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God's Plan for Becoming a Christian:
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1.
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Hear the gospel of Christ
(Romans 10:13-17)
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2.
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BELIEVE in Christ
(Mark 16:15-16)
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3.
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REPENT of past sins
(ACTS 2:36-47)
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4.
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CONFESS faith in Christ
(Romans 10:9-10)
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5.
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BE BAPTIZED into Christ (Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:21)
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6.
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Live FAITHFULLY (Romans 12:1-2)
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1.
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The Bible is its
only guide (Romans 1:16;
I Thess. 2:13)
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2.
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Wears a Biblical
Name (Romans
16:16)
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3.
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Established at
the right place
(Isaiah 2:2, 3;Acts 2)
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4.
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Established at
the right time
(Joel 2:28-32;
Acts 2)
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5.
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Established on
the right person (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:36)
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6.
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Saved are in it (Ephesians 5:23;
Acts 2:47)
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7.
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Its members are
enrolled in heaven
(Hebrews
12:23)
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8.
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Membership in it
is obtained by obedience to God's commands including baptism (Acts 2:41-47; I Cor. 12:13)
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"..and upon this rock I
will build my church"
(MT. 16:18)
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Information about the church of Christ click
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"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"
(MK 16:15)
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Bible correspondence course (FREE) click
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"And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8:32)
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Duluth
church of Christ
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2344 Nanticoke Street
Duluth MN 55811
(218) 722-1984
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duluthchurchofchrist.org
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Is One Church as
Good as Another?
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In Duluth, and
around the world, one can find many places in which to worship God. But
the question must be asked; which church is the right church? Are there
individuals scattered throughout the various denominations that have been
faithful to their denomination's beliefs that will enter heaven?
As with most things, when we are having
trouble understanding, we need to pull out the instruction book to find
the answer. The instruction book, in this case, is the Holy Bible. Please
consider the following points:
- What
doctrine or creed?
First, we must accept the Holy Scriptures claim to be the true word
of God, not the word or traditions of men. Being such, the bible can
be our only guide in religious matters. (Romans 1:16; I Thess.
2:13). The Lord's church has no man written doctrine or creed books.
- When
was the church established?
The church/kingdom of the Bible was established on the day of
Pentecost as documented in Acts chapter 2. It was also established
in the right place as prophesied in the old testament (Isaiah 2:2,3; Joel 2:28-32).
- What
about the first Christians?
What church where the first three thousand people added to on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41)? The origin of all denominations,
including Catholicism, can be traced back to hundreds of years after
the day of Pentecost. Thus we can conclude, on this point alone,
that today’s denominations are not the true church of the bible that
Jesus died on the cross for, the church in which its members will be
saved (Ephes. 5:23; Acts 2:47) and are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews
12:23).
- What
is the name of the church?
The church of the bible bears it's builders name; the church of
Christ (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16; Acts 2:36). All other names are
a deviation from the scriptures.
- What
are the requirements to enter the church?
When considering the New Testament as a whole we learn that, in
order to become a Christian, we must;
- Hear the word of God (Romans 10:17; Acts 16:32),
- Believe what is taught (Mark 16:16; Hebrews 11:6),
- Repent of past sins (Acts 2:38; Luke 13:3; Acts
17:30),
- Confess faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10)
- Be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts
2:38; Mark 16:16; I Peter 3:21; Romans 6:3,4).
This is all that is required by the inspired word of God.
Any additional "obstacles" by men, such as catechism or
confirmation, are an addition to the scriptures. Adding to, or
subtracting from, the Word of God is strictly forbidden (Duet. 4:2 and
Rev. 22:18,19).
The church of the bible, in which one can be
saved, is clearly identified in the bible. If one can stop thinking in
terms of "denominationalism", he/she will see that the true
church of God is waiting for you. Jesus said "and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free" (John 8:32). Furthermore,
we know that the church still exists today and always will (Matthew
16:18,19).
After reading this article you should be
pricked in your heart. Just think, there are people in this world today
that subscribe only to the bible, truly believe in the one church
identified in it (Ephes. 4:3-4), and live and worship in the clear
pattern commanded of us! Will you please join us in giving our Lord and
Savior the honor and respect He deserves?
Our plea is for all people to accept the Word of God as
their sole standard of doctrine and practice.
Please feel free to comment on this article; Click here to comment
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Non-Instrumental
Worship to God
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It comes as quite a surprise to most people
when a Christian mentions the fact that the churches of Christ do not use
mechanical instruments while worshipping God. The reason for this is not
that we cannot afford one or nobody knows how to play the instruments.
The reason is based on a holistic interpretation of the scriptures, the
examples given and the requirement of obedience. Additionally, this
position can be supported by non-biblical (even non-Christian) historical
evidence.
As obedient Christians we are to submit to
the authority of the Bible (Heb. 5:9). One cannot justify the use of
mechanical instruments because the scriptures do not strictly forbid it,
as it is a sin to add or subtract from the Inspired Word (Rev. 22:18,19).
The scriptures clearly state that we are to sing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
One cannot find a single example in the New Testament that authorizes the
use of instrumental accompaniment. Please consider this example; If I
send my daughter to the store with ten dollars to purchase milk, do I
need to list all the items within the store that she should not buy? Of
course not, she understands, through the obedience she has learned, to
only get what I asked of her. God wants to hear the heart felt singing of
every Christian in the congregation, not the sounds created by
individuals with special abilities. This would be the same argument
against the use of Choirs or soloists during worship services.
The previous paragraph is actually another
strong case for the inspiration of the scriptures. If instruments were
required, it would probably be required that everyone play one at the
same time. All other commandments and examples are to be equally borne by
each Christian (Gal 6:2), except for the additional requirements of the
congregations elders. This would require an individual to know how to
play the organ, for example, in order to become a Christian. Obviously
the bible does not put any obstacles of that sort in the way of the lost.
Consider this similar example; Jesus said "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature"
(Mark 16:15). If the scriptures would have said "walk ye into all
the world", one could not take a plane or a car with the intent of
preaching the gospel. This would also create a contradiction, as is would
not be possible to preach to "all the world", as we could not walk
to every continent. It is the little things like these, scattered
throughout the Bible, that allows us to have faith in it (note:
this is not a blind faith as the world defines it, rather a biblical
faith based on evidences).
Many people, in Duluth and around the globe,
give their feelings as a reason for using mechanical instruments while
worshiping God. One might say: "the instruments make me feel
good" or "I really enjoy the instruments". First of all we
must understand we are gathering to worship our creator, not to please or
entertain ourselves. Feelings cannot be our guide in religious matters
(Prov. 14:12).
Finally, history records that the early Christians did not
use mechanical instruments while worshipping God. It was not until
hundreds of years later that they were added to the worship service.
Consider this example:
“Whatever evidence is
forthcoming, is to the effect that the early Christians did not use
musical instruments” (William Smith & Samuel Cheetham,
A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, London: John Murray, 1880, II, p.
1365).
We are not asking you to "take our word for
it", rather that you study your bible on this matter. Think about
how Christ died on the cross so you might have the hope of eternal
salvation and also said "If you love me, keep my
commandments". If you do not keep His commandments you do not truly
love Christ and therefore, tragically, are not in a saved state.
Please feel free to comment on this article; Click here to comment
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We Have
Information That May Answer Your Questions
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We have hundreds
of religious articles (aka tracts) that we would like to share with you.
We do not write these tracks, but do buy them for scripturally sound
individuals and study them before making them available to you.
For a partial listing, please click here
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