Are You looking to join a Perfect Church ?

One Christian asked another these questions. “Is there now any perfect church on earth? I have not come across one yet. If you know of one please let me know because I would like to join it!” The other Christian replied, “I have not come across one either, but even though there may be one, the moment you join this church it ceases to be perfect. Are you perfect?”

God revealed to the apostle John the seven churches in Asia, and every one of them has some faults (Rev. 1:11, 20, chapters 2 and 3). These seven churches represent all the churches in the world. Some may think they are better than others, but the Lord Jesus Christ has an opposite view of them. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked –“ (Rev. 3:17). It is not what a denominational church claims and thinks of itself that is important. It is what God says about it that really matters!

Elitism is a belief in concept of superiority.

Exclusivism is the practice or policy of being exclusive or excluding others.

Separatism is the practice of separation from others.

When you think of these three characteristics of people living during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ you straightaway think of the Pharisees. They believed they were superior to others, excluding others and separating themselves from others.

These kinds of faults are what God dislike and congregations with such attitudes are usually cults. Every local congregation and church council needs to examine its policies and see whether or not it is guilty of such faults.

These are the questions every church needs to ask and have biblical answers according to God’s will.

1. Does your church believe in Elitism? Do you think you are superior to other denominational churches?

2. Does your church practice Exclusivism? Do you think you are the only ones saved and go to heaven?

3. Do you practice Separatism? Does your church work with other churches in preaching to the unsaved?

If the answer to the above three questions are yes, yes and yes, then your church need to repent of your sins.

Christianity is the religion that is based on the life, teachings, practice, experience and examples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity claims to be the only true religion in the world. It is based on the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One True God who was manifested in the flesh, and also He is the Only Savior of Mankind. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn. 14:6) “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

This word “Churchianity” was used by the Christian Reformers to counter the authoritarian claims by the Roman Catholic Church to be the one and only true church in the world. Churchianity is a false religion that places great emphasis and importance on the Church rather than on the Lord Jesus Christ. Churchianity teaches that salvation is received by joining the “One and Only True Church” that is “established by the Lord Jesus Christ through Apostolic Succession”. The Roman Catholic Church claims that the Lord Jesus Christ ordained the apostle Peter as the First Pope, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18) They also claim that Peter was also the first Bishop of Rome and the Lord Jesus Christ said to him, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed on earth.” (Mt. 16:19). Hence, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the only way to be saved and go to heaven is to join their church.

There are several other denominational churches that also claim to be the “One and Only True Church”.

· Mormon scriptures claim that the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (Doctrine and Covenants, 1:30).

· Joseph Smith stated: "This [the LDS] Church...is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).

The LDS church is referred to as a cult because their teachings differ significantly from historic Christian theology. http://www.godandscience.org/cults/mormdiff.html

Here is a web site that compares different denominational churches that claim theirs to be the one and only true church in the world. http://www.theholdemans.com/Compare.htm

They are all preaching Churchianity, a false religion, and not Christianity that centers on the Lord Jesus Christ as the One True God and the One and Only Savior in the world.

In the church history it is stated that the original name was “Universal Reformed Jesus True Church”, but in 1917 the Holy Spirit revealed that it be changed to True Jesus Church. The focus and emphasis is True Jesus and not “True Church”. It is explained that the word “True” refers to the One True God (Jn. 17:3; Rom. 3:4). The word “True” also describes the Son of God Jesus Christ, “that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (1 Jn. 5:20). A true minister in the True Jesus Church understands this truth and preaches the True Jesus.

The Holy Bible clearly states, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen. 1:27) “For there is no partiality with God.” (Rom. 2:11) “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceived that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:34-35) “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” (Acts 17:26). Any Christian who believes in the Word of God (Holy Bible) cannot be a racist, and any denominational church that promotes racism is teaching a false doctrine and is headed for failure.

Israel became God’s chosen people not because of its race but because of its obedience to His voice and keeping His covenant (Ex. 19:5-6). In the New Testament God has no favorite nation or race but He made believers in the Lord Jesus Christ “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”(Acts 10:34-35; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6)

“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9)

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9)

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,” (Heb. 12:22-23)

These two verses of Scripture do not refer to any church on earth. They describe “the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” The "heavenly Jerusalem" refers to the holy city in heaven and not the one on earth. Where can you find angels in any earthly church? The phrase “to the spirits of just men made perfect,” can only refer to the perfected saints whose spirits have gone home to Paradise to be with the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27)

The "glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish”  will be presented to the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns.  That is the time when the Lord Jesus Christ "transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4; 1 Cor. 15:51-54).  This is the description of the Perfect Church. 

Your quest to join God's Perfect Church begins here on earth.  You start by not only loving the members of your own congregation, but also loving Christians from other denominational churches as well. Just read what the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples (Matthew 5:43-48).

43 "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated His perfect character by loving and forgiving His enemies when He hung on the Cross. “Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.”(Luke 23:34)

Stephen, the first Christian martyr has reached the level of perfection when he prayed for his enemies. “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:59-60)

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on, Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev. 14:12-13)

The Road to Perfection begins with yourself loving other Christians.

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment’ because as He is , so are we in this world.” ( 1 John 4:17)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

By loving other Christians you will be in God’s Perfect Church when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.