Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
As a brand new Christian who’d only been out of Mormonism for a week or two, a phrase used by the pastor got my immediate attention. Twenty-five years later I still recall how surprised I was hearing him refer to Christianity as ‘The True Church of Jesus Christ’.
Not long after that event, I was speaking at a church in my beloved Utah, and that pastor titled his talk as ‘Will the One True Church of Jesus Christ Please Stand Up?’.
The phrase they both used is the subject matter and title of our article; ‘The True Church of Jesus Christ’.
Today our inquiry is simple.
What is the true church of Jesus Christ?
Simply put, the word church and its derivatives is used in the Bible 115 times – all in the NT. The transliteration for church is ekklēsia, and defined as ‘a calling out, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) :- assembly, church’.
The Church is comprised of a body of believers, all of whom have confessed Jesus Christ as God, and the head of His church. Christ Jesus, therefore, is a believer’s sole Redeemer. The church is not a building, nor any particular denomination.
Ephesians 1:22-23 “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Comparatively speaking, anyone familiar with Mormonism is well acquainted with their repeated use of ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’, which stemmed from Joseph Smith’s prophecy, The only true church on the face of the earth.
Unfortunately, Mormonism has equated their group of believers to a specific denomination which they believe includes their own rules, and certain ward buildings/churches. This isn’t the way it is in true Christianity, aka, the body of Christ.
We read in the Bible how people tried to do this 2,000 years ago when they came up with their own rules and regulations to exclude those who didn’t comply with them. The Bible’s response to this was quick and sharp as we see in Acts 15:24 when they’re referred to as Judaizers. We see this again in Colossians 2:16-23 with the Proto-Gnostics.
All the churches I’ve spoken at and visited in the past twenty-five years is proof alone the LDS Church is a false religion. Each church has been a standing testament Jesus has kept His promise, and continues to do so even today. Each has confessed Jesus as Lord, and is obedient to Him only. The name over the doorway means nothing.
As I was writing this I received a letter in the post from a good friend of mine. She and her husband have been missionaries in Mexico for about six years now. Her words are a poignant example of true Christianity. See part of her note in image above.
Looking at Mormonism we can see they’re a modern version of Gnosticism which isn’t Christianity at all! When you speak with a Mormon be sure you share the truth about what constitutes true Christianity. Moreover, don’t forget to pray for them!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
References:
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
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