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Thousands of denominations claim to follow
Christ. They cannot all be right, since they have conflicting
doctrines and practices.
Someone who believes in Jesus is faced with
the challenge of identifying His church. What are its distinguishing
marks?
The true church was established by Christ.
Jesus said, "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18).
A church built by someone else is not the church of
Christ. This excludes many religious groups. Sometimes they
even wear the name of their founder.
The true church was established in Jerusalem
on the Day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ.
Peter preached the good news about salvation from sin. "Then
those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that
day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts
2:41). "And the Lord added to the church daily those
who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). A church that was
established at some other time, or at some other
place, is not the church of Christ. This excludes many
religious groups. Sometimes they even wear the name of some
city or country of origin.
Christ is the head of the true church. The
Father put all things under His feet "and gave Him to
be head over all things to the church, which is His body"
(Ephesians 1:22,23). Referring to the universality of His
church, Jesus told the people of Israel: "And other sheep
I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring,
and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and
one shepherd" (John 10:16). A church with some other
head, is not the church of Christ. This excludes many
religious groups.
The true church was established by Christ
at Jerusalem in the first century. He is its head. Churches
established by someone else, someplace else, or at some other
time, cannot be the church of Christ.
Yet, it is not sufficient to claim
that Christ is the head of a church, or that it was established
at Jerusalem in the first century. This must also be true.
How can we know if it is true?
The true church has the original faith.
Jude wrote: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write
to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary
to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the
faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"
(Jude 3). The Christian faith was delivered once and for all
in the first century. Any church with a faith different from
the original faith, is not the church of Christ.
The true church follows the Scriptures.
Paul emphasized this when he wrote to Timothy: "But evil
men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things which
you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you
have learned them, and that from childhood you have known
the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work" (2 Timothy 3:13-17). A church that does
not follow the Scriptures, is not the church of Christ.
The doctrine of Christ is normative for
the true church. It does not go "beyond what is written"
(1 Corinthians 4:6). "Whoever transgresses and does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who
abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the
Son" (2 John 9). A church that goes beyond what
is written, which does not abide in the doctrine of Christ,
is not the church of Christ.
The true church worships "in spirit
and truth" (John 4:24). Referring to superficial worshippers,
God said: "This people honors Me with their lips, but
their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching
as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:6,7).
The true church preaches the original gospel
as preserved in the New Testament. Because some were already
preaching a different gospel, Paul had to warn the Galatian
churches: "I marvel that you are turning away so soon
from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different
gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble
you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you
than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed"
(Galatians 1:6-8). A church that preaches a gospel different
from the original message, is not the church of Christ.
Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection
are the facts of the gospel. Paul wrote: "Moreover, brethren,
I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which
also you received and in which you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to
you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first
of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried,
and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures"
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Jesus is "The Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), "who Himself
bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians
2:8).
Jesus said: "He who believes and is
baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
"If you confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him
from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes
to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to
salvation" (Romans 10:9,10).
"Repent, and let every one of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
(Acts 2:38).
We are striving to be a church of Christ,
to be a congregation of God's people, to serve Him in spirit
and truth according to His word.
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of
God, that He died for your sins, that He rose the third day,
if you repent (if you are sorry for your sins and are determined
to dedicate your life to God), if you confess your faith,
and if you are baptized for the remission of sins, you will
be added to Christ's church, His body. Then, with us, you
too can strive for the faith, once and for all delivered to
the saints.
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The
Church of Christ is One Body: unique, indivisible and real
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