What does the Bible say about . . .
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Line it up with the Bible and
ask God to show you what is right.
Spend much time in prayer and ask
yourself:
- Who advocates this
doctrine? Is it someone's personal idea? If so,
does their life line up with God's Word?
- What is the basis for
this teaching? Is it based on some creed started by
a religious group or leader years ago?
- Why is the doctrine
being promoted? To draw you to a certain church?
To inspire you to give financial support to a certain cause?
Friend, when you seek for wisdom
and understanding with an honest heart, God will reveal the Truth
to you. You'll notice that
the basis for everything we teach and practice is the Bible,
the divine Word of God. For that reason, every doctrinal
statement on our web site is referenced with one or more Scriptures
for you to study.
It's not about what you
believe or what we believe; the Bible is the final authority.
Since it is the infallible and inspired Word of God, it contains
everything we need for salvation, faith, and practice.
Paul wrote to the young minister,
Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may
be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2
Timothy 3:16-17).
God gave us the Bible through
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Even the choice of words
was inspired (2 Peter 1:20-21). For that reason, the Bible
does not contain or become the Word of God; it
is the Word of God.
The Bible (not any one of its
various translations, however) is free from error or contradictions
of any kind. We say with the Psalmist, "Thy word is true
from the beginning" (Psalm 119:160).
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Most importantly, spend much time
in prayer and ask God to be your guide. As you consider a particular
place of worship, ask yourself:
- Is it a man-made denomination
with sects and creeds?
- Was it founded by a certain
man or group of reformers?
- Can you find the name of the
church in the Bible?
- Does the church have a headquarters?
- Do all doctrines line up with
the Word of God?
- Does salvation alone make you
a member OR do they offer an official church membership system
(cards, baptism, etc)?
What
about the Church of God?
The Bible
only makes reference to one church, the Church of
God. It is the present day representation of the
church as portrayed in the New Testament.
- Acts 20:28
- 1 Corinthians 1:2
- Galatians 1:13
- 1 Timothy 3:5
Each congregation
is a local representation of the universal
Church of God, which includes all the saints in
Heaven and on earth.
- Ephesians 3:15
- Hebrews 12:22-23
One can only
become a member by being saved, not by any act of
joining.
- Acts 2:47
- 1 Corinthians 12:13-18
- John 15:2-6
The church was built
by Jesus Christ, not a reformer or group of reformers.
He alone is the foundation.
- Matthew 16:18
- Ephesians 2:20
- 1 Corinthians 3:11
Jesus Christ is the
Head of the Church of God. Consequently, there can
be no earthly headquarters or "general offices."
- Ephesians 1:22-23
- Isaiah 9:6
- Ephesians 4:15
- Hebrews 12:22-23
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According to the Bible, Jesus
Christ is the Head of the Church of God. For that reason, we
have no earthly headquarters or "general offices."
- Ephesians 1:22-23
- Isaiah 9:6
- Ephesians 4:15
- Hebrews 12:22-23
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To learn how to be
saved and how to maintain your salvation, feel free to visit
our companion site at SaveMeLord.com.
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