Nathan Toronga Christian Elder.

Divisive as the question may sound, it is one we must face, sooner or later.

The plethora of "churches" with their irreconcilable differences cannot be ignored, and to assume that they are all vehicles for the truth is to joke with serious matters.

So, where do we start? Nowhere but the bible. 

A. The Church will be in sync with the written Word. After the Holy Spirit has come, (which He did), He guides the true Church into ALL truth. John 16:13.
What is truth? John 17:17 ESV. "Your Word is truth". Psalms 119:160 ESV. "The sum of your Word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever".

The true Church does not have a "new version" of truth. That old fashioned truth shall endure forever. 

B. The true Church is recognised by it's adherence to the book.
Revelation 12:17 ESV. "....Those who keep the Commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus."

C. They teach the Word as ordered by the Messiah. Matthew 5:19 ESV. "Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these Commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

D. The one true Church copies the footsteps of Jesus and of Paul. "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV. To see their customs, see Luke 4:16 and Acts 17:2.

E. Most importantly, the one true Church loves Jesus Christ. "IF you love me, you will keep my Commandments." John 14:15 KJV. 
"Whoever does NOT love me does NOT keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me." John 14:24. (see also John 14:21).

1 John 5:2 NIV. "This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His Commands." 

G. They don't hate God, they're not hostile to Him. Romans 8:7 NIV. "The sinful mind is HOSTILE to God. It does not submit to God's Law; nor can it do so."

H. They have the light. Isaiah 8:20 NIV. "To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, they have no light of dawn."
This Word? He's Jesus, of course. 
John 1:14 NIV. "The Word became flesh.... "
Hence the true Church speaks according to Jesus, they preach Jesus.


Yes, the ONE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD does exist, and it's definition is in the bible. They shun the fables of men and old wives' tales. They don't abandon the one true doctrine, the Word. Search, and you'll find them.

Bless.

January 10 2014 • 9 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Vin Smith Concert Pianist. Piano Tuner. Talk Show Host. Novelist.

There are times when asking such a specified question, that either the intent or the result of such a query is to divide--not unite.

Yesterday I had a very serious conversation with my sister. She is the one who first brought me to Christ over half-a-century ago. At that time she was convinced that her denomination was "...the remnant church." Her beliefs were punctuated by statements to separate myself from all other thinking systems. Even meetings with youth groups of other denominations were to be avoided. This is completely contrary to the Life and Actions of Jesus! Such a belief goes against the story of the Good Samaritan... (Luke 10: 25-37) It flies in the face of Paul's experiences when he ministered to the Gentiles. It is not an all-inclusive, Jesus died for us all mental set. 

To the question of how do you protect yourself against false teachings, the answer is "...study, to show thyself approved." (2 Timothy 2:15) To the fear of losing one's salvation because of being led astray, the answer is "...work out your own salvation!" (Philippians 2:12) 

To the specific question being asked here: Find a group where you are welcomed, comfortable, in a position to both communicate and receive information, where the membership is ready to study prayerfully, and only choose a group of believers after you have brought it to the Lord in prayer! Do these things, and you cannot go wrong! You will find a place where your fellow believers are totally devoted to the Bible.

January 10 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report