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The Oneness of the Church<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Harold Fite<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The oneness of the church is unique. There is only one! It far transcends religious organizations founded by men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The church belonging to Christ was conceived in the mind of God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), and brought into existence by his power through Jesus Christ. The church was not a substitute for the Kingdom as the Premillennialist would have us believe. It came into existence according to God\u2019s eternal purpose (Eph. 3:10, 11). Man cannot thwart the purpose of God. God envisioned a people that would know him, from the least to the greatest, and would have God\u2019s laws written on their heart. He would be their God and they would be his people (Heb. 8:10, 11). \u201cHe chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Eph. 1:4, 5). To foreordain or predestinate<\/em> is to \u201cdecide and design prior to acting; making out boundaries or setting limits beforehand; to determine before.\u201d To illustrate the above: He who would be President of these United States must be a natural born citizen, being thirty five years of age, having lived in this country fourteen years, and be willing to take the oath of office, upholding the Constitution. It could be said that the framers of the Constitution foreordained\u2014chose those who would sit in the President\u2019s chair. In like manner, God foreordained those whom he would adopt as sons. God did not choose or foreordain individuals\u2014consigning some to salvation and others to damnation\u2014but as a class of people for his own possession (1 Pet. 2:9, 10). The chosen are those in Christ by virtue of their obedient faith. They fulfill the requirements of adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he announced, \u201cI will build my church\u201d (Matt. 16:18). Approximately six months later the church had its beginning. Peter preached Christ on that occasion and 3,000 obeyed the gospel and were added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47). Note the definite article \u201cthe.\u201d Not \u201ca\u201d church, but \u201cthe\u201d church! Christ said \u201cmy church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ purchased the church with his blood (Acts 20:28). The word \u201cpurchase\u201d means \u201cto gain; to get something for oneself.\u201d It conveys \u201cpossession.\u201d<\/em> When Christ purchased the church, he purchased people: \u201cfor thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation\u201d (Rev. 5:9). He possessed those whom he purchased. He \u201cgave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession\u201d<\/em> (italics mine), zealous of good works\u201d (Tit. 2:14). Peter echoes the same truth in 1 Peter 2:9: \u201cBut ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God\u2019s own possession.\u201d<\/em> He presented the church unto himself (Eph. 5:27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is only one church recognized by the Lord. From the time God planned the church, until it was born, only one church was in his mind. It was never God\u2019s intention to bring forth a multiplicity of churches (denominationalism). Christ built one church, and he is the head of it: \u201cAnd he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence\u201d (Col. 1:18). He is \u201chead over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all\u201d (Eph. 1:22, 23). That being true, Paul dogmatically declares that \u201cthere is one body\u201d (Eph. 4:4). If the church is the body, and the body is the church, and there is one body, it logically follows that there is one church! Denominationalism has no scriptural foundation! It is made up of many bodies (churches), founded by man, wearing different names and adhering to different faiths. This is not what God planned from the foundation of the world. We \u201cwere called in one body\u201d (Col. 1:15). We are \u201cbaptized into one body\u201d (1 Cor. 12:13). \u201cBut now there are many members, but one body\u201d (1 Cor. 12:20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the church is one body, there is oneness among those who compose the one body. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the analogy of the physical body in explanation and application of the diversities of gifts. There are diversities of gifts, but one Spirit. There are many members, but one body. Note the following verses, beginning with verse 12: \u201cFor as the body is one, and hath many members. And all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.\u201d \u201cFor the body is not one member, but many\u201d (v. 14). \u201cBut now there are many members, but one body\u201d (v. 20). The human body is made up of various members operating in conjunction with the head. Each member has its work to do, but all work together for the benefit of the body. This shows the interdependence of the different members of the body on one another. \u201cThe eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee\u201d (v. 21). The different members complement one another. Thus the spiritual body of Christ is one body, but made up of different members, working together as per instruction from the head, Jesus Christ. The spiritual body of Christ is \u201cknit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part\u201d (Eph. 4:16). This contributes to the increasing of the body. There is a oneness there, a mutual supportiveness, kinship, and like-mindedness. This is the reason why we \u201cbear one another\u2019s burdens.\u201d When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all rejoice (1 Cor. 12:26). If one member of the physical body is injured, the entire body is affected. Whether one suffers or is honored, it touches other members of the spiritual body. We \u201crejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep\u201d (Rom. 12:15). This could be called sympathetic vibration: <\/em>\u201cvibration produced in one body by the vibration of exactly the same period in a neighboring body.\u201d Strike one prong of a tuning fork and the tone is transmitted to the other prong, hence the musical term sympathy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The believers gathered in Jerusalem \u201cwere of one heart and soul . . . they had all things common.\u201d The apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians to \u201cstand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel\u201d (Phil. 1:27). \u201cSeeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we all partake of the one bread\u201d (1 Cor. 10:17).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Denominationalism has no justification in the Scriptures. Those who are being saved are in his body, the church (Eph. 5:23). \u201cExcept the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it\u201d (Ps. 127:1). May we strive earnestly to attain that ideal oneness in the one body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll the churches of Christ salute you\u201d (Rom. 16:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via Truth Magazine,<\/em> March 2007, Volume LI, Number 3, pp. 14-15 1) Hear <\/strong>the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street \u201cGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations\u2026teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 Contents: 1) The Oneness of the Church (Harold Fite)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 -1- The Oneness of the Church Harold Fite The oneness of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=469"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":470,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469\/revisions\/470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Church Becomes a Reality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Oneness of Those in the One Body<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe<\/strong> in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent <\/strong>of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith<\/strong> in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized<\/strong> in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith<\/strong>, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA\u00a0 31501
Sunday<\/strong> services:\u00a09:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday:\u00a0<\/strong>7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist\/editor:\u00a0<\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a>
http:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go<\/a> (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http:\/\/tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org\/<\/a>
http:\/\/ThomasTEdwards.com\/audioser.html<\/a> (audio sermons)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"