When we as Christians study with someone to help convert them, we must teach them in a way that they understand what being converted means.  Seemingly, some of our own brethren have a hard time understanding what conversion means.  To be converted one must leave one thing and become part of another.  Some of the problems in the church today come from denominational conversions in which the denominational mindset is still present in the “new Christian”.  Then we start to see that down the road in some of their thinking and practices.  We cannot expect to build the foundation of truth on top of the foundation of error.  We must tear down and destroy the old foundation before planting and building a proper foundation (Jeremiah 1:10).  When we start doing this correctly we will rid the church of the denominational mindset we see in some of our
brethren.  We must have true converts.

    Jesus said: (Matthew 18:3) “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  There is no way that someone is going to Heaven unless they have truly been converted.  We are converted when we leave darkness and are translated into the Kingdom (Colossians 1:13).  A person cannot have one foot in the church and the other foot in a denomination.  A person cannot be a “Baptist Christian” a “Catholic Christian” or a “Lutheran Christian”.  Those terms are foreign to a true Christian because they are no where in God’s word.  When someone comes out of these denominations they must turn from the practices.  This idea is known as repentance (Acts 26:20).  Repentance is a requirement for one seeking Heaven (Luke 13:3;5).  One must leave behind their sinful ways and become a new person in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17).  We cannot be lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16).  To be in Christ we must be faithful to His word alone, not some partial hold to a man written creed that should have been left behind upon conversion (Matthew 15:7-9 and Galatians 1:6-12).  This problem is curable if we teach the unadulterated truth to those who we are converting.  We must teach them that there is only one way to Heaven!

    We must start teaching on the necessity of being a member of the Lord’s church and no other.  We must start teaching what the Bible makes clear.  There is only ONE body (Ephesians 4:4).  That one body is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18;24).  The one church is the church of Christ (Romans 16:16).  You are saved when you are a member of the church of Christ (Ephesians 5:23).  When you are a member of something started by men you are not part of the church Christ died to purchase (Acts 20:28 and Ephesians 5:25).  You are not part of the church Christ promised to build (Matthew 16:18).  Just as in the days of Noah there was one boat that would float, in the Day of Judgment there is one church that is saved.  We must tell them how they can know that the denomination they are part of is not saved.

    To denominate is to give a name and designate it as something.  When there is a denominational body formed then men will give it a name.  For example the Lutheran church was named after Martin Luther.  He founded that church.  To show someone how the denomination they are part of was founded and formed is one true way to show them that their church did not exist in the Bible.  The Lutheran church did not form until 1520 AD.  Then we can show the denominational world that one church was formed in the Bible.  That church had a name.  The name of that church designated who owned it, purchased it, and founded it.  The church in the Bible is the church of Christ (Romans 16:16).  Some may say that there is nothing in a name.  Well, the Lord does not agree.  (Acts 4:10-12) “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

    To denominate is to divide and rename.  This practice started to occur in Corinth.  Notice what Paul said about it: (I Corinthians 1:10-13) “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”  It is sinful to wear the names of men.  How can one begin to think that they can be saved when they are part of something formed by men?  Peter and the other apostles summarized this point well: (Acts 5:29) “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

    The biggest way to help truly convert people out of denominationalism is to teach them to obey God rather than men.  We cannot serve God and man at the same time (Galatians 1:10).  We must teach that we need to follow the word of God.  We must show that we need to put a passage with everything we are doing and saying (Colossians 3:17 and I Peter 4:11).  We must show them that when the obeyed denominational doctrines they were not made free (John 8:32).  We must explain that we obey doctrine (Romans 6:17), and we cannot have Christ if we do not obey His doctrine (II John 9).  We must explain the difference between the true church and denominations lies in proper application of Bible Authority.  Denominations have their own creeds, while the true church of the Bible uses only God’s word as it’s creed book.  The church of Christ does not submit to ordinances of men, votes, councils, etc.  The church of Christ does not make laws, only God can do that, and he has done so through His word.  We must show that it is a sin to change the word of God (Revelation 22:18-19 and Deuteronomy 4:2).  We must explain to the denominational people we study with that we are under the New Testament Law (Colossians 2:14, Romans 7:1-6, Hebrews 1:1-2, and John 12:48).  We must show them how to worship God correctly.

    We must teach the distinctions between true worship and false worship.  We must show that God must be worshiped in truth and in spirit (John 4:24).  We must show that vocal music is the only method of song worship approved in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, and Matthew 26:30).  We must show that we are to remember the Lord’s death by partaking of the Lord’s Supper EVERY first day of the week (Matthew 26:26-30, I Corinthians 11:23-28, and Acts 20:7).  We must show that the only way the church is to raise funds is by the voluntary giving of it’s members on the first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:1-2).  We must show the new converts that God is the person to whom we direct prayer through Christ (Matthew 6:9 and I Timothy 2:5).  We must explain to the new convert that the word of God and only the word of God will be taught from the pulpit of the true Lord’s church (II Timothy 4:2).

    The only way to bring the denomination out of the denominational new convert is to tear down and build up.  The foundation must be the truth.  Error must be refuted and taken out of the way.  If we permit the church to be filled with people holding to denominational views we will continue to see the church head down the path to being a denomination in itself.  The same applications of this article need to be for those converting out of Liberal congregations.  They too must be taught out of the errors they have learned and practiced.  Let’s rid the church of denominationalism by never letting it in the doors!

Those Needing Our Prayers
Ann Holt (she will need a ride to services because of her health problems), Betty Brown (the Yeager's will pick up Betty this week), Joan Croyle, Bill Croyle, Gracie Cook (Desiree’ is friends with the family of this infant who has pneumonia, and is suffering with underdeveloped lungs) and John & Olive Anderson.

Door Knocking
Every Saturday unless otherwise noted, plan on meeting here at noon.  If you are fearful of talking with folks still come and be a “silent partner” to someone who is more comfortable speaking to others about the Gospel of Christ.

Bible Study at the Yeager's
Everyone is invited to the Yeager’s TODAY for fellowship and bible study.  If the weather permits plan on being outside part or most of the time.  The children will have a secure place to play while the adults study God’s word and have fellowship with each other.  We will be studying the subject: “How Can I Let the World See that I’m a Christian?”