•8:00 AM
By: Tom Smith, Wooddale Church of Christ
No doubt that today, because of the shame and reproach brought on Christ and his new covenant doctrine by many in the 21st century church, even among unbelieving "Christians" going back through the years to the 1st century, many Christians are ashamed of the gospel.
They are ashamed of its exclusive and unique teaching, its judgments on the world and its demands on the church, its single purpose or oneness of doctrine and its constant conflict with the religious world.
This shame is evidenced in the way many preachers and liberal disciples are leaving the church, as they corrupt the teaching, worship and life of the church. It is evident that many unfaithful Christians today are ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
In the 1st century, the apostles declared that "all spiritual blesssings" are “in Christ” in his body, the church. This means that no one can be saved from sin if they are not members of the church. There are no spiritual blessings outside of the church of Christ, outside the body of Christ, outside the house of God!
When early gospel preachers preached this exclusive doctrine, it used to infuriate members of sectarian churches. I can still remember how denominational preachers used to ask, “You mean that one must be a member of the church of Christ to be saved from sin?”
And I can still remember how firm and strong the preachers among churches of Christ would respond by quoting Scripture and affirming “Yes, one must be a member of the church of Christ to be saved!”
Today, most preachers no longer preach this New Testament doctrine of “exclusiveness,” they are ashamed of the New Testament doctrine of Christ. They no longer believe or practice this doctrine of Jesus Christ so strongly preached by the Holy Spirit and apostles. If one does not preach, believe and practice the New Testament gospel of Christ, then they have no hope in Christ.
How “sick” it is for Christians to be ashamed of the “truth” because they feel sorry for those who have rejected the New Testament message of Christ and denied the Son of God.
Sin is sin whether it is in a thatched hut in jungle village of Africa or a penthouse suite on 5th Avenue in New York City.
How “sick” it is for the people of the third world countries to believe in and trust in snakes, rats, monkeys, bulls, goats, elephants, rivers, mountains or the idols of heathenism.
And how “sick” it is for people in the industrial nations of the world to substitute possessions, wealth, carnal knowledge, flesh and the idols of selfishness for an understanding of Christ and his church in the New Testament gospel.
Christ teaches that there is only “one” body or church of Christ, one Spirit, one hope of our calling in the New Testament gospel. The truth of Christ is that if you are not “in Christ” as a member of the “one” New Testament church, you are hopelessly lost in sin and condemned to eternal death in hell.
Tell me, are you ashamed of Christ’s truth that there is only “one” New Testament church?
Or do you share the world view that it doesn’t make any difference to which church one belongs?
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
There is no salvation in Old Testament teaching, any human deity, idol, divinity, god or goddess who can offer salvation from sin.
The “name” of Christ represents all New Testament teaching and doctrine within the New Covenant.
Every word of the New Testament is inspired of Christ and able to save all who believe and obey.
Everything else in religion is nothing but glorified human error, false claims.
It is simply religious trash!
