In 1 Timothy 3:15, the apostle Paul tells Timothy that the church is "the pillar and ground
of the truth." When an organization that claims to be the church starts teaching, believing,
and obeying anything other than the truth, it fails to be the church for which Jesus died.
Jesus died for that church that would uphold the truth (cf. Acts 20:28). Remember, Jesus
said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Consider this question: Can one preach a lie, believe a lie, obey a lie, and be made free
from the lies? Absolutely not! Everyone can understand that simple illustration.
The church of Christ is the church that you can read about in the Bible (cf. Romans 16:16).
The Bible provides us all the information that we need for the purpose of salvation (cf.
1Timothy 3:16).
Yes, anything that is needed in order for us to be a Christian is provided in the Bible (cf.
2Pet 1:3). You see, the Bible contains the truths that Jesus spoke of in John 8:32, the
truths that can make us free. So when we read in the Bible how one becomes a Christian
(cf. Acts 2:38), we are actually reading the truth that would make us free, the truth that
Jesus promised.
Everyone has sinned, we all need to be freed from our sins. This is the very thing that has
happened in Acts 2. The situation is this: There were devout men from every nation under
heaven at Jerusalem. It was the first day of the week, and for the first time, in all the
history of mankind, the gospel would be preached there in its fullness. Jesus had just
recently been crucified, was buried, had risen, and ascended to the right hand throne of
God. Peter was the preacher, and he delivered a heart rending account of the crucifixion of
the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The sermon that he delivered caused about 3000 souls to
confess their belief in Jesus, repent of their past sins, and be baptized for the remission of
their sins. These truths pronounced by Peter made these 3000 souls free from past sins,
and God added them to His church (Acts 2).
The book of Acts is also referred to as the book of conversions because we can read of
many conversions that took place in this book. The conversion of the Eunuch, Cornelius,
Saul of Tarsus, the Jailer, and many others can be read about in this book. And every
single account of conversion you read is done in the exact same way: belief that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, repentance, confession of that belief, and water baptism for the
remission of sins. In fact, this is the only way to be a Christian. Being a Christian does not
simply mean that you need only to believe in Jesus, but rather that you believe, and obey
(see Matthew 7:21-23; James 2:24).
So, when you hear someone say, "All you need to do is believe," you can know that is not
a true statement. If it is not a true statement then it has to be a false one, a lie. Remember,
it is impossible for a lie to make one free. Thus, the group they are trying to talk you into
joining cannot be the church that belongs to Christ, because the church upholds only the
truth. When you find someone preaching, teaching, believing, and obeying the truth, and the
truth only, you have found the only church that Jesus built, the one that makes men free
with the truth of God. This is the one that you want to be a part of. The church of Christ.
steve@jamesstcoc.com
of the truth." When an organization that claims to be the church starts teaching, believing,
and obeying anything other than the truth, it fails to be the church for which Jesus died.
Jesus died for that church that would uphold the truth (cf. Acts 20:28). Remember, Jesus
said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Consider this question: Can one preach a lie, believe a lie, obey a lie, and be made free
from the lies? Absolutely not! Everyone can understand that simple illustration.
The church of Christ is the church that you can read about in the Bible (cf. Romans 16:16).
The Bible provides us all the information that we need for the purpose of salvation (cf.
1Timothy 3:16).
Yes, anything that is needed in order for us to be a Christian is provided in the Bible (cf.
2Pet 1:3). You see, the Bible contains the truths that Jesus spoke of in John 8:32, the
truths that can make us free. So when we read in the Bible how one becomes a Christian
(cf. Acts 2:38), we are actually reading the truth that would make us free, the truth that
Jesus promised.
Everyone has sinned, we all need to be freed from our sins. This is the very thing that has
happened in Acts 2. The situation is this: There were devout men from every nation under
heaven at Jerusalem. It was the first day of the week, and for the first time, in all the
history of mankind, the gospel would be preached there in its fullness. Jesus had just
recently been crucified, was buried, had risen, and ascended to the right hand throne of
God. Peter was the preacher, and he delivered a heart rending account of the crucifixion of
the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The sermon that he delivered caused about 3000 souls to
confess their belief in Jesus, repent of their past sins, and be baptized for the remission of
their sins. These truths pronounced by Peter made these 3000 souls free from past sins,
and God added them to His church (Acts 2).
The book of Acts is also referred to as the book of conversions because we can read of
many conversions that took place in this book. The conversion of the Eunuch, Cornelius,
Saul of Tarsus, the Jailer, and many others can be read about in this book. And every
single account of conversion you read is done in the exact same way: belief that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, repentance, confession of that belief, and water baptism for the
remission of sins. In fact, this is the only way to be a Christian. Being a Christian does not
simply mean that you need only to believe in Jesus, but rather that you believe, and obey
(see Matthew 7:21-23; James 2:24).
So, when you hear someone say, "All you need to do is believe," you can know that is not
a true statement. If it is not a true statement then it has to be a false one, a lie. Remember,
it is impossible for a lie to make one free. Thus, the group they are trying to talk you into
joining cannot be the church that belongs to Christ, because the church upholds only the
truth. When you find someone preaching, teaching, believing, and obeying the truth, and the
truth only, you have found the only church that Jesus built, the one that makes men free
with the truth of God. This is the one that you want to be a part of. The church of Christ.
steve@jamesstcoc.com
Church of Christ at James Street
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