Wednesday, June 17, 2015

ENTRY 30 THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

"Behold, this is my doctrine -- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.  Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.  And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth to the end, him will I establish upon my rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.  And now, remember the words of him who is the life and light of the world, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.  Amen."

How do you join the church of Christ?

You repent and come unto Christ.


Does this require that your join a church that is officially recognized by the government?

No, it does not.  Actually, an organization is controlled by the source from which it receives authority.  A church which receives government recognition is controlled by the government which issues it the permit to operate.  Think about it!  If your organization requires permission from the government to exist then who ultimately has control of the church?  Look at every "doctrinal" change made within your church and you will find that the change had come about as a result of external pressures created by the government which held the license of the church.


Does joining the church of Christ require that you are a member of a specific denomination?

No, it does not.  Remember the answer that Joseph received when he asked which of all churches he should join.    "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the personages who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that their professors were all corrupt; that: "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (Joseph Smith History 1:19)

What about the Restoration?

Think about what God was trying to restore.  He was not trying to restore a church authority.  He was trying to restore a relationship.  He is trying to restore a relationship between you and Himself.  The Restoration was a renewal of this simple truth, that Christ has provided the Atonement for You.  That you too can come unto Christ and be healed.  There are examples of souls who have not joined with a specific organization, but have witnessed the Savior and received His light in their lives.  There are souls who have joined with a specific organization and have never known the Baptism of Fire, nor found peace through Christ.  Therefore, it is shown to be that it is not any organized church that saves.  It is the individual's relationship with Christ that saves.

Don't you have to join an organized church to be baptized?

No, you do not have to join a man made church to be baptized. These "churches" have corrupted the Baptism of Christ by taking it away from those who seek to follow Christ and using it as an initiation ritual to draw members into their organization and thus gain followers of their own.  They seek to control others by teaching their own interpretation of the gospel law.  They seek to tax the people by collecting tithing and then using the tithing to support their own works.  These men seek authority through the structured heirarchy of their organization. This is why Christ does not manifest Himself in these churches.  In fact, if you will notice, the "doctrine" taught by most of these churches is that Christ will not come to you personally.  They teach that this is not even necessary.  But they teach that it is necessary to give heed to every teaching they speak and to obey every ordinance they deliver unto you. If you were to tell them that you are seeking a personal witness of Christ for yourself, a literal witness, they will tell you that you are deceived. 

Is it wrong to be in an organized church?

God knows the thoughts and intents of every heart.  He speaks to those who listen.  He appears to those who need his comfort.  He provides the counsel and guidence and direction that you need personally.  He will direct you to the people whom you are best fitted to serve.  It may be in a specific church or it may not be any church.  It may be in a specific country or it may be in a specific family.  Ask God if any of these man made organizations are the place for you to serve.  It may be that from within your own congregation, you can become the means of saving many souls, not by trying to tear down any particular man made church, but rather by gathering them in to the only church that can save.

The only church that you truly need is the Church of Christ.  This church is joined by repenting of your sins and coming unto the Savior.  He will give you the strength to endure unto the end.  He will provide the means for you to become a child of God.

As it is written:

Behold, this is my doctrine -- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my churchWhosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church.

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