Restoration – The Need

The need for restoration – This article was written by Jay Lockhart, who is an elder and minister for the Lord’s church in Whitehouse, Texas.

God has a perfect plan for the church. Since man is imperfect, he has a tendency to depart from God’s plan. Predictions that this would happen were made by both Jesus and the apostles. (Therefore, if we would read these verses of scriptures we can see what the Bible says about what would happen when this warning is not heeded.) Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 20:29-30; 1 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:1.

Restoration – How we got to where we are.

Especially relevant, history bears out these predictions in the departure from the New Testament order and the emergence of Roman Catholicism and Protestant Denomination (from about A.D. 200 through A.D.1600). While the Protestant Reformation sought to reform Roman Catholicism. As a result, it produced denominations, which could not compare favorably with the church of the New Testament.

As a result, the rise of churches that taught different things that, first of all, followed human creeds, and that also contributed to religious division produced the setting in which men in different parts of the world began to call for a return to the church revealed in the New Testament. Most of all, this need was seen because Christ had prayed for unity of believers (John 17:29,21), the New Testament opposed religious division (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:1-6), and also unity could only be achieved by a return to the teaching of the New Testament (1 Peter 4:11; Jude 3; and Ephesians 4:3).

Restoration – Getting Back to Christs Church. THE ONLY CHURCH!

Therefore, if we follow the pattern of our Lord, we will be members of His church, which He paid for with His own blood, it is His church, to which He adds the saved. (Acts 2:47; Romans 16:16) Hence, if we do not do what Christ has directed us to do, we will not be part of the church.

See Also: Saved-Becoming a Christian | No Substitute for God

In Christian Love,
Bill Arnold, Minister
Ridgeway Church of Christ
Harrison Arkansas

YOU MUST DO THESE THINGS to Become a Christian

Becoming a Christian, Saved, Born Again, In Christ, or becoming a new creature all talk about salvation. 

1) You must believe and confess that Jesus is the son of God. John 8:24 Jesus said you must believe that He is the Christ the Son of the living God. Matthew 10:32-33, Acts 8:36-37 further tells us to confess that Jesus is God’s son.

2) Luke 13:3 Jesus said you must repent of your sins.

3) Mark 16:16 Jesus said you must be baptized.

4) Live faithfully unto death. 1 John 1:2

Therefore, as a new creature, a Christian, we will live faithfully unto death and then arise to live forever with God. This is the God who loves you, who wants you to be his child. You can become the child of a King!

Won’t you heed His word?