according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore
Simply from the Scriptures
from the Church of Christ in Richmond Indiana
Organized religion
Some people are opposed to “organized religion.” I
understand some of their complaints due to the various
false religious institutions that have made a mockery of
the church. Some people claim they do not “go to church”
because of all the hypocrates. Again, I understand their
reason, but it does not excuse the individual of seeking the
Lord’s church.
One claim is that someone can do the Lord’s will outside a
“church.” This frees them from attending worship services
and Bible studies. It frees them from working under an
eldership. There is no such practice found in the New
Testament. No one was a freelance Christian. Note some
scriptures concerning the church.
The Lord’s Church:
Established: A.D. 33 - (Acts, chapter two)
Jesus Christ
Builder: Matthew 16:18
Buyer: Acts 20:28
Owner: Matthew 16:18
Foundation: 1 Peter 2:6
Head: Ephesians 1:22-23
Savior: Ephesians 5:23
Jesus instituted the church. Jesus died for the church. It
was part of the divine plan of salvation from the beginning.
In the church, organization is given. This is to educate and
edify all the people. One work of the Holy Spirit in the
church was to appoint people to do specific tasks for the
body of Christ: the church. Note this passage: “There is
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one
hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,
and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace
he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended,
what is it but that he also descended first into the lower
parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also
that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill
all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be
no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the
whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of
the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Ephes. 4:4-16
(KJV)
Note the various points made in the above passage. First
the oneness of the Kingdom. Then the appointing of
specific workers for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Why? So we are no longer tossed about like children. Why?
So we are not decieved by crafty men who look to decieve
the innocent. The outcome of the work of the body is that
every part gets what it needs in edification. If one casts off
organized religion they are casting off what God has done.
If one reads the Bible they will come to several factual
conclusions: that they need to do hear, believe, repent,
confess, be baptized and continue in the doctrine of Christ.
One event that happens when one is baptized into Christ
they are added to the church (Acts 2:47).
Consider the confusion if there was no organized religion.
It would properly be called unorganized religion. How
would the work of Christ get done? It could not get done.
There would be nothing but confusion. Paul said God is not
the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
I will admit, there are some “churches” that are not a part
of the body of Christ. They practice things of which they
have no authorization to practice. They do have
hypocrates. They do have flaws and unholy practices. One
needs to stay away from these organizations. However,
that does not release one from seeking out the true church
that is of the body of Christ. This seems silly, but consider
your body if cut up and the members were separated one
from another. Can your liver preform its duty lying on the
floor, apart from your body? No. Will your body benefit by
the work the liver normally does? No. In any organization
there is a certain amount of order than must exist or the
efforts being used cannot be profitable for the whole.
Only in the realm of religion will people believe that being
unorganized is, or can be or more beneficial as being
organized. Unfortunately, this is the same with sincere
belief. Again, only in religion will people allow flawed faith
to overcome facts.
If we look to the Old Testament, we find that sin abounded
when men did what was right in their own eyes. To forsake
the Lord’s way and substitute our way is not submitting to
God. Calling rebellion against God a “good and acceptable
practice” is a work of evil. God said through Isaiah: “Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise
in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah
5:20-21 (KJV)
God has given us his word so we do not wander in chaos.
He has revealed his will: “For what man knoweth the
things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit
of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God.”
1 Cor. 2:11-12 (KJV)
Without the Bible we would wander about trying to please
God. Regardless of our best efforts, there are somethings
we would omit and things we would add that would not be
authorized by
God. Organized religion is a God given gift to mankind. By
reading the New Testament one can come to the
knowledge they have sinned and are in need of
redemption. Jesus purchased and built the church
specifically for the spiritual needs of mankind. To forsake it
would be to forsake all that God has done for mankind. No
one in the New Testament practiced unorganized religion.
The missionary journeys by Paul, Barnabas, Silas and
others were specifically used to establish local
congregations of the Lord’s church. Forsaking the church is
to forsake the body of Christ! To do so is the same as
cutting a part of your body off, casting it to the floor and
expecting it to be edified by the body and that it could
do its function and aid the body from which it was
removed. It just does not make much sense to do such a
thing.
Douglas R. Clark
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Schedule of Services:
Sunday Morning: Classes: 9:30 am
Worship Service: 10:30 am
Sunday Evening: Worship Service: 6:00 pm
Wednesday Evening: Classes & Invitation 7:00 pm
Questions, Comments call or write. 765-935-2911
Proverbs 28:14: Happy is the man that feareth alway: but
he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief
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