BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH

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I was born to Greek parents on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea, west of Greece. 

I was ushered into the Greek Orthodox religion by my parents, society, and school system since my

birth.  I was pushed a little more in to religion than others, because of our family’s past of priesthood

in the Greek Orthodox Church.  Priests are recorded in our family since the early 1600’s. 

My family is also responsible for the recognition of the patron saint of the island, whose last name

I used to carry as a middle name.  All these created a tremendous feeling of responsibility towards

my family, religion and country.  While in High school I visited the monastery of Saint Dionysius

almost every afternoon for 3 years and was trained in to become the next priest in our home town.

              

When I was 16 years old my father died, and a few months following my high school graduation

I visited an uncle in California.  I stayed about 10 months and was ready to return to Greece, and,

most likely was going to continue in to the priesthood of the Orthodox Church.  At that time I met

a young lady that later became my wife.  She asked me to attend a church meeting on Wednesday

evening, and I accepted.  We visited Faith Baptist Church in Somis, CA. 

 

I don’t remember what exactly was said that evening, but, I remember that the pastor approached me and asked me a few questions. 

One of those questions was “if I were to die would I know for sure I would go to Heaven”.  Of course in my religious and traditional pride I wanted to say yes, but, according to the teachings that I was raised no one knows their “fate” with God.  The pastor pointed out that eternal life is a gift from God and we cannot earn it, but, it is dispensed from God to us through faith in Jesus Christ.   He also showed me through the New Testament that there is no other name that we can be saved by, other than the name of Jesus.  Of course that was not correct based on the belief that we had, that Mary is also an ambassador of Christ and we go to the Son and the Father by her mediating office.  Furthermore, he pointed out that there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ. 

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I did not want to believe him, and, confused by the new information I went to the Greek Orthodox Church and asked the same questions to the priests there.  They could not answer from Scripture, and they kept quoting the “sacred traditions” and the “church fathers” which were, supposedly, the continuation of God’s revelation to the church.  Of course the “traditions” and the “fathers” were giving different meaning to what the Bible was clearly stating.  I became doubtful of the soundness of the teaching of the Greek Orthodox Church.  Not only I did not get the answers that I was seeking, but, now I had another question that they could not answer either: “If the sacred traditions and the teaching of the church fathers were equal to the Word of God, then, why were not they included in the Word of God, the Old or the New Testament”?   I asked for a New Testament and they gave me one with the TR text on one page and a Modern Greek translation on the other.  I said to myself: “If they cannot help me I will prove this pastor wrong by reading the New Testament myself.” 

              

As I was searching, for months, to find God’s truth that would support the Greek Orthodox Church’s teaching, I was convicted by the Holy Word of God and by His Holy Spirit and I saw the wrong teaching that I was enslaved in.  It was like the whole world crumbled under my feet.  All the things that I thought they were “Christian” were just dead traditions of man.  They were things that I could not trust.  Jesus referred to that in the gospel of Mark 7:9 “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.………. 7:13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

 

I understand that there are certain traditions we ought to keep, but, we are to keep only those that agree with the Bible.  I realized that salvation, from the judgment to come, does not come through a religion, or, a set of rules we have to keep.  It does not come from baptisms, or church membership.  It does not come from any church, but, it comes solely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus says in the gospel of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Everlasting life comes by believing in Christ and not of traditions we have received from our fathers, as the apostle Peter writes in 1Pe 1:18,19  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”.  Or from works that we can do.  In the epistle to Ephesians 2:8-10 the Apostle Paul clearly states that: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

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Salvation is given to us.  No one can ever gain salvation by their good works.  It is a gift from God.  After we receive salvation we ought to live holy lives for God, because God is pleased if we walk in the good works that he has prepared for us to walk.  It is also logical that after someone knows that they are saved from hell that they would want to please the one who saved them from it.  I remember that on the night of March 12th, 1990 Monday evening I called upon the Lord Jesus to save me.  For the very first time in my life I made a conscious decision to make Christ my personal savior repenting from my unbelief and turning from my sins and mostly from not ever having a relationship with Him.  I turned from trusting a religious system of worshiping idols and dead people to trusting a living savior, Jesus the Son of God.  I was not afraid any more of God’s judgment, God now is my Heavenly Father.  I was born in the family of God.

 

I love my people, the Greeks, and I pray that they all will realize that they are trapped in a religious system that keeps them confused, and in reality, away from God.  There are so many traditions that people have come to associate God with, that they go through life without ever making a conscious decision to believe in Jesus Christ, and never having a personal relationship with Him.  They dare not ask anyone because you should follow what you are taught.  Whenever I asked, the answer was: “believe and search not”, and that somehow has become the motto of the Greek Orthodox Church, while Jesus Christ tells us in the gospel of John 5:39  “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” 

 

I know through this testimony many will be upset, but, I rather make many upset in hope that some will come to God’s salvation, than, never say anything and have all end up in the horrible place of the lake of fire that God has prepared for Satan and his angels.  I am thankful of God’s love and grace.  I am thankful of God’s Holy Word that it is available to all, and anyone can search the Sacred and Holy Scriptures to find the truth.  Jesus said in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”   I praise God that I am free of all religious fears, of all superstitions, and that I know that I am going to heaven, not because of what I have done, but, because of what Jesus has done.

 

Praise and Glory be to God! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!  Amen.

 

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Panagiotis Takis Korianitis