A Conservative View
Certainly our ideas are of no value as to truth; and one needs to be conforming to God's ways in submission to His Word, rather than find a church group that fits our likes and interests. We would then see that God did not give us the traditional ceremonial and high religious organizations with their rituals and creeds, nor the various fundamental and denominated sects of christendom. One truly needs to look solely to the Word of God to see God's pathway, and not religious ideas ---noting Acts 2 and the Epistles.
Taking verses out of context and mixing them with various verses can easily build a doctrine to corrupt God's message to mankind, and that is what we are often seeing in Christian profession today. We need to know in the Bible who is speaking, to whom is He speaking ---what, where, when, why, etc. In addition, we must know that the Word of God is in complete harmony without contradictions (if it is a proven and reliable version as those good quality editions of the KJV ---e.g. Scofield Study Bible, which have been much studied and can be shown to be dependable).
It is essential to be "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15) as God has said, and comparing our understandings with what esteemed Bible scholars have taught together down through history. One might like to seek some sound teaching on the full Bible truth for our life by inquiring at Bible Truth Publishers, Addison, IL, which is dedicated to upholding "all the counsel of God" as given to us. Listening to every religious voice is a snare of Satan to draw one away from the Word of God (note Gen. 3:1-5).
The biblical model for the universal Church should also be the model for all local gatherings ---in full accord with other scriptural assemblies worldwide. We generally don't see that today, rather the exhortation to "go to the church of your choice". Was such a choice given by God? This all speaks of "unity of the faith" as shown by God and is not speaking about mergers of sects, but all saints bowing fully to Bible-only, not innovations of men. One should value "one accord" as God enjoins us, with "no schism" in the testimony of the "one body in Christ" (1 Cor. 12).
Some of us have known an established biblical model, and this kind of faithful fellowship works well worldwide in a godly order since that Church revival of circa 1800 AD. It requires surrender of man's ideas, reasoning, rituals, a hierarchy, and preferences; and then hold obedience to Scripture as God shows. Such a testimony in the world is thus not a sect, but scriptural, and has continued to this day, if one is interested in finding it for unity; though if some are satisfied with the various sects of men: "verily they have their reward" as Jesus said of some worldly teachers.
- RLD: - from www.biblecounsel.net
THE BIBLICAL MODEL
A professing Christian was recently noted in writing of church failure in the world, and referred to the "biblical model" as important. That sounded good at first, but he then seemed thus to be promoting his ideas of what a good denominated sect of a church group should be, rather than what is a true scriptural assembly. Many professing Christians today know little of church truth, and can only speak of a denominated sect they know as being better than another one. This is due to one not studying the Bible, I see, but being occupied with religious forms by men. Certainly our ideas are of no value as to truth; and one needs to be conforming to God's ways in submission to His Word, rather than find a church group that fits our likes and interests. We would then see that God did not give us the traditional ceremonial and high religious organizations with their rituals and creeds, nor the various fundamental and denominated sects of christendom. One truly needs to look solely to the Word of God to see God's pathway, and not religious ideas ---noting Acts 2 and the Epistles.
Taking verses out of context and mixing them with various verses can easily build a doctrine to corrupt God's message to mankind, and that is what we are often seeing in Christian profession today. We need to know in the Bible who is speaking, to whom is He speaking ---what, where, when, why, etc. In addition, we must know that the Word of God is in complete harmony without contradictions (if it is a proven and reliable version as those good quality editions of the KJV ---e.g. Scofield Study Bible, which have been much studied and can be shown to be dependable).
It is essential to be "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15) as God has said, and comparing our understandings with what esteemed Bible scholars have taught together down through history. One might like to seek some sound teaching on the full Bible truth for our life by inquiring at Bible Truth Publishers, Addison, IL, which is dedicated to upholding "all the counsel of God" as given to us. Listening to every religious voice is a snare of Satan to draw one away from the Word of God (note Gen. 3:1-5).
The biblical model for the universal Church should also be the model for all local gatherings ---in full accord with other scriptural assemblies worldwide. We generally don't see that today, rather the exhortation to "go to the church of your choice". Was such a choice given by God? This all speaks of "unity of the faith" as shown by God and is not speaking about mergers of sects, but all saints bowing fully to Bible-only, not innovations of men. One should value "one accord" as God enjoins us, with "no schism" in the testimony of the "one body in Christ" (1 Cor. 12).
Some of us have known an established biblical model, and this kind of faithful fellowship works well worldwide in a godly order since that Church revival of circa 1800 AD. It requires surrender of man's ideas, reasoning, rituals, a hierarchy, and preferences; and then hold obedience to Scripture as God shows. Such a testimony in the world is thus not a sect, but scriptural, and has continued to this day, if one is interested in finding it for unity; though if some are satisfied with the various sects of men: "verily they have their reward" as Jesus said of some worldly teachers.
- RLD: - from www.biblecounsel.net
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