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NASB | Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; |
Bible Question: My problem is that I believe the bible is right, but there are so many people teaching all kinds of ways, and it is hard to get an understanding of what the right way is. Where I go to church, in that same area there are four different churches, and all claim to be teaching same thing, and to me if all of us believe the same thing why can't we all just get together and worship the same God in the same way? |
Bible Answer: Now that is a good question! First of all, we do not all believe precisely the same thing. While Hank and Tim and Makarios and kalos and cyclist and other posters here are fellow Christians, we do differ on a number of issues. We share a belief in the essentials, the defining points of what makes one a believer in Christ. However, we do disagree on what the Bible says in other areas at the same time that we commonly hold the Bible to be the infallible word of God. In addition, we may prefer different styles of worship while having agreement on the essentials. For example, you will see a much more traditional service where I worship, complete with organ and sometimes an orchestra accompaniment, singing hymns and responsive readings and confessing our sins and our faith in unison, corporately. While I adore the grandeur of God that is conveyed in such a setting, others prefer to give worship to God in a different environment. Cultural and ethnic backgrounds often contribute to preferred settings as well. One day all Christians will be together and worship God in the same way for all eternity. Just remember that all the division we see now does not automatically translate to "disunity." What is essential is finding a church where God's word (and the message of Jesus Christ dying on behalf of sinners and rising again) is proclaimed and cherished as infallible and sufficient to transform God's people into what He wants us to be . Secondly, it must be a church where the ordinances Jesus Christ established (baptism and communion) are practiced. Thirdly, it is a great advantage to attend a church where there is a plurality of people governing the flock, and where church discipline exists to keep God's doctrine and reputation pure. There are many churches fitting this description, and feel free to email me if you could use some help in finding a good place to worship God or investigate more about what Christianity is! --Joe! |