The Good News is there is a Church that can be defined by using only the Bible.
Why are there so many churches these days? With over 43,000 Christian denominations in the world, how do you know that the one you attend is the Church that Jesus gave His life for? This is very important as the word “denomination” literally means divisions. This is very important as the salvation of your soul depends on it. Not testing what you have been taught by men is dangerous. Not testing men that tell you how you are to believe and what your faith should be based on is dangerous. When using only the Bible, you will insure your spiritual ladder is on the right wall. Is the church you are attending completely found in the New Testament? For your soul’s sake please consider the following.
Why is it important to use the Bible only to define the church you belong to?
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. NIV
Why use the Bible only to define the church?
Hos 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. NIV
How is the Church that belongs to Christ defined Biblically and who is in charge of that Church?
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. NIV
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her NIV
How many Churches or bodies of Christ does the Bible recognize?
Eph 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. NIV
Can keeping the unity of the Spirit include dividing into different churches and using men’s names to define what you are or what you call yourselves?
1Co 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? NIV
There are a lot of people who belong to this or that denomination, they all can’t be all wrong can they?
Mat 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. NIV
I feel in my heart that its ok how I am worshiping, it does not go entirely with the Bible but most of it does. Will my sincerity get me into Heaven?
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. NIV
Is it ok to introduce things into the church that are not authorized by the Word of God? Will God even care about such minor infractions?
Lev 10:1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. :2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: “‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.‘” Aaron remained silent. NIV
Heb 10:29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. NIV
What will happen if I except things in the church by taking away or adding to what the Bible teaches?
Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. NIV
How many Gospels are there?
Gal 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! NIV
What is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. NIV
What other types of Gospels are being preached that I should be aware of?
Gal 1:9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. NIV
Does the church I attend teach the Bible’s plan of salvation?
Hear Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. NIV
Believed Acts_8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. NIV
Confess Luke 12:8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, NIV
Repent Act 2:37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” NIV
Be Baptized Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. NIV
I am set in my ways and I do not care if the church I attend was founded on the doctrines of men and not the Bible.
Gen 3:4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. NIV
Mat 15:8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'” NIV
2Th 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might NIV
Can anything worldly be brought into the Church that Christ died for and it still be Holy and accepted by God?
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. NIV
The Good News is you can use the Bible to define the one and only true Church that Jesus gave His life for. The Good News is God has used His grace to give you time to make sure your Spiritual ladder is on the wall that leads to Heaven.
By Tim Anderson Evangelist and Minister Eastern U.P. Church of Christ