by R. L. Morrison

It is a well known fact that there are several hundred religious bodies or churches in our country. It is also well known that all or almost all of them claim to be the church of Christ, or a branch of it. Equally well known is the fact that they disagree in both faith and practice, if and when they state what they believe. Do you think it possible that these religious bodies were planned and purposed by God? If this is true, why do they disagree? Each of them claims to be based on the Bible, and they say, "It makes no difference to which one of them a person belongs."

Let's carefully consider this idea to learn if those who make the statement will accept the consequences of it. IF it makes no difference to which one a person belongs, then one could belong to all of them. Do you agree? Some will not so agree, saying, "This would not be right, for such a one would contradict himself." Asked for an explanation, the reply could be, "For instance, one church teaches 'Once saved, Always saved', and members of that church are expected to believe that. Another church teaches that you 'Can fall from grace and be lost'. The members of the church that so teaches are expected to believe that. One cannot believe both, for these beliefs are contradictory, and that would be a sin."

This idea suggests that it is all right for two men to teach and believe contradictory doctrines, but wrong for one man to believe both. This is equivalent to saying it is all right for one man to join one church, and another man to join another church. If so, why could not one of these men join both churches? Paul told the Corinthians to "all speak the same things" (1 Cor. 1:10). Why not let these two men join all the different churches they can find, and speak what all of them speak? If they did so, they could all speak the same things by speaking (believing) all the things taught by all the different churches.

This, of course, is rejected as being absurd and ridiculous. And it should be, for it is absurd. And this is the consequence of the statement, "It makes no difference to which church one belongs." And it is also the reason that it does make a difference to which church one belongs.

The idea that it makes no difference is the result of a spirit of compromise. This attitude is wide spread among religious people and churches today. Men say, "Let's forget our differences. Let's not discuss them. Rather, let us unite and stress love and unity." Again, let us carefully consider this idea and see if it will work, and if those who so teach will accept the consequences.

Men teach others it doesn't make any difference which church one joins. If this is true, then it follows that it doesn't matter which church you do not join! Is it all right to join, for example, the Baptist church? Many answer, "Oh certainly it is all right to join the Baptist church!" Then, is it all right if one does not join the Methodist church? Again many reply, "Certainly it is all right if one does not join the Methodist church." Can anyone, you, your neighbors, and indeed all people, join the Baptist church, not join the Methodist church, and go to heaven? Again the answer is, "Most certainly." One should be able to see, then, that the Methodist church is not needed. But would it be all right if we all joined the Assembly of God, and did not join the Baptist church? Those who say it makes no difference which church one joins must agree (or give up his belief). But now we see we don't need the Baptist church, or the Methodist church. Why not? Because neither of them is essential to one's eternal salvation. This reasoning will eliminate every religious organization that teaches "One church is as good as another. It makes no difference which church one joins." But will any of these churches accept the consequences of the doctrine they teach? Not so, for it would mean they must disband, cease to exist!

Truth always harmonizes with truth, it does not contradict itself. Now, let's carefully consider this, and learn something more that will help to answer the question of our title.

If it doesn't make any difference which church one belongs to, then it makes no difference what the different churches teach. Let's suppose it pleases God for preacher #1 to preach, "Once in grace, always in grace", or "A Christian cannot fall away and be lost." Preacher #2 declares "A Christian can fall from grace and be lost." Preacher #3 teaches that God foreordained those who would be saved and those who would be lost, man has no choice. And preacher #4 teaches that man has the power to choose for himself, or is a free will agent in salvation.

Would it be all right for any one of these preachers to preach all four of these doctrines? Most people answer, "Why, of course not." But, IF four men preach four different doctrines and are pleasing to God, why can not one man preach all four, and be pleasing to God?

These four doctrines mentioned concern two different points. Each one contradicts the other; for example, "Once in grace, always in grace" is the exact opposite of "A Christian can fall from grace." God's word is truth, and truth harmonizes; it does not contradict itself. It is not possible that preacher #1 and preacher #2 are both preaching the truth! If preacher #1 is teaching the word of God, preacher #2 is teaching error or a lie! But the Bible says that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8). We can know then that God is not pleased with this condition among religious people. If one man should attempt to preach all four of these doctrines, he would be considered foolish. No one would take him seriously. But when preached by four men, people accept them, and try to believe it is all right, and that God is pleased.

If God accepts all denominations and what they teach, yet they disagree on what a sinner must do to be saved, then God is as well pleased with the teaching of error or lies as with preaching the truth. As stated previously, when one man denies that which is taught by another, one (or both) of them is wrong, for God cannot lie, nor is He the author of confusion. No amount of error can save a sinner, for Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

Since all denominations teach that one can go to heaven without belonging to their church, it follows that it is possible to go to heaven without belonging to any of them. But this is not to say that one can go to heaven without being a part of any church. If it is true that church membership is not necessary, then Christ died in vain. The Holy Spirit directed Paul to say to the elders at Ephesus: "Feed the church of God which He hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). Again: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23). And yet again, "And he is the head of the body the church ..." (Col. 1:18).

Jesus Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the savior. He purchased it with his shed blood. Can one be saved and not be a member of it? "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). But is the church and membership in it necessary? It is, unless Jesus gave himself up to the death on the cross for nothing! It is, unless one can be saved and the Lord has no knowledge of that one being saved, for He adds the saved to the church. Surely no one thinks he can be saved and Jesus Christ be unaware of his salvation!

But what denomination did Jesus establish? NOT ONE OF THEM!!! Jesus established his church, the one he promised to build (Matt. 16:18) in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after his resurrection from the dead. It is not a denomination, or a part of anything. It is the fullness, the completeness of God's eternal purpose to save mankind by the sacrifice of His Son. There was no denomination in existence for almost 600 years after that Pentecost!

On that day, the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and thereby were given power to reveal the gospel. Read Acts 1 and 2. This gospel was, and is the seed of the kingdom of heaven, or the church (Luke 8:11). It is also God's power to save (Rom. 1:16). These men, selected by the Lord for this purpose, revealed God's complete will to man. It is a perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). It reveals to us all things which pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It is given by inspiration of God for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The same apostle, Paul, directed by the Holy Spirit also wrote: "But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8). The preaching of the gospel by the apostles did not create denominations. They were started by men perverting the gospel, preaching something other than that delivered by the apostles of Christ.

These men preaching on Pentecost told their hearers that Jesus is the Son of God, crucified, buried, but resurrected and ascended to God the Father. When they were convinced that these things were true, they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter, speaking as the Spirit gave him utterance, replied, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). The things they did then to receive forgiveness are the same things required of a sinner today to receive forgiveness. What did these people do? They heard the gospel, they believed what they heard, evidenced by their question, "What shall we do?" This also is a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This is what Peter preached, and what they heard. Those who gladly received his word were baptized. For what purpose? To receive remission or forgiveness of sins. Those who obeyed were added by the Lord to the church he built, the one which he purchased with his blood, the one of which he is the head; the church, which he, as head, governs and directs through the word of his covenant, the New Testament.

In Romans 16:16, Paul wrote of the churches of Christ. He did not refer to various denominations, but to congregations of disciples or Christians who had been taught the gospel, and, upon obedience, had been added by the Lord. If these things happened when the apostles preached the gospel, why will they not also happen when one preaches the gospel today?

In Luke 8:11, Jesus said the "word" is the seed of the kingdom. A brief look at Acts 2 will explain this. The gospel, the seed, was proclaimed by the apostles on that day of Pentecost. Many people gathered in Jerusalem for the observance of the feast heard the gospel. They were convinced by what they heard, that Jesus was indeed the Christ, and they had been responsible for His crucifixion. About 3000 of them asked what they should do. Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Reading on in the chapter we find, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

We might just here ask the question which church were they added to? It could not possibly have been one of the modern denominations, for not a one of them were in existence at that time! In fact, it is the New Testament church, the one Jesus said "I will build", the one He purchased with His blood. That church is yet in existence today! I do not mean that congregation or group of people that was formed by obeying what they were told to do on Pentecost, but the same thing that brought that group together to form the first church will bring a group together to form a New Testament church today. The apostles preached the gospel. Men heard, believed, obeyed, and were added by the Lord to the church! Why would one want to deny the same thing can be done today? We have the Word, the Seed! All that needs to be done is preach it, plant it in the hearts of men. When they

believe and obey, the same Lord that added men on Pentecost will add the obedient believer to the church today! If not, why not? Jesus commanded the same gospel to be preached to all mankind. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:19-20). Mark 16:15-16 records the command in these words: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

The end of the world is yet future. We can know these commands of Jesus are applicable to faithful men today!

We have mentioned already the attitudes many people have toward "churches". However, we should be aware that the church in the New Testament is also referred to in different ways. It is called the "kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:18); the household of God (Eph. 3:19), and a body (1 Cor. 12:13). In some of his parables, Jesus spoke of it as a kingdom to teach some valuable lessons. One occasion is found in Matthew 20. "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard." He agreed with them on their "pay", and sent them into HIS vineyard. He did the same at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hour of the day. You will notice that he sent them into "HIS" vineyard. It was only one of many, but the laborers knew that in order to receive the promised pay, they had to work in this householder's vineyard. They could not choose the vineyard. Their labor was restricted to one specific vineyard. So does Jesus restrict those who accept and follow him. He built but one church, and invites ALL to enter it and work out their own salvation. He did not, nor does he allow man the privilege of "choosing" the church of his own choice.

Again, he taught the same lesson in the "Sermon on the Mount", found in Matt. 7:21:23. It needs little explanation. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Again, Jesus said, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). And yet again: "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:5-6). These scriptures teach us that we must obey the words of Christ if we expect eternal salvation. But men organize "churches", write a creed or discipline or articles of faith by which it is to be guided. And if occasion seems to require it, those rules can be changed by a majority vote of the membership, or a group within which has been given the authority to do so! Does the action of men change God's word? Can men tell Deity what to do? Of course not!!! The New Testament is God's last message to mankind. No man can change it!

Remember, the church of the New Testament was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). We (Christians) are washed from our sins in His own (Christ's) blood (Rev. 1:5). Yet, many have, now are, and doubtlessly will continue to bring religious groups (churches) into existence without any scriptural commandment. There is no authority for such, and all will fall in the day of judgment.

We (all of us) must be able to give scripture (Book, chapter, and verse) for the religious group of which we are members. We must be able to do the same for what we do in worship, and the manner of life we live day by day. To fail to be able to do so will result in eternal loss in the day of judgment. The standard by which we shall be judged is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hear him: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (Jn. 12:48).

To which church must I belong? Should it not be the one described in God's word? The church of Christ has liberty and freedom to teach all the gospel. It is not obligated, like a man made denomination, to teach a peculiar doctrine that makes that denomination what it is. Without exception, that peculiar doctrine is contrary to the word of God. It is error, and cannot save.

Truly, Jesus revealed the words of eternal life! Will you accept them and be saved?