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Throughout the world
there are many, perhaps hundreds, of denominations that make up the
Christian religion. Which one is God's true church? Through the centuries,
many of these organizations have claimed to be the only one acceptable in
the eyes of God. Imagine being beaten, tortured, and finally being put to
death for not following the tenets of the reigning church. Is the proof of
God's authorization found in the fact that the church has the power to bend
people to its will? Jesus never forced his message and teachings on anyone,
they either accepted or rejected his church by personal choice.
A better way to refer to God's true church is,
rather, to say the Body of Christ. The Bible tells us there's great
diversity within the body. There are many parts that make up the whole, each
part having a particular function.
Just as each of us has one body
with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so
in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the
others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us
(Romans 12:4-6).
Ephesians also tells much the same. Chapter 3,
verse 6 adds that through
the gospel all of the body
are heirs together
and that we share
together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
But, like our natural bodies that need a nervous system, the body of Christ
also needs some form of guidance which is supplied because
Christ is the head of the
church, his body, of which he is the Savior
(5:23).
Too many people confuse the Biblical references
to the church as meaning a particular denomination, specifically the
denomination they've chosen to follow. They feel the denomination that
can provide the greatest number of historical documents from the period of
time closest to Jesus' living ministry wins the title of the "true church".
It's as if there was some great race and the prize went to the first
"church" to write out an apologetic explaining why they believe what they
believe. After all, the Holy Spirit would only reveal one truth because God
only provides one version of his one truth. In this light, only members of
the "champion" denomination can be led by the Holy Spirit.
It isn't just a select few of a given
denomination that can be led by the Spirit.
For we were all baptized by one
Spirit into one body - whether Jew or Greeks, slave or free - and we were
given the one Spirit to drink (1
Corinthians 12:13) and
those who are led by the Spirit of God are all sons of God
(Romans 8:14). Sooner or later, almost everyone has or will ask themselves
how it's possible that we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us and yet there
has arisen such a diversity of beliefs for any given practice or ritual. The
simple answer is that people have and will make mistakes. No one person, or
denominational hierarchy, has complete knowledge of God's truth. Even with
all of our failings and misunderstandings we
are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ . . .
For you are all one in
Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-28).
Knowing there are so many beliefs present within
Christianity is there any need to continue to
proclaim one and only one denomination as the
only true church of God? Is it possible that all denominations are God's
chosen? God doesn't denigrate a church because of a certain affiliation or
set of beliefs unless, of course, they refuse to accept the most basic
truths. An individual congregation of any denomination can be chosen by God
while others of the same denomination are shunned. It isn't a matter of the
biggest and nicest church building, the largest congregation, or the order
of worship. In a congregation of hundreds there may be only a single
individual who's one of God's chosen people, a part of the Body of Christ.
How does God know who are his people?
Almost every child raised in the church family
learns to recite John 3:16 as one of their first lessons. It's important to
remember that God loves everyone and he provided the means to eternal
life. Eternal life is granted to whoever believes while those who don't
believe will be condemned [see Mark 16:16]. But, as we're told, even Satan
believes in God. There must be something that differentiates the believers
mentioned in Mark 16 from the evil minions that tremble at the knowledge of
God. This difference can't be limited to the lack of praise and worship of
God among Satan and unbelievers and the praise, worship, and religious
practices and doctrines of the members of the Body of Christ. |
