No.
Freemasonry is not for Christians, as you will see. The doctrines of freemasonry are contrary to the doctrines of Jesus Christ. In this answer, we will be making reference to a document called “Entered Apprentice Degree of Freemasonry” as practiced in the State of Nevada circa 1986. You may view this document at http://www.ephesians5-11.org/pdf/eadeg.pdf. For simplicity, we will expose the doctrines of Freemasonry in the order they appear in this document. We will not be exhaustive but we will cover enough to show you that Masonry is not for Christians.
The false doctrines are as follows:
The Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God – From page 6 we quote, “Freemasonry is far removed from all that is trivial, selfish and ungodly. Its structure is built upon the everlasting foundation of the God-given law – the Brotherhood of Man, in the family whose Father is God.”
There is no law in the Bible anywhere that proclaims the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. In the Old Testament,Israel, for instance, was chosen to be God’s son (Ex 4:22). All other nations were regarded as “strangers” (Lev 17:10) most of whom worshipped false gods (2 Ki 18:33-35). In the New Testament, we become sons of God by receiving Jesus Christ (Jn 1:12). Everyone else is a child of the devil (1 Jn 3:10, Eph 2:2-3) and a child of Adam (1 Cor 15:22).
Swearing by an Oath – From page 9 we quote, “To all of which I do solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without any hesitation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind in me whatsoever; binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out, and with my body buried in the sands of the sea at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly or willfully violate this, my solemn Obligation of an Entered Apprentice.”
Concerning this savage oath, Jesus commanded in Matt 5:34-37, “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Notice, according to Jesus, that the oath “cometh of evil.”
Self Righteousness – from pages 12 we quote, “My Brother, I now present you this lambskin or white leather apron. It is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason – the distinguished badge of a Mason. And when at last your weary feet shall have come to the end of life’s toilsome journey, and from your nerveless grasp shall drop forever the working tools of life, may the record of your life and actions be as pure and spotless as this fair emblem which I place within your hands tonight;”
The lambskin apron is a symbol of the innocence of the Mason based upon the pure and spotless record of his life and actions. There is no way that a man can have a pure and spotless record apart from the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ given to everyone who trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior (Rom 4:5, 22-24; 2 Cor 5:17-21). A man who professes to have had a pure and spotless record is a self-deluded, self-righteous hypocrite.
Of course, Masons like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day deny any hypocrisy. We quote from page 17, “To be good men and true is the first lesson we are taught in Freemasonry. On this theme we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to regulate our conduct. Hence, while influenced by this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain-dealing distinguish us, and the heart and the tongue join in promoting each others welfare and rejoicing in each others prosperity.” They are a far cry from the humility of one of the finest Christians who ever lived (Rom 7:14-25).
Innocence by Good Deeds – from pages 12-13 we quote, “and when your trembling soul shall stand naked and alone before the Great White Throne, there to receive judgment for the deeds done while here in the body, may it be your portion to hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme the welcome words: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things! Enter thou into the joy of Thy Lord.’”
Not one Christian during the church age (from the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the rapture of the church before the tribulation) will ever stand to be judged by God at the Great White Throne. We’ll stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ (Rom 14:10-12, 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Cor 3:11-15). If a man hopes to have his deeds judged at the Great White Throne and thus hear God speak concerning his judgment, the only words he will hear are “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,” (Rev 20:15). Or he may hear words similar to “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” (Matt 25:41).
Self-Purgation of the Conscience – [meaning that you can cleanse your own conscience] – from page 13 we quote “The Common Gavel is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the corners of rough stones, the better to fit them for the builder’s use; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds, as living stones, for that spiritual building -that house not made with hands – eternal in the Heavens.”
As Christians, we cannot cleanse our minds by imagining the use of a gavel to divest “our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life.” The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Cor 10:3-6). God has given us the blood of Jesus Christ to purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God (Heb 9:14). Apart form Jesus’ blood our consciences could never be clean.
The Right Hand of Fides – from page 15 we quote, “Your right hand and not your left or both, rested on the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, because the right hand, by our ancient Brethren, was deemed the sign of fidelity. The ancients worshipped a deity named Fides.”
When a Mason testifies to the fidelity of his purpose in the work in which he is engaged, he places his right hand on the Bible. The authority for using the right hand and not the left hand or both hands stems from the worship of a false god named Fides. How blasphemous that the name of Fides would be used to define fidelity rather than the name of the true God, Jesus Christ, who is called Faithful and True (Rev 19:11; 1 Jn 5:20).
The Wrong Way to Heaven – from page 16 we quote, “The covering of a Lodge is no less than the clouded canopy, or starry decked heaven, where all good Masons hope at last to arrive by the aid of that ladder which Jacob in his vision saw extended from earth to heaven, the principal rounds of which are denominated Faith, Hope and Charity, which admonish us to have Faith in God, Hope in Immortality, and Charity to all mankind.”
Masons hope to arrive in heaven by the aid of Jacob’s ladder. Having never mentioned the name of Jesus Christ even one time in the document, we presume that Masons are not referring to Jn 1:51 but rather Gen 28:12. Thus if they are truly trusting Jacob’s vision and not the Lord Jesus Christ, they will never make it to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” (Jn 14:6).
We are sure they did not mean Jesus Christ when they spoke of Jacob’s vision, for they further state on page 16 that they seek “that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by aid of a virtuous education, our own endeavors and the blessing of Deity.” No Christian would ever trust any of that to get him to heaven; he would trust Jesus Christ, exclusively (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5).
The Wrong View of Earth – from page 18 we quote, “there is nothing more zealous than Clay, our mother Earth, for it alone of all the elements has never proved unfriendly to man. Bodies of water deluge him with rain, oppress him with hail and drown him with inundation; the air rushes in storms and prepares the tempest; the fire lights up the volcano; but the Earth, ever kind and indulgent, is found subservient to his wishes.” The quote continues with more accolades for “mother Earth.”
In truth, the earth is cursed. God said, “cursed is the earth for thy sake,” (Gen 3:17). It produces thorns and thistles, it must be worked with the sweat of your face and it will hold your dead remains for the worms to eat until Jesus comes (if you are saved). This old earth is not our mother (1 Jn 2:15-17; Jas 4:4). Our mother is high in the heavens; she is New Jerusalem (Gal 4:26).
The Wrong Light – from page 24 we quote, “Why did you leave the West and travel East? In search of Light in Masonry.” The light is later depicted as coming from the Holy Bible, the Square and the Compasses.
While there is certainly light in God’s words (Ps 119:130), there is no light to a natural man who reads those words. Understanding and light in the words of God are only given by the Holy Spirit to a child of God (1 Cor 2:10-16). A man seeking light will never find it in Masonry. He will only find it in the person of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world (Jn 8:12).
You know that a mason will miss the light of Jesus Christ if he follows the Masonic doctrine literally because quoting from the document on page 16, “The North, therefore, we Masonically term a place of darkness.” How odd considering that Ps 48:2 says, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” If you were going to pick a direction on the compass to look for Jesus Christ, the light of the world, you would have to look north!!
Freemasonry is not Christian doctrine. It is rooted in Old Testament law and self-righteousness, combined with elements of idolatry. Not once is the name of Jesus Christ mentioned and prayers cannot be prayed in his name. The god of Freemasonry is veiled; he is the devil, not the Lord Jesus Christ. A man following the doctrine of Freemasonry in an attempt to make it to heaven will wind up in hell, most assuredly. If you are saved by the blood of Jesus and happen to be in Freemasonry, get out.
Hope this helps,
Pastor Bevans Welder