About the Churches of Christ

To be honest, the churches of Christ are autonomous, meaning that we do not have a headquarters or convention that tells us what to teach and believe. As a result, what I teach and what I believe come completely from what I have studied in the Scriptures. Because of this autonomous nature, there are different types of "churches of Christ." What the church of Christ believes and teaches in your community may or may not be the same as what I teach and believe. Therefore, I am only able to give you the following information based on my personal beliefs (which is usually an advantage, as I do not have to consult with anyone else before telling you what I affirm to be truth). More of this page will be added later.

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I believe in God as the Creator of our universe. I believe he created it in six 24-hour periods, because the word for "day" in Genesis 1 always refers to a 24-hour period when preceded by a number (i.e., "There was evening and morning, the first day").

I believe that God made a promise to Abraham (formerly Abram) that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him (referring to Christ and Christianity), and that the Old Testament Law was a guardian for the descendants of Abraham to lead them to the point of time in which faith should come (cf. Galatians 3:24-27). Therefore, once the adoption has taken place, the guardian is no longer needed, and the Old Testament Law is not to be bound on Christians today. This applies to the requirement of circumcision, Sabbath Day worship, and use of external devices in worship, such as altars, bowls of water, incense, and musical instruments.

I believe that Christ was the only "Elect" child of God, and that the world is called to put on that "election." The Bible teaches that Christ came into the world with the intent to save all sinners (II Peter 3:9), and that those who are lost are lost on their own accord, not because God did not call them.

I believe that God requires our obedience before he gives us salvation. Romans 10 is very plain here. It says that all who call on the Lord's name will be saved, but that in order to call, one must hear and believe the gospel. He also says that not all who have called on the Lord have obeyed (Romans 10:16). They heard, they understood, but they were "disobedient and contrary." Chapter 11 goes on to say that we stand fast by faith (verse 20), provided we continue in (in other words, doing something to stay in--i.e. being faithful) his kindness (22). See "What is Faith?" for more information.

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I believe that the great confusion over what we must do to be saved stems from a misrepresentation of what faith is. If we are talking about having faith in someone, we refer to trust or believing something. However, it is incorrect to say that if I trust my spouse, then my spouse will never lie to me. My belief in my spouse does not affect her actions! Likewise, if I say that if I trust God, then he will save me, I am incorrect. My trust in God does not complete the requirements. Let me explain further.

What does it mean to "be faithful" to your spouse? Does it mean that you simply trust him/her, or does it mean that you made vows to your spouse, and you will live to keep those vows? If I am faithful to my wife, I will never leave her. I will fulfill my responsibilities to her and nurture her. I will make sure that she is loved and appreciated, and I will never, NEVER, give her a bad reputation by my words and actions. You see, faith in marriage is all about what I do for her, not what I believe she will do for me (that is backwards, selfish thinking!).

To be faithful to God is to have a symbol of my covenant with him (baptism, partaking in Communion, etc.). To be faithful to God is to live a life that uplifts and praises him in word AND action, and does not give him a bad reputation ("If HE is a Christian, I don't want to be one"). I will keep my promises I have made to God, and I will give my life completely to following his will.

By THAT faith, you will be saved. When the Bible says that it is "not by works, lest any man should boast," it is not saying that you do not have to do anything. Rather, it says that these actions are not what make us righteous. If I dip myself in water, it does not purge me of the guilt of everything I have ever done. However, when I submit to God and plea for righteousness by calling on his name, THEN that water washes my sins away. I Peter 3:21 says that baptism saves us, but not because it washes our bodies. It is an appeal (a calling on God) for a pure conscience. See "What is Baptism?" for more information about baptism.

Once we are Christians, that faith must continue. It is what drives us to go to all the world preaching the gospel (for we walk by faith, not by sight--II Cor. 5:7)! It is what helps us to endure temptation and trial (be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life--Rev. 2:10)! It is our evidence of the world yet unseen (Hebrews 11:1)! It is necessary before we can please God (Hebrews 11:6)! It is not just a belief, but rather a lifestyle-changing attitude that I have made a covenant with God, and I will live by that covenant until the day I die!

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Baptism serves many purposes in one action. There are many people who say that it is an "outward sign of an inward grace." It is that. It is a ceremony that celebrates the inward obedient faith of a person, just like a wedding is a ceremony that celebrates an inward decided love of a person. It shows others that you have left your sinful lifestyles and have begun a new walk of faith. It is an event that reminds you that you are not yours, for you have been bought with a price.

Baptism also is a symbol of Christ's act of salvation. As Christ died, we die to our old lives (the "old self" discussed in Colossians 3:5-10) and are buried in water with him (Colossians 2:14) into his death (Romans 6:4). Therefore, since he was raised from the dead by God's glory, we too are raised [from the water] to walk in newness of life (Romans 5-6). This shows that baptism is a going down into and a coming up out of water. It is total immersion! In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word for "baptize" appears in only one place--where Naaman is told to go and "dip" in the waters of the Jordan River seven times to cure his leprosy.

Baptism is a cleansing agent. It does not in and of itself purify us, but it is the act that shows our obedience and faith, so that when we have completed it, "Our faith has made us whole." Every time Jesus used that phrase to heal in his ministry, the person had done something because of faith that otherwise would not have helped. For example, four friends might lower their friend into the house of a prophet hoping that the prophet could make the man walk, but it would do no good. It is the attitude behind the action (attitude combined with action) that saves (James 2:14-26).

Ananias told Saul in Acts 22:16, "Why are you waiting? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the Lord's name!" Saul's sins were with him through his believing and accepting Christ as Lord (on the way to Damascus), and through his repentance and confession of sin (he fasted three days in Damascus), and they stayed with him until he was baptized (which washed away his sins as he called on the Lord's name).

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