Are We Just Proselyting To A Little Protestant Denomination?
If you are a member of the church of the Lord, the very church you read about in the New Testament, you are NOT a Catholic or Protestant (in the sense these terms are used by our religious neighbors.)
Occasionally, some of my brethren seem to think that the Lord's church is "Protestant." They consider themselves as being "Protestants." True, we do "protest" against Roman Catholicism (something which modern-day "Protestants" have certainly ceased doing!) but this does not make us Protestants with a capital "P."
The Lord's church is NOT sectarian. It is not a "section" of anything! It is NOT a denomination, because it is not divided, (I Cor. 1:10,13) Read also Eph. 4:3-6. It is the ONE BODY of Christ.
Occasionally, in striving for conversions to the Lord, our denominational neighbors accuse us of "proselyting" and "trying to get people to leave other churches and join our little denomination." This is far from the truth. We want no person to "join our denomination." We have no denomination. We belong to no man-made church. Therefore, how could we get people to join what we do not possess?
Someone may ask, "Then, to what do you belong?"
We are members of the body of Christ, the only church you read about in the New Testament; the very one Jesus promised to build (Matt. 16:18). Truly, we have no "plea," but rather it is the plea of Christ and HIS invitation to be saved.
Unity is good. But let us remember we can be "united with Satan," therefore the unity we give diligence to keep is the "unity of the SPIRIT." (Eph. 4:3) The only way in which men will ever be truly united (in a way acceptable to our God) is to unite on His Divine Word. Take the true standard (the Bible) and read it, study it, study it some more, search the scriptures diligently, learn what God would have you to do... and then DO IT. When this is accomplished, you will not belong to any man-made denomination, but rather to the blood-bought church of Christ (Acts 20:28).
Proselyting to a little Protestant denomination? Oh no! Converting individuals to the LORD JESUS CHRIST with the powerful gospel!
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