I grew up
attending a Presbyterian church. Nita and I now
attend a local Independent Fundamental Baptist
church, which poses the question: Am I now
considered an Indementalist, Presbytist or
Bapterian? There are so many denominations, you
want to make sure you get the name right if you
change around. If you come from an Episcopalian
background, but now attend a Methodist church,
are you an Episcodist or Methodalian?
What about a
Mormon attending a Pentecostal church: Morcostal
or Pentemon?
Here's a good one:
A Lutheran now going to a Catholic church:
Catheran or Lutholic?
My oh my, the
choices are so numerous one could be considered a
member of a denominational Scrabble team! Which
one's right? Which one gathers more favor with
the Lord? Let's see what the Bible says:
"For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
"There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for
ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians
3:28)
Hmm...the first
verse says that all who are saved are nourished
in their faith by the same Holy Spirit. And the
second verse says that nationality, social status
nor sex matters. Could it be that when we ask
Jesus to save us, He does, regardless of who we
are or from what background we come? Let's
explore further:
"So
we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another." (Romans 12:5)
I see no
denominational favoritism in the above verse. On
the contrary, it would appear that all have an
equal opportunity to serve the Lord. And service
to the Lord brings His reward:
"With
good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not
to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any
man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,
whether he be bond or free." (Ephesians
6:7-8)
So, denomination
is not considered in our service to Him. But is
it a consideration when we first ask Him to be
our Lord and Savior?
"For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
No, Jesus does not
look at our nationality, denomination, social
status nor sex when we ask Him to save us. He
only wants your heartfelt belief in Him and your
verbal confession:
"That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)
So, go
ahead...pick one. Are you a:
A. Presbytist or
Bapterian?
B. Morcostal or
Pentemon?
C. Catheran or
Lutholic? Or how about,
D. None of the
above.
Did you choose D?
Because if you've released your life to the power
of God, and happily proclaim Jesus as your Lord
and Savior, you are a Christian:
"But
to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom
are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom are all things, and we by
him." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Jesus is not bound
by the wood and nails of a church. You can attend
every church in town, but the name over the door
of that building is not going to get you to
Heaven. You must trust in the only name that
matters...the name of Jesus:
"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)
Just remember, "whosoever" means anyone. It makes no
difference from where you come, it only matters
where you're going.
Keith
08-11-2003
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