People come in all different stripes. There are even different stripes for church people. As my generation used to say, “Different strokes for different folks.” But, is that really how it should be?
I didn’t choose the family into which I was born. Neither did I choose the church family into which I was born. I was born into Christ. HE chose me. He added me to HIS church. No one voted on whether I should be included. Who has that authority? What man or group of men decides who is “in” and “out” of relationship with God? God alone decides. He adds to his family. He rejects those who reject him. He chose us. We chose him. Chosen of him, we constitute his family. As they say in the coastal plains of Texas, "We be kin."
Those who truly repent, are immersed in water, and receive God’s Holy Spirit, belong to God. He adds each to his family. They are his church. It’s that simple.
The term church, as we use it today, is found NOWHERE in Scripture. The term “church” today refers to buildings and denominational titles and creeds! There were no church buildings and man-made creeds in the New Testament. Early Christians were united in doctrine. They worshipped together. They met in living rooms (or caves). They did not divide into denominational factions. (That came centuries later!) They had one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. They belonged to Christ. They WERE the church!
If you belong to God, you are family regardless whether you ever set another foot into a denominational church building! You are the church of Christ. Divided, you are just another Christian sect!
God’s family will dwell together in eternity. Why can we not unite here?
Let's stop dividing under popes, pastors, priests, and preachers! Division is not good for the family of God! Let's drop all the divisive creeds, religious titles, and denominational names and unite once more under Christ. Let's call ourselves by one name, the name given to followers of Christ in Scripture, the name “Christian.”
We belong to him. Our allegiance is first and foremost to the One who died for us. And, we are brothers and sisters.
So, let's love like it.
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You betta watch out my brotha........you are sounding a little RADICAL over here!
I don't know why religious people insist on placing themselves under men who would make them willing slaves to religious systems and sets of rules and laws that are too burdensome for ANYONE to keep. It doesn't take one long in these religious institutions to find out that the leaders are keeping THEIR OWN rules and regulations.
I'd rather follow Jesus. I'd rather be a simple, New Testament Christian who is free from the religious rules, laws and man-made prohibitions. I'd rather be guided by the Spirit, than by self-righteous religious and hypocritical dictators.
Why? Because I know them. I used to be one of them. Until I came to know the freedom that exists in knowing only Jesus and him crucified.
"You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." And, "If I make you free, you will be free indeed," Jesus says.
Religions of the world enslave! The true religion offered by Christ, frees!
So, choose whom you wish to serve. As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord.
I agree with everything else you said too. Right on! You know I love that preachin' right? Right up under that gooooood worship!
Actually, my statements were toward believers in Jesus. My plea was for these believers to unite under Jesus and his clear teachings. My plea was for Christians to drop the divisive man-made doctrines, man-made names, and religious designations like Methodist Christian, Baptist Christian, or Lutheran Christian, and call themselves by one name, "Christian."
But, if you wish, I will extend this unity plea to all believers in God. For Jesus extended the plea to all who wished to come to God. He performed miracles, signs and wonders to convince all the religious world that he had come from the Father. He spoke the will of the Father to those who desired a relationship with the Father.
The signs that Jesus performed proved he was God. These signs were witnessed by thousands. His last public miracle was his bodily resurrection from death. This followed a public execution on a Roman cross. One only has to study the mountain of evidence in a short period of time to have sufficient faith that Jesus was truly whom he claimed to be, God in the flesh.
No other religious person was so bold as to claim to be God. No other religious leader proved himself to be God. Mohammed did not. Buddha did not. Confucious did not. Jesus alone is raised from death. All others have tombs full. Jesus has the only empty tomb. He is raised. For he is God.
Since Jesus is God, he alone has the right to set down conditions for acceptance into God's family. The whole religious world can unite if they will first agree to meet the terms and conditions set down by God, through Jesus His Son.
Jesus made his conditions simple. He said, “Believe in me." And, Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” He said elsewhere, “I am the door to the sheepfold. Anyone who doesn’t come through the door (by faith in me) is a thief and a robber!”
So, NO!, you don’t have to be recognized by me or accepted by me. You have to be recognized and accepted by God, if you wish to have hope for salvation. For Jesus alone sets the terms by which God’s salvation is extended to Mankind. He alone saves for he alone is God.
His words are clear. His path to righteousness and salvation is easy, not burdensome. One must trust and obey him. Otherwise, one will not see God. He said that. I didn’t say that.
Thus, your argument is not with me. It is with him and his words. For one of his closest disciples states further that there is no name under heaven by which man must be saved except through the one man, Jesus the Christ.
Come to Jesus. He can save. He can save all who are willing to come and accept the free gift he offers. Reject him and you reject the only means by which anyone of us can be saved: his blood.