“Five Things We Will Never Do”

Jarrod M. Jacobs

 

When someone hears about the Spencer church of Christ or comes to visit for the first time, he may have some questions about what we do and why. While this is not an exclusive list, here are five things we will never do, for if we did them, we’d cease to be a church “of” (belonging to) Christ.

 

We Will Never Tell You That Man’s Ways Are As Good As God’s.

            Actually, man’s ways are lower than God’s ways (Isa. 55:8-9). We find man’s ways stand polar opposite to what God wants! Jeremiah stated the truth when he said: “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” The apostle Paul said even the “foolishness of God is wiser than men” (I Cor. 1:25).

 

We Will Never Tell You That God Accepts Every Kind Of Worship, So It Does Not Matter How One Worships.

            From Genesis 4, when God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s, through the rest of the Bible, we see God interested in how men worship Him. He has never left it up to man to do what he pleases in worship. In the New Testament, we find God wants men to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). The New Testament also reveals what acts are necessary for Scriptural worship. These are singing, prayer, preaching, partaking of the Lord’s Supper, and giving (Acts 2:42, 20:7; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; I Cor. 16:1-2; etc.). Man cannot “pick and choose” or “substitute” what he wants for worship. In passages like Leviticus 10:1-2, we see the consequences when men decide to worship their way and not God’s way.

 

We Will Never Tell You That Since God Is Loving, We Have A Right To Live Any Way We Want.

            It is without contradiction that God is love (I Jn. 4:8) and that God’s love is seen in the sacrifice of His Son on the cross (Jn. 3:16). At the same time, speaking of God’s love does not mean He accepts anything we throw up to Him! Please remember what is said in Romans 11:22. Also, bear in mind that there will be people lost in Hell for eternity (Rev. 21:8). However, this is not because God is not loving. He has made every provision possible for man to be saved from sin and be in Heaven (II Pet. 3:9). Yet, if we refuse Him and die in our sin, there are consequences we must face.

 

We Will Never Make Light Of Trying To Do Exactly What God Tells Us To Do In The Bible.

            It is unfortunate that we see folks who belittle others when they try to do only what the Lord says. Perhaps this has happened to you, and you have been mocked or teased for trying to obey God faithfully. Some may have called you “goody-two-shoes,” “Bible-thumper,” or they may have called you a “Pharisee” (I Pet. 4:4). Some may do worse than speak ill of you, and they may mistreat you because you are doing what is right (Heb. 10:32-34; I Thess. 2:14). We promise never to ridicule, but encourage and help you on your journey to obey Jehovah (Heb. 12:12-14; Rom. 14:19; I Thess. 5:11; Eph. 4:29).

 

We Will Never Tell You That The Way To Receive Forgiveness Of Sins Is To Pray “The Sinner’s Prayer.”

            Our commitment is to respect and uphold God’s plan of salvation. This is why we will not tell people that man is saved from sins by praying a prayer. In order to be saved from sins, we must believe on Christ, repent of our sins, confess Christ as the Son of God, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Jn. 8:24; Lk. 13:3; Rom. 10:10; Acts 2:38; etc.). When we read about the cases of conversion in the book of Acts (Acts 2, 9-11, 16, 18-19), we never read about people being told to pray a certain prayer. Rather, they are taught the plan of salvation we have described above. This is God’s plan of salvation, which has been taught to millions of people throughout history and continues to be taught today by those who love the Lord and respect His will.

 

Conclusion

            These are 5 things the Spencer church of Christ will never do, for if we did, we would cease to be a church “of” (belonging to) Christ. Are you interested in being a Christian as is found in the Bible (Acts 11:26)? Are you interested in living the life of a Christian as described in the Bible? Let us study our Bibles and do what the Lord says so we can see Heaven together!