If you are looking today for the church that you see in the Bible, would finding “the closest one” be good enough?
If you were looking for Jesus, would someone who is “the closest one” you can find to the Savior be good enough? If you were looking for a lost child, would someone who is “the closest one” to that child be good enough? We would never accept that in these situations, so why would we accept such when it comes to the bride of Christ—His church?
The Bible gives us clear identifying marks for the church that Jesus put on this earth, including: it was founded by Christ (Matt. 16:18), in Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2-4), on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:1-47), and it follows only one law system (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Gal. 1:6-9; Col. 3:17), is organized according to Biblical guidelines (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4), worships according to New Testament authority (John 4:23-24; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:17-34; Col. 3:16-17), teaches only one Scriptural plan of salvation (Acts 2:37-41), etc. Don’t look for a church “closest” to the church of the Bible—look for His “one” church (Eph. 4:4).
