How Can You Know You Are In The Right Church?
Imagine that you were a person in the world who knew nothing about God or Jesus or the Bible. But you had an inclination towards belief in God and you wanted to know more and you understood that religious institutions existed for a reason and perhaps they could help. So you decide to visit a local church. How do you even begin to know if you are in the right place?
It seems that all churches should exist for the same reason. And you would expect to receive some direction from the people who attend there. When you arrived you would want to feel welcomed. You would want people to talk to you and have an interest in the fact that you had chosen to visit. You would be hopeful for some questions about God to be answered for you. You would desire that the experience would have helped you on your path of discovery towards the spiritual thoughts you had been struggling with inside your heart and mind.
Now imagine that you were a Christian who has been a member of the church for years. But because of recent struggles in your local congregation you needed to make a move for the best spiritual interests of your family. You visit another local church that is known to be doctrinally sound and scripturally organized. You know this church worships according to the Bible, teaches the truth about salvation, and you recognize it on the whole as a New Testament church. How do you even begin to know if you are in the right place?
It seems that all churches of Christ would exist for the same reason. You would expect to receive some direction from the people who attend there. When you arrived you would want to feel welcomed. You would want people to talk to you and have an interest in the fact that you had chosen to visit. You would be hopeful for some questions about God to be answered for you. You would desire that the experience would have helped you on your path of discovery towards the spiritual thoughts you had been struggling within inside your heart and mind.
Funny, isn’t it? That whether you know nothing about God or if you have been raised from a child to know him, there are just certain things that are supposed to define his church. His church should be loving. His church should be friendly. His church should care about every person in the community and be benevolent. His church should teach the truth and provide spiritual development for every person present. His church should worship him according to his wishes and commands to be worshiped. His church should ultimately help every person have the opportunity for the salvation that is provided by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. His church should provide the peace that the Spirit brings.
If we claim to be his church, which we do, then we need to make sure that we are the right place for the people who are searching for God. We will never be perfect. But if we love God and if we love each other, and if we are trying our best to please him and help one another get to heaven, then we can be the right place. We must not be defined by the street address of our building or the name on our sign. The kingdom of God is within us.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21
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AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
