BY TONY HOSS
With the thousands of churches in the world, how do I find the right one? (Part 3)
For the past two weeks we have been discussing this topic. Thus far we have noticed that truth is always truth and a thing cannot be both right and wrong at the same time; we saw that mankind must accept God and put away humanistic ideas that prevent us from accepting and fulfilling God’s law. We discovered that Jesus promised and built but one Church and those who follow the precepts of Christ are added to that single church (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:41). We learned that there will one day be a judgment for all mankind. Therefore we must seek the acceptable process for gaining and maintaining a proper relationship with God. But how do we do that and know that we are right in the end?
What Shall We Do? This was the same question that was asked of Peter and the apostles in Acts 2:37. The answer was simple then and the same commands apply to us today. Remembering that Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6:69), we then must seek out and fully comply with the commands of Jesus and reject anything that does not come from Him (1 Peter 4:11). If we look closely we can see that most religious organizations claiming to follow God have already rejected God by accepting things that God does not authorize.
When it comes to the Church, the Bible gives us scriptural names to use. Consider the following: The church of Christ, (Romans 16:16); the body of Christ, (Ephesians 1:22-23) and the household of God, (1 Timothy 3:15). Perhaps a good rule of thumb is to remember whatever name we use it must reference who we belong to, and who is in charge.
When it comes to entrance into the Church, the Bible gives the means by which we can enter. Consider these thoughts from God’s Word: One must first Hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17). After hearing God’s one must believe the Word (Mark 16:15-16) which involves believing in Jesus as the Son of God. One must repent of their sinful past turning to God (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). The one wanting to please God will then confess Christ as Messiah, (Romans 10:9-10). Then one must be baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38) for the remission of sins. Those baptized into Christ are added to the Church (Acts 2:47). Paul likens this to the death, burial and resurrection of the Christ.
Those who submissively yield to the will of God must find a scriptural work to involve himself in; a work like evangelism, edification of the brethren or benevolence. The new Christian must also have a scriptural worship that is from the heart and is in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). Along with other Christians they must sing collectively in worshipping God (Ephesians 5:19) (no authority for mechanical instrument found in the Bible). We then pray to the Father through Jesus. And also we involve ourselves in partaking of the weekly memorial (Lord’s Supper) as outlined in the New Testament. Then the church must ensure that all teaching is in accordance to the Word of God.
To find the right church, one only needs to go to the Bible. We find examples of what the early Christians did. We get the teaching about this Church from the Bible. The challenge for anyone wishing to serve God properly is to find a church that follows the Bible. It is just common sense. Have you found the right Church?
(Tony Hoss is minister at the Centerview Church of Christ. He can be contacted at 423-737-2287 or by e-mail at: tmagho1@comcast.net)