Articles
The One True Church
There are many denominational churches which claim to belong to Christ, but were these organizations built by Christ, or were they formed by men. In Matt. 16:18 Christ said: "upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
From this we can learn four things:
1.) Christ is the builder of the church.
2.) The church belongs to Christ.
3.) There is only one church.
4.) The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church.
Notice that Christ DID NOT say: "upon this rock I will build my churches." Since Christ is the builder of only one church, then not all churches belong to Him. Ephesians 5:23 says: "... Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body." The idea that it does not matter which church we belong to is false. We must belong to the church which Christ is the head of.
Since Christ is the head of the church, he controls it and makes any decisions concerning it. Any diversions from the rules that Christ has set forth in the Bible are wrong and in violation of God's will. The church must adhere completely to the guidelines that have been given concerning it's organization, work, and worship.
When we study the church, we must consider the word ONE. This word is mentioned several times in the New Testament. In Ephesians 4:4-6 it says: "There is one body. and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in you all." In John 10:16 it says that there is one fold and one shepherd. This does not leave room for any others. We cannot compromise the word ONE. There is only one God, one church, and one way to get to heaven. A person cannot choose the church that best fits their lifestyle because NOT ALL CHURCHES ARE THE SAME!
There are some who say that the different denominations are branches of Christ's church. We can read in the Bible where this cannot be so. In John 15:5 it says: "l am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." From this we can see that the disciples are the branches and not the churches. Paul says in I Corinthians 1:10: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. that ye all speak the same thing. and that there be no division among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement." Christians are to be perfectly joined together, and not divided into different denominations.
We must beware of the doctrines of men. Many people teach things that are in direct violation of God's will. Mark 7:7-9 says: "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men..."
How do we know which church was built by Christ? We must lay aside the traditions and doctrines of men and go to the Bible. We must study diligently, so that we might be able to know which church follows the guidelines that are in the Bible.
Are you a member of the One. True Church? Do you belong to the church that Christ built? If not, become a member today!
