THREE
DIFFERENT KIND OF CHURCHES.
August,12,1938.
By G.W.S.Ware.
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Church, a particular body of christians; an assembly; denomination.
Synagogue, a Jewish place for worship
A synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9), a place where wicked people meet.
A Church of Jesus Christ, is one He governs, not the doctrines of men.
A Church that worships God in vain, is one that teaches as their doctrine the commandments
of men (Matt. 15:9).
1st. The Church run by the commandments of men, is one whose motive power, is human
sight and knowledge.
2nd. A Church run by the commandments of men, is one whose motive power is human
feelings and human imagination.
Christ Himself is His Church on earth; its members is the kingdom of God on earth;
faith, made alive to the word of God, by the Holy Spirit, is its only motive power.
1st. The church that walk by sight, make every appeal to the human eye and senses that
is possible, such as images of angels, Christ, the apostles, the mother of Jesus, and
members of their church who have died in past ages. Sins to be forgiven by Almighty God
must first be confessed to a man, set forth by their church for that purpose. That the man
who is the head of their church, is placed there to set in God’s place on earth. This
church is so determed to walk by sight, it substitutes men, whom it can see, in the place
of God, whom it cannot see; and it makes itself as one of the saviours of men, for it
proclaims to all mankind, that no one can enter heaven, only through its door, that it is
the only door for man to enter into the presence of God. That if one of its members should
miss heaven, and be lost in purgatory, as a church it has power to pray him out.
2nd: The church with the doctrines of men in it, but to a less degree stresses human
feelings, and motions as one of the roads, that leads to knowledge that they are saved and
are on their way to heaven, straighter than people in other churches. They are very
anxious to meet together often, for they cannot feel that they are on their road to
heaven, as well, any where else. Their motive power of feeling cannot be generated alone
to reach that point of joy, as when together, all determined to reach that joy; hence,
they are great to speak on their one line of joy, and pass by faith, and the doctrines
that should rule the Church of Jesus Christ. They stress the point, That if a person is
sincere, has joy and feels that he is on his way to heaven, why bring up the laws of
Christ as found in the New Testament to govern his Church, in this advanced age of the
world?
The motive power in the Church of Jesus Christ in the world to day, as it ever has
been, and ever will be is: IS FAITH IN HIS WORD, TO DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO THROUGH IT.
His promise is, That if His Churches, will strive to keep His faith he gives them, they
will have his presence through all ages. He give a command, That His Churches must walk by
faith, not by sight, feelings, emotions, nor by the doctrines of men. His revelation how
he dealt with His seven Churches of old as found in Revelation 2nd. and 3rd. chapters,
reveals how He deals with his Churches through all time; and His exhortations to
individuals, repeated six times, is enough to cause any church member to take a firmer
hold on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and any sinner to believe in Him and be saved.
None of the strength of these seven churches rested on human joy, sight, emotion,
feeling; nor on the commandments of men, or on any human opinion; but on the word of God.
The Church assembled is to worship God; to stemulate faith in God; to increase love for
God and man; to preach Christ, the only Saviour a sinner has; to send the news about
Christ over the world; not to stemulate feelings, emotions, men’s opinion, or what
can be omitted, just so heaven is reached.
