Let us Imagine….

Let Us Imagine, If we can…

Can you just imagine the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ to belong to different denominations as listed below:

Peter … … a Roman Catholic

Paul … … a Methodist

John … … a Mormon

Matthew … a Faith Tabernacle

James … … a Presbyterian

Judas … … a Pentecostal Holiness

Andrew … a Jehovah’s Witness

Thomas … … held to the Jewish faith

Philip … … a Baptist

James … … a Seventh Day Adventist

Simon … … a Unitarian

Bartholomew … a Lutheran

Judas … thought one church was as good as another

Matthias … to say there is no church in heaven!

 

Or can you just imagine Peter claiming to be a POPE! Paul saying, “You can sprinkle for baptism.” John shouting, “You must have the book of Mormon before you can be saved.” Matthew preaching, “You can be saved by FAITH ONLY, and you CAN’T fall from grace.” Andrew teaching that there is no eternal hell. Imagine James telling people that their babies are born SINNERS!!

 

How does it sound? Foolish, doesn’t it? That is because it is foolish. There were no denominations in the apostle’s day and denominations have NO Bible authority for existence NOW! (1 Corinthians 1:12-13; 3: 4).  Please, note that, none of the apostles taught or believed ANY of these things? They taught “THEN” what your Bible teaches NOW! If you have a copy of the Bible, kindly check all the references given below to show that the Bible still teaches that there has never been a scriptural pope (Acts 10:25-26); Baptism is a burial in water (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 20:27); the book of Mormon is unknown to God’s Word (Acts 20:27).

 

Interestingly, faith “ONLY” is NOT a Bible doctrine and one CAN fall from grace (James 2:24; Galatians 5: 4). In the Bible, Jesus and His apostles repeatedly warned against HELL, because it is real (Luke 16:19-31)! The Bible teaches that all babies come directly from God, pure and undefiled (Matthew 19:13-15; Ezekiel 18:20).

 

Beloved, the apostles belonged to the church of Christ and taught only sound Bible doctrine. (1 Corinthians 12:28; Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 4:4). The church of Christ is the only church you can read of in the Bible. We are appealing to you to please consider being a member of the Lord’s church. It is simple. If you will like to be just a Christian, working in His kingdom, worshipping Him in truth and in spirit (John 4:23-24) and living as Christian of the New Testament times did. All that is necessary is for you to begin to follow the teaching of the New Testament.

In spite of what many teach today, your Bible still has answer to that great question “What must I do to become a New Testament Christian?” The Bible declared that if a person desired to be saved, he/she must:

  1. Hear the gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 10:14, 17; 1: 16).
  2. Believe (have faith) in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6).
  3. Repent of his/her sins (Acts 2:37-38; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19; 17:30).
  4. Confess your faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 8:37-38; Rom. 10:10).
  5. Be Baptized into Christ (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Gal. 3:27).

 

If you can just leave human doctrines and teachings which invalidate your worship and render it vain and take these simple steps of obedience, God has promised to:

  1. Forgive you all your sins (Acts 2: 23-38).
  2. Give you a newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
  3. Make you a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:17 18).
  4. Add you to the body of Christ which is the church of Christ (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 4:4; Col. 1:18, 24; 1 Corinthians 12: 13); the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13).
  5. Give you eternal life (1 John 2:25).

 

Remember, no one was saved in the New Testament times without taking all the steps enumerated above. The book of Acts gives many examples of conversion. Every case of conversion recorded in that book reinforces the fact that one must take all those steps highlighted above. Note few examples.

 

  • The Pentecostians (about 3,000 people Acts 2:14-42).
  • The Samaritans and Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:5, 12, 35).
  • Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:6; 22:16).
  • Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 11:14).
  • Lydia and the Jailer at Philippi (Acts 16:14-15; 32-34). The Corinthians (Acts 18:8; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

 

Our dear friend, if you have not obeyed the gospel of Christ as already stated above in line with the New Testament, you are urged to do so not later than immediate as you understand His requirements. After all, the Philippians jailer was baptized “that very hour of the night” (Acts 16:33), after hearing and believing the gospel. The Ethiopian eunuch became a Christian while on his journey from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26-39).

You too can just be a Christian, even now!

 

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