Bible Question: Do I need to go to church |
Bible Answer: yes one needs to go to a church. however it must be a sound biblical chuech! they should believe the following: 1) that the scriptures contained in the old and new testamenta are the only infallable scource of divine revelation. this is the law, prophets and the writings as found in the jewish scriptures or the 39 books generally found in the english bible. and the 27 books found in the new testament. 2)that they believe in one God who has revealed Himself in three dinstinct persons, namely the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. recognized by orthodoxy as the trinity. 3) that Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh. that is to say that this Jesus is the second person of the trinity and is truly divine. also that he is truly man, except without sin. in essence He is both equally man and at the same time God. 3)that he was born or conceived of the virgin by the Holy Spirit. and again He is perfect with no sin of His own. 4)that He is the only saviour who can take away the sins of His people. by both His life as well as His death of suffering upon the cross. 5) that he bore the sins of all his people in Himself and suffered in their place enduing the wrath of God in order to make an atonement for all of their sins. 6) that no one can stake a claim to be a recipient of His merits who has not been born of GOD and by grace now has true faith in all the scriptures declare about the saviour. 7) that faith is only given through the preaching of the gospel, the good news of salvation by hearing the word of God. 8) that the agent of conversion that is the one who works repentance from all sin and faith is the person of the Holy Spirit of God. 9)that Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures and that He now makes intercession for all those who believe and will return to gather all of the elect of God and to punish those who have not believed upon Him as their sin bearer. 10) that those who die in their sins will answer for all of thier sins at the final judgement day and will be sent into everlasting damnation in the lake of fire while the redeemed children of God will ever be in eternal glory with the Triune God in a new heaven and earth. this is as basic to what a true church should and must believe. so this is a brief summary of whay one must at the very least look for. itm should be the desire of all real christians to join themselves to such a body. p.s. I would also emphasize that this salvation is by grace and through faith alone in the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ. which is the free gift of God. baptism or any other ordinance of decree of a church plays no part in the salvation of a soul. only the work of Jesus applied by the Holy Spirit. bo not be mislead. some references to support the above. matt. 28:18- 20 eph. chap.2 1-8 john chapter 3, Rom.10:17 John 6:37-44, Acts 4:12 JOHN 1:1-4 HEB.10:25 2Thess.1:7,8 Rev. 20:15 Rev. chap 21 Rom. chapters 4 and 5 Matt.1:21 John 19:30,31; 20:28 |