When did you discover your denomination of Christianity was the only right one

[homwardbound]

I think they are equally important. It is important to be in church because God reveals himself to the world through the church. By not being part of it, one misses out on what God is doing. At the same, it's also important to have that personal aspect of the faith. If you aren't praying and reading the Bible, then how is one supposed to connect with God in a personal way? Both church and personal devotions are ways for God to reveal himself and indeed are both commanded by the Bible.

Yes Brother, it is important to be one with God and we were made to fellowship with God personally todaythis has been revealed through his Son Jesus Christ and he is in me and I am in him wherever I am at he is right there with me. The word Church brother means a building and is not the true word used in the original greek text of the new testament. The actual word in the greek is ECCLESIA= called out ones, Christ in you and you in Christ via The Holy Ghost of promise. If you look in Acts when Stephen was stoned to death, see what he was stoned to death for. It was for saying God does not reside in buildings. You see even Jesus was crucified by the clergy of that day because people were not going to the building (synogogue) so oit was Job security that was in thier minds this is how they made thier living, no one was coming to thier place of worship so they plotted to kill Jesus.
Love you in christ

 

[rauleetoe]

I used to believe that I was always right. As a matter of fact the type of church I attend is known for people saying "If you aren't Church of Christ then you aren't going to Heaven." Thought not everyone in the CoC believe this, many do.
Now that I am older, and have had to opportunity to interact with believers from all over the world I am able to educate myself on why there is division within the church.

Do I continue to believe I am right? No. By saying that I feel it is self righteous, and condemning to others. Do I believe others may be misguided? Yes, but that doesn't give anyone any authority to condemn them.

I've been humbled. I even woke up this morning with a totally different outlook on my own beliefs, and even my behaviors.

I was raised in the Church of Christ, and I do still attend there, but my outlook on who is right or wrong has changed. It is not up to me to argue who is right and wrong. I have no authority to do so, and just because my neighbor may attend a Baptist church down the road from mine doesn't make them wrong. Especially if I have no clue what they believe in the first place.

David, I guess that wasn't that answers you were looking for, but since last night the verse "we will be judged the same measure we judge others" keeps dancing around in my head. Therefore I feel that is Gods way of telling me to reevaluate my attitude.

I will be honest..up until recently my experiences with COC have been nothing but negative.
I almost dated a gal from COC years ago,she did not see me as equally yoked with her because i was not COC, and invited me to go to her church,i went but then refused to go to mine(have had that happen twice to me, i do not play those games anymore with people)
And the baptismal regeneration concept is based on simply one scripture,however..Baptism is important..to me its a necessary fruit of repentance,it shows you are obedient. If you are not obedient,then why will you not be obedient? However..a bit of water in and of itself could never be equivalent to what Christ did. As far as not knowing what they believe in the first place, are you not allowed to attend other churches or read up on other churches? My experience with many,not all COC people is they isolate themselves to just COC folks, claim to not have a systematic theology(athough i claim they do),say they do not follow any creeds(what about the believe that dunking oneself in water saves? It may not be a creed,but it should be in a doctrinal statement)
The issue with COC i have is they wish to be the non denominational 'denomination' that has the systematic theology of a 'non existent systematic theology'..if this is done on purpose or for the sake of 'not causing division' it still however does cause division. Not using instruments is a 'grey' area that is not even worth worrying about, its not salvic..use instruments already. And as far not causing division,i have met some COC folk in a 'house church' and one of the first things they wanted to know what was my beliefs,and if i got wet. I honestly think that the church of christ is a little disingenuous(most of them) are for not saying they are the first church of the baptismal pool or church of the water.
As far as not knowing, go read about other churches. Do not let your leaders in your church cause you to fear others. I am hoping you do that now,it seems you have. I have met one COC young lady who was petrified of even going inside of another church that was not COC, its a control issue. And a friend of mine who is reform considers COC non christian(i disagree mostly with him,however i can see where he got that conclusion) I ask you is there not a huge issue with some members of COC thinking only COC are saved?(not saying you are,just asking) How is that different from the mormons,the jehovahs witnesses,the 7th day adventists? etc?
Not trying to bash, just get you to think. I have a friend who is COC who i love a lot,however i believe she has just never been exposed to other theological persuations and i have introduced her to Arminian Theology(COC are arminians btw) and to John Wesley,etc.

 

[rauleetoe]

I persoanly like the pentacost because they seem to be closet to the word than the others. But then that is where the lord
drew me. The Lord had never been so real to me until then. I always wondered why people in the old days saw angels ect
Then after being baptised it the spirit, everything became new. I do realise there are imitations and then there are the real
ones.

Closest to the word..how..have you read 1 corinthians 14, where it says, if you pray in tongues,and do not have an interpreter,well then refrain from your praying(your gift)..and keep your tongues in your prayer closet..keep it out of the church service. Paul said this,we all know he was a tongues advocate. But also an advocate of order,prefering to pray in a few understandable words than a thousand tongues,so that all in the church could be edified.

 

[rauleetoe]

I never seen the point of denominations personally.

That is fine,its your choice..preference..however i tend to like denominations. I can walk into a baptist church,and for the most part I know,or have an idea of what they believe..I can attend a church of the Wesleyan Arminian emphasis and know what i signed up for. However, if i go to a 'non denominational church' which i used to attend often for years, I do not know necessarily what they believe,what their statement of faith is, what their systematic theology is..if they even have one,do they even know what systematic theology is?
Having said all that, Denominations are not evil. God uses them. And perhaps I will post Roger E Olson's blog on why he likes denominations.(it was a very interesting blog I might add)

 

[homwardbound]

I will be honest..up until recently my experiences with COC have been nothing but negative.
I almost dated a gal from COC years ago,she did not see me as equally yoked with her because i was not COC, and invited me to go to her church,i went but then refused to go to mine(have had that happen twice to me, i do not play those games anymore with people)
And the baptismal regeneration concept is based on simply one scripture,however..Baptism is important..to me its a necessary fruit of repentance,it shows you are obedient. If you are not obedient,then why will you not be obedient? However..a bit of water in and of itself could never be equivalent to what Christ did. As far as not knowing what they believe in the first place, are you not allowed to attend other churches or read up on other churches? My experience with many,not all COC people is they isolate themselves to just COC folks, claim to not have a systematic theology(athough i claim they do),say they do not follow any creeds(what about the believe that dunking oneself in water saves? It may not be a creed,but it should be in a doctrinal statement)
The issue with COC i have is they wish to be the non denominational 'denomination' that has the systematic theology of a 'non existent systematic theology'..if this is done on purpose or for the sake of 'not causing division' it still however does cause division. Not using instruments is a 'grey' area that is not even worth worrying about, its not salvic..use instruments already. And as far not causing division,i have met some COC folk in a 'house church' and one of the first things they wanted to know what was my beliefs,and if i got wet. I honestly think that the church of christ is a little disingenuous(most of them) are for not saying they are the first church of the baptismal pool or church of the water.
As far as not knowing, go read about other churches. Do not let your leaders in your church cause you to fear others. I am hoping you do that now,it seems you have. I have met one COC young lady who was petrified of even going inside of another church that was not COC, its a control issue. And a friend of mine who is reform considers COC non christian(i disagree mostly with him,however i can see where he got that conclusion) I ask you is there not a huge issue with some members of COC thinking only COC are saved?(not saying you are,just asking) How is that different from the mormons,the jehovahs witnesses,the 7th day adventists? etc?
Not trying to bash, just get you to think. I have a friend who is COC who i love a lot,however i believe she has just never been exposed to other theological persuations and i have introduced her to Arminian Theology(COC are arminians btw) and to John Wesley,etc.

I just remember what Jesus had to sat about being differant:
Matthew 5:43[ Love Your Enemies ] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
Matthew 5:44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Matthew 5:46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Therefore any Church or gathering that only loves themselves or others like them are as the Heathen. How can anyone claim they Love God and not love all for is this not what God did
[h=3]John 3:16[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)

[SUP]16 [/SUP]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.
How many sins did Christ die for at the cross?

[h=3]John 1:29[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)

[h=3]The Lamb of God[/h][SUP]29 [/SUP]The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

How is one saved by the death or the life?

[h=3]Romans 5:10[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)

[SUP]10 [/SUP]For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
So we are not saved by the death we are saved by the life, and nowhere in the Bible doies it ever say you are to be denomination or non-denomination, nowhere. We are called out of this world and our cirizenship is in heaven period and we are the children of God through The son Christ whom is egual with God and put above all powers and principalities. And through belief through God by God you have been made righteous with God as Jesus is you are one in him. So as you go in this worldyou would be carrying the Gospel of love with you everywhere you go and God is LOVE. Now the love I am talking about has no preresiquites it is 1 cor 13 love that God wants you to recieve and thus you be a doer of the law of love unto all, no more divisions as Paul talked about as in 1 Cor 3

[h=3]1 Corinthians 3[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)

[h=3]Sectarianism Is Carnal[/h]3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. [SUP]2 [/SUP]I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; [SUP]3 [/SUP]for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? [SUP]4 [/SUP]For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
Do you see this going on in modern times I am COC or I am Baptist, or or or
Become of one mind that goes on forever and ever and this is the engrafted word LOVE God's type shown in 1 Cor. 3
Love you all in christ as Christ has already shown the whole world and the whole wrold knows this otherwise we would not have the dividing line of world history before the cross and after for Christ himself is the dividing line of human history and no where is there anyone else that has done the things he has done in prooving whom he is and the confirmation is the resurrection by God the Father for each of us to recieve the new life in him romans 6:1-8 is a good explanation of what we are to do in belief if we have not already come to this and believe it as Paul wrote this as a past tense action by the Romans so now be this you as well and walk in LOVE God's type 1 cor 13

 

[rauleetoe]

I just remember what Jesus had to sat about being differant:
Matthew 5:43[ Love Your Enemies ] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
Matthew 5:44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Matthew 5:46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Therefore any Church or gathering that only loves themselves or others like them are as the Heathen. How can anyone claim they Love God and not love all for is this not what God did
John 3:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

[SUP]16 [/SUP]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.
How many sins did Christ die for at the cross?

John 1:29

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lamb of God

[SUP]29 [/SUP]The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

How is one saved by the death or the life?

Romans 5:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

[SUP]10 [/SUP]For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
So we are not saved by the death we are saved by the life, and nowhere in the Bible doies it ever say you are to be denomination or non-denomination, nowhere. We are called out of this world and our cirizenship is in heaven period and we are the children of God through The son Christ whom is egual with God and put above all powers and principalities. And through belief through God by God you have been made righteous with God as Jesus is you are one in him. So as you go in this worldyou would be carrying the Gospel of love with you everywhere you go and God is LOVE. Now the love I am talking about has no preresiquites it is 1 cor 13 love that God wants you to recieve and thus you be a doer of the law of love unto all, no more divisions as Paul talked about as in 1 Cor 3

1 Corinthians 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Sectarianism Is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. [SUP]2 [/SUP]I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; [SUP]3 [/SUP]for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? [SUP]4 [/SUP]For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
Do you see this going on in modern times I am COC or I am Baptist, or or or
Become of one mind that goes on forever and ever and this is the engrafted word LOVE God's type shown in 1 Cor. 3
Love you all in christ as Christ has already shown the whole world and the whole wrold knows this otherwise we would not have the dividing line of world history before the cross and after for Christ himself is the dividing line of human history and no where is there anyone else that has done the things he has done in prooving whom he is and the confirmation is the resurrection by God the Father for each of us to recieve the new life in him romans 6:1-8 is a good explanation of what we are to do in belief if we have not already come to this and believe it as Paul wrote this as a past tense action by the Romans so now be this you as well and walk in LOVE God's type 1 cor 13

I never said i hated anybody Homeward..
I simply vehemently disagree..however..that said, I have a dear friend who is COC,church of christ..and she does not believe in the doctrine of Baptismal regeneration. And we agree on much.
just had to say that..if i did not say i hate anyone, you might want to be quick to ask me before you go posting scriptures up here acting as if i said such a thing.
Never said it, you will not find it..

 

[homwardbound]

I never said i hated anybody Homeward..
I simply vehemently disagree..however..that said, I have a dear friend who is COC,church of christ..and she does not believe in the doctrine of Baptismal regeneration. And we agree on much.
just had to say that..if i did not say i hate anyone, you might want to be quick to ask me before you go posting scriptures up here acting as if i said such a thing.
Never said it, you will not find it..

I apologize brother but I never accused you of anything, do not know how you got this interpretation except by readng into what I wrote. I only wrote about recieving the love of God his type of Love that I have recieved. Sorry apparently I struck a chord in you that you do not like, never intended it that way brother.

 

[rauleetoe]

I apologize brother but I never accused you of anything, do not know how you got this interpretation except by readng into what I wrote. I only wrote about recieving the love of God his type of Love that I have recieved. Sorry apparently I struck a chord in you that you do not like, never intended it that way brother.

It happens..don't worry about it. I have had some here accuse me of thinking i am better than others, or say that i 'sin less' than others,etc..things i have never said. The mods refuse to do things about the accusers here,and so..i steer clear from those rooms,as you have no backing whatsoever from anyone here

But you are good..
no worries.

 

[homwardbound]

It happens..don't worry about it. I have had some here accuse me of thinking i am better than others, or say that i 'sin less' than others,etc..things i have never said. The mods refuse to do things about the accusers here,and so..i steer clear from those rooms,as you have no backing whatsoever from anyone here

But you are good..
no worries.

Sorry to hear this Rauleetoe, hopfully this is where we learn to be wise as a serphant, harmless as a dove. Be angry but don't sin. So I say stay away from anger as in the renewing and renewal of our mind for anger leads to sin or actually the old mind set before we recieved Christ as our Lord and savior
One thing I learned is that I, you, and all that have come to belief are:
[h=3]Ephesians 1[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)

[h=3]Greeting[/h]1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[h=3]Redemption in Christ[/h][SUP]3 [/SUP]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, [SUP]4 [/SUP]just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [SUP]5 [/SUP]having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [SUP]6 [/SUP]to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Now for me brother, when I saw this and saw it was to the faithful n Christ Jesus,( the ones that continue to want to know God) and at the end where it states we are accepted in the beloved. I had an AHA! moment that has stuck with me.
I do not need the approval of anyone any longer ever for I, you and all the ones that believe have been accepted in the beloved and this is Christ Jesus
Oh and brother the Accuser who is the accuser from day one?
Oh and say I am quilty for something or you or anyone else we have an advocate Jesus Christ the righteous and we approach the throne of grace to see Father and communicate with Father. Then the accuser is right there outside the entrance and Jesus is sat right inside at rest, waiving you, me and al the believers in by a hand motion and as the accuser starts to come in and Jeseus's hand is up in the position of the accuser not allowed, and so we go in and ask Father how to walk in trust of him to do the work of his love through us and he does, once we the believers are past the fact that we are forgiven and that is back at the cross where the last sacrifice and shedding of blood took place, and after that we recieve this new life of Love regardless of what others do or think this is when we count this all joy
Brother I do not know if any of this helps yet I thought I would share how I learnt from Father in not letting others and thier firey darts not enter my thought process any longer and it is by his Love
In Love Homwardbound