OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to list of articles Next 

Just A “Christian”

By Wayne Rodgers

Are you tired of being a hyphenated-Christian” (fill in the underline with your denomination’s name)? Are you tired of man-made doctrines and creeds? Are you tired of the entertainment-oriented approach to religion, which is common in many denominational churches today? Would you like to attend worship, where nothing but the simple, old-fashioned Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached? Would you like to follow no other creed but the Bible? Would you like to wear no other name than “Christian,” a name which honors Christ (I Pet. 4:16)?

You can! There is a church, which teaches and practices only the Bible. There is a church, which worships God only according to the pattern of worship set forth in the New Testament. There is a church that rejects man-made doctrines and creeds, and refuses denominational names and affiliations. It is known simply by its Biblical name, “the church of Christ” (Rom. 16:16). This church gives allegiance only to Jesus, as its founder and head (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:23).

Examine for yourselves the church which our Lord Jesus Christ has built (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 2:37-47).    It is not made from men’s hands.  It is made up of those who simply follow Christ according to His Word, those who have believed in Christ, repented of sin, confessed Jesus as the Son of God, and have put on Christ in baptism (John 8:24, Luke 13:3, Matt. 10:32-33, Gal. 3:27). 

Our plea is simply to restore New Testament Christianity to the 21st century by going to the only true source from God, His Word.  John 8:32 tells us that we will “know the truth and the truth shall make us free.”  Two points for us to remember is that we CAN know the truth, and that truth is able to make us free from sin (James 1:21; 1 Peter 1:22).

As you think about these matters, remember the warnings of Jesus and His apostles, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Mt. 7:15). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1). “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Mat 15:13). “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat 7:21).