The Creed of the Church of Christ:
The church of Christ has no creed
but the Bible. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and it is all we
need to guide us in all religious matters (II Timothy 3:16&17).
The Pattern for the Church of Christ:
In order for a church to be the
same church which you can read of in your New Testament, it must follow
the pattern God has set forth for His church. That pattern is the New Testament
(Hebrews 9:15-17). The church of Christ follows that pattern.
The Name of the Church of Christ:
Consistent with its claim to follow
the New Testament pattern, the church of Christ goes by a Biblical name
(Romans 16:16). It does not bear the name of any man, or any man-made
doctrine. The church of Christ bears the name of the founder of the
church (Matthew 16:18). The name which its individual members wear is the
name given to those who followed Christ in the first century. That name
is "Christian" (Acts 11:26).
The
Worship of the Church of Christ:
The church of Christ follows the
New Testament pattern of worship which includes the following:
·
The church of Christ worships on Sunday, which is the
first day of the week
(Acts
20:17; 1 Corinthians 16:1,2)
·
The worship of the church of Christ is directed to
God, and is done in spirit and
in truth
(John 4:24)
·
The worship service of the church of Christ involves
participation in five acts of
worship
o These Five Acts of Worship Are:
§
singing (Ephesians 5:19)
§
praying (Acts 2:42)
§
partaking of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7, Matthew
26:26-29)
§
giving as you have been prospered to the church(1
Corinthians 16:1,2)
§
preaching (Acts 20:7)
The Work of the Church of Christ:
The New Testament sets forth for the
church a threefold work.
o Preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)
o Exhorting, uplifting and
encouraging its members (Ephesians 4:11,12)
o Helping those in need (Galatians 6:10)
Salvation and Entrance Into the Church of Christ:
The church which belongs to Christ
is referred to in Ephesians 1:22, 23 as the body of Christ. In Ephesians
4:4 we are told there is only one body, while in Ephesians 5:23 we are
told Christ is the Savior of that body. We are told in Galatians 3:27
that baptism places us into Christ.
In Order to Be Prepared For Baptism Into the Church…
·
One must first hear the word of God (Romans
10:14-17).
·
One must have a faith based upon the Word of
God in order to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
·
That faith must be an obedient faith (James 2:26).
·
An obedient faith will cause one to repent of
his/her sins (Acts 17:30).
·
One with such a faith will not be ashamed to confess
his faith before men (Matthew 10:32, 33; Acts 8:37).
·
Then one with such a faith will be baptized
for the remission of his/her sins. (Acts 2:38)
·
Once this has been done, the Lord will add him/her to
the church (Acts 2:47).
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