Is one church as good as another?
Introduction. Some claim to believe that one church is as good as another. However, upon closer examination it becomes apparent that most people really do not believe such. On a simple level, the inconsistency of such a statement is seen by the fact that these people belong to their own churches. Obviously, people have their preferences which usually is indicative of the fact they believe their church is better.
All denominations are equal. Beloved, let us try to lay aside political, ancestral, and selfish thinking. The truth of the matter is that all human religions are equal in that they are all of man and not of God. Regarding such we read: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: (Ps. 127: 1).
The Lord built His church. Jesus promised to build His church (Matt. 16: 18). From Acts 2 forward the church is spoken of as in existence (Acts 2: 47, 5: 11, KJV). The Lord's church did not submit to human creeds (2 John 9-11, cf. Mk. 7: 7-13), each local church was self-governing (1 Pet. 5: 1, 2), and was to practice the platform for unity (Eph. 4: 3-6). They were to vigorously contend for the one faith or gospel system (Jude 3; Eph. 4: 5). In the universal sense and in practice, there was only one church - the Lord's church (Eph. 4: 4, 1: 22, 23).
Jesus shed His blood for His church. Paul said of the church of the Lord: "...which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20: 28). Jesus said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15: 13). The plants to which Jesus referred were the false doctrinal systems of His day, especially the perversions of the Jews (vss. 1-14). Beloved, no man-made church, begun out of credo selfishness, is as good as Jesus' church, the one you read about in the New Testament!
All denominations are equal. Beloved, let us try to lay aside political, ancestral, and selfish thinking. The truth of the matter is that all human religions are equal in that they are all of man and not of God. Regarding such we read: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: (Ps. 127: 1).
The Lord built His church. Jesus promised to build His church (Matt. 16: 18). From Acts 2 forward the church is spoken of as in existence (Acts 2: 47, 5: 11, KJV). The Lord's church did not submit to human creeds (2 John 9-11, cf. Mk. 7: 7-13), each local church was self-governing (1 Pet. 5: 1, 2), and was to practice the platform for unity (Eph. 4: 3-6). They were to vigorously contend for the one faith or gospel system (Jude 3; Eph. 4: 5). In the universal sense and in practice, there was only one church - the Lord's church (Eph. 4: 4, 1: 22, 23).
Jesus shed His blood for His church. Paul said of the church of the Lord: "...which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20: 28). Jesus said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15: 13). The plants to which Jesus referred were the false doctrinal systems of His day, especially the perversions of the Jews (vss. 1-14). Beloved, no man-made church, begun out of credo selfishness, is as good as Jesus' church, the one you read about in the New Testament!