Articles
“Going to the Church of Your Choice”
Christians that attend this congregation do so because they believe we are worshipping according to the New Testament directives. Some people today say that all religions are basically the same and therefore acceptable. Some also say, if a person is really sincere in what they believe, they will get to heaven. In reality, all belief systems cannot be true because they contradict one another.
As Christians we believe that God is the being who created humans, the earth and all that is in it. We believe that Christ died for our sins and if people turn from their sins and follow Him, they can be forgiven and have the hope of heaven. We believe that Jesus was sinless and that he died and was raised from death to redeem mankind.
COMPARING THE WORLD RELIGIONS
Buddhists deny the existence of a personal God and believe salvation is by self- effort only. They believe that Jesus Christ was a good teacher but less important than Buddha. There are an estimated 488 million Buddhists in the world.
Hindus believe in two major gods, Vishnu & Siva, as well as in millions of lesser gods. They believe in achieving salvation by devotion, works, & self-control. Their belief is that Jesus was just one of many incarnations, or sons of God. They also say Christ was not the unique Son of God, and he was no more divine than any other man and that He did not die for others sins. There are an estimated 900 million Hindus in the world.
Muslims believe in one God named Allah. They say that people earn their own salvation and pay for their own sins. They believe that Jesus Christ was the greatest of the prophets below Muhammad. In addition, they do not believe that Christ died for people's sins. Estimated membership of 1.5 billion
It is clear to see that we cannot believe that all major religions of the world are acceptable to God. It is important to know what the New Testament says about the church, its' doctrine, and how it functions. It is with the knowledge of the New Testament that we can be sure that this congregation is meeting God's standards.
And Speaking of "Church"...
Being a member of the Lord's church ought never be taken for granted. Luke tells us that God adds us to His church when we obey His gospel in baptism (Acts 2:47). Christians are not members of a man-made organization, but a holy and perfect institution that has been a part of God's plan before time began. Given that there are so many churches, it's good for us to be reminded of how great God's church is in comparison to anything that man could ever create.
