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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.
Still
wanting more information? Click below!
The
Church of Christ is One Body: unique, indivisible and real
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