What is the Difference Between what Man calls Church and the Community of the Redeemed?
The Community of the Redeemed is a living organism that move and have their being by the virtue of the life within them. All order and direction proceeds from that inner life...the life of Christ! The living organism (The Community of the Redeemed) takes on the life predetermined by the life within...the very life of the Christ of God!
On the other hand, the religious institutional organizations are man-conceived, man-ordained man-led and man-headed. It exists based on bureaucratic standards and the effort to achieve that standard is purely human its accomplishments.
The rules, regulations and traditions that govern institutional denominational organizations are human in origin, a product of the minds of men who lust after power, control and dominance.
One man regarding religious institutions observed their formation this way; “They first of all DOCTRINATE - then ISOLATE - then DENOMINATE - then DOMINATE.”
There is nothing as EVIL as that which robs believers of their spiritual identity and spiritual life and their freedom in Christ. If people are to escape the the enslavement of religious bondage, religion must be seen for what it truly is. It is impossible to abandon religious influence if we are not CERTAIN that we have EVERYTHING we need to be in an INTIMATE SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP with God.
Take heart...We have JESUS in us and in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead therefore, God is in us and if we have God in us, we have all of God we can get! Therefore we have EVERYTHING WE NEED!
There are a lot of groups today claiming to be the only true church. The Mormons say that they are only ones who have the truth. The Jehovah`s Witnesses say they are. The Catholics claim that there is only salvation through their church.
ReplyDeleteThen we have those preachers who have left the institutional church that claim that they are right because they don`t belong to any religious group. Here is what one of these say. When we were in the denominations, we were blind. I do not believe that any dear Christians who have really received sight from the Lord could still remain in the denominations. Everyone who sees must leave the fold and enter the pasture, under the sunshine, in the fresh air, in liberty. Where are you now? Are you in the fold, or are you now in the pasture? Allow me to say this: if anyone is still in the fold, he is blind. Of course, a blind person requires the fold to keep him. But when he receives his sight, he will swiftly leave the fold for the pasture, for the sunshine, for the fresh air.” But when we examine some of their doctrine we find that it is miles apart from what the apostle Paul preached.
Then we have the love preachers who have left the denominations and formed the emergent church. There main teaching is love. Sound doctrine is not very important to them.
Where do I stand? Being a part of a particular church group is secondary. The most important thing is that we are as Paul says in Heb.12:22,23
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
Once we become part of Church of Firstborn then we will seek out believers of like precious faith and become a part of them.
They will have some Biblical marks to identify them.
This church will be made up of regenerated believers in Jesus. (Acts 2:38-41)
This church will gather for preaching and worship. (Acts 2:42) (2Tim.4:1-4)
This church will be organized under qualified leadership. (Acts 14:23)
This church will be devoted to fellowship. (Acts 2:42)
This church will be committed to Great Commission. (Acts2:47)(Matt.28:19)
So to sum things up if we are part of true Church we will
Hold to the core beliefs of Christianity without subtracting or adding to them. Christ is the eternal God come in the flesh, there is one God and 3 distinct identities (persons) who exist simultaneously as the One God. The virgin conception, the sinfulness of man and the need of a savior, the new birth, the Gospel which is the death burial and physical resurrection, the 2nd coming, baptism, eternal mediator and priesthood of Christ, the priesthood of all believers, the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, judgment and rewards to the believers. These are the essentials that are clarified in the Scriptures.
I like the way one writer sums it up:
There is one true Church, but it is not found in a certain denomination or group by itself. Those who claim you must join their group or Church to be right with God, only prove they do not understand what the word Church or body of Christ means. It is not exclusive but inclusive, as it is found in the heart of all those who have accepted the true Jesus, and have come to God the way He has provided (through His son on the cross), and hold to the essentials of the faith. Whether one is Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Charismatic, or Pentecostal, etc. The Church transcends denominational barriers, it exists within denominations, as well as outside of them. This is the Universal Church that has continued from the beginning of Pentecost. While denominations may have differences on peripheral issues, they do hold to the core beliefs that make them all part of the body of Christ, the Church.