Locating Christ's Church in History
The Roman Catholic Church is an
apostate church (Rev.
3:14–22).
You live to please
men.
We are bondservants of Christ (Ga
1:10).
See:
Roman Catholicism
[The Church: What is it all About?
Colossians 1:18,24
In Touch] "Church buildings are plentiful in our country. Locating one
may be easy, but wisely deciding which to join involves more effort.
God's Word gives us some specific instructions in this matter.
First, let's explore the original biblical meaning of the word "Church."
The term ecclesia meant a group of people who are called out of the
world's system by God's grace for the purpose of assembling to worship
and serve Christ.
Ephesians 5:29-30
further specifies that believers are the body and Jesus is the head of
such a fellowship. Under His leadership, we can enjoy the unity and
purpose that He intended.
God's design for this sacred gathering involves worship, instruction,
encouragement, evangelism, and ministry to those in need, both within
the fellowship and outside its walls. A healthy, vibrant congregation is
possible only when members rely fully on the Holy Spirit's guidance. The
work of the church is to be done in His power, in humble, prayerful
submission to the Lord.
To help you determine whether a church is following the design laid out
in Scripture, here are some important questions to ask: Do they believe
God's Word is infallible and inerrant? Is the church disciplining her
people? Does the fellowship have some kind of missionary or evangelistic
program?
...Joining a congregation is an important decision, as a fellowship of
believers is one tool God uses to mature and encourage His children.
Those three questions can be helpful in discerning God's will. Listen
for His Spirit to warn or direct as you prayerfully investigate your
options."
"Amen."
Amen means we agree. We do not.
We don't worship a false christ (2
Pe 2:1).
We worship the true and living Lord (1
Pet. 2:4).
See:
No Eucharist
No Papal Authority
[The Church: God's Design
Hebrews 10:23-25]
"When you hear the word "church," do you picture a little white building
full of smiling people in fancy clothes? As lovely as that image may be,
God's design for church is unrelated to it. He created the church to be
a unified fellowship of believers who encourage each other and carry out
His ministry to the world.
The Bible clearly defines the following as ministries of the church:
worshipping the living God, instructing and edifying believers, making
disciples of all nations, and serving the needy. Unless the leadership
is careful, however, these purposes can all too easily get out of
balance, with the unfortunate result that the body ends up malnourished.
For example, a church with too heavy an emphasis on praise could become
introverted. Congregations that over emphasize teaching might lose their
joy, and those that evangelize to the neglect of the other areas could
miss out on great faith.
Because of sin and human imperfection, we do not experience church as it
was originally intended. Instead, there's a tendency to overstress
certain ministry areas. What's more, divisive arguments--many of which
concern minor issues, such as music preferences--too often destroy
unity. Greed, pride, selfishness, and gossip can also tear a
congregation apart...
...Since they're composed of imperfect people, churches will be
imperfect too. Though expecting anything else leads to disappointment,
we should nonetheless strive for God's original design, continually
measuring ourselves against Scripture and correcting course to realign
with His purpose."
"We both agree that "Christians are bondservants of Christ."
You are not a Christian (Mt
15:9,
Ga 1:6-8).
[Christians are bondservants of Christ.] "Unless you no longer affirm this...?"
Eph 4:14
"...[S]erpent's theological preferences and opinions..."
Truth is truth independent from me (Ac
5:29,
Mt 15:9).
"..."[A] different gospel," such as the one invented by the Protestant "reformers" in the 16th-century..."
We are saved by grace alone (Eph 2:8-9), through faith alone (Eph 1:13; 2Ti 1:10), in Christ alone (Isa 45:21,22; 59:16; Ac 4:12). Roman Catholics deny this (Jude 1:11).
"Return to Christ's one historic Catholic Church, "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15)."
See:
1 Ti 3:15 J. Vernon McGee
"Truth is truth independent from me."
You removed the scripture from my quote (Eph
3:2,
2 Thess. 1:8).
It is what you do (Eph
4:14,
Jn 10:10,
Jn 1:1).
See:
Reformation Time Line
"That's for sure..."
When you add to the gospel of grace, you are wrong (Ac 14:3; 20:32). False teachers do this (Gal. 1:6–8).
"Go ahead and indicate exactly where either Eph. 1:13 or 2 Tim. 1:10 says anything whatsoever about "faith alone.""
See:
Eph 1:13 J. Vernon McGee
[2 Ti 1:10]
You need to be born again. The only "work"
you can do is to believe.
See:
2 Ti 1:10 J. Vernon McGee
"The rest of your statement Catholics affirm wholeheartedly."
Catholics mix truth with error (Ga
5:9).
See:
A Scriptural Response to: Biblical Evidence or Catholics St. Joseph
Communication
Vid.
Catholicism vs Christianity
by Mike Gendron
"...[A]ll of the texts you quote can just as easily be applied to yourself..."
"You removed the scripture from my quote. It is what you do."
You removed the scripture from my quote (Eph
3:2,
2 Thess. 1:8).
It is what you do (Eph
4:14,
Jn 10:10,
Jn 1:1).
"...[G]o ahead and just apply this text to yourself..."
Intensional
Eph 4:14
