My name is Marv Walker, I live in Hillsboro, GA and I am the web fingers behind MonticelloChurchOfChrist.com.
While I serve the Monticello church of Christ in Monticello, Georgia, I in no way speak for the Biblical church of Christ as found in the Bible or any other congregational church of Christ in the world that is trying to conform to the biblical church pattern set forth in the first century. The Bible and the Bible alone speaks for the church.
All I do is work to fit what I believe with what the Bible says. If I am at odds with the Bible, I am the one who is in the wrong, not the Bible, and I need to blend my beliefs with the Bible and not bend the Bible to my beliefs.
Am I ever wrong? Oh, yeah! When I am I try to immediately correct my thinking.
And I beg those who listen to what I have to say or read what I have to write to question ANYTHING they get from me. If I cannot defend what I write or say according the scriptures then I need to change it.
But, in the long run, does it really matter what we believe as long as we believe?
John 4:24 says it does.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24 NKJV)
Not should, not may, not can, must. It's not left up to us, we have no choice, we have to worship God in spirit. We have to worship with the right attitude doing the will of God from the heart,
not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (Ephesians 6:6 NKJV)
But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. (Romans 6:7 NKJV)
The right attitude is from the heart.
What is truth?
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.(John 17:17 NKJV)
So then, we must worship God with the right attitude (spirit) and according to his word (truth). We have no choice in the matter. We MUST worship God in the manner He tells us to.
Here is what the Word of God has to say about doing more or doing less than God says in worshiping, serving Him...
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2 NKJV)
“Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (Deuteronomy 5:32 NKJV)
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32 NKJV)
Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:6 NKJV)
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19 NKJV)
Does it matter what we believe? The world with all of its religious denominations says, "No." God says a resounding "YES!" The world says it's perfectly all right that we teach the exact opposite of each other in many cases because the most important part is whether or not we believe in God. They teach as long as we believe in God everything will be all right in the end.
But God says that is not so. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, John 4:24, 2 John 1:9, Revelation 22:18-19 and others.)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV)
Obviously they didn't worship in spirit and truth.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV)
The opposite of in spirit and truth is delusion.
We invite you to join us in studying God's Truth.
Here's the plan of salvation from sin given by God Himself...
- John 6:45, Romans 10:14-17 ~ Must hear the gospel
- I Corinthians 15:1-4 - Death, burial and resurrection of Christ
- Romans 10:17, John 8:24 - Must believe the gospel
- Luke 13:3 & 5, Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30 - Must repent, change your way of thinking toward sin
- Acts 8:37, Romans 10:9-10 - Must confess Christ
- Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16 and others - Must be baptized
- Revelation 2:10, I Corinthians 15:58, Romans 8:1 - Must be faithful
