current form has apostatized, and that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the reinstatement of the true church that was lost in the first century; and this by means of God’s last messenger, Felix Manalo—the founder of Iglesia Ni Cristo. Another example of the cultic nature of Iglesia Ni Cristo is its claim to be the sole source of truth and salvation. This may seem odd since Christianity, as a whole, makes these claims of exclusivity too. The difference is that while Christianity does make exclusive claims, individual churches / denominations do not (or at least should not) claim to be the sole source of that exclusivity. True churches recognize that there are other Christian churches outside of the denomination that are rightfully Christian, and that we can all believe different things on secondary doctrines, yet still all be saved. Jesus Christ himself said that salvation was found in Him, that He was the only way to the Father (John 14:6), not membership in a specific church. Here are some of the other un-biblical, or extra-biblical, doctrines that Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) teaches: • They believe that one must hear the gospel from authorized INC messengers and ministers. • They believe the official name of the church is “Iglesia Ni Cristo.” Other names are not the true name of the church, and thereby false churches. • They believe a person must be a member of an INC church and be water baptized to be saved. • They believe people must avoid eating dinuguan, which is pork blood stew, a Filipino delicacy. • Their members must avoid joining trade unions. • Their members must avoid court sessions. • They must vote in blocks. • They are under compulsory church attendance. • They must give tithes to the church. According to the INC, all of the above rules and regulations are mandatory in order for a person to be saved. The Bible, of course, teaches that salvation is “the gift of God, not of works, lest any man boast” (Ephesians 2:9). As is abundantly clear, the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a cult. They deny essential historic Christian doctrine—namely the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus Christ. They hold an almost unbreakable grip on their members and they impose a man-made path to salvation through service and works. Our Lord predicted that in the last days there would come many who claim to be Christ and lead people astray (Matthew 24:5). Thankfully he also said that the true believers would not be turned away (John 6:37). As Christians, we must be wary of the teachings of false messiahs and cultic offshoots of Christianity, such as the Iglesia Ni Cristo. We must be well grounded in the word of God so that we can spot these purveyors of falsehood. We must also realize that the people who are trapped in these cults need the salvation that can be found in Jesus Christ—the only Son of God—just as much as we did when we were lost in our sin.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 22:25:53 +0000
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