The Undenominational Church

Posted by Michael on January 1, 2010 under Articles

A “denomination” signifies a division or a segment.
“Denominationalism” means devotion to denominational principles or interests.
All the religious denominations of our day were established by men, hundreds of years after Jesus Christ established His church in Jerusalem on Pentecost, about 33 A.D. (Acts 2).

We claim that the modern-day “church of Christ” is NOT a denomination.
Please consider with us why this claim is made.

DENOMINATIONALISM IS WRONG
Christ established but ONE church (Matt. 16:18, Acts 20:28, Col. 1:24, Eph. 4:4).
Christ is not divided. The apostle Paul said that religious division is wrong (I Cor. 1:10-13).
Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:20-21). Our Lord did not work against His own prayer for unity by establishing conflicting and contradictory denominations.
Denominationalism retards the salvation of lost souls (John 17:21). Denominationalism breeds skepticism and doubt. Different doctrines cause many to lose respect for the Scriptures.

IN APOSTOLIC TIMES CHRISTIANS BELONGED TO NO DENOMINATION
Christians were members of the universal church for which Christ died.
When one accepts Christ, there is no need to accept anything else (Col. 2:9-10). When you accept Christ only, you become a “Christian,” a disciple of Christ. Others in any place who do the same thing will be, like us, Christians only.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH

1. It has no denominational founder.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” said Jesus (Matt. 16:18).

2. It has no denominational head.
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).
Christ is the Sovereign Head of the church.
The undenominational church does not recognize any human head or headquarters.

3. It has no denominational creed.
We have no creed but Christ. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” is our confession of faith (Matt. 16:16, Acts 8:37).
We have no book of discipline or rule of faith. We practice only the Scriptures. “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” (II Tim. 3:16).

God’s Word is sufficient to cover every problem of congregational organization and activity.
THEREFORE, HUMAN CREEDS ARE UNNECESSARY.
“As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).

4. It has no denominational name.
The church of the New Testament was known as:

"The church"             (Eph. 3:10, Col. 1:24)
"The church of God"      (I Cor. 1:2, I Tim. 3:15)
"The body of Christ"     (I Cor. 12:27, Eph. 4:12)
"The church of the Lord" (Acts 20:28)
"The church of Christ"   (Matt. 16:18, Rom. 16:16)

The individual members of the church were known as:

"Disciples"       (Acts 11:26)
"Christians"      (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, I Pet. 4:16)
"Saints"          (Rom. 1:7, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:2)
"Brethren"        (Col. 1:2, James 1:2)
"Children of God" (Gal. 3:26, I John 3:1)
"Priests"         (I Pet. 2:5, Rev. 1:6)

5. It has no denominational organization.
There is no ecclesiastical organization, no popes, no cardinals, no archbishops, no church councils or conventions.
Each congregation of the Church of Christ is independent, under the authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament. We have a plurality of qualified elders (Acts 14:23), just as was found in the first century church.

6. It has no denominational worship.
We have no denominational rites or ceremonies. We seek to worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), following the pattern of the first century church.
Each Lord’s day worship consists of:

Lord's Supper       (Acts 20:7)
Contribution        (I Cor. 16:2)
A cappella Singing  (Eph. 5:19)
Praying             (Luke 18:1)
Preaching           (II Tim. 4:2)

7. It has no denominational requirements for membership.
We ask people to do only what men and women in the New Testament were commanded to do:

Hear and understand God's Word    (Acts 8:30-31)
Believe                           (Acts 8:37)
Repent                            (Acts 17:30)
Confess                           (Acts 8:37)
Be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38)

After obeying the gospel, TO WHAT DENOMINATION DID THE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS BELONG?
Catholicism had its beginning in the 7th century.
Protestantism had its beginning in the 16th century.
New Testament Christians belonged simply to the undenominational church.

THE CURE FOR DENOMINATIONALISM
We must have an unreserved commitment to the Bible as the sole, objective standard in religion. Unity can exist only when there is allegiance to a single objective religious authority. When all men will lay down their creeds, disciplines, manuals, confessions of faith, catechisms, think-so’s, maybe’s, and subjective feelings, and with an unprejudiced and receptive heart turn to the Word of God, then, and ONLY then, will unity result. We must be committed to being nothing, calling ourselves nothing, obeying nothing, and saying nothing except that which is authorized by the Word of God.

CONCLUSION
Surely, it is possible to occupy an undenominational position. It is our plea for all to abandon the things that divide those who profess to be Christians, and occupy, with us, this undenominational ground.

If we preach ONLY the gospel, it will produce in our day the one, true New Testament church that it produced in the days of the apostles, when no denominations existed.

“YOUR CHURCH AND MINE“

Consider:

God rewards those who obey Him.

Could Abel offer the sacrifice of his choice?

Could Noah use the wood of his choice?

Could Moses build a tabernacle of his choice?

Can we be saved by the blood of our choice?

Can we believe the gospel of our choice?

Can we attend the church of our choice?

“Worship”

Posted by Michael on under Articles

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.“ — Matthew 4:10

The following text does not constitute any kind of an authority or creed for settling questions or disputes.
Rather, look to the Bible and allow God to speak the final word. To worship anything or anyone besides the one God, our Father in Heaven, would obviously be wrong.

Please consider these two important questions:

1. Is it possible to offer sincere, but unacceptable, worship to God?
2. What does the Bible tell us about how to worship?

Early in the Bible we learn that men worshipped God with sacrifice. Cain brought an offering for which God had no regard or respect (Gen. 4:5). King Saul unlawfully offered a sacrifice in I Samuel 13. Later, he was told that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Sam. 15:22). God had given instructions about how He was to be worshipped. He was pleased only with those people who did “all” that was commanded (Josh. 1:7, I Kings 11:38, Jer. 7:23).
Jesus talked about how God did not accept the prayers of the Pharisees (Matt. 6:5, Luke 18:10-14).

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The opposite of true worship is vain worship. Any worship not ordained by God is vain worship because it originates with man.
“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9).
Our only assurance of practicing acceptable Christian worship is to disregard man-made creeds and turn to God’s Word as our only authoritative guide to worship. The early church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). If we pattern our worship after the instructions given to the first century church, we can be confident that God will approve of our worship in the twenty-first century.

CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Men under the Law of Moses were to worship God on the Sabbath, Saturday (Ex. 20:8). In the New Testament we find that the church assembled on the first day of the week, Sunday, to worship God (Acts 20:7, I Cor. 16:2).
Christians have been instructed not to neglect assembling together because this is also an important time for fellowship and encouragement (Heb. 10:25).
In regards to the worship service, the apostle Paul said, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40).

PRAYER
After Christ established His church, the Bible contains no record of anyone being told to pray until after they obeyed the gospel and became Christians. Prayer is a privilege for those in the church, rather than a means of entrance into it.
Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God (Phil. 4:6). God communicates with us through His written Word (Heb. 1:1-2). Prayer is a daily essential in the personal life of every Christian (I Thes. 5:17). Prayer also plays a prominent role in worship assemblies (Acts 12:5, 12).

Christians are instructed to pray for:

1. FORGIVENESS for day to day sins which are committed through ignorance, weakness, or negligence (Acts 8:18-24, I John 1:9).
2. ADORATION and PRAISE of God (Matt. 6:9).
3. THANKSGIVING for all God’s innumerable blessings (Eph. 5:20).
4. WISDOM for better understanding (James 1:5).
5. OTHERS, including Christians (Eph. 6:18), rulers (I Tim. 2:1-2), and even our enemies (Matt. 5:44).
6. DELIVERANCE FROM TEMPTATION. God allows us to be tempted (Matt. 26:41), but He does not tempt us (James 1:13, I Cor. 10:13).
7. UNITY of all who believe in God (John 17:20-21).
8. PERSONAL NEEDS in our daily living (Matt. 6:11).

When we pray in faith and according to God’s will, He will hear us and will answer our prayers (Matt. 7:7-11, Matt. 21:22, I John 5:14).
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (I Tim. 2:5). We do not need to pray through any other person, whether saint, prophet, or priest. We pray to our Father in Heaven “in Jesus’ name,” through the One that God has appointed (Heb. 4:14-16, Col. 3:17, John 14:6, 14).

SINGING
We know that Jesus and the apostles sang hymns (Matt. 26:30, Acts 16:25).
Christians are instructed to sing to one another and to the Lord. We are to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19). No Christian is excused from this command, whether a talented singer or not (Psm. 100:1-2).

Singing serves two purposes:

1. Just as we are to praise God in prayer, we are also to praise Him with our singing (Psm. 66:1-2). It is a medium of expressing our cheerfulness to God (James 5:13).
2. Our singing is to teach and give friendly earnest encouragement (admonishment) to fellow Christians (Col. 3:16).

A choir cannot serve as substitutes for the command that ALL Christians are to sing. Therefore, a choir serves no purpose, being merely an addition by man to God’s plan for worship. The New Testament has no references to church choirs, since they were not introduced until centuries after the days of the apostles. The music of congregational singing in the first century church was vocal only. “A cappella,” which means singing without instrumental accompaniment, comes from Latin for “at church.” Though we find musical instruments mentioned in the Old Testament, there is not a single New Testament reference to anything but vocal music in worship. Historical sources indicate that instrumental music did not appear in worship until about the sixth century.

Since mechanical instruments of music cannot speak, teach, or admonish (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16), they do not accomplish anything God wishes when we sing in worship. We should not permit the use of instrumental music as a form of worship, because this practice was not found in the early church nor has it been authorized by God. Unless we pattern our worship after the instructions given to the first century church, we can have no assurance that God approves of our worship.

GIVING
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Christians in the first century were commanded to contribute to the church every Sunday (I Cor. 16:2). All things belong to the Lord (Psm. 24:1). As God has prospered us, we are to return a portion of our wealth to Him for the work of the church. (I Cor. 16:1-2). God showed us how to give by the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16).

While men were to tithe (give 10%) under the Law of Moses, the early Christians were expected to give liberally and sacrificially without any mention of a specific percentage (II Cor. 8:1-5). We are to give willingly and cheerfully (II Cor. 9:7). When we give we will be blessed by God (Luke 6:38). The money collected is to be used wisely to help the needy and to spread the gospel (Acts 2:45, Rom. 10:14-15, I Cor. 9:14).

COMMUNION
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:17-20, I Cor. 11:23-26).
The Lord’s Supper is the Christian’s memorial of what it cost God to deliver him from the slavery of sin. As Christians remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross they become conscious of their past need (they were sinners without hope), and their present responsibility (to live a life of purity and devotion to God).
To partake in a worthy manner, each participant is to examine his life in light of the terms of the New Testament (I Cor. 11:27-29). When observed in a worthy manner, the Christian leaves the Lord’s Supper with renewed spiritual strength gained by (1) his reflection on why Jesus had to die and by (2) his renewed determination to live out the terms of the New Covenant.
The Lord’s Supper is made up of two elements — the bread and the cup (I Cor. 11:26).
The unleavened bread is symbolic of Christ’s body (Luke 22:19). The bread is without leaven (yeast), even as Christ is without corruption or sin (Heb. 7:26).
The cup or the “fruit of the vine” is symbolic of Christ’s shed blood (Matt. 26:28). The word “wine” is never used in the Bible to refer to the Lord’s Supper.

Christians in the first century observed the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis (Acts 20:7).
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the Lord’s death, and is to be observed by every Christian, only on the Lord’s day (every Sunday) — the day Jesus arose from the dead.

PREACHING
Public reading of scripture, preaching, and teaching were part of the worship service in the first century (I Tim. 4:13, Acts 20:7). These things were not limited to Sunday. Preaching was limited to male speakers (I Cor. 14:34).
The only kind of preaching that pleases God is preaching the things He bids us to preach (Jonah 3:2). The apostles and other first century preachers were only concerned with pleasing God, not men (Acts 4:19-20, Gal. 1:10, I Thess. 2:4).

The attitude of preachers today should be patterned from the example of New Testament preachers. They diligently studied the Word of God. (I Tim. 4:13, II Tim. 2:15) They used references from the Bible to support their preaching. (Acts 2:16, 25, 34; Acts 7; Acts 8:35; Acts 18:28). They believed the Scriptures alone were sufficient (II Tim. 3:16-17, I Cor. 4:6). They condemned the creeds and doctrines of men (Gal. 1:6-9, I Tim. 1:6-7, I Tim. 4:1-3, II Tim. 2:16-18, II Tim. 3:5-9, Titus 1:9-11).
The power of their preaching was derived from the Scriptures.

Jesus clearly condemned the use of religious titles (Matt. 23:8-12). One does not earn a high place before God by appropriating an impressive religious title. In God’s sight the greatest person is the most faithful servant, not one who has assumed an elevated position (Matt. 20:25-28).
According to the Bible, pastors (elders, bishops) are to pastor (shepherd) the flock (Acts 20:28). And preachers (evangelists) are to preach (II Tim. 4:1-2). When the evangelist is doing the pastoring, God’s divine plan is being ignored.

Faithful New Testament evangelists preached the gospel in this manner:

1. Fully       (Rom. 15:19)
2. Forcefully  (Acts 18:28)
3. Simply      (II Cor. 11:3)
4. Urgently    (I Cor. 9:16)
5. Boldly      (Eph. 6:19-20)
6. In Love     (Eph. 4:15)

Preachers are to labor in the word, preaching, teaching, exhorting.
Preaching strives for these results:

1. converting the lost to Christ,
2. restoring the wayward Christian,
3. keeping the saved saved.

CONCLUSION
All that men need to believe, be, know, do, or teach to please God is written in the Bible.
We know that Christians in the early church were pleasing God with their worship. If we worship God as they did, we can be sure that God is pleased. When we add to or take away things from the worship service that God ordained, we must fear that our worship is unacceptable, no matter how sincere.
“Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” — Hebrews 12:28

Romans Road Map to Freedom from Sin

Posted by Michael on under Articles

Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:8-11
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that 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 unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 2:4
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 6:3-7
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Organization of the Church

Posted by Michael on under Articles

Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.“ – Matthew 16:18

THE CHURCH
The church that Jesus built was HIS church. Jesus Christ is Himself its foundation (I Cor. 3:11). He is the Savior of the church (Eph. 5:23). It was purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28). He is the Head of the church (Col. 1:18). The church is the bride of Christ (II Cor. 11:2). The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:23). The Bible says there is only one church (or body) (Eph. 4:4).

Since the church belongs to Jesus Christ, the New Testament is our only reliable guide to the church’s organization and the regulations for entering His church. No man-made churches are described or authorized in the Bible (Psm. 127:1).

The New Testament often refers to “the church” in a universal sense, encompassing the entire family of God throughout the world (Mark 16:15). Also, the scriptures frequently refer to “the church” in a local sense (I Cor. 1:2).
The Bible authorizes no organization for the universal church, except Jesus, who is the absolute ruler (Eph. 1:20-23) with absolute authority (Matt. 28:18). The New Testament does present Christ’s plan for the organization of the local church.

The only way to construct the true, original organization that God approves of is to look into the scriptures. Let us examine the organization of the local congregation in the first century.

MEMBERS
The church was established in Jerusalem on Pentecost, about 33 A.D. (See Acts 2). After this, the New Testament makes no reference to anyone being saved without being in the church. God automatically adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47). Entrance into the church (the body of Christ) occurs with baptism (Gal. 3:27, I Cor. 12:13, Acts 2:38-41).

In the first century church, members were simply called “Christians” (Acts 11:26, I Pet. 4:16). They were also referred to as “saints” (Acts 26:10, Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:2, Eph. 1:1). Christians were also considered to be “priests” (Rev. 1:6, I Pet. 2:9).
The New Testament is filled with instructions for Christians, including how to act, how to respond to others, and how to serve God (II Tim. 3:16-17, Titus 2:2-8).

Though men and women are equally valuable in God’s eyes, they are to fill different roles in His church. It is by God’s design that women are not permitted to assume positions of church leadership (I Cor. 14:34, I Tim. 2:12).

From among the members are chosen teachers, preachers, deacons, and elders.

TEACHERS
All Christians are expected to be able to teach the lost (I Pet. 3:15, Matt. 28:19). All Christians were told to “teach and admonish” one another in the first century (Col. 3:16). Those qualified with considerable knowledge of the Scriptures can teach in a more formal manner. Those who do, have greater responsibility (James 3:1).
God expects teachers to present the Word accurately and fully (II Tim. 2:15, Acts 18:26, Matt. 28:20). The scriptures gravely warn Christians about false teachers (II Cor. 11:13-15, II Tim. 4:3-4, I Tim. 4:1-3, Matt. 24:24).

PREACHERS
Men who choose the ministry as an occupation (I Cor. 9:14) are called preachers (Rom. 10:14), ministers (Col. 1:23), and evangelists (Acts 21:8). They have no duty to God different from any other Christian, just greater responsibility to work full time for the Gospel.
The apostle Paul instructed the young evangelist Timothy to “Preach the Word” (II Tim. 4:2, 5). First century preachers were primarily concerned with pleasing God (I Thess. 2:4, Gal. 1:10); therefore they preached the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
A minister is to serve (Matt. 20:26-28). The preacher can be a leader in the church (Phil. 3:17). But no where does the Bible authorize him to be a ruler.

New Testament preachers diligently studied the Word of God, using references from the Bible to support their preaching (Acts 2). They believed the Scriptures alone were sufficient and condemned those who taught otherwise (I Tim. 4).

Faithful New Testament evangelists preached the gospel fully (Rom. 15:19), forcefully (Acts 18:28), simply (II Cor. 11:3), urgently (I Cor. 9:16), boldly (Eph. 6:19-20), and in love (Eph. 4:15).
Their preaching was aimed at converting the lost to Christ, restoring the wayward Christian, and keeping the saved saved.

DEACONS
The word deacon comes from a Greek word meaning “servant.” We find the first deacons being chosen because of a specific need in Acts 6. The needs and circumstances of a given situation in the New Testament church determined when deacons were appointed and how many were required. The deacons had authority only as they were assigned to be over some specific business.

The Bible has clearly instructed early Christians (and us) about the qualifications for men who serve in the office of deacon (Acts 6:3, I Tim. 3:8-13):

1. Good reputation
2. Full of the Holy Spirit
3. Full of wisdom
4. Reverent (serious)
5. Not double-tongued
6. Not addicted to wine
7. Not greedy for money
8. Hold faith with pure conscience
9. Found blameless
10. One wife (who is reverent, temperate, faithful, and not a slanderer)
11. Manages his own family well

The Bible makes no indication that deacons were permitted to rule in the early church. They were to serve under the oversight of elders (or bishops).

The local congregation in the first century had “bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1).

ELDERS
By God’s design “elders” are to rule in the local church (I Tim. 5:17). The office they hold is also referred to as “bishops” (I Tim. 3:1), “overseers” (Acts 20:28), and “shepherds” or “pastors” (I Pet. 5:2, 4; Eph. 4:11).
Each church should be governed and supervised by a plurality of such men, not by one “Bishop” or one “Pastor.” There were “elders” over the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17), and “bishops” over the church in Philippi (Phil. 1:1). Paul instructed Titus to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5, Acts 14:23).
As a ruler in the church, an elder is only authorized to maintain those rules already set down in the New Testament (Acts 20:30, Gal. 1:9). He is not to be domineering, but is to lead by his example (I Pet. 5:3).
All Christians have been commanded to submit to the leadership and authority of the elders of their congregation (I Pet. 5:5, Heb. 13:7, 17).

The qualifications of men who may serve as elders can be found in I Tim. 3:1-7:

1. Desires the office
2. Blameless
3. One wife
4. Temperate
5. Sober-minded (sensible)
6. Good behavior (dignified)
7. Hospitable
8. Able to teach
9. Not given to wine
10. Gentle (not violent)
11. Not greedy
12. Not quarrelsome
13. Rules his own house well
14. Submissive and respectful children
15. Not a recent convert
16. Well thought of by outsiders… and in Titus 1:6-9:
17. Believing children who are not unruly
18. Steward of God
19. Not self-willed (or arrogant)
20. Not quick-tempered
21. Lover of goodness
22. Just (upright)
23. Holy
24. Self-controlled
25. Firm hold on God’s word

Elders were instructed to watch over the flock (church) as shepherds (Acts 20:28-32). They are caretakers of souls who are to perform their duties willingly and eagerly (I Pet. 5:2). Without partiality they are to teach, instruct, and direct all of the members in the way of sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).

CHRIST
No man is head of the church on earth, but Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (Eph. 4:15-16). Christ is the only head of the church, His one body (Col. 1:18). Therefore, every member of the body must be in subjection to Him (I Cor. 12:12-13, Eph. 5:22-32).
This means that in matters of religion we do not have to submit to any man-made authority, but only to the divine authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament.

GOD
Though Christ has equality with God (Phil. 2:6), their roles are different. “The head of Christ is God” (I Cor. 11:3).
Jesus said, “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 23:9).
Cast all your anxieties on God, for He cares about you (I Pet. 5:7).

We cannot expect to be rewarded by God unless we live “according to the rules” (II Tim. 2:5) we find in God’s Word. We can conclude that God will not be pleased unless we play by His rules.If we are to reconstruct the church of the first century, we must have an organization with baptized Christians, who are served by teachers, preachers, and deacons. All of these are to be governed by elders who accept Jesus Christ and His Father as the ultimate authority.

Noah’s Ark – Truth or Myth?

Posted by Michael on under Articles

For various reasons, many people today find the story of Noah’s Ark quite difficult to believe. I have always found it quite fascinating myself and searched for the truth for many years. Let’s examine whether this could have actually occurred or if the tale is merely a myth invented many centuries ago. The real issue is: can we trust the words of Genesis chapters 6 through 9?

Before the Great Flood the Bible tells us that mankind’s behavior degenerated to where people’s minds were thinking about “only evil continually” and “the earth was filled with violence.” Our righteous God became sorrowful for having created people who became so wicked. So, God decided to destroy all people, all land animals, and all birds. (Gen. 6:5-7, 11).

Noah was trying to live righteously in this wicked world, so God was merciful to him and his family. (Gen. 6:8-9; 7:1). Noah was given instructions about how he was to build a big boat–450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. (Gen. 6:14-16). I am told that its dimensions were similar to today’s oil tankers, making it practically impossible to overturn even in the worst storm at sea.

God told Noah, “Everything that is on the earth shall die” by a flood. (Gen. 6:17; 7:4). Noah was also told that the Ark would save his family (four married couples) and a male and female pair of every kind of “unclean” animal and 7 each (or 7 pairs) of every “clean” animal. (Gen. 6:18-19). Noah was also instructed to store food in the Ark for his family and for all the animals. (Gen. 6:21).

Noah did “all that God commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22; 7:5).

Seven days before the rain started, God ordered Noah, who was 600 years old, to come into the Ark with his family and all the animals. (Gen. 7:1-4, 6). God sealed them in the Ark. (Gen. 7:16). God caused water to both rise up from below the earth and to fall from the sky for 40 days, until the water was 22 feet deep over the highest mountain. (Gen. 7:11-12, 19-20). Everyone and everything that had lived on dry ground was drowned. Only those in the Ark survived. (Gen. 7:21-23).

After 150 days the water began to subside. The Ark came to rest on a high mountain of Ararat. Three months later the tops of the mountains could be seen. (Gen. 8:3-5). When the surface of the ground was dry enough, the Bible says that God told Noah to go out of the Ark, 365 days after he entered it. (Gen. 8:16).

Later, God made a promise that “never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” The rainbow is the sign of His covenant. (Gen. 9:8-17).

From both believers in God and non-believers, there have been many objections to the credibility of the story above. Also, there have been many attempts to concoct different versions of what might have really happened. In other words, many people don’t believe God really meant what He tells us through the writings of Moses in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. I will try to address all of the objections to a Great Flood that I have heard. Please keep in mind that some of my responses are merely my own opinions.

I believe that God said what He meant to say and that He revealed to us things that we can understand. I do not believe God gave us incorrect information in the Bible, especially in passages that seem very easy to understand what He said. The writings of Moses about Noah and the Flood are too simple to misunderstand, in my opinion.

OBJECTIONS TO THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

1. The story is a myth based on other flood fables told by various ethnic groups who populated the Middle East at the time of Moses.
   There are many cultures all over the world which have tales of a flood that completely covered the earth and destroyed all but a few people. I argue that the reason that there is so much similarity between the myths and the Genesis account is that this was a real event. All men and women being descendants of Noah, they passed down the story of this major episode in the life of their ancestor. The only truly accurate account is the one which God reveals to us in Genesis through the pen of Moses.
2. By the days of Noah there were not enough people on the earth to require a worldwide flood.
   I estimate that 12 to 15 generations had been born on the earth by the time of the flood. (Genesis chapter 5 tells us that Noah was the ninth generation from Adam.) Easily, there could have been a billion people alive on the earth by the 600^th birthday of Noah.
3. The flood was only a local flood and not worldwide.
   I see two major problems with the local flood theories. You cannot cover the highest mountains with water for several months if the flood was only regional. (Gen. 7:20). Secondly, and even more significant is the covenant which God made after the Flood. God promised, “Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Gen. 9:11). If the flood of Noah was merely a local flood, then God would have broken that promise hundreds of times since then. Other problems include that a population as large as one billion would not likely be contained within a single valley that would be amenable to local flooding. Besides, some people and animals could have simply gone to higher ground as happens during local flooding today. Even if the world’s human population was not widely spread, nothing would have kept the birds and all the animals confined within that local flood area. Genesis 7:21-23 says that all creatures outside the Ark who lived on the land were destroyed. I also object to the possibility of a local flood because God could have merely instructed Noah and his family, along with the animals to be saved, to migrate out of the area that would be flooded.
4. There is not enough water to cover the entire earth.
   There is nothing to convince us that the oceans were as deep or that the mountains were as high prior to the flood. Consider Psalm 104:5-9. “You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever, You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You did establish for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.” From these verses we might reasonably conclude that God made the mountains higher and the valleys deeper to make adjustments for the greater quantity of water on the earth after the Flood.
5. There was not enough extra water to cover the entire planet.
   The Bible says, “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened,” in Genesis 7:11. This is consistent with saying that volcanoes erupted and that previously stored water high in the atmosphere was released. A great quantity of water is released with a volcanic eruption. If hundreds of volcanoes erupted both above and below the surface of the oceans, then the amount of water spewing forth on the earth is unimaginable to me. Genesis 1:7 tells us that the earth originally had water above the sky. With the greater surface area at a very high altitude in the earth’s atmosphere, the thickness of water, probably in a gaseous state, would not have to be very great to store an incredible quantity of water which God could release upon the earth. This water would have been thin enough to allow adequate sunlight through. Also, the weight of this water would have caused there to be a greater barometric pressure prior to the Flood. Worldwide atmospheric barometric pressure drops and increased sunlight penetration would have created a world that was very different after the Flood. These changes provide reasonable theories about the decreasing life spans and the extinction of numerous species after the Flood.
6. Noah and his family could not have traveled to all lands and caught all those animals.
   Fortunately for Noah, he did not have to search the world and capture them. God caused these animals and birds to come to Noah. (Gen. 6:20).
7. The animals could not have all migrated to the Ark because of natural barriers like high mountains, rivers, and seas.
   We cannot be sure what the earth’s geography was like prior to the Flood. Five or six generations after Noah, we can read in Genesis 10:25 that in the days of Peleg (which means “division”) that “the earth was divided.” Many believe that this means that God divided the earth into the continents we now see (though, I have to admit, it might instead mean that God divided people by language). If the land prior to the Flood was one big continent, this would indeed have facilitated the migration of animals to Noah’s location. After the Flood it would have provided a way for the animals unique to Australia to get there.
8. The Ark was not big enough to hold all those animals and carry enough food for a year.
   A very real possibility was that the animals Noah put in the Ark were not full grown. It would not take as much food for young samples of each species. According to calculations in The Genesis Flood, by Whitcomb and Morris, 1961, page 69, the Ark could hold the equivalent of 522 standard two-decked railroad stock cars. To carry the no more than 35,000 estimated individual vertebrate animals, the average size being that of a sheep, would require no more than 146 such railroad cars.
9. The animals would be out of control in the Ark during the rough weather.
   We must remember that God did not abandon Noah in the Ark. The Lord did not say get into the Ark at the beginning of the trip, nor come out of the Ark at the end. God told Noah to join Him in the Ark. (Note “Come into the Ark” in Genesis 7:1 and “Go out of the Ark” in chapter 8:16.) There is no doubt in my mind that God could have calmed the animals during the storm, as easily as Christ calmed the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:37-41). It is entirely possible that God even caused many of the animals to hibernate throughout much of the trip.
10. The Ark could not have carried enough fresh water for a year.
    This is clearly not true when we consider that the Ark’s cargo space was equivalent to 522 railroad cars, as mentioned above. Also, the Ark was surrounded by drinkable water. If we assume that the ocean’s salt content was the same as today, then the excess Flood water likely diluted it sufficiently for drinking.
11. Saltwater fish could not have survived in fresh or less salty water.
    Freshwater fish certainly cannot survive in saltwater. But, there are numerous examples of saltwater fish being able to survive for extended periods in fresh water. Keep in mind that the whole Flood period was a miracle of God, and I see no reason not to believe that He could keep saltwater fish alive during the event.
12. There wouldn’t be enough oxygen for them at the high altitude at the peak of the flood.
    Atmospheric pressure and oxygen concentration are relative to sea level. As the sea rose, so also did the air we breathe. No matter if the Flood waters were as high as Mount Everest (which isn’t likely, as I explained above based on Psalm 104:5-9), the oxygen necessary to sustain life would have been more than adequate.
13. The Ark had no rudder or sails.
    The Ark needed no means of propulsion or steering. There was no particular place that it needed to go. After exposing the land to the incredible Flood waters, it is unlikely that Noah’s family could have recognized any landmarks after the Flood. The Ark came to rest where God wanted it to come to rest.
14. Noah and 7 other people would not be able to care for that many animals.
    This might be true if they were out of control or if they were all fully grown or if they were always awake or if they had no assistance from their Creator. The God who was powerful enough to destroy the earth with a massive Flood, was unquestionably able to care for those in the Ark for a year.
15. God would not have killed innocent children in the Flood.
    History is filled with examples where children were destined to suffer because of the choices of their parents. If we believe these children were innocent, then we should be comforted to know that by their drowning, God removed them from a wicked society and took their souls to eternal peace and rest.
16. There is not enough evidence that the whole earth was under water.
    I am told that prior to the theories of Charles Darwin, most educated men explained the vast quantities of fossils as evidence of the global Flood from the days of Noah. In spite of what you may have heard elsewhere, animals and plants decay rapidly under normal circumstances, rarely leaving any trace for very long that they ever even existed on the planet. The mechanism for creating fossils requires unusual circumstances where an organism is buried before it can be eaten by other animals and bacteria. It is my opinion that the fossil record and sedimentary layers are best explained by a worldwide Flood. The Bible tells us that this Flood occurred during the life of Noah to destroy evil men who refused to walk in the righteous ways of their Creator.

IN CONCLUSION

I am convinced of the truthfulness of the story of Noah, because my Savior Jesus Christ believed it to be true. He said:

• “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39).

The writer of Hebrews believed it–

• “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7).

The Apostle Peter believed it–

• “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” (I Peter 3:20).
• “And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” (II Peter 2:5).

Just “Christians”

Posted by Michael on under Articles

You can be just a “Christian.” Does this sound strange?
With over 400 religious bodies in the United States it might appear impossible to be a Christian without being part of a denomination. It is not only possible, but there are actually millions of “Christians only” in this and other nations.

THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Who are these people who seek to be only “Christians”? The congregations of which they are a part are usually known as “churches of Christ.” This term is not used in a sectarian sense, but is intended to denote their desire to belong to Christ’s church. The Bible says, “The churches of Christ greet you.” (Rom. 16:16). However, it is just as correct to describe the church as “the church of God” (I Cor. 1:2), “the body of Christ” (I Cor. 12:27), or “the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). These and similar Biblical phrases are not proper names, but descriptive expressions which show how the church is related to Christ and His Father.

Individually, Christ’s followers are known as “Christians” in the Bible. “The disciples were first called ‘Christians’ in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (I Pet. 4:16). Never does a human name prefix this God given name. Paul was one of the greatest of all Christians, but he did not want disciples to be called “Paulites” or “Paulite Christians.” (I Cor. 1:10-17).

A DISTINCTIVE PLEA
Churches of Christ have a distinctive plea. Of course in many ways, we agree with others striving to follow Christ. We believe in the divine inspiration of the entire Bible and that it is sufficient to guide us in all matters of faith; in the death of Jesus Christ and His atonement for our sins; and that after death all men will be rewarded or punished in another life for the way they have lived here. And with all people of religious conviction we insist that the moral principles of Jesus are absolute truths to be exemplified in the personal righteousness of the child of God.

The Bible ONLY
However, we not only believe that the scriptures are inspired, but also are convicted that the New Testament must be our ONLY guide in religious faith. God’s Word frequently warns us against changing the divine message (see Gal. 1:6-9). We, therefore, have no creed or catechism to present, but accept Christ as our only creed and the Bible as our only guidebook. In this way we are never prevented by an erroneous creed from accepting any truth which may be learned from God’s Word.

RESTORATION Rather Than Reformation
It is obvious to thinking people that the religious world is badly divided. Great leaders such as Martin Luther and John Calvin sought to correct erroneous teachings and practices. But the reformers often started at different points and thus arrived at different conclusions. Division rather than unity has resulted.

Churches of Christ, on the other hand, plead for the restoration of apostolic Christianity rather than a reformation of existing religious bodies. Since all can agree that the early church was right, we should also be able to agree that we cannot be wrong (John 8:32) if we succeed in reproducing that church today in every essential part. While many things have changed in the present century, the teachings of Jesus and His apostles have not. Truth is absolute and unchangeable. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17) and can save today as surely as in the first century if applied in the same way. “The truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Should you visit one of the churches of Christ you will find us worshipping God as did the early disciples — “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). You will observe that we partake of the Lord’s supper, or communion, every Sunday. This is because we are following the example of the early Christians who assembled every first day of the week to “break bread” (See Acts 20:7). Likewise, in every other way churches of Christ seek to reproduce New Testament Christianity — in organization, in work, and in other areas of teaching.

HOW TO BE JUST A “CHRISTIAN”
In few issues is there so much disagreement as in answering the Bible question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Here again churches of Christ reply by going to the scriptures for their answer. The Bible teaches that Christ shed His blood for our sins (Matt. 26:28), and that without it we cannot be saved (Heb. 9:22). But what does Jesus require of us if we are to appropriate that sacrifice? Those who crucified Him were told to “know assuredly” or believe that Jesus is “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

When these people on the day of Pentecost then asked for further information, they were told, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Today we teach as did the apostles then, that for Christ’s blood to remove our sins we must believe in Him, repent, and be baptized. As we are thus saved from our sins, the Lord adds us to His body, the church. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). “For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body” (I Cor. 12:13). The saved, then, are in the body or church of Christ; one cannot be saved and be outside this body.

The early disciples were Christians only. Although we live 1900 years later, we, too, can be “Christians only” if we will follow the same teachings given to these first followers of Jesus. Christ said, “The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11). Just as surely as a planted acorn will produce only an oak, so God’s Word will produce Christians and nothing more. We invite your earnest consideration to this plea.

Why Don’t We Use Musical Instruments in Worship?

Posted by Michael on under Articles

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

Why do some churches (including West-Ark Church of Christ) teach that it is wrong to use musical instruments to accompany our singing during Christian worship assemblies when the above verses don’t precisely forbid it?

I think most will agree that God has specifically instructed (even “commanded”) Christians to sing as part of the worship that He expects (even “demands”). Since He has not commanded nor even suggested to us to play musical instruments in worship, we can be absolutely certain that if we don’t use musical instruments, then He will be pleased with Christians singing if their worship comes from the heart.

Apparently, the human singing voice, that musical instrument created by God Himself, is the only music that our Creator requires of us during a Christian worship assembly. Adding musical instruments to the worship service, therefore, seems as inappropriate as adding fish to the Lord’s Supper. That, too, is not clearly forbidden in the Word of God, but most disciples of Christ would agree that this would not be proper. We have examples from the Bible that it is possible to offer sincere, but unacceptable, worship to God. (See Genesis 4:5; Leviticus 10:1-2; I Samuel 15:22; Joshua 1:7; I Kings 11:38; Jeremiah 7:23; Matthew 6:5; Luke 18:10-14.)

As further proof that we should expressively forbid the use of musical instruments in worship, we know from the first several centuries of church history that singing was unaccompanied in all Christian worship. The Latin phrase “a cappella” comes to us from ancient times with the meaning of singing without instrumental music. Literally translated, “a cappella” means “at chapel.” Clearly, this is evidence that at some time in the past Christians routinely worshiped God with unaccompanied singing. Even as recent as the 19th century, religious leaders of most denominations condemned the use of mechanical instruments during worship.

Since we cannot be absolutely certain that God finds the use of musical instruments an appropriate form of worship, then it seems quite foolish to risk His wrath by adding something which He did not clearly authorize us to do during collective worship. Our only assurance of practicing acceptable Christian worship is to disregard man-made creeds and turn to God’s Word as our only authoritative guide to worship. Unless we pattern our worship after the first century church, we can have no assurance that God approves of our assemblies.

God’s Plan for Saving Us from Death

Posted by Michael on under Articles

God Created The World

There is ONE GOD. (Deut. 6:4.) He has revealed Himself to us in nature and in the Bible. (Psm. 19:1, II Tim 3:16-17.)
GOD CREATED the world and everything in it in six days. He is the Provider of life and ALL GOOD THINGS. (Gen. 1, Ex. 20:11, Acts 17:24.)
God created Adam and Eve in His own image. He gives us an eternal soul and allows us the FREEDOM to CHOOSE. (Gen. 1:27, Eccl. 12:7, Deut. 30:19.)
“God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31.)

Sin In The World

Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. God gave them ONE COMMAND, saying that if they broke this law the penalty would be DEATH. (Gen. 2:15, 17.) After being tempted by Satan (the devil), Adam and Eve sinned (disobeyed God). (Gen. 3:5-6, I John 2:15-17.) Because they chose to sin, they immediately died spiritually and were expelled from the presence of God. Their bodies began to deteriorate, leading to death. (Gen. 3:23, 5:5.)
Man fell from God’s GRACE when death entered the world through sin. God’s punishment did not mean He withdrew His LOVE for us. Before time began God had plans that would allow us to inherit ETERNAL LIFE. (Rom. 5:12, Tit. 1:2.)
By the days of Noah, “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every thought of his heart was only evil continually.” God sent a Flood to destroy all people, saving only Noah and his family. (Gen. 6:5, Heb. 11:7, II Pet. 2:5.)
Because Abraham obeyed God, he was chosen to become the patriarch of Israel. Laws, including the Ten Commandments, were given to his descendants. (Heb. 11:8-10, Gen. 12:2-3, Deut. 5:1-22.) Though laws change, the punishment for sin remains the same — DEATH. (Rom. 6:23.)
The Old Testament has many lessons about men who failed to keep God’s commandments. Because of God’s MERCY and LOVE, He repeatedly promised through the Old Testament prophets that a Savior would come from among the descendants of Abraham to provide forgiveness for man’s sins and allow man to return to fellowship with God. (Rom. 15:4, Isa. 53, Gen. 22:18, Acts 2:30.)

God Sends Jesus

When the fullness of time had come during the days of the Roman Empire, GOD SENT FORTH HIS ONLY SON, born of a virgin, to save those who were lost, that we might receive the adoption as children of God. (Luke 2:11, Gal. 4:4, I John 3:1.) Because GOD LOVED US, He sent Jesus Christ, that we might LIVE through Him. (John 3:16, I John 4:9.) Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to be the SAVIOR of the world. He came to SAVE SINNERS. (Matt. 1:21, John 3:17, I Tim. 1:15.)

Jesus And His Message

Before Jesus, God spoke to men in many ways. Today He speaks to us ONLY THROUGH HIS SON. (John 14:24, Heb. 1:1-2, Gal. 1:9-12.) The MESSAGE of Jesus can free us from sin and lead us back to God.

Jesus claims to be
the LIGHT of the world,
the DOOR to salvation,
the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
(John 8:12, 10:9, 14:6.)

Jesus says, “The TRUTH shall make you FREE.” (John 8:32.)

Jesus promises ETERNAL LIFE to those who believe in Him, love Him, and obey His word. (John 11:25-26, 14:15, 8:51.)

Jesus tells us that the MOST IMPORTANT
COMMANDMENTS are
LOVE GOD and
LOVE OTHERS. (Matt. 22:36-40.)

Jesus preached —
FAITH. (John 3:16, 6:47.)
REPENTANCE. (Mark 1:15, Luke 13:5.)
CONFESSION. (Luke 12:8.)
BAPTISM. (Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:16.)

HEAVEN awaits those who SERVE Him. (Matt. 25:31-40.)
HELL awaits those who FAIL to serve Him. (Matt. 25:41-46.)

Christ Jesus Died For Us

Our sins require DEATH as punishment! Because of MERCY, Jesus offered His sinless life as the substitute for ours. God demonstrated His LOVE for us, in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Matt. 20:28, I John 4:10, I Pet. 2:24, Rom. 5:8.)
The shedding of blood was required for us to have forgiveness of sins. He became our Savior by dying on the CROSS. He washes our sins away by His own BLOOD. (Heb. 9:22, John 15:13, 19:17-18, Rev. 1:5.) His death for your sins satisfied God’s requirement for your punishment. (I Cor. 15:22.)
The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel is that on the third day after His burial, Jesus Christ AROSE FROM THE DEAD! (I Cor. 15:3-4.) This was witnessed by many people. (I Cor. 15:5-8.) After 40 days, He ascended back to Heaven. (Acts 1:3, 9-11.)
Jesus proved to us that by His power we, too, can CONQUER DEATH. Christ proved that He has authority over Satan who had the power of death. Jesus offers to release those who are slaves to the fear of death. Sin and death no longer have dominion over us since God’s Son has provided us with a way of escape from the wrath of God. (Heb. 2:14-15, Rom. 6:14.)

Christ’s Church Is Established

When the apostle Peter preached the first sermon after the return of Jesus to Heaven, many were moved by the message and asked, “What shall we do?” They were told, “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 2:37-38.) Three thousand believed and were baptized. (Acts 2:41.)
These people were SAVED by the GRACE of God and added to the church of Christ. (Eph. 2:8, Acts 2:47.) This church was purchased by the BLOOD of Christ. (Matt. 16:18, Acts 20:28.) Christ, as Head of the church, has ALL authority over it. (Col. 1:18, Matt. 28:18.) He has instructed us plainly about how the church is to WORSHIP God. (John 4:23-24, Acts 20:7, I Cor. 16:2, Acts 12:5, Eph. 5:19.)
The apostles preached the exact same thing that Jesus had preached. (Gal. 1:12.)
We should study carefully New Testament examples of conversion to Christ and salvation from sin:
1. At Pentecost (Acts 2.)
2. In Samaria (Acts 8:5-13.)
3. The Ethiopian (Acts 8:27-39.)
4. Saul (Acts 9:17-18, 22:14-16.)
5. Cornelius (Acts 10.)
6. Lydia (Acts 16:13-15.)
7. The Jailer (Acts 16:30-34.)
8. At Corinth (Acts 18:8.)
Those who heard, believed, and obeyed the commands of Jesus were BAPTIZED in every case.
The same PROMISE of SALVATION is offered to us if we obey the SAME COMMANDS. (Acts 2:39.) When we respond in the same way to the same message, we are SAVED from SPIRITUAL DEATH, and we are ADDED to the SAME church of Christ.
When we REPENT, we put an end to our old sinful self. When we are BAPTIZED, we are BURIED in water just as Christ was buried in a tomb. When we come up out of the water, we are FREED from the guilt of our past sins just as Jesus was resurrected without the sins He bore on the Cross. (Gal. 5:24, II Tim. 2:11, Col. 2:12, Rom. 6:3-8.) This is SPIRITUAL REBIRTH. (John 3:5.)
After we OBEY the GOSPEL, we must continue to live under the GUIDANCE of God so we can enjoy His FELLOWSHIP. (John 8:31, I John 1:5-7.)

Jesus Is Coming Again

Jesus promises that HE WILL RETURN! (John 14:3.)

At that time the WORLD will be BURNED UP. (II Pet. 3:10-13.) Then God will JUDGE every soul INDIVIDUALLY according to his or her DEEDS. (Rev. 20:12-13.) It will not be man’s opinions that will judge us in the end. (Matt. 15:9, Rev. 20:12.)
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT in HELL awaits those who have not OBEYED Jesus Christ. (II Thes. 1:8-9.) Those who did not accept Christ as their substitute will have their SINS punished by ETERNAL DEATH, forever SEPARATED from God. (James 1:15, Heb. 10:29-31.)
The NEVERENDING JOYS of HEAVEN await those who have had their SINS WASHED AWAY by the blood of Jesus and have remained FAITHFUL to the LORD’S WILL. (Rev. 1:5, 2:10, Matt. 24:13, 7:21.)

God’s JUSTICE demands IF YOU SIN, YOU WILL DIE!

God’s LOVE allows IF YOU BELIEVE AND OBEY JESUS, YOU CAN LIVE!

God’s WILL is revealed in the Bible. He has allowed us to CHOOSE the road we will follow. He has given us clear WARNINGS about following our own will and wonderful PROMISES about following His will. (Prov. 14:12.)
How do you measure up? Is the Creator pleased with you? Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Are you ready for God’s judgement?

God Wants You To Be Saved

God offers a NEW BEGINNING. Have you allowed the story of Jesus to affect your heart, to cause you to OBEY the Lord and be SAVED? (Rom. 1:16.)
Dear friend, you are earnestly invited to attend the CHURCH OF CHRIST and study in detail many other things about which Jesus taught, including LOVE, FAITH, HOPE, JOY, PEACE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, DOCTRINE, WORSHIP, and TRUTH.
May the unconditional love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you always.
We love you. We welcome you. We want you to spend eternity with the saved in Heaven in the presence of God.

Christian Living

Posted by Michael on under Articles

“And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” — Acts 11:26.

Every opening of the New Testament contains information about Christian living. Only a small portion of scripture pertinent to this subject is included in the text that follows.
By no means is the following information meant to represent any official religious doctrine. Any apparent conflicts should be resolved using the Bible as the only authoritative guide.

CHRISTIANS
You can be a part of the church that Christ died for, only if you do what the Bible says to be saved. Whether one is a Christian or not depends on whether one has done what God has instructed. Not everyone who calls themselves “Christians” are truly following His instructions (I John 2:3-6). The Bible indicates that a true Christian is one who is a follower of Christ in all things. Those who attempt less are not truly God’s children (I John 3:10).

Other terms that the New Testament uses for Christians include:

 disciples                         (Acts 11:26)

 brethren                          (Col. 1:2, James 1:2)

 children of God                   (I John 3:1)

 members of the body (the church)  (I Cor. 12:12, Eph.1:22-23)

 saints                            (Acts 26:10, Rom. 1:7)

 priests                           (Rev. 1:6, I Pet. 2:9)

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God” (I Pet. 2:9-10).

Please consider some of the ways Christians are to be different from other people in the world. The “people of God” are to live in the world but to keep unspotted from the world (James 1:27, Rom. 12:2, I Tim. 5:22).
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13).

RIGHTEOUSNESS
“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
Christ expects His followers to be righteous (Matt. 5:6, 10). Righteousness means living rightly. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). To be righteous before God requires that we obey ALL of His commands (Luke 1:6).
Anything else is self-righteousness.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). “All unrighteousness is sin” (I John 5:17).

STUDY
We must study God’s Word so that we may know His will (II Tim. 2:15, Acts 17:11). We also must study to be ready to tell others about the gospel (I Pet. 3:15, Rom. 1:16).
We must have a love of the truth (II Thess. 2:10).
It is only through study and a devotion to God’s Word that we can increase in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:9-10, Rom. 15:14). Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of God (Matt. 7:21). We must study the Bible so that we may know His will and do what He expects of us.

FAITHFULNESS
God demands an active faith (James 2:14-19, 22; 1:22). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58).
We must not let our past sinful lives interfere with our present commitment (Phil. 3:13).
God expects Christians to be obedient in everything He commands (II Cor. 2:9). God gave “commandments,” not “suggestions.” The Christian is expected to be faithful in church attendance (Heb. 10:25). We are told to never stop praying (I Thess. 5:17). “And you … now He has reconciled … to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard” (Col. 1:21-23). It is possible to fall away from God (Heb. 3:12, I Cor. 10:12, Gal. 5:4, Matt. 13:21). We must be “faithful until death to receive the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10, II Tim. 4:7).
If we fall from grace, we must “repent and return to righteousness” (Rev. 2:5, Rom. 11:17-24, I John 1:9).

LOVE
The greatest commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mat. 22:37, I Jn 4:19).
All God’s commandments are summed up in this saying: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom. 13:8-10, Gal. 5:14, Matt. 22:39, Col. 3:14).
We are expected to love even those who hate us (Matt. 5:43-47, Rom. 12:14). “Strive for peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14, Rom. 12:18).
Jesus said, “All men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Christians are to do good to all, but especially to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (Gal. 6:10, Rom. 12:10).
Love will cover a multitude of sins and permit us to be forgiving of one another (I Pet. 4:8, Col. 3:13). Let all that you do be done with love (I Cor. 16:14).

Husbands and wives are to love one another. Parents are to love their children.
God prefers that Christians marry Christians (II Cor. 6:14, I Cor. 7:12-16).
God demands that we be faithful to one mate (Matt. 5:31-32). Divorce is not acceptable (Rom. 7:2-3). He does not tolerate sexual immorality (adultery) (I Cor. 6:13, 18). Even lust is condemned (Matt. 5:27-28).
Homosexuality is shameful in God’s eyes (Rom. 1:26-27, Lev. 18:22). For such sin were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed (Gen. 19:4-9).

Christians are not to love worldly things (I John 2:15-17).
We are not to love wealth, but are to be content with what we have (Heb. 13:5, I Tim. 6:8-10, I Cor. 4:11, Phil. 4:11, II Cor. 9:8). Love God and He will provide (Matt. 6:33).

SERVICE
Our love for others must be in deed and in truth (I John 3:18, I Cor. 13). “Through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13, Matt. 20:26-27). Christians are to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2).
We must also be servants of God (I Pet. 2:16, Rom. 6:16).
One way we serve God is to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1, Eph. 5:2). All that we do should be to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31).
Jesus Christ came to serve (Matt. 20:28). He taught us by His example.

EXAMPLE
Since Christ left us His example, Christians must follow in His steps (I Pet. 2:21, Matt. 16:24). When we consider whether something is right or wrong, we should ask ourselves: What would Jesus do in this situation? Where would He go? How would He behave? (etc.)
Also, we should follow the examples set by more mature Christians (II Thess. 3:7, 9; I Thess. 1:6, I Cor. 4:16, Phil. 3:17, Heb. 6:12).

All Christians are expected to set an example for other Christians in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity (I Tim. 4:12, I Thess. 1:7).

We must avoid doing things that would cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble (Rom. 14:13-21, I Cor. 8:7-13).

A Christian, as described in the New Testament, does not act differently when in different company.
As ambassadors for Christ we must also live honorably before the world (II Cor. 5:20, 8:21). Christians must be examples for the sinful and shine as lights in a world of darkness (Phil. 2:15, Eph. 5:8).
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
We must remember that we have been instructed to obey the civil laws (Rom. 13:1-7, Matt. 22:21).

Children are going to make up their minds about Jesus based on what they see at home. We must be examples that our children should imitate.
It is the Christian home where the world can really see a difference in life. From observing our family life, men and women are going to see the real meaning of Christian conversion. From what they see of how you live as a Christian, they are going to become more interested, or less interested, in this One you call the Christ.

SELF-CONTROL
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). The most difficult, but most important, thing to control is the tongue (James 3:2-12). One’s religion is useless if one’s speech is not under control (James 1:26).
God has always expected His followers to be honest (truthful) about all things (Ex. 20:16, Prov. 12:17-22, Matt. 5:33-37, Eph. 4:25).

Gossip and abusive, insulting language are not to come from Christians (Matt. 5:22, I Tim. 5:13, Titus 3:2, James 4:11).
Our speech is to be sound and good (Eph. 4:29, Titus 2:8).
Using God’s name in any form in vulgarity is clearly forbidden by God’s word (Ex. 20:7). A Christian’s speech is to be free of profanity and filthy language (Col. 3:8).

The Christian is expected to take care of his (or her) body because it is the “temple of God” (I Cor. 3:16-17). With this in mind, as Christians mature they usually understand that it is best to refrain from tobacco, alcohol, over-eating, and other things that may be unhealthful (Eph. 5:18, Rom. 14:21). “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thess. 5:22, Rom. 12:9). Such things as gambling, pornography, and lewd dancing are, therefore, best avoided by Christians.
“Bad company ruins good morals” (I Cor. 15:33).

CONCLUSIONS
Christians must examine themselves regularly to see whether they are living as Christians (II Cor. 13:5, I Cor. 9:27).
Whatever our task, we should work heartily (Col. 3:23). Do not forget: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). “Put on the whole armor of God” and be prepared to fight “the good fight” (Eph. 6:10-17, II Tim. 4:7).
In spite of God’s help, many will suffer as Christians (I Pet. 4:16, Acts 14:22, II Tim. 3:12). We must learn to rejoice even in our tribulations (Acts 5:41, Rom. 5:3-5).

The Bible describes a Christian as one who is a new creation, having put to death the former sinful self (II Cor. 5:17, Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:6). Because of our love for and responsibility to God, we strive to follow the New Testament pattern for Christian living.
However, because we all sin, we never reach the perfection for which we strive (Rom. 3:23, I John 1:8). If we will follow in Jesus’ steps, His blood will continue to cleanse us of sins (I John 1:7, II Cor. 5:7).
Nevertheless, we are not saved because of any of these works of righteousness of ours, but through the grace of God (Acts 15:11, Tit. 3:5).
Let us please God and “walk worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:10).

Let us be Christians that are known for our righteousness, study, faithfulness, love, service, example, and self-control.

“Have no anxiety about anything” (Phil. 4:6).
Only as Christians who are striving to serve and please God according to His will can we know and feel “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).?

One Christian’s Perspective on the American Tragedy

Posted by Michael on September 1, 2001 under Articles

We offer our condolences to all who have been negatively affected by terrorist attacks.

The events of September 11, 2001, represent the most horrific American tragedy that most of us have ever experienced. Americans have been murdered on an unbelievable scale in the most unimaginable fashion. Many all over our nation will suffer the consequences of this catastrophe for years to come.

In my opinion, Christians should respond to this wickedness in a manner different from the typical man on the street. A natural response to such an attack on us is to desire to “get even.” But Jesus has called His disciples to a higher standard of behavior. Let us trust God’s promise that all things eventually work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). As we read in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” As Christians, we are not to be people of wrath or hate. Trust that God will take care of this wickedness in His own way and in His own good time.

We have heard and will continue to hear many news reports that will be filled with stories about people who are seeking revenge. Romans 13, especially verse 4, teaches us that God uses government as the power that He has authorized to avenge and to execute judgement on those who practice evil. Let us permit God to deal with this matter in His own way. Let us support our government and pray for our leaders.

Even in times of adversity, Christians should treat all men with kindness and respect. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to do good to all people. In Luke 6:35, He reminds us that God is kind even to the unthankful and evil. Let us be forgiving as God has forgiven us through Jesus.

Let us be careful about spreading unsubstantiated gossip about how this will affect our lives. Be on guard as Satan attempts to use this to further his control in this world, in our communities, and even in our own homes. Be diligently prayerful that we will not let this be a time that weakens our faith in God, but a time that will build our faith as we strengthen our commitment to Him and His purposes. This evil is a work of Satan, not of God.

Jesus Christ was a peaceful person and His followers should be peaceful. Let us pray for a speedy resolution to the current crisis and pray for healing for those who have been harmed. Remember that Jesus died for all men, even those who cowardly murder the innocent. God’s grace is the only real solution to this conflict. God’s mercy is the only permanent fix for a world trapped in darkness. People need to be taught of the love of God and of the sacrifice of His Son. Let us take every opportunity to point others to Jesus.

Satan wants us to keep our minds focused on the evil in this world in such a way that will force us into sinful behavior. God prefers that we focus on His goodness which He demonstrated at the Cross. The death of Jesus Christ was a more horrific tragedy than any other in the history of the world. Yet through that event the whole world can be blessed. The world will be a better place only when all men and women come to an understanding of our Creator and Savior.