"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries
GOD'S TRUE CHURCH:
part 1 - Who and What is God's True Church?
1) "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15.
NOTE: God's word lists only two kinds of churches:
--the pure righteous church of God (see Revelation 12:1-5; Ephesians 5:27)
--or the corrupt Babylonian synagogue of Satan (see Revelation 2:9, 17:1-6).
-- The church of God is founded only upon God's light of truth (see 1 Timothy 3:15), because God is only the Author of light, goodness and truth (see Genesis 1:3-4; Matthew 19:17; James 1:17).
-- The church of Satan is founded upon lies, for the devil is the author of all darkness, error and falsehood (see Isaiah 14:4-23; Ezekiel 28:15-17; Revelation 12:7-9; John 8:44).
-- Any church that holds to a mixture of truth and error can not be God's true church, but is part of Satan's synagogue, because Christ and Satan have no union or partnership with each other at any time (see John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 6:15).
NOTE: God's true church has only Christ as it's Head and Leader (see Ephesians 1:22, 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18). Thus with Christ as its Leader the church will always do only those things which please God (see Psalms 92:15; John 8:29), and by so doing the gates of hell cannot prevail against it because there is nothing the Devil can find in it to use to his advantage (see John 14:30; Matthew 16:18). Thus God's church cannot and will never fall, but will stand forever because it is founded upon the Eternal and Everlasting immovable Rock -- which is Christ Jesus (see Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:32; Psalms 18:2; Matthew 7:24-25).
The church which Satan controls will put a man in the place of Christ as its head and leader (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Thus that church will not do those things which please God, but will do those things which please men (see Matthew 16:23). This church cannot possibly stand, but will indeed fall and be destroyed, along with all those who remain in it, because it is founded upon the ever shifting, unstable and deceptive tiny rocks of sand -- which is fallible mortal beings (see Deuteronomy 32:31,37-39; Matthew 7:26-27; Revelation 18:2-8).
2) "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine....and I lay down my life for the sheep...and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:14-16.
3) "And ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 34:31.
4) "The woman (of Samaria) saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain (the temple at Mount Gerizim); and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for (the message of) salvation is of (was committed to) the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:19-24.
NOTE: The Bible teaches that God is offering rest for all who are weary (see Isaiah 28:12, 30:15; Jeremiah 6:16). With the understanding that God's church is made up of people, then we would individually find our rest only by going directly to Jesus (see Psalms 37:7; Matthew 11:28-30), and if we choose to leave Him, then we lose our rest and salvation. Whereas with the understanding that God's church is a denomination, then we would find our rest only by going directly to the denomination, and if we choose to leave the denomination, then we believe that we have forsaken our rest and are lost.
The Bible also teaches that God's church is the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23, 5:30). So in understanding that God's true church is made up of people, then we individually become part of Christ's body by joining Christ Himself and are baptized (see Galatians 3:27-29; Matthew 12:30; Romans 12:5; Mark 16:16). And if we should choose to break away from Christ, then we would no longer be part of His body or church and are lost. Whereas with the understanding that God's church is a denomination, then we would become part of Christ's body by joining the denomination through baptism. And if we should choose to break away from, or should be cast out of, the denomination, then we would believe that we are no longer part of the body of Christ and are lost.
The Bible teaches that God's people will obtain immortality or eternal life (see Romans 2:7). With the understanding that God's church is made up of people, then we would find eternal life only through Jesus (see 1 Timothy 1:16-17; 1 John 1:1-2; John 1:1-4, 14:6), and by disconnecting ourselves from Jesus, we have no chance for eternal life and salvation. Whereas with the understanding that God's church is a denomination, then we would find eternal life through the denomination, and by disconnecting ourselves from the denomination we believe we have no chance for eternal life or of salvation.
As you can see, all these scenarios involve the issue of our salvation! The Bible does indeed teach that we must be saved (see 1 Timothy 2:3-4). With the understanding that God's church is made up of people, then we would individually find our salvation by connecting ourselves directly to Jesus Christ (see John 3:17; Isaiah 45:22; Acts 2:21, 4:10-12, 15:11, 16:30-31; Romans 5:9-10) and in separating ourselves from Christ, we are lost. Whereas with the understanding that God's church is a denomination, then we find our salvation by connecting ourselves to the denomination, and in separating ourselves from the denomination, we believe we are lost.
5) "But Solomon built him (God) an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hands made all these things?" Acts 7:47-50.
6) "He (Stephen) referred to the history of the temple and declared that God dwelleth not in temples made with hands. The Jews worshipped the temple and were filled with greater indignation at anything spoken against that building than if it had been spoken against God." Early Writings, p 198.
7) "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Hebrews 8:10.
"...for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16.
NOTE: The Bible teaches that it is only "in" and "through" Jesus Christ that we find the truth (John 14:6); that we become part of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:13-18); that we find redemption (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7); that we are justified (Acts 13:39); that we become righteous (Jeremiah 23:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21); that we have peace with God (Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 1:20); that we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18); that God shows us His kindness (Ephesians 2:7); that we receive grace (2 Timothy 2:1; Ephesians 2:7); that we receive the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:6); that we become wise (1 Corinthians 4:10); that we become alive and live (Romans 6:11; Philippians 1:21; 1 John 4:9; John 14:6); that God works in us (Hebrews 13:21); that we are sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2); that we are made perfect (Colossians 1:28); that we can do all things (Philippians 4:13); that we gain the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57); that we triumph over sin (2 Corinthians 2:14); that we can remain faithful (Ephesians 1:1); that we can be preserved in sanctification (Jude 1:1); that we become the children and heirs of God (Galatians 4:7); that we can joy and glory in God (Romans 5:11; 15:17); that we receive spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3); that we become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9); and that we can sit in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6)! Thus it is only in and through Jesus Christ that we can escape from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9); that we will be resurrected if we should die before Christ returns (John 11:25); that we find our salvation and will be saved (2 Timothy 2:10; John 10:9, 3:17); and that we find eternal life (2 Timothy 1:1; Romans 6:23; 1 John 5:11-12)! That is why OUR ONLY HOPE IS FOUNDED SOLELY IN AND THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (1 Thessalonians 1:3), because anything and everything which is good in us comes only through Him (Philemon 6)!
The above should unquestionably and conclusively prove why the foundation of God's true church can only be based upon Jesus Christ--the eternal and solid Rock (see 1 Corinthians 10:4, 3:11; Psalms 62:2, 18:2, 92:15, 2 Samuel 22:32)! No denomination, religious group, clergy, priesthood, man or group of men, can offer you any of these above items in truth. The only Being who can indeed offer you all of these above items in truth, is only Christ Jesus; not Peter, or Pope, or Buddha, or Krishna, or Mohammed, or Maitreya, or any other being--but only Jesus Christ! Therefore any denomination or religious group which tells you, or leads you to believe, that any of these above items are to be found by joining their religious system, or that your salvation is in some way tied to being or remaining a member in their system, then you can know without a doubt that they are deceived agents of the devil, their church system is a counterfeit posing as God's church, and thus it is a snare and a deceptive trap to try and bring you down to hell by robbing you of Jesus as your Saviour! Only in and through Christ can we gain all things, be assured salvation and become part of His true church, but outside of Christ, we have, and are, nothing!
* Here are the links to the quotes used for the other parts in this series: