Church

The Importance of Unity

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Unity seems to be an elusive goal in our society. Marriages and families are disintegrating at an alarming rate. Infighting and division is common in many other groups, including businesses and churches. What is the cause of this breakdown in unity and harmonius relationships? The cause is simply selfishness, seeking to obtain the greatest advantage from the group and giving back as little as possible. When there is no unity, when there is division, what is the result?

Mark 3:25 (NIV) If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

When there is no unity in a group or relationship, that “house” is doomed to collapse. On the other hand, unity is a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Psalm 133:1 (NIV) How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

There is blessing, there is peace and joy when people in a group work together in unity. Generally, groups and relationships begin with unity. However, over time, inevitable forces work to sow seeds of division into a group. Unity is something that must actively be maintained, whether in a relationship or in a group.

Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

This verse is speaking specifially about the unity of the Spirit in a church family. Notice that every member must make every effort in order to keep the unity. Of course, unity and peace go hand in hand.

So, whatever church, group or relationship that you are a part of, ask yourself some questions.

  • Am I taking advantage of others in the group or relationship?
  • Am I doing less than my fair share in the work of the group?
  • Am I doing less than my fair share in contributing to the group?
  • If my behavior is not conducive to keeping the unity, what will I ask God to help me change in my behavior?

Listen to my message “Maintaining Unity” based on Nehemiah 5, to learn the principles of maintaining unity in your life (message notes).

The Misunderstanding of Church

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The number of people who never or rarely attend church continues to increase. A George Barna poll shows 38% of adult Americans are in the category of being unchurched. Of the people who regularly attend church, a staggering 45% are willing to try a new church. So we have a large group of people who see little or no value in church and another even larger group who are dissatisfied with their current church. I believe that behind these statistics lies a great misunderstanding of church.

Based on my understanding of the Bible, here’s my definition of a local church.

A church is a group of believers in Jesus Christ who committed themselves together to extend the kingdom of God in a particular locality.

Just as many people who claim to be Christians, are not believers in a biblical sense, so many groups that claim to be churches, are not churches in a biblical sense. So, we have people who have left or are thinking of leaving “churches” that are not truly churches. That’s actually a good thing, as long as they are searching for a true biblical church. Unfortunately, many lump all “churches” together and think they are all the same. On the other hand, we have people who claim to be believers leaving or thinking about leaving biblical churches because of some perceived imperfection. That is not a good thing.

Is it possible for a true believer to exist outside of a church family? The surprising answer is that no, it is not possible.

1 John 3:14 (NIV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

Here the apostle John tells us that one of the proofs of being a believer is love for other brothers and sisters in the family of God. If someone claims to be a believer, but has no desire to be around other believers in a church family, it proves they are not a believer at all. So, for the true believer, a biblical church family is not optional, but a necessity and something to be cherished.

The importance of being part of the family of God is seen in the Old Testament. To be cut off from the people of God because of some sin, was considered a fate worse than death. In the New Testament, the concept of a believer who was not part of church family is almost unheard of. The only mention of it is when someone was put out of the church through church discipline because of sin. This process was called “being handed over to Satan” (1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). The whole idea was that being outside of the protection of the church would drive the sinner to repentance and back into the church family. Today, we also see terrible things happen to people who have placed themselves outside of the protection of the church.

In my message, “Depending on God” from June 7, 2009, I look at the story of Nehemiah’s passion and prayer for the people of God in Nehemiah 1, as an example of what our attitude should be toward our church family today (message notes).

Connecting With A Church Family

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The importance of connecting with a church family can hardly be over emphasized. Yet, more and more people are failing to make the connection. Recent statistics show that on any given weekend, the percentage of people in church in America is about 18%. That means that 82% are not worshiping with a church family. The consequences of the neglect of spiritual life are all around us. Broken families, damaged lives, greed, lies and a rejection of God’s truth. If the trend away from the church continues, life will not continue as normal. The results of ignoring God are already being seen in America and the problems will increase in the future.

However, those who are wise, who want to be blessed and be a blessing, can buck the trend. As you get connected to God’s family in the church, great things begin to happen in your life and family. Being part of a church family moves you out of self-centeredness and helps you grow spiritually. A church family will help you learn and apply God’s principles to your life. You will escape much of the troubles that those around you face. Relationships that you build in a church family can be a source of encouragement and strength in trying times. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

The time is later than people think. History rushes forward to a climactic ending, the return of Jesus Christ. Only by being connected to a church family will you be able to fulfill God’s purpose for your life in these trying times. Those who are really connected to the church family are seeing incredible answers to prayers. Being connected to the church family at Life Church is a whole lot more than coming on Sunday mornings. The difference between people who are connected with God and His church and those who aren’t is getting more and more clear.

This coming Sunday, we will hear the story of a man who has seen a wonderful answer to prayer regarding a job promotion. In the weeks ahead, we will have another story from a lady who was promoted while 90% of her company was laid off. These people are not casual Christians. They are fully connected to the church family at Life Church and they are being blessed. You can be too.

Is Mormonism Christian? Part 3

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In “Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1“, I described the four fundamental marks of the Christian faith. In ““, I compared Mormon doctrine with these four defining features of Christianity and found it did not meet the test on any of the marks. My analysis is not unique by any means. Most major denominations and theologians classify Mormonism as a theological cult, because although it calls itself Christian, it does not follow Christian teaching. In this final article of the series, I want to address the question of how Christians should respond to Mormons.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. The Bible teaches that every person has been created by God in the image of God and deserves to be treated with gentleness and respect. As Christians teach others about what the Bible says, we must not be judgemental or prideful. However, when others raise the question about Mormonism or Mormons claim to be Christian, Christians have an obligation to give a truthful answer.

I have come to the conclusion that the Mormon religion is not Christian. If you would like to do further research on the topic, I have found the following books helpful.

Fast Facts on Mormonism – John Ankerberg and John Weldon
Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons – Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine
Handbook of Today’s Religions – Josh McDowell and Don Stewart
The New Mormon Challenge – Editor Francis Beckwith et al.

However, what about individual Mormons? Does the fact that the doctrine of Mormonism is not Christian, mean that all Mormons are not Christians? The answer is that individual Mormons may indeed be misguided Christians and the reasons are two-fold. First of all, one of the Mormon Scriptures is the Bible. Anyone reading the Bible may come to the knowledge of the truth. Secondly, it is well known that a high percentage of Mormon converts come from Bible-believing churches. Pollster George Barna finds that the percentage of born-again adults, those who believe “they have made a personal commitment to Christ that is important in their life today and also say that when they die they know they will go to Heaven solely because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior,” range from a high of 81% in the Assemblies of God to a low of 25% in the Catholic church. The Mormon church suprisingly has 34% of born-again adults according to Barna.

How should you respond to a Mormon that you know personally? As with any other person, you should seek to determine whether they are truly a Christian, not assuming to know their personal relationship with God based on what church they go to. If they are truly Christians, endeavor to discuss with them the problems with Mormon doctrine compared to biblical teaching. If they are not Christians, seek to get them to read and discuss the Bible and contrast it to Mormonism. Reference books on Mormonism, such as those mentioned above will be important to address the issues. Above all, do not take a claim to be a Christian from anyone, including a Mormon, at face value.

In response to the question, “Are Mormons Christians?”, an article on the official Mormon site gave the following answer.

Why would anyone say such a thing? Isn’t the name of our church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Do we not worship Christ? Is not the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ? How could anyone seriously doubt that Latter-day Saints are Christians?

None of the reasons given in this response has anything to do with the basic marks of Christianity given in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. May we pray that God opens the eyes of Mormons to truly see the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is Mormonism Christian? Part 2

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In “,” I laid out the four marks that distinguish a Christian group or denomination. In Part 2 of this series, I will apply these tests to the doctrine of the Mormon church to answer the question, “Is Mormonism Christian?” The Mormon position will be verified with links to the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As many people have no idea of the origin of the Mormon church, here is a brief history.

The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith was born in Vermont in 1805. At the age of 14, Smith had his first vision, in which a supernatural personage informed him that all of Christianity current at his time was a false abomination. Three years later, Smith had a second vision, in which a spirit called Moroni told him of a book of gold plates on which was recorded the history of the former inhabitants of the American continent. Smith supposedly translated the gold plates to produce the Book of Mormon in 1829. The gold plates were never seen by anyone other than Smith. The historical records contained in the book of Mormon have been demonstrated to be false by noted Mesoamerican archaeologists and respected archaeological societies. Thomas Finley in the book “The New Mormon Challenge” summarizes the evidence for the origin of the Book of Mormon. “There is no solid evidence that the Book of Mormon was written by Semites in ancient times. Contrary evidence makes it more likely that the book is a product of Joseph Smith’s time with the KJV strongly influencing it.”

The first mark of a Christian group is that it upholds the unique authority of the Bible and does not add or take away from it. The Mormon Church has four authoritative books: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price, all but the Bible penned by Joseph Smith. Mormonism teaches that the Bible is unreliable and has been corrupted. Therefore Smith “translated” a corrected version of the Bible which introduced thousands of changes into the King James Version. One of the changes was the addition of a prophecy in Genesis foretelling the coming of Joseph Smith. Of course, since the Bible is considered unreliable, the writings of Smith take precedence in the formulation of Mormon doctrine. This will be seen as I look at the next three marks. Mormonism fails the test of being based on the unique authority of the Bible.

The second mark of a Christian group is it’s understanding of God. The Mormon church teaches that God the Father is the supreme god, ruling over other gods. Mormonism teaches that God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. It teaches that God the Father was once a man like us and progressed to become God. Therefore, humans may also become gods by following the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression. Mormonism rejects the Christian Trinitarian concept of God and views the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as separate beings. Suffice it to say that the Mormon doctrine of God is radically different from the biblical view accepted by Christendom.

The third mark of a Christian group is it’s teaching about Jesus Christ. The Mormon Church teaches that Jesus did not always exist, but was begotten from the union of the Father and an unnamed wife. Jesus and Lucifer therefore are considered spirit brothers. Although a recent statement of the Mormon church appeared to reject this, it was deceptive, as an in-depth discussion of Mormon theology on this point indicates. Mormon doctrine actually teaches that Jesus, in His mortal state, was born as a result of sexual relations between God the Father and Mary. According to Mormon theology, Jesus is not to be worshipped in the same way as God the Father, nor to be prayed to. Mormonism fails the test of the third mark of Christianity.

The fourth mark of Christianity is a biblical doctrine of salvation. It must be noted that Mormonism uses Christian terminology but deceptively defines the terms completely differently from Christianity. Mormon doctrine teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Mormon Church. Mormonism speaks of salvation by grace, but examination of Mormon doctrine clearly shows that individual salvation comes by what you do (Mormon baptism, church attendance, good works, worthiness and temple works). The atonement of Jesus’ death according to Mormonism provides the opportunity to earn salvation through personal merit, rather than paying the full penalty for our sins. Thus Mormonism fails the test of the fourth mark of Christianity.

My conclusion is that Mormonism is not Christian. Based on the beliefs of Mormonism, biblical scholars identify the Mormon Church as a theological cult. A theological cult is a group that consistently refers to itself as Christian, yet differs from the fundamental beliefs of Christian orthodoxy. In “” of this mini-series, I will explore how believers should respond to Mormons.

Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1

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The Mormon religion has been in the news a lot lately, as part of the coverage of the Presidential election. Many opinions have been presented by candidates and the news media, some of which do not agree with one another. The most fundamental question that has been raised is whether Mormonism is Christian or not. Is Mormonism just another Christian denomination? A recent poll by the Pew Research center found that 52% of American adults believe that Mormonism is a Christian religion, while 31% disagree. The Mormon church claims to be Christian, yet rejects all non-Mormon churches from the close of the apostolic age until now as being apostate.

If a group claims to be Christian, is that proof that it is? What does it mean to be Christian? This broader question is vital to answer, as many groups claim to be Christian. The first mark of a Christian group is that it upholds the unique authority of the Bible as the Word of God. Jesus said in NIV Matthew 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished validating the Old Testament scripture of his time. At the end of the New Testament, the book of Revelation concludes with the statement, NIV Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. These verses apply specifically to the book of Revelation and more generally to the New Testament and the whole canon of the Bible. The authority of the Bible has been a mark of the Christian church from it’s foundation.

The second mark of a Christian group is it’s understanding or doctrine of God. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed as a Trinity, that is, one being existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. NIV Isaiah 44:6 “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Man is a created being and can never become God.

The third mark of a Christian group is it’s teaching about Jesus Christ. Jesus was fully human and fully God. As part of the Trinity, He has eternally existed, He was never created. He is co-equal with God. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth, died for the sins of mankind, rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven. NIV Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

The fourth mark of a Christian group is the doctrine of salvation. Salvation is obtained by admitting you have sinned, believing that Jesus’ death forgives that sin and committing one’s life to Jesus as Lord. Salvation is having one’s sins forgiven and entering into a relationship with God called eternal life. Salvation is a free gift received by faith alone and cannot be earned by doing good works. NIV Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.

While there are many other important beliefs taught in the Bible, these four marks have historically defined a true Christian church. Deviations from these marks indicate that the group is not Christian or has deviated from a true Christian belief. These four marks can be used to test whether a group is Christian in it’s teaching or not. An individual must grasp these truths in some form and believe them in order to be a Christian. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans claim to be Christian, while many of them are ignorant of what the term means or what the Bible teaches. In Part 2 of this mini-series, I will apply these tests to the doctrine of the Mormon church to answer the question, “Is Mormonism Christian?”

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