Pardon me while I dip into my past for today’s blog. I was part of the church of Christ
for about forty years. My parents and grandparents were members as
well, hence my indoctrination of strict beliefs and Biblical
interpretations. The church of Christ is one of several groups who are
under the false impression that heaven waits for members of their sect
only. I know that sounds harsh but it is true. They see themselves as
being on the spiritual ark with the door already shut. God has
protected them against the cultural waves of sin that are drowning the
rest of humanity.
I believe I’ve always doubted that idea, but it would have been
heresy and sudden expulsion if a verbal confession had been made. So,
to let everyone know where I stand today is important. There will be
souls in heaven who have given their lives to Jesus from many different
religions. Obviously some will be there who have gone against the
wishes of the denomination they belong to. That is, in reference to
following manmade creeds established by men either to hold onto power
or oppress the masses by their power.
It is belief in Jesus that saves! We are probably nearing the end of
existence as we know it here. The “last days” have been going on for a
while now. If Biblical prophesy is correct, and it always is, there
are very dark days ahead for us all. Christians will suffer as well as
non-Christians but there will be rewards for the faithful.
Ephesians 4:3 says “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace.” That verse has been used, quite often to
keep dissenters in line with current church views. I believe that verse
should be applied along denominational lines. It is time to tear down
the walls that separate the family of God. We need to look for things
to unify us as Christians. Lets face it, Biblical interpretations of
first century writings have quite a few gray areas. We were not
eyewitnesses of the way everything was done, so drawing lines in the
sand may not be appropriate when it comes to salvation. For example,
you may believe in the Lord’s Supper each Sunday, but don’t condemn
another Christian who doesn’t.
In Acts chapter 15 there is great discussion about the burdens placed
on people to be Christians. Verses 10 & 11 say this, “Now then,
why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke
that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We
believe it through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just
as they are.” I especially like verse 19, “It is my judgment,
therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are
turning to God.” I would say the same rule should apply today among
churches. Ease up on the requirements and focus on Jesus. More
emphasis should be placed on John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that
He gave His one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life” and less on church dogma.
Jesus said in Mark 3:23-30 that a house divided against itself cannot
stand. and that “no one can enter a strong man’s house without first
tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.” Our
denominational differences have “tied us up” so much that the church is
being raped and plundered by the culture we live in. Christians are no
longer even a force to be reckoned with by American politicians. Islam
seems to be the new driving force.
We have no one to blame but ourselves. Our house is divided and
beginning to crumble. We need to repent and preach unity before it is
too late to reach the masses for Jesus. Please pray for eyes to be
opened and hearts changed. If I can be led to see the truth, anyone
can!
I’ve written a long manuscript about my personal journey out of the
church of Christ which is ready to be published. I know God has
directed my steps just as he will direct yours. Change isn’t always
easy and encouragement is usually hard to find. I am encouraging you to
meet your extended family of Christians. They are everywhere. Try
visiting a different church nearby. Preachers and Pastors, why not have
a joint service with the Baptist or Methodist. Be different for a
change. Lets preach unity that all may be saved!
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