Articles
Finding Christ’s Church
With all the religious division that exists today, how does a person go about finding out which church is the right one? Is one church as good as another? Does it really matter where you attend?
Such questions deserve answers. First, since Jesus promised and built His church (Matt. 16:18) with the price of His own blood (Acts 20:28), every effort needs to be made to belong to His church. Here are some ways to go about finding a church that belongs to Christ.
Search for Biblical proof in these areas:
- Its name. Saints in the First Century were identified as the church of God (I Cor. 1:1); the church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:23) and churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16). Since Jesus is God, identifying Christ as the owner is a must.
- Its organization. Since Christ is the head of His church (Col. 1:18), there is no board of directors. There are to be elders (Titus 1:5); deacons (I Tim. 3:8); and evangelists (II Tim. 4:5). Each local church is independent of other churches of Christ. There is no head church. If a local church ventures off into false ways, they cannot force other congregations to do the same.
- Its work. The Lord made it clear to the church that they ought to carry out the work of evangelizing (Eph. 3:10); edification (Eph. 4:12); and helping needy saints (II Cor. 8:18-21). Local bodies of Christ are to be busy doing the work that has been given to them. It is not their duty to oversee another church.
- Its worship. Whatever is done in worship must be done in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24). The acts of worship are as follows: Singing (Eph. 5:19); praying (Acts 2:42); partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7); giving (II Cor. 16:2); and hearing and proclaiming the word of God (Acts 2:42).
- Its entrance. Getting into Christ’s church is accomplished by obeying Him. Those who submit to His will are added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47). To not obey the gospel is to be in danger of the judgment (II Thes. 1:8). The invitation is to believe (Jn. 8:24); repent (Lk. 17:3); confess (Rom. 10:9-10); and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
- Its teaching. Instruction must be from the word of God (II Tim. 3:16-17). We are to avoid creeds, manuals, and the like. Doing things by the authority of Christ is a must (Col. 3:17; II Jn. 9). Man is often guilty of abiding in the doctrines and commandments of men (Matt. 15:9).
If being scriptural isn’t necessary, then it shouldn’t matter at all whether or not we even acknowledge Christ. If we can reject some truth and be okay, then we can reject all truth and be accepted. Beware, such surmising will leave you in a lost state in more ways than one.
Having a scriptural name doesn’t make everything else automatically correct. All that we do must be by the authority of Christ (Matt. 28:18). The question may arise, “What if I cannot find such a group doing these things (points listed)?” The alternative is to do what the saints did in Acts 8. When they were scattered, they went everywhere preaching the word (vr. 4). Starting a local church may be what is needed. Remember, beginning a congregation is not the beginning of the church. Jesus built His church close to 2000 years ago when He died and resurrected (Acts 20:28).
Are you comfortable being part of a “church” that is not following the Biblical pattern for Christ’s church? Why not belong to the church that Christ built?
