Have you ever thought about why churches practice baptism and communion? What was the purpose of baptism and communion being established? Is there a right or wrong way to practice them? This past Sunday, we explored these two sacraments. We looked at what they are, what they mean, and why it is absolutely vital for […]
Are You A Part of God’s Saving Plan?
Whenever churches talk about the gospel, they are attempting to answer this question, “what must I do to be saved?” Depending on who you ask, of course, you will probably receive a different answer. Even though everyone starts with faith in Jesus, the requirements beyond that seem to differ from church to church. Some are adamant that […]
A Church Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ
A church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is one whose firm and unflinching commitment is to: be holy NOT happy (1Pe 1; 1Ti 6) contending for Biblical truth NOT compromise (Jud 1) loving God NOT the world (1Jo 2) the glory of Christ (His church) NOT our own glory (2Th 2 w/2Co 8) making […]
Criteria for a Biblically-defined Church from Acts 11
The New Testament makes it clear that for one to be considered a Christian, that person must be recognized by a biblical church because there is no salvation outside of the Body (John 15:1-11; Colossians 1:24; 1 John 2:18-20) and because it is the church who holds the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16:18-20; 18:18-20). […]
“In Christ” = In the visible Church
From The Baptized Body by Peter J. Leithart: 1 Corinthians 12:12 is particularly striking the way Paul identifies the Head-and- members body of Christ as “Christ.” “‘Christ” is not just the title of the Anointed Head. The anointing flows like the dew of Hermon down from our priestly Head, down the beard, down to […]
Why not just baptize yourself?
Today there exists a large number of people who hold that one’s faith should be considered valid simply because they themselves say it is valid. In modern Christianity, it is quite common to hear statements such as “my faith is between God and me,” “I don’t need the church,” “I just follow Christ,” “I can […]
The Church as God’s foundational institution P. 2
Though the Scripture is clear that the church is God’s foundational institution, there are still many who insist on believing that this role was given to the family. While it is not my intention to “sling mud” at those who make such claims, the following is important to consider with an objective mind and an […]
The Church as God’s foundational institution P.1
The spiritual and moral fabric of our world is disintegrating. As a result, Christians are looking for solutions and one solution subscribed to by many Christians is to attempt to heal our world by restoring the integrity of the family and its role in society. With the divorce rate among Christians as high as it is among […]