The Church of the Eternal God is a non-Christian cult. It was developed out of the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong, who started the “Worldwide Church of God.” The Church of the Eternal God does not practice proselytizing. They keep the Saturday sabbath from “Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.” They also keep different biblical holy days such as the Feast of Unleaved Bread, Pentecost, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Trumpets, and the Feast of Tabernacles.1 It is premillennial, holds to post-tribulation rapture, and teaches that voting in elections is “a grave sin.” 2 It has many other aberrant teachings, including the idea of becoming Gods. Please see the following quotes taken from their website at eternalgod.org.
- God is two divine beings
- “Is God a trinity of beings in one person as is widely taught today? No, the Bible nowhere states that the Holy Spirit is a Divine being, and indeed, teaches that there are only two Divine beings–God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The early church understood this, and it is critical that we also understand the truth in this matter.” (https://www.eternalgod.org/sermon-1626, underline added)
- Jesus is a god
- “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, existed as a God being long before the events took place, which are described in John 1:14–that is, long before He “became flesh.” (https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3425) “Jesus actually did exist as a God Being—a second, individual God Being to God the Father—prior to His birth as a human.” ( https://www.eternalgod.org/do-you-know-the-jesus-of-the-bible, underline added).
- People can become gods
- “…we are (to become) “gods” and “lords” under the Father and the Son…The Father and the Son want to enlarge the God Family. They want us to be IN Their Kingdom. It is our potential to become gods—God Beings in the very Family of God. God will see to it that we will make it—whatever it takes.” (https://www.eternalgod.org/editorial-14697, underline added)
- The Holy Spirit is not a person, but a power
- “…the Holy Spirit is neither God nor a Person. Rather, the Holy Spirit is God’s POWER emanating from God the Father AND from God the Son.” (https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-9586, caps original, underline added)
- Salvation is a process and can be lost
- “Salvation, as well as our qualification, is a PROCESS…God has qualified us to inherit the promises, but we must continue in that qualification process to ensure that we don’t become disqualified and that we don’t judge ourselves unworthy of everlasting life” (https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-6397, Caps original, underline added)
- Justification is a process and keeping the law is necessary
- “Justification is God’s forgiveness of our sins. It is a process that BEGINS with our repentance from sin. God then grants us His pardon, His forgiveness, His mercy. It is a GIFT, not a REWARD for what we do; thus, the law cannot justify us. Conversely, those who refuse to keep the law will not be justified because they cannot obtain forgiveness if they don’t repent of breaking the law!” (https://www.eternalgod.org/sermon-1643, underline added)
- Baptism is necessary for salvation
- “The Bible shows that the New Testament method of baptism was one of immersing the person under water.” … “To reiterate, baptism in the name, or into the possession, of Jesus Christ is not only necessary, but is also sufficient to obtain forgiveness of our sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (https://www.eternalgod.org/booklet-672, italics original, underline added)
The Church of the Eternal God is not Christian. He denies the doctrine of the Trinity, says we can become gods, that salvation is a process that must be earned by keeping the law and that baptism is also necessary for salvation. Avoid this false church.
