God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to give all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.
(Acts 2:47)
AMONG all the religious bodies in the world to-day,
can we find and identify the body of Christ ? Has
it been in existence throughout all the centuries? Is it
in existence to-day?
Seeds that were buried in the soils of Egypt hun-
dreds and hundreds of years ago have been uncovered,
replanted, and made to reproduce their kind. So we
can identify the church, the body of Christ, by its
characteristics.
1. When was it established? See sermon outline,
"The Origin of the Church." (Isa. 2:2-4; Matt. 3:1,
2.) Still a thing of the future in Matt. 16:18; Luke
10 : 8, 9 ; 24 : 46-49. All fulfilled in Acts 2.
2. What was it called? (Matt. 16 : 18). It is Christ's
church, or the church of Christ; not the "Christian
Church" nor the "Disciples' Church." It is the body
of Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23). He gave Himself for it
(Eph. 5:25). He bought it with His own blood (Acts
20: 28). It is also called "the church of God" (1 Cor.
1:2). It is also "the church of the firstborn," having
reference to Christ (Heb. 12 : 23) . It is the Bride of
the Redeemer (Eev. 21:2; 22:17). It is "Christ's
church," or "the church of Christ" preferably. Local
congregations are termed "churches of Christ" (Rom.
16:16).
3. Of what did this body consist? Of those who be-
lieved in Christ; turned to God; confessed their faith
in Jesus Christ; and were buried with Him in baptism,
and resurrected to walk in the new life. They did not
"join church" — they were added by the Lord (Acts
2:47). It consisted of obedient believers in Christ.
The three thousand (Acts 2) ; the Samaritans (Acts 8:
12) ; Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8) ; Saul of Tarsus
(Acts 9) ; Cornelius and his household (Acts 10) ;
Lydia and her household (Acts 16) ; the Philippian
jailor and his household (Acts 16) — all became mem-
bers of the body by obedience to the gospel. We have
no record but of one way (Acts 16 : 17 ; 18 : 26) .
4. Characteristics of the body of Christ.
a. Those constituting it were known as " Christians' '
(Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).
b. Their only creed was Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:16;
Acts 8:37).
c. They were guided by the inspired teachings of the
apostles (2 Tim. 3: 16, 17).
d. They met on the first day of the week for the
Lord's Supper, preaching and offering (Acts 20:7; 1
Cor. 16:2). The offering was made a part of their
worship by the "commandment of the Lord" (1 Cor.
14:37).
e. They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doc-
trine, in the breaking of bread and in prayer (Acts
2:42).
5. There never has been but one divine institution —
the church of Jesus Christ (John 10:16; Eph. 4:4).
The institution that does not bear the earmarks of the
New Testament church can not be the church of Christ
in itself.
6. Obedience to the gospel puts a person in Christ,
or in the body of Christ, which is the church. There is
no salvation in the Lutheran Church alone; or in the
Episcopal Church alone; or in the Methodist Episcopal
Church alone; or in any body that does not bear the
earmarks of the church of Christ. There is salvation
only in obedience to the gospel. Obedience to the gospel
makes Christians.
7. The church of Christ was established in the days
of the apostles. The church of Christ was established
at Jerusalem. Any religious institution established at a
later time, or in any other region of the world, can not
be the church of Christ in itself. We seek to restore
the church of Christ as it existed in the days of the
apostles.
8. It is useless to represent the church as a tree and
the various denominations as branches of the tree.
Such a tree would have no trunk. If all denominations
were branches of the church of Christ, where is the
church of Christ? Jesus referred to individuals, and
not to churches, in John 15 : 5.
We are content to belong to nothing save the church
of Jesus Christ. We do not belong to any denomina-
tion, but merely to Christ's church. Are we exclusive?
Not in the least. You have the same privilege, and we
plead with you to accept it. We have no desire to
occupy denominational ground, nor to advance any
interdenominational interests. Rather we seek to build
up the undenominational body of Christ. The theory
of denominationalism is doomed, and the practice will
pass away gradually. Sectarianism is the awful sin of
rending asunder the body of Christ. Schism is carnal.
Let us forsake division, and become Christians only,
members of the one body.