How Can This Be???

The Bible appears to be extremely complex when taken as a whole. However, it is incredibly simple when examined close up, broken down into understandable links and studied to understand how each part fits into the overall flow of the Bible, “God’s Dealings With His Creation.”

The Bible is a transcript of a crime. A perfect God created a perfect world where perfect man created in God’s image could live forever in fellowship with Him. Satan comes in and causes a division between God and man. The Bible is a beginning to end record of an ongoing battle between God working to regain His perfect world and Satan determined to destroy it completely.

One has to follow the transcript to determine each part God, Satan, and man has in the battle. When man follows the flow of the battle he discovers that it is his very eternal existence that is at stake. Since man is created in the image of God man will always exist somewhere, either with God or without Him.

Satan wants God and man forever apart in absolute Godless unimaginable torment. Careful reading of the Bible tells man how the battle is unfolding and what his situation is as the war wages on about him.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Jesus built a refuge to protect man from Satan.

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 6 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 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. 19 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 in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19)

That refuge is the church. The saved are added to the church Jesus built. Nothing, not even death will prevail against the church.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

Somewhere between Matthew 16 and Acts 2 the first-century church Jesus promised is in eternal existence. Since nothing can prevail against it, it must still be in existence. But there are many, many churches, mostly teaching opposite of each other in the world. Since Jesus built ONE and only church that will last forever, how can we determine which church is that one church?

We can easily eliminate all those churches started after the first century, any started anywhere other than in Jerusalem, and all those based upon the teachings or doctrines of any man or woman. Of the ones who are left we can compare them to what the Bible teaches. Any church lacking a Biblical founder, starting date, or place outside of Jerusalem CANNOT be the Bible church.

Jesus built one church, He did not make all churches one no matter what they teach, where or when they were established, or by who.

Can it be that important? Judge for yourself?

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. (II John 9)

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2nd Timothy 2:15)