Hi! Last time we discussed baptism, one thing that a new Christian should do. Today we will be discussing 2 of 5 evidences of salvation. All Scripture is from the ESV Bible unless indicated. All italics within Scripture are mine.
E. What takes place after/because of salvation? What are the evidences of salvation?
2). Be an active church member. There are two definitions of “church.” a) “a building of public and especially Christian worship”, and b) “any assembly—either local bodies of believers, or the universal body of all believers; children of God and the body of Christ.” The Church was started with Jesus. He tells Peter, “… on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat. 16:18). He just told Peter that he was, in Greek, petros, meaning “a piece of rock,” or “detached stone,” loose, and that He Himself was to build His Church on petra, “a mass of rock”, “bedrock,” solid=Christ. “And [God] put all things under [Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22,23), and read Eph 5:23-27. Christ is the head of the church; the church is His body; we make up the church, the body of Christ. The human body metaphor of Corinthian 12:11-27 verses emphasizes a unity of the believers in Christ; it demonstrates the different roles and gifts of Christians given us by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us to never stop meeting with each other. That shows the importance of the gathering of believers to worship God.
Be careful in choosing a church. Things to look for include:
- Ensure they are a Bible believing and preaching church. Make sure they preach the truth and uphold it.
- Ensure they preach Christ and Him crucified, that He is the only way to God and salvation (Acts 4:12), through faith by grace (Eph. 2:8,9).
- Make sure they worship only God and do so in an orderly manner; teach only God’s Word; and evangelize. God should be the focus in church, not pleasure or anything else. All classes and services should be teaching God’s word, not playing games (that stuff should be done at other times, like during game night, not during the regular “worship” services!). Granted, the grade school class will be taught differently than the youth or adult class, but they should still be “taught.” Again, ensure the focus is on GOD, not fun or pleasure! I cannot emphasize that enough, my friends. After attending a church for some time that focused only on fun, especially for the youth and children, I can’t say enough times to make sure your church has its focus right. The kids should not be playing, their being kids is irrelevant...church is not a playground, it’s a place to worship and learn about God and should be utilized as such. Activities can be scheduled outside of regular worship hours, but those hours that your church has set up for worship should be used for worship and teaching, edifying the church, kids and adults alike. Make sure of it…your kids’ (and your) spiritual lives depend on it.
- Look for signs of “worldliness” in the church you visit. These can be tangible things (such as signs below), or what is being preached/taught. Do all the Sunday School classes teach, or do they use that time as social hour or playtime? What does the church do prior to the service start? What is involved in the service? Does the pastor preach the Word, the “good news” and “bad”? Or does he water it down, tickle ears, and try not to step on toes, or does he disregard the blood of Christ, hell, or the love of God? Does the church conform to the “tolerance” of today, of evil, by not acknowledging certain things to be sin (such as homosexuality) and basically saying that it is OK to lead a sinful life as long as you believe in Jesus (or not!)? None of these is good! It’s vital for a church to teach the word of God…make sure they’re doing it by getting into your Bible and knowing it yourself!!! Test everything the pastor and teachers say, look it up. This list is not all inclusive, you must use discernment in finding a church. You will not find a perfect church, for they all are full of imperfect people. However, the church you attend should be in accordance with God’s word…do not sacrifice the truth.
This “church” is incredibly worldly. They have an opportunity to show Christ’s love for us, display His sacrifice for us, and numerous other godly things, yet they put this junk on their sign! Prior to seeing their sign(s), my family visited this place and, unfortunately, the world was inside as well. It’s easy for some people to get pulled into churches like this. To not to, pray for discernment and for God’s guidance and strength through the Holy Spirit to lead you to a “good” church.
I pray that you have a glorious day, filled with the love of God.
Niki Ƹ>Ï<Ʒ
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