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Is it God’s Will that We Join or Become a Member of
the True Church of God in the Bible? |
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continuation...
For a true minister of Christ, “what you own” is not important. What matters to him is “you”. But that is not true with the pastors today. They are only after what you have – your tithes, your offerings. And that is against what the Bible teaches because the Bible said, you cannot serve God just anywhere. This is what Christ said in John 12:26--
“If any man serve, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servants be ...”
Christ doesn’t want you to serve Him anywhere. You have to be where He is. So, let us ask our Lord Jesus where He is. Where shall we serve Him? Where shall we worship Him? Hebrew 3:6 says--
“But Christ as a son over his own house ...”
Therefore, Christ is the head in the house of God. What is our basis? Hebrew 10:21 says
“And having a high priest over the house of God:”
Where is Christ? He is in the house of God, in fact, He is heading the house of God. In other words, if you are going to seek for God, you can find Him in the house of God. The question now is: Which is the house of God?I Timothy 3:15 says--
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God ...”
Therefore, the house of God is the Church of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The church is the house of God. So, if you want to be governed by Christ, you are not supposed to go just anywhere because there is a specific place where Christ reigns, and that is in the house of God, or the Church of God. It is there where Christ rules. And this church of God in the Bible is what we are preaching. We are not claiming that we are that church because it was already in existence even before we were born. What we did is, we joined that Church. We made ourselves members of that Church. And we are preaching to all that, whosoever wants to serve Christ should go there because that is where Christ is. He is the high priest there. It is in the house of God, which is the Church of God, where we are supposed to have fellowship.
The question now is: Is it man’s obligation to join, or be a part of the Church being mentioned in the Bible? Let me reiterate that what I am preaching of is the Church in the Bible. People have come up with different names for the Church in the Bible, but whatever name they have conceptualized, there is but one church being spoken by the Bible. The question is: Is it God’s will that we join that Church? Is there a need for a church? Other preachers say, “Just accept Jesus.” How can you accept Jesus Christ if you are rejecting the church?
Remember Christ is the head of the church. How can you accept Jesus Christ if you are setting the church aside? Will that be possible? It is just like asking for a warm ice cream. How can you accept Christ and reject the church when Christ is the head of the church? You are beheading the church that way. You take the head and leave the body. Don’t forget, the body is the church. So, it’s pretty awkward if you will just accept the head, or Christ, and discard the body, which is the church. That is wrong!
Let us ask the Bible: Is man duty-bound to join the church that is being mentioned in the Bible – the Church of God? Can a man be saved if he is just anywhere, or, does he have to incorporate himself in the Church if he wants to be saved? Ephesians 3:6 says--
“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs . . .” Gentiles are fellow heirs. Gentiles are those that are outside Israel. Therefore, we are classified as Gentiles. And the Bible says--
“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body . . .”
So, for the Gentiles to become heirs, they need to make themselves part of the “body”.“. . . and partakers of his promise in Christ . . .” The Gentiles may become partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus if they become parts of the “body”. Now, what is the “body”? Colossians 1:18 says--
“And he is the head of the body, the church;;”
Which is the “body”? Its head is Christ and the entire body refers to the Church. And the Gentiles need to be of the same body. They cannot reject the church. They cannot say that they would serve God on their own, in their respective houses. That cannot be!
Christ said, Love your fellowmen; love your brethren. If you are all by yourself in your house, whom will you love? Is it yourself also? Christ said, give donations. To whom will you give your donation? Is it yourself also? Will you take money from your left pocket and give it to your right pocket? That is impertinent. You cannot be saved on your own. Submit yourself to the word of God. He said, for the Gentiles to become fellow heirs, they should make themselves members of the “body”, which is the Church being headed by Christ. Combine the “head” and the “body”, the result is the Church. You need to be a part of the body for you to be ruled by Christ, for you to be under the dominion of Christ. What will become of those who are not under Christ’s leadership? Isaiah 63:19 says--
“We are thine: thou never barest rule over them . . .”
Are there people who are not being ruled by Christ? What happens to these people? In Isaiah 58:11, it says--
“We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us:”
Salvation is far off from people who are not being ruled by Christ. If you want to be saved, you need to be ruled by Christ first. And for you to be ruled by Christ, you have to make yourself a part of the “body” being headed by Christ, which is the Church being mentioned in the Bible.
Now, what are you supposed to do to become a member of the “body”? How are we supposed to join the church? Do we really have to join the church after all? Romans 12:9 says--
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
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Bible
Finding
the True Religion
