Church of Christ Cult
Church of Christ
Cult
by Prosper Noah
The Church of Christ is a false religion because it is wrong on the
essential Biblical plan of salvation. In fact, many Church of Christ
ministers have taught that the Church of Christ group is the true church of
Christ, and no one else is. They even go as far as to claim that people
who haven't been baptized by a Church of Christ preacher will go to Hell.
I distinctly recall a discussion I once had with a Church of Christ minister.
He was arrogant, doctrinally corrupt, and unsaved. He believed that for
a person to be saved, they had to have faith, repent of sins, and be baptized.
Well, that's two items too many! The only thing that God requires of men
to be saved is faith alone in Christ.
"Repent" in the Bible, concerning salvation,
simply means "a change of mind," not the forsaking of one's sins. The
forsaking of one's sins is a result of growing in grace, which often takes
many years, as a believer grows in the Lord. One does not have to
surrender anything to the Lord to be saved, BUT, simply believe upon the Lord
(Acts 16:31). The only thing that a person needs to repent of to be
saved is their unbelief.
Salvation is a free gift (Romans 5:15). A
"gift" has no strings attached. Many preachers have developed the bad
habit of requiring people to walk down to the front of the church to be saved;
BUT, that is a work not required by God. Why does a person need to walk
down to the front of the church? Can't they be saved in their pew?
Of course they can! If you'll simply believe upon Jesus Christ to
forgive your sins and save you, then you will go to Heaven when you die (John
14:6; Romans 10:13).
2nd Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new." Carefully notice the phrase, "if any man
be in Christ..." The change comes AFTER a person is saved, not as a
requirement to be saved. Salvation is like picking an old soda can out
of the garbage. You've saved it, but it hasn't been recycled (converted)
yet. Likewise, God pulls us out of the garbage when He saves us; BUT,
now He must recycle us into His image. Christian growth in grace is not
required to go to Heaven.
I know this shocks many self-righteous
religious people; but it's Biblical (John 3:3; Romans 4:3-5; Ephesians 2:8,9).
If you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you're going to Heaven, whether you
grow in the Lord or not while on earth. There are some lousy Christians
in this world, but that doesn't mean they're not saved. King David was
an adulterer, murderer, and crook; BUT, he only lost the joy of salvation, not
salvation itself. Such rebellious believers will give account at the
Judgment Seat of Christ.
'Baptismal Regeneration' is Unbiblical
Church of Christ members teach that baptism is
required for salvation, but it is not. They believe that obedience is a
part of salvation. However, the only thing which we must obey to be
saved is the Gospel, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know
not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
There is nothing in the Bible which requires a person to be baptized in order
to be saved. On the contrary, we read in John 3:18, "He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God." One who has trusted in Christ is saved, not condemned, whether
he has been baptized or not. John 11:25, "Jesus said unto her, I am
the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live." There is no mention in this verse concerning
baptism.
Or what about John 10:9, "I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
Again, there is no mention of being baptized to be saved. There are
hundreds of New Testament references which mention faith in Christ, without
baptism being mentioned. Clearly, it is faith alone in Christ which
saves a person, without baptism. The Church of Christ cult teaches
damnable heresies by ADDING requirements which God didn't add.
A careful study of the Scriptures with an honest
heart makes it quite clear that works CANNOT save a person, "Therefore by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified IN HIS SIGHT:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin." One cannot be justified in
the sight of God by WORKS. When James spoke of being justified by works,
he clearly stated...
"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: SHEW ME thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee
my faith by my works.
James was speaking about being justified in the
SIGHT OF MEN. 1st Samuel 16:7 tells us why, "...for man looketh on
the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." Man
cannot see our heart's faith, so he looks at our works instead. However,
God can see our heart, and it is all that He looks at. It is true
that faith without works is dead; BUT, it is equally true that salvation
(justification in the sight of God), comes by faith, without works.
Romans 4:6 states, "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the
man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."
Baptism is a work, that if added to faith in Christ, will send a man to Hell
forever.
Faith + any work = NO faith
at all
"Baptismal regeneration" is simply the heretical
teaching that one must be baptised in order to be saved. It is a Satanic
doctrine, which is responsible for sending billions to Hell. The
Catholic Church REQUIRES it's members to be baptized in order to go to Heaven.
So does the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox, etc.
Jesus NEVER told anyone to get baptized to be saved. No one in the Old
Testament was ever baptized; yet, we read that Abraham was justified by faith,
without works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3-5).
Conclusion
Please leave the Church of Christ cult if you've
been entangled in their doctrinal trap. They also deny the existence of
a literal Heaven, the millennial reign of Christ, the Rapture, and many other
fundamental Bible teachings. The Church of Christ is bad news!!!
They focus on baptism so much that the plain Biblical plan of salvation is
obscured; thus, they have churchianity without Christianity. So many
people go through the rituals and ceremonies of religion, but they never
become born-again believers.
They join a church, get baptized, sing in a
choir, tithe, go through the motions; BUT, they don't know Jesus Christ as
Saviour. They go through the outward form of religion, thinking that
they are obeying God's plan of salvation; BUT, they do not have the
change of heart, because they are trusting the church and the form and the
ceremony and holding out faithful and many other works of men, instead of
depending solely on Jesus Christ. Psalm 118:8 declares, "It is better
to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
I say to the
Church of Christ the same thing which the Apostle Paul said to the church at
Galatia, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not
obey the truth"? (Galatians 3:1). O foolish Church of Christ, who
hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? You have erred
after another Gospel (Galatians 1:6). The Biblical Gospel does NOT
require baptism to be saved, nor does it require a person to forsake their
sins. Such actions are "works," and then God would owe us salvation,
which is unbiblical (Romans 4:4-5). Salvation is of God, paid for by the
precious blood of Jesus. Our responsibility is to "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31)--and that's it!
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