Considering the Episocalian faith
Q: I grew up baptist/non-denominational, and recently felt drawn to another church. My parents are extremely upset about this and are saying that i'm straying from God, but i don't think so. I have found solace in the episcopalian religion.
A: Solace in and of what?
Examine their beliefs to Scripture.
Do they hold to the essentials of the Faith? Do they teach a works-based false religion, adding to the Gospel? If so, don't go there. We're you aware it is Anglicanism? Very highly liberal progressive and not biblical?
Finding a biblical church in either branch is very tricky & almost impossible. It isn't like other Christian denominations, simply clearly defined. Most all churches & people of that communion /"denomination" are not Christian. Most all of those sects within it arent a denomination in Christianity, but one masquerading as such, since it denies or adds to what Scripture revealed, & rejects the true Gospel, true Jesus snd true God.
First, discuss it with your Pastor, and go through the above in examination. Pray on it, and follow God...based on biblical truth. Before leaving your Christian church to Episcopal.
You can find the essentials of Christianity and Gospel here. By it you must, as a measuring rod, hold it up to what others preach, teach and believe. If it fails the test, it's deception... and thus avoid it.
I'll be honest with you and note Episcopalian/Anglican are both Catholic religions in disguise. They allow divorce, and it's really the only difference. It's a works-based religion, in opposition to Scripture.
Episcopalian is basically like the US version of Catholicism. But, they broke away from Catholicism simply to allow for divorce. So it's still a false religion. Thus makes perfect sense that your parents (whose job it is to train you up in truth, in the Lord) are rightly very concerned, and trying to prevent you from going into error; false religion damns. Christ isn't found there. False sects claiming to be Christian are idolatrous on many levels, and you're falling into the territory the Apostles warned about, not just of false teachers but of leaving the true Gospel to follow a false one.
Here are several Bible verses that address this issue
Galatians 1:6-9 "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!"
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."
1 Timothy 6:3-5 "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."
2 Peter 2:1"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves."
Matthew 7:15: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
Whatever is drawing you to episcopalianism is not of God nor bound by the truths in Scripture, its demonic activity at work trying to lure you into deception and damnation.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
Jeremiah 5:31"The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, ....But what will you do in the end?"
Repent to God, and stay in true Christianity in a biblical church. Baptists are solid biblical denomination. They hold to the essentials that Scripture point to showing is Christian.
I also recommend you do as Scripture says, 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Lamentations 3:40 "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord."
When people don't know the essentials of what makes a belief true/biblical, they can be lured away just like how cults pick off weak people at the door and trap them in their damning false religion. Its imperative every believer understand the essentisl truths of the Gospel and Scripture so they can't be decieved by false groups.
Here's what you need to consider. Since Episcopalianism is Anglicanism, you need to know if the branch is progressive [if so avoid] or is on the Catholic side not Protestant side. All Christianity [protestantism /evangelicalism] holds to the Essentials and biblical Gospel in Scripture. Outside of that other groups dont, even if they claim to be a church or Christian.
Ultimately I can only warn you and call you to hold to truth. If your not saved, in your sins, and liberal feminist you'll gravitate to false Christianity because your idolatrous (seeking a version of God you prefer, over the truth, and true God revealed in Scripture). If you love your sins, sins of feminism and views the world holds to, there's no reason whatsoever to even waste time in any progressive church since you're just living as a unsaved sinner (out in the wild, and without God's covering).
Choose today who you will serve. You cannot serve darkness and light, sin and righteousness, Satan and Jesus. You must fully surrender to God and submit to what Scripture says, not your wicked sinful heart that decieves and leads you astray.
If a real Christian, it's in your best interest to not proceed to that "church" that masqurades as a Christian denomination, but instead hold fast to the one your at, which teaches the biblical truth. Get disciples there, & study Scripture there. If you ignore the warning and leave the faith and die in your sins, that was the path you chose to go on, which leads to eternal damnation. Apostasy is serious, so is dying in your sins unsaved but self decieved.
Stay in true Christianity, and grow in the knowledge of the truth and in the Lord, guided by your parents and the shepherds at church that God gifted to us to keep us in biblical orthodoxy, traching us truth, and to help us grow in holiness, as we follow Christ.
God bless
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Footnote:
"Anglican" refers to the broader global 'communion' of churches that are in communion with the Church of England, including churches in various countries. The majority of them are not Christian churches.
"Episcopalian" specifically refers to the Episcopal Church in the United States, which is part of the Anglican Communion. Just called a diff name in U.S.
The Episcopal Church operates with a degree of autonomy from the Church of England and other Anglican churches.
As noted this sect (as did most all of them) seperated from the religion of Roman Catholicism, but their only real difference between them is allowing for divorce.
These are often falsely called of Christiandom, but it's deception, because they are not Christian, not of true Christisnity, just like cults aren't, but also claim to be. Do not be decieved by them.
Based on what you said, it sounds like you are very clueless about the Essentials of Christianity and the Gospel, so theres absolutely no way you could discern which among those sects is actually Christian. If you had know these facts, you never would've left Christianity for a counterfeit one.
Take this matter seriously, examine your salvation, and go back to the Christian church.
