God’s Invitation to an Honest Conversation About the Church

People have debated many foolish questions. In the Middle Ages, for in­stance, theologians debated the following:

• What shape are Gabriel’s wings?
• Do any angels have baritone voices?
• Did Pilate use soap to wash his hands?
• How much wine did guests drink at the wedding in Cana?
• Could one eat an egg laid on Passover?

People today also waste time on ques­tions that do not make any difference in how we live or where we will go when we die. These often create controversy, disil­lusion, contention, and hurt feelings. Paul said to avoid foolish questions “for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).

It is also possible to dismiss important questions as trivial. Which church to at­tend is one of those. It is important to ask, “Can I be certain that I am a member of the church that Jesus built?” Consider:

A COMMONSENSE PERSPECTIVE

When it comes to religion, God does not want us to close our eyes, disengage our minds, and take a jump into irrational­ity. Christianity is a reasonable religion (Romans 12:1–2); it gives reasonable an­swers to reasonable questions (1 Peter 3:15). Isaiah said, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18; cf. Acts 24:25).

We do not take the “it does not matter” approach in other areas. Does it make any difference which plane we board at the airport? Which wife we take home from the party or which child we pick up at school? Does it matter if a pharmacist gives us a heart medicine, a pain reliever, a laxative, or a psychotic medication?

God limits salvation to one location:

• Did Noah’s family have a choice of which ark to enter? (Genesis 6:18).
• Did Rahab have a choice of which house in which to seek refuge? (Joshua 2:18).
• Did Naaman have a choice of rivers? (2 Kings 5:1–14).
• Could snake-bitten Israelites choose any bronze serpent? (Numbers 21:4–9).

God has located salvation in Christ’s body, which is His church: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgive­ness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23–24). Jesus purchased only one church (body) (Ephesians 4:4), which makes sense because He has only one bride (Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:2–3).

It is true that one can be saved outside of a denomination, but no one can be saved outside of the church Jesus purchased with His blood and built in the days of the apostles (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47; 20:28).

It is not a denomination. In the Bible, the church is either local (1 Corinthians 1:2; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12) or universal (Colossians 1:18), but nothing in between. A denomination is too large to be local, and too small to be universal.

Following man’s teaching instead of God’s is condemned (1 Corinthians 3:1–4; Galatians 1:6–10). Division is con­demned; unity is commanded (1 Corin­thians 1:11–14; Psalm 133:1). Jesus

• Prayed for unity (John 17:20–21);
• Paid for unity (Ephesians 2:16);
• Pled for unity (1 Corinthians 1:10);
• Planned for unity (Ephesians 4:1–6).

Denominations divide. They have con­flicting plans of salvation, ways of wor­ship, and moral and ethical behaviors.

One might say, “But Christ is the vine and denominations are the branches.” John 15:1–7 does teach that Christ is the vine, but the branches are not different churches. Read carefully: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If any­one does not abide in Me.” These are indi­vidual Christians, not organizations.

Another suggests, “Going to heaven is like going to New York. There are many different roads that lead to the same des­tination.” This is true for some physical destinations, but not all. Many houses are on dead-end streets. Only one road can get to them. This is true of Jesus’ house: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14; cf. John 14:6).

AN AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE

When it comes to choosing a church, many people base a decision on:

• Building proximity/nice facilities;
• Tradition/parental influence;
• Friends/social aspects;
• Personality fit (intellectual, emotional, entertaining);
• Programs (daycare, youth, singles);
• Prestige (well-known minister);
• Easy doctrine.

They do not consider the possibility that a church with a sign out front and a preacher up front could be operating without a license. It could be a rogue church that God does not even consider His at all.

God approves His Son’s church—and only that one. It is the only one He autho­rized for construction on planet Earth. If Christ’s church does not exist today, then no church has divine approval. If it does, then no other has divine approval.

Jesus is the only one who has the right to build a church for two reasons:

• He has all authority (Matthew 28:18; cf. 7:21–23; Mark 9:7). The Bible au­thorizes man to do many things, but it never commands any person to es­tablish a new kind of church. Since we are forbidden to act without authority in religious matters (Colossians 3:17), any man-made church can never gain God’s acceptance—no matter how many centuries pass, how much mon­ey is collected, or how many members sign up.
• He is the only one who can afford a church. The purchase price is the blood of an innocent human (Romans 3:23–26), and Jesus paid it on the cross (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23, 25). Even if a man were willing to die for a church he started, his blood would not be a sinless offering, as Christ’s was (1 Peter 1:18–19).

Human churches can have no salvation in them, because men who cannot save themselves surely cannot save others. God’s weeping prophet wrote, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Jesus said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Mat­thew 15:13).

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

Does the New Testament ever tell us to join the church of our choice? (This section adapted from Robert R. Taylor, Jr., Sermons That Save.)

• Matthew wrote the New Testament’s first twenty-eight chapters. Nowhere did he charge anyone to attend the church of his choice. He did record Je­sus’ promise to build His church (Matthew 16:18).
• Mark penned one book of sixteen chapters. At no time did he advise anyone to join the church of his own choice. He did record Jesus’ words to go preach the gospel to every creature, and to baptize believers for the remis­sion of sins (Mark 16:15–16).
• Luke penned two books—Luke and Acts—and by volume wrote more of the New Testament than any other. In his fifty-two chapters he nev­er counseled anyone to attend the church of his choice. He did record the apostles’ preaching to be added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:38–47) and noted that the early church con­tinued steadfastly “in the apostles’ doctrine” (2:42). He recorded that the early church was “one” (Acts 4:32). He never recorded multiple “Chris­tian” denominations in his inspired church history.
• John wrote five books—John, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Revelation—an even fifty chapters. Yet he at no time com­manded anybody to attend the church of his choice. He did record that Jesus spoke of the time when His people would be “one flock” (John 10:16) as well as His prayer for the abiding unity of that flock (John 17:20–21). He spoke of withholding fellowship from any not abiding “in the doctrine of Christ” (2 John 1:9–11). He wrote that one must not add to or take from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18–19).
• Paul wrote fourteen books (if one in­cludes Hebrews)—an even one hun­dred chapters. At no time did Paul charge anybody to join the church of his choice. He did speak of “the body, the church” and noted that there is one body (Colossians 1:18). He wrote of the unity that God’s people were to possess: same mind, same love, one ac­cord, and one mind (Philippians 2:2). He wrote that Christians were to mark (look out for) and turn away from those who caused divisions “contrary to the doctrine” (Romans 16:17).
• Peter wrote two epistles consisting of eight chapters. He who initially was given the keys to the kingdom (Mat­thew 16:19) never told anybody to join the church of his choice. He did preach that they should repent and be bap­tized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
• James and Jude, Jesus’ half-brothers, each wrote one epistle. James wrote five chapters; Jude wrote one chapter. In nei­ther epistle did either advise anybody to attend the church of his choice. Jude did instruct us to contend earnestly for the faith, once delivered (Jude 1:3).
• The New Testament urges us to accept the church of Christ’s choice (Matthew 16:18).