The Purpose of the "Church"

God works in many ways. Ways which seem impossible, ways which seem improbable, and ways which don't make any sense at all.

Take the "church," for an example. And no, I'm not speaking of the Catholic church - but I also am. In this instance, when I say "church," I'm referring to the collective make up of worldly Christian Denominations. It is important to remember that Jesus Christ spoke of no church in the essence of any one Denomination. Thus none of the various Christian churches of the world are fully in-line with Jesus Christ.

Now, I say they are not fully in-line with Christ (and I mean it) but that does not mean that those in the church are not saved in Jesus Christ, or that they are even out of line. It simply means that they have not discovered the full purpose of True Christianity. That is, what Jesus Christ fully demands of those who claim to follow Him - I have written in a previous post about what that is.

If you would examine each church, individually and by its own merits, you will see that each and every Christian church - no matter how degenerate it is - has some element of Christ within it:

- The Anti-Christ Catholics have much charitable works.

- The modern charismatic and female-controlled churches are welcoming.

- The Eastern Orthodox is modest, and practices the correct traditional roles of men and women.

- The Baptist church stresses the importance of Baptism (personally I prefer their hymns for worship, too).

There is yet one more important church which is greater than all the others, yea, and even incorporates all the good of the other churches (Baptism, roles, to some extent the welcome spirit, charity, etc.):

- The Seventh Day Adventists (SDAs) unlike the others, keep the Ten Commandments (the Sabbath is very important), and especially correct is that they are the only church with the proper interpretation of Revelation.

This is not an endorsement of the SDAs. I do not agree with their supposed prophetess, "Ellen White," whom they teach for doctrine because she is "aligned with the Scripture" (which I think is their most major fault). Nor do I agree with their imposing of dietary restrictions (though it is a reflection of what we shall eat in Heaven) because the Lord said that nothing which He has made for eating is unclean - unless oneself sees it as unclean.

Therefore, to teach that a Christian who eats animal products is not in line with Jesus Christ, is, itself, Anti-Christ. It doesn't matter if one is correct that in Heaven no such animal products shall exist. On this earth, the eating of animals is ordained by God - thus in-line with Jesus and not a sin till God speak and make it sin (which will not happen on this earth). Another incorrect aspect of the SDAs was their founding. They began with the false-prophecy of the return of Jesus Christ, but I digress.

Can you see that God uses each denominational church for His own purpose? And can you see that despite this, the True Christian (not that Denominational Christians are false, only that they come short), the Christian as Jesus Christ desires, submits to none but Jesus Christ Himself? No king, no church, no government, no thing of this earth!

John 4:23

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."

The True Christian Church is every Christian under Christ without man's teachings and meddling. Again, see this post for how to become a True Christian. You need only full-faith, prayer, and your Bible to understand. I compare True Christians to the Prophets and other great men chosen by God throughout history. They often live their lives alone, wandering from place-to-place doing the will of God, and belonging to no one-thing of this earth, rather ministering to all.

This critique of the Denominations notwithstanding, a True Christian can still learn much from them - many are filled, after all, with our brothers and sisters in Christ and will be saved. But be wary of "belonging" to these worldly churches - for those seeking to have only Jesus Christ as their Leader, their King, their Pastor, even their Savior will find themselves negatively influenced in them. But God works in many ways, some best serve Him within the Denominations but I believe His favored are without.

May God in-and-through Jesus Christ lead you to His fullness,

Logos Prevailing.