Are All Churches Equal?

     As people survey the religious landscape of all the different churches, with their differing and peculiar doctrines, quite often they conclude there is no right church, and that all churches are equal. This is indeed a comfortable conclusion--that all churches are equal; but is it true? Please observe 4 reasons why all churches are NOT equal. All churches are not equal, because....

    

      1. Jesus promised to build only one church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Of great relevance is the fact that Jesus did not say, “I will build my churches.” He said, “church,” the singular form of the word.

    

     2. Jesus shed His blood for only one church. Years after Jesus’ church was built, the apostle Paul exhorted the elders, from the city of Ephesus, to “shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Again, notice that Paul does not say “shepherd the churches....which He purchased...” He, too, uses the singular to refer to Christ’s church.

    

    3. Jesus’ church has only one body of doctrine. God tells His church to “all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among” them (1 Corinthians 1:10). To the Ephesians, Paul put it this way: “There is...one faith..” (Ephesians 4:4-5); and the Galatian church of Christ was told that whoever teaches something different from what the apostles taught, would “be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9).

 

    4. Jesus will return one day to save only one church. While comparing the relationship of Christ and His church to the relationship of a husband and his wife, Paul said Jesus “is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). “The body” is the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Again, notice the singular form of the term “body” in this verse.

 

    The truth is not always soothing, but it does set us free (John 8:32). Jesus built one church--not one ‘church building’ or one ‘location’--but one group of people (worldwide) who believe and practice purely the religion of Jesus Christ. You can become a member of His church by obeying the simple plan of salvation: hear the gospel (Romans 10:17); believe in Jesus (John 8:24); repent of all your past sins (Luke 13:3); confess Jesus’ name before men (Matthew 10:32) and be baptized into the body (Galatians 3:27).

 

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