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5 ways to overcoming Sin

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Throughout the Bible, we’re warned about the effects of sin. The problem is less about the knowledge of sin, rather on how to overcome it in our lives. Paul wrestled with this himself saying, “O wretched man that I am!” [Romans 7:24]

How do we overcome sin?
  1. Sin is overcome by Faith – Joh 8:24 except ye believe;
    1. 1Jo 5:4-5 For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.
  2. Sin is overcome by obedience – Heb 5:9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;
    1. Conduct worthy of the Gospel – Phil 1:27; Rom 12:17-21; Eph 5:22-6:4
  3. Sin is overcome by faithfulness to Christ – 2Ti 4:6-8 [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
    1. Re 2:10 Fear not …. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
  4. Self-control – Prov 16:32 ruleth his spirit; 2Pet 1:5-6 add to faith; James 1:19 swift to hear; 3:2-10 bridled tongue
  5. Fruit of the Spirit – Gal 5:22, 23

There’s a very good reason we need to remove sin from our lives……

To obtain an incorruptible crown – And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. [1Corinthians 9:25]

 

365 Daily Instructions for Life

The Preacher 1 Comment

10 March 2015
(Numbers 16.1-3)
Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

God had appointed specific men from a specific family of a specific tribe to be priests.

Yet Korah (from the same tribe, but different family) along with Dathan and Abiram (from another tribe) reasoned that since God had made the nation holy, anyone could serve as His priests.
In fact, these self-appointed priests accused Moses and Aaron of self-serving bias, claiming they were guilty of transgression by exalting themselves above all Israel.

Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and those who followed them tried to set one part of God’s word above another, reasoning that since the whole nation was holy, then anyone could serve as priests without distinction. Yet, although God had sanctified the nation, He had also specified who would be priests: Aaron and his sons, of the tribe of Levi.

Many Christians reason accordingly today, claiming that all who have been sanctified in Christ are able to perform any function and fulfill any role of service for the Lord, in spite of clear passages to the contrary. We now have women speaking, teaching, and even preaching in the assemblies of the church, contrary to God’s word (1 Cor 14.35; 1 Tim 2.11-12). Some churches have ordained women elders, despite God-given qualifications (1 Tim 3.2; Titus 1.6).
Some churches have begun approving marriages which Jesus clearly rejected (Matthew 19.9), and even accept same-sex unions, though God clearly defined marriage as a commitment between a man and a woman, and condemned homosexual acts (Rom 1.26-27). We would do well to learn from the example of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (1 Cor 10.6,11), recognizing that God does not approve setting one Scripture above another to nullify one part of His covenant in favor of a misapplication of another. Those who went ahead and offered incense, though they were not called to be priests, were consumed with fire from God (Num 16.35). Their leaders, who promoted this disobedience were swallowed up by the ground (Num 16.31-33).

Clearly, God is not pleased when He specifies one thing and people veto His word by doing something else.

Stuart Tullis

What doth hinder you?

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In Acts 8, the Ethiopian Eunich asked, “….what doth hinder me to be baptized?” [Acts 8:36] This is the question that needs to be answered, what hinders you?

As I was reading Mark, this passage caused me to pause, ”That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” [Mr 4:12] It caused me to think about people that are blinded to the truth….

  • No one is so blind….
    • As one who WILL NOT SEE.
  • No one is so Deaf….
    • As one who WILL NOT HEAR.
  • No one is so illiterate….
    • As one who WILL NOT READ. [Eph 3:4]
  • No one is so ignorant….
    • As one who WILL NOT STUDY. [2Ti 2:15]

I once met a man convinced that salvation was by faith only. He actually was passing out material declaring the same. I asked him questions, noting that his material lacked scriptural support for what he was teaching. He said, “That’s odd, there should be some scriptures for this.”

I told him that I agreed, and asked, after much discussion, if he’d like to see the only passage in the entirety of scripture that says, “By faith only” in that sequence. What he said next shocked me, “No, I’m ok.” He then took his Bible, which I had opened to the very passage, closed it and stuck it into his pocket.

It is a sad day when a person claiming to be a child of God closes the Bible on truth. So, what doth hinder you from being baptized?

  • Me? – No, I’ll not stand in your way.
  • The church? – No, your denomination may, but the church of the Bible will never.
  • Law? – No, there’s nothing in the Law of Christ, [Ro 8:2] that will hinder you, it teaches it.
  • God? – No, He’s not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [2Pe 3:9]

So who is it? It’s YOU! Only you stand in the way of salvation. Oh yeah, do you want to know the only time “…by faith only” is used in Scripture?

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. [Jas 2:24]

6 Spiritual Questions

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1. WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life. (John 5.24).

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved. (Acts 16.31).

Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2.38).

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (Romans 10.9).

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (Mark 16.15-16).

 

2. WHAT MUST WE HEAR?

This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him! (Matthew 17.5).

Moses said, THE LORD GOD SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED in everything He says to you. (Acts 3.22).

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3.20).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1.16).

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10.17).

God… in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things. (Hebrews 1.1-2).

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28.18).

 

3. WHAT MUST WE BELIEVE?

See Acts 16.31 and Romans 10.17 above.

If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8.37).

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3.16).

 

4. WHAT MUST WE CONFESS?

See Romans 10.9, Question 1.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (1 John 4.15).

That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2.11).

Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10.32).

 

5. WHY MUST ONE BE BAPTIZED?

Repent, and let each of you be baptized… for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2.38).

Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins. (Acts 22.16).

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3.27). Read also Romans 6.3.

In which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water (Noah’s salvation in the ark). And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. (1 Peter 3.20-21).

See also Mark 16.15-16 above.

 

6. WHAT CONSTITUTES BAPTISM?

And they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. (Acts 8.38-39).

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6.4).

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. (Romans 6.5).

Buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2.12).

Why I chose the Church of Christ

The Preacher 4 Comments

I like to talk with people, actually, I like it when people talk to me. The other day, while getting my haircut, I asked one of my “magic questions”. A magic question is when you ask a person an open ended question that acts as conversation starters.

This lady began talking about her church. She said that she had visited EVERY church in town, but always found herself back at the Baptist church. So, I asked her what it was about the Baptist church that “always brought her back”.

She paused, paused some more, and finally said, “You’re putting me on the spot.” I gently reminded her that she had brought it up and I was just curious. Noticing that she was uncomfortable I moved the conversation on to another aspect of church. This got me to thinking about my own choice for “church”.

Why did I choose the church of Christ?

Like this lovely lady, I too had visited numerous “churches” in my quest to learn about God. I had started a family and recognized that there was something missing. So I went looking. Actually, I already had been looking, even before I was married. I went to the Baptist, the Catholic, the Episcopal, the Methodist, the Universal Church of Christ and multiple other denominations over the course of my search.

In every single case, there was something that didn’t seem quite right. It was a logical feeling that I couldn’t quite place my finger on to know. So, we kept looking.

Would you like to study the Bible?

Then, my wife and I were asked if we would like to study the Bible by an older relative. This simple invitation clicked, no one previously had ever asked if we wanted to study the Bible. So we accepted. Do you know what? We studied the Bible and only the Bible. I asked questions, he answered with scripture. She asked questions, he answered with scripture.

More questions, more scriptures. Then came the question, which interestingly was asked for us by reading the scriptures. [Acts 2:37]

“What must we do to be saved?” [click here]

He answered with the scriptures. Multiple scriptures. He showed us the passages on belief. I asked about the sinners’ prayer. There wasn’t one. He said that he had looked and never found a prayer a non christian prayed and received salvation.

We studied the scriptures for several weeks previously, but on that night, the same hour of the night, my wife and I obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [Mr 1:1; Acts 16:33]

  • We had been hearing the word of God. [Rom 10:17]
  • We believed that Jesus was the Christ. [Acts 8:37]
  • We confessed the same thing before men. [Mat 10:32]
  • We repented of our sins. [Lu 13:3]
  • We were baptized [by immersion] for the remission of our sins. [Acts 2:38; Gal 3:27]
  • We committed to live a Godly life. [Mat 28:1-208; Acts 2:42]

Why did I choose the Church of Christ? It was the only one that used scripture, book, chapter and verse for everything that it teaches, everything it believes and everything it does.

Would you like to study the bible and have your questions answered with the Bible? [click here] and I would be happy to study with you.

Spencer – Borger, Tx  806/274-5021

Ask me how to make your calling and election sure. 2Pet 1:10

 
   

 

When did Jesus’ church begin?

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In Mt 16:18, Jesus said that He would build His church, but when was it built, when did it begin?

The Old Testament predicted a kingdom that God would set up. In Daniel 2, we read of it beginning during the Roman Empire.

John the Baptist said, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [Mt 3:2]

All of these passages are looking forward to the church coming, and as we read the Gospels, we know that the church did not exist during the lifetime of Jesus.

When we turn our attention to the end of the New Testament, we see that the church was certainly in existence. Revelation chapter 2 includes letters from the risen Savior to “the church”. James 5:14 speaks of elders in the church. Paul wrote letters teaching men how they “ought to behave” in the church. [1Tim 3:15] He also wrote in Col 1:13 that he and other Christians were removed from darkness and placed in the kingdom of God’s son.

Acts – A book about the early church

In the book of Acts, which is a record of the history of the early church, we find near the end that the church, which was “purchased with His own blood”, is in place. As we move through the book toward the beginning, we can find the existence of the church in Acts 18:22; 15:22; 14:23; 8:1; 5:11.

The beginning of the book of Acts has the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, but a careful reading of the Gospels shows that the church did not exist during the lifetime of Jesus. So, the church must have begun sometime between His ascension and the early events in Acts shortly after.

Let us turn to Acts chapter 2. Peter stands up during a Jewish feast day called Pentecost and preached about Jesus, the one who had recently died. In this sermon he told those listening to “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,” [v38]. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” [v41].

Then in vs 47, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” The church had begun!! Just as promised, the Lord has built His church.

Do you want to be added to the church? You can, by simply doing what every member of the church has done since that first day; Repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

What would prevent you from being baptized just like the Eunich asked in Acts 8:36? Nothing, if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. [v37]

Making Preachers Rich

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An Excerpt of a sermon BY Moses E. Lard

EDITOR’S NOTE: In 1863, Moses E. Lard, one of the “second generation” Restoration Leaders wrote a tribute at the death of Allen Wright, another preacher of that era. Lard said “the Churches always managed to keep Brother Wright poor, very poor.” From this point Lard gave a “sermon” to the readers of his Quarterly. Speaking of the brotherhood he said,

” . . . (they) tell me they do not believe in making preachers rich. Neither do I. But, brethren, I do believe in making them comfortable, in supporting them this side of want, and in affording these faithful men the means of schooling their children well.

Is this right? But why, pray, do you not believe in making preachers rich? Do you think it would hurt them? You cannot say it would; for you have never made one rich, to know. Suppose before you longer preach your doctrine with so much confidence in its truth, you test it by making at least one preacher rich.

Hitherto you have kept them all poor; let us now have at least one exception to your rule. You are satisfied that it works well both ways. Preachers are not at all satisfied that you are right in what you say, neither will they be until, by making at least one of them rich you convince them that you are so.

Do you think it would hurt you to be rich, or hurt your children to educate them well, and thereby enable them to move in genteel circles? Of course you do not. How then can you imagine that it would your preacher, or injure his children to make him rich?

You tell me it would cause him to neglect his calling. But how do you know this? You have never made one rich, to have the point tested. Would making you rich cause you to neglect your calling? Why then should you think it would cause the preacher to neglect his? The closer you stick to your calling the richer you grow. Think you not, if the preacher, too, could grow daily richer by sticking to his calling, that he would not stick to it close indeed. But the difference is, that the closer you stick to your calling the richer you grow, while the closer he sticks to his the poorer he grows. Is there not something wrong?

But tell me truly, faithful brother, do you preach this doctrine really believing it. Is it really so that you do not believe in making preachers rich, and that, too, because it would hurt them and cause them to neglect their calling? Or is not this a mere plea to shield your own purse? Beware” (Lard’s Quarterly, September. 1863, Volume One, pp. 37, 38).

The Bible talks about the internet

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Cyber Bullying

1-23-15          BORGER, Texas – There is a viral video that is of a father’s response to kids’ cyber bullying his daughter. In the viral video, Brad Knudsen found out about videos being sent to his 14-year-old daughter Dee Dee, who is African-American, via Snapchat videos, which called her horrible things using the N-word. He sought to speak to the parents, but when that failed, he called police.

Rather than press charges, he requested to speak to the parents of the children involved. That ended poorly. The parent of the bully not only didn’t care, he supported what his child had done. It was this attitude that prompted Brad to make his video response, garnering millions of views and the attention of the media.

Then it got ironic, for his own daughter sent out videos of herself using the very same racial slurs.

That is the basic background of the story, if you want more information you can do your own research. The media is doing a good enough job addressing the bullying, so I will make no further comment beyond how wrong it is. They’re also doing fine showing the error of the daughter, which needs no comment from me.

What is missing from all of this is the discussion of the free, unsupervised use of today’s technology by our children.

Where is the discussion about these children having access to these powerful tools without any real limitations?

Let me interject that these devices have no sinful nature in and of themselves. They are very helpful tools of communication. However, children have yet to learn how to navigate our dangerous world. That’s the parents’ job, to train them, to protect them by supervising their activities. [Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4]

Why were these children given complete access to the internet through these devises? Were there no limits, no boundaries?

I recall when my children were given their first cell phones, facebook accounts and email. Because we were so afraid of their immaturity allowing the dangerous world to touch them, we made some very clear guidelines for the use of these things.

There were no private computers, email, facebook or whatever. Computing, via any device, was limited to public areas of our home. They were not allowed to use the computer behind closed doors. As they grew older, and hence better educated about the perils, these restrictions relaxed, but accountability never was.

Could we have done better? Yes. Technology is constantly changing, but that is no excuse to close our eyes to the dangers. To do nothing is to shirk our parental responsibility.

To help other parents, let me suggest 4 rules that you can establish in your home.
  1. No private internet / phone access
  2. Parental access to all passwords
  3. Random spot checking of all of their accounts / devices.
  4. No talking with strangers online

Any infraction should be met with a zero tolerance policy. Your child should learn that these devices are a privilege and not a right. These are for THEIR protection. If you don’t train them about the world, someone else will, and you’re not going to be happy with the results.

I would also recommend you download the “10 commandments for kids online” from the Kim Komando website.

DOES THE BIBLE TALK ABOUT THE INTERNET?

I’m a believer that the bible covers every situation in our lives. Though the internet is never mentioned in the Bible, the PRINCIPALS for its use are clearly stated.

  • Pornography – Mt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. [Ga 5:16; 1Jo 2:16]
  • Cyber Bullying – Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
  • Wasting Time – Pr 24:30 ¶ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
  • Friendships – Pr 27:17 ¶ Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
    • Pr 17:17 ¶ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Friends, the standards of the world should not be the standards for the Christian. Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

This doesn’t mean we are to not be friendly, it simply means that we need to seek God first, Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; so that we can be a positive influence on the world, Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world.

Nor does it allow us to overly separate ourselves, 1Co 5:9  I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

The world thinks we’re odd for not participating, 1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

We need to be lights, and our parental light should be shining on our children.

Spencer

Under the Influence

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As the New Year fast approaches, I know that many will be celebrating the new year, often while drinking adult alcoholic beverages. You’ve heard about driving under the influence? That is when a person decides to drink alcohol unto intoxication, or imbibing in some other mind altering drug, and then decides to get behind the wheel of their vehicle. In a recent news story, a woman driving while under the influence, ran a red light plowing through a crosswalk, killing 3 people including a child and his mother.

Here in Borger, Texas, it’s listed as DWI; Driving While Intoxicated. According to the Texas DoT website, a first offense DWI charge can get you; “A fine of up to $2,000, Three days to 180 days in jail, Loss of driver license up to a year and an Annual fee of $1,000 or $2,000 for three years to retain driver license.”

Just the first offense penalty would be enough for me to avoid DWI. When you consider the human costs with the possibility of causing someone’s death or even my own, then without a doubt I would never drive under the influence of alcohol.

But that is the secular human side of me. As a Christian, I abstain from alcohol use. I don’t drink. As I pondered this thing called DUI or being under the influence, I was reminded of a passage I had recently studied in Ephesians;

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” — Eph 5:18

            This verse instructs us to NOT get drunk, but rather to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Some would suppose that we should be under the control of the Holy Spirit, losing our own control and free will. But this just doesn’t fit with the rest of the scriptures. Paul had just written in Chapter 3 of the same book:

“…if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,  4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),”– Eph 3:2-4

            When you consider these verses from the same letter together, what you will see is that we need to read and to study our Bibles, allowing those teachings to influence us. To “BE FILLED” with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the Helper promised by Christ;

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”– Joh 16:13

We have the Bible, the scriptures, because holy men of God were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write down the things of God. [2Pet 1:20-21] It’s through the study of the scriptures that we can know the will of God for our lives, to know how to live on this earth and how to get to heaven.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”– 2Ti 3:16

            Jesus charged the Apostles to teach the people “all things that I have commanded you,” and this they did as they traveled, speaking to people, and also as they, with others, wrote these commands down for us today.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. — Mt 28:19

Knowing all of this, let us not be drunk with alcohol or drugs, rather, let us be filled with the Holy Spirit by studying our Bibles, learning what is the will of the Lord.

A church worth investigating

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A member recently brought me a bulletin for the Franklin St church of Christ from April 1959. It held a timeless message that I wanted to share with you all.

A church worth investigating

The church of Christ was not established on a sudden whim of the Lord, nor was its establishment merely an afterthought. It had been God’s intention throughout the entire history of the world to build the church. All of the many centuries were spent in preparation for the establishment of the church. The church and its work is “According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Eph. 3:10

About 800 years before Christ came to this earth the prophet Isaiah foretold that the government of the Lord’s house should be established at Jerusalem, and all nations should flow unto it. –Isa. 2:2. This could not have referred to the house of Israel, for that had already been established and it was not for all nations. What then is the Lord’s house of which the prophet wrote? Turning to 1Timothy 3:15, we read, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” So we see that the house of God is the church, and of this house Isaiah wrote hundreds of years before Christ. What more is required to show the importance which God has placed upon the church of Christ?

Why the church of Christ is important

This brings us to the following question: WHY IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IMPORTANT? The church is important because God’s wisdom is seen in it: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” — Eph 3:10. Is it important to know the wisdom of God?

Again, there is glory to God in the church: “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” — Eph 3:21. Is it important to glorify God?

Also the church is important because its purchase price was the blood of Christ: “…feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” — Ac 20:28. Do you believe the church is worth the purchase price: The church of Christ is important because Jesus “loved the church, and gave himself for it.” –Eph. 5:25. Would you give yourself for something that is not important to you?

Finally, we shall mention that the church is important because all of the saved are added to it: “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” — Ac 2:47. It is surely regrettable that denominationalists preach that the church is not important.

Not a denomination

The church of Christ is not, and cannot be, a human denomination because the church does not wear a denominational name. All denominations wear names which distinguish them from “other Christians”, as they say. But the church of Christ does not seek to distinguish itself from others who are Christians, since we firmly believe that ALL Christians are members of the church of Christ. There is nothing denominational about the name which we wear, for it only honors Christ, and is worn by His command. –Acts 4:12, Rom. 16:16.

The church is not a denomination, furthermore, because we do not subscribe to a creed written by men. We believe in Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the New Testament, but we refuse to accept human interpretations of the New Testament. It is sectarian to make any book of human origin the standard of fellowship and communion. We extend our fellowship to any who follow only God’s word.

The church is not a denomination because we have no earthly headquarters. Christ is the only head of the church, Col. 1:18, Eph. 1:22-23, Matt. 28:18, and His is in heaven. Thus our headquarters is in heaven. Instead of all of the churches of Christ being tied into one central unit, each church is directly, and independently, responsible to Christ.

Almost all religious people are in agreement on one important point; that is, that the church we read about in the Bible is the right church. Most folks will also agree when asked that the Bible mentions only one church. Where, then, does the idea come from that one church is just as good as another? If the Bible only mentions one church, ad this is the right church, it follows that all other churches are wrong. This is the case whether we wish to accept it or not. By this position we are not trying to consign all of the members of the other churches to hell, but rather we are trying to teach them the truth so that they can be saved.

Nor is the idea true that all denominations are simply branches of the Bible church, for all denominations contradict one another in points of faith, doctrine, name, and practice. The Bible does not contradict itself, so all of the many churches could not be parts of the Bible church. For a church to be the right church, it must be identical with the church that we read about in the New Testament. This is true of no religious body save the church of Christ. We do not need to make a labored attempt to distort history, and trace an unbroken chan of churches all the way back to Bible times, because we can prove by the Bible itself that everything we teach, and everything we do, was taught and practiced by the church under the direction of the apostles. This makes it the right church, and nothing else can make a church right. We invite you to attend the services of the church of Christ and to investigate it. We believe that it is a church that is worth investigating.

–Gordon Wilson, Sacramento, CA 1959