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Members of the Church of Christ are a people of restoration spirit, wanting to restore in our time the original New Testament church.
The term "Church of Christ" is not used as a denominational designation , but rather a term which indicates that the church belongs to Christ.
There is only ONE Church
Matthew 16:
16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In these passages it is clear that Christ is the founder of the New Testament church, "I will build my church".
Any church founded by someone other than Christ is not Christ's church.
In the Old Testament (Psalms 127:1) David declared a great truth, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it".
In the New Testament (1 Timothy 3:15) we learn that the "house of God is the church of the living God".
How does one join the Church of Christ?
People are added to Christ's church by follwoing these steps:
- Hearing the Gospel. "How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).
- Believing. "And without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Hebrews 11:6).
- Repenting of past sins. "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent" (Acts 17:30).
- Confessing Jesus as Lord. "Behold here is water; What doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37).
- Being baptized (by immersion in water) for the remission of sins. "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
Once added to the church, Christians are expected to live in Christ.
Having become children of God by the blood of Jesus Christ, Romans 6 teaches we must now submit ourselves to Christ, walking in the Spirit.
We are not free to live as we choose, but have become slaves of righteousness.
If we again submit ourselves to sin as its slaves, we will again earn the wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23).
If we turn from faith in Jesus Christ, we will be severed from the body of Christ; we will fall from and no longer participate in the grace God offers (Galatians 5:4).
If we entangle ourselves again in the defilements of the world, we will be like pigs who have been washed but returned to the mire or dogs who return to their own vomit and our state as fallen Christians is worse even than our state before we became Christians at all (II Peter 2:20-22).
As such, it is important to individually grow in Christ.
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