What makes the Christian
Church/Church of Christ Unique?
All the churches of Christ greet you.
(Romans 16:16)
by Kevin Ziegler, Evangelist
The
Christian Church/Church of Christ is a church following Biblical principles.
·
Principles
that take us back to the Authority of the Bible.
·
Where the
Scriptures speak, we speak. Where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.
·
Do Bible
things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.
·
Book, chapter
and verse for everything we believe and practice.
The Christian Church/Church of
Christ
is a church that
rejects human creeds.
·
No creed but
Christ; No Book but the Bible; No home but heaven.
·
If creeds say
less than the Bible, it doesn’t say enough; if more than the Bible, it says too
much; and if it says just what the Bible says, it is unnecessary.
·
Creeds do not
unite; they divide.
·
As far as I
find it consistent with the Word of God.
The Christian
Church/Church of Christ is a church with no denominational affiliation.
·
The church
practices local autonomy. This means that each local church is independent of
other churches.
·
There is no
denominational hierarchy.
·
Divisions
caused by denominationalism are wrong. I Corinthians 1:10-13
·
Church
members prefer to be called simply “Christians” and reject any man-made label.
·
The Bible
only makes “Christians” only.
·
Each local
assembly has Christ as the Head of the church.
·
Each local
assembly selects its own plurality of elders (pastors) and evangelists to assist
in evangelizing and equipping the local assembly. – Ephesians 4:11
·
Deacons are
also selected by the local assembly to serve the church in many different
ministries.
The Christian Church/Church of
Christ
is a church which
believes that Jesus is the ONLY way.
·
Jesus said
this in John 14:6.
·
Peter said
this in Acts 4:12.
·
The Bible
only presents one way to heaven and that is through Jesus and on His terms.
·
The Biblical
plan to salvation is plain and very simple.
·
This Biblical
plan can be easily summarized:
o
Hear
God's Word - Matthew 7:24; I Corinthians 15:1-4
o
Believe
God's Word (have faith in it) - Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:1
o
Repent
(turning away from sin unto God) - Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30
o
Confess
Jesus Christ as the Christ, the Son of the living God - Matthew 10:32, 16:16;
Romans 10:8-13
o
Be
immersed into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts
2:38, 22:16; Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21
o
Live the
Christian life
showing love and gratitude to God for His salvation, looking forward to His
Son's return - James 1:22-24, 2:20
The Christian
Church/Church of Christ is a church that is devoted to the Apostles’ doctrine.
·
They were
continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to
the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
·
This includes
weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of the death of Jesus –
Acts 20:7.
·
This includes
the preaching and teaching of the Bible.
·
This includes
opportunities for Christian fellowship for growth and edification.
The Christian Church/Church of
Christ
is a church that
believes in unity, but only based in the truth.
·
There is one
body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and
through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6
·
In matters of
faith, unity; in opinions, liberty; and in all things, love.
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