42 Points of the True Church of Jesus Christ
42 Points of the True Church of Jesus Christ
With so many churches not having the completely correct gospel of Jesus Christ, how could an individual find the true church? Fortunately, the Bible can help answer this question. Just as an architect's plans for a building are specific, and are exactly right for only one structure, so also are God's plans for His true church.
He has said, 'Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto eternal life, and few there be that find it.'
(Matthew 7:14.) However, a careful reading of the Bible will clearly identify specific characteristics of Christ's true Church.
1. The Godhead consists of three separate and distinct beings -
God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
GENESIS 1:26-27; 3:22
MATTHEW 3:17, 28:19
LUKE 3:22
1 JOHN 5:7
2. God the Father, as well as his Son Jesus Christ, who is a
resurrected personage, both have bodies of flesh and bone and spirit.
GENESIS 32:30
EXODUS 33:23
LUKE 24:39, 41-43
JOHN 20:17; 21:13-14
ACTS 7:55-56
1 JOHN 3:2
3. Jesus is the Christ, the literal Son of God, the Messiah,
and the only perfect person upon earth-and not simply a great teacher.
LUKE 9:35
JOHN 17:4-5
HEBREWS 1:6-7
4. Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament, is Jehovah,
God of the Old Testament.
EXODUS 3:14
JOHN 8:58
ISAIAH 43:11
HOSEA 13:4
5. The Holy Ghost is a distinct personage of spirit and is the
third member of the Godhead.
MATTHEW 3:15-18
JOHN 14:26; 16:13-14; 20:21-22
EPHESIANS 1:17
6. The Holy Bible is the word of the Lord insofar as it is translated correctly. It is the record of the Jews and will be joined with another record in the last days to relate God's word to his people. This record will come from a descendant of Joseph.
EZEKIEL 37:15-17
ISAIAH 29:18
REVELATION 20:12-14
7. Jesus Christ is recognized as the head of his Church, with other
officers named, beginning with a foundation of apostles and prophets, and including teachers, saints, elders, evangelists, bishops, deacons, priests, and high priests.
JOHN 15:16
MARK 3:14-15
EPHESIANS 2:19-20; 4:11-14
8. Officers in Christ's church will be "called of God." They will
receive their authority through "the laying on of hands." By those in authority. One cannot call himself to the ministry.
a. College degree or license insufficient.
b. Royal priesthood will be known as such,
c. Bishops and leaders are to marry and have children.
ACTS 19:25
HEBREWS 5:4, 10
TIMOTHY 3:2; 4:2-3
1 PETER 2:9
9. Members of Christ's church will be "workers," and will be called "saints." In addition, women will be included in activities and leadership.
PROVERBS 12:4
ROMANS 1:7
EPHESIANS 4:12
1 CORINTHIANS 11:7
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-10
10. There will exist within the church separate entities for each of the groups of members. Adult and youth organizations will exist. This point stands to reason, if Christ is concerned with helping each individual from that person's own level of understanding.
EPHESIANS 4:11-14
11. Christ's church will believe in the "virgin birth" of Jesus Christ
but will not believe in the "immaculate conception" of Mary.
ISAIAH 7:14
MATTHEW 1:19-20, 23
LUKE 1:26-31, 42
12. Christ's church will believe in immortality or eternal life, and
in heaven and a hell. After the resurrection, we will be assigned to the different places and degrees according to the judgment. The first resurrection will be for the righteous and will commence 1,000 years before the second resurrection.
JOHN 3:16-17; 5:28-29; 14:2
1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-22, 40-42
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18
13. The Savior's church will honor Sunday as the Sabbath, with the understanding that the resurrection transpired Sunday morning, the first day of the week-and thus replaced Saturday as the Sabbath.
HOSEA 2:11
MATTHEW 28:1
JOHN 5:18
ACTS 20:7
1 CORINTHIANS 16:2
14. Officers as well as members of Christ's church will receive
continuous revelation from God.
AMOS 3:7
MATTHEW 16:13, 16-19
EPHESIANS 1:17
15. Members of the Lord's church will be payers of tithes and
offerings.
MALACHI 3:8, 11
LUKE 11:42
HEBREWS 7:4-5
16. Members of the church will regularly partake of the Lord's supper. This sacrament represents the flesh and blood of Christ and is partaken of in remembrance of him.
MATTHEW 26:26-28
ACTS 20:7
1 CORINTHIANS 16:1-2
17. Members of the Lord's church will experience miracles, such
as visions, tongues, and prophecies. In addition, the church will
practice divine healing. When members of the church are sick, elders of the church will anoint them with oil and heal them.
MATTHEW 9:18
MARK 6:5; 16:17-18
ACTS 5:12, 16
JAMES 5:14-15
18. Church leaders will teach that the resurrected Jesus Christ will come again to the earth in the last days. This "second coming" will be greatly anticipated.
JOB 19:25-26
MATTHEW 24:30
ACTS 1:11; 3:19-21
19. Members of the Lord's church will be persecuted for their beliefs.
MATTHEW 5:10-12; 24:9
LUKE 6:22-23
ACTS 8:1-3; 28:22
HEBREWS 11:36-38
20. The church as a whole, as well as its members, will be recognized for their "fruits"-as will the prophets who lead them. The church will esteem honesty, virtue, and wholesome activity.
PROVERBS 15:4
LUKE 6:43-44
2 CORINTHIANS 9:10
PHILIPPIANS 4:17
HEBREWS 13:18
21. The church must provide salvation for ALL of God's children, not just those who receive the gospel while living on the earth. It will practice baptism for the dead.
MARK 16:16
JOHN 3:1-8
1 CORINTHIANS 15:29
22. The church will build temples similar to the one Solomon built,
which was destroyed and built again at the time of Christ. These
temples will have unique purposes, including baptism and other
ordinances. Temples will also be holy places, contain the Holy of
Holies, and be used by members as places of worship.
ISAIAH 2:3
MALACHI 3:1, 7
23. Christ's original church was organized by him and named after
him, and his church today will also be named after him, and his
church today will also be named after him.
ACTS 4:10-12
EPHESIANS 1:22; 4:11-14; 5:23-24
24. Specific authority to function in the administration of the
church is called "priesthood." It is obtained through ordination
by one having the power to so ordain.
1 SAMUEL 13:9-14
MARK 6:7
JOHN 7:16; 20:21
ACTS 19:2-5
HEBREWS 5:4-6, 8-10
25. A higher priesthood authority is required to bestow the Holy Ghost than to baptize.
MATTHEW 16:19
MARK 1:7-8
ACTS 8:15-18; 19:2-6
26. The church that Christ originally organized did not baptize
infants since the prerequisite for baptism was (1) a capacity for
repentance of past personal sins, and (2) a personal belief in the
divinity and teaching of Christ.
MARK 10:14-15; 16:16
ACTS 2:38; 8:12
27. The church is to send out missionaries (in twos,) to preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
MARK 6:7
ACTS 2:38; 8:12
28. The church will have a welfare system to provide for the poor
and the needy within the church. Members are to provide for
themselves and their families first, and then receive help from the
church.
DEUTERONOMY 15:11
PSALM 9:18
ISAIAH 14:30
MARK 10:21
LUKE 18:22
ROMANS 15:26
29. The church will have a law of health. Alcoholic beverages will
not be used by the members of the church.
EPHESIANS 5:18
1 CORINTHIANS 5:11; 6:9-10
30. The church will be one that is restored to the earth. Christ's
original church experienced a great apostasy or falling away, but his church will be returned or restored again in the last days.
JEREMIAH 31:31-34
ACTS 3:19-21
2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-13
REVELATION 14:6-7
31. Christ's church will believe in being saved by the grace of Christ through exercising faith in him. In other words, it will teach that when we repent of our sins and forsake them, the atonement of Christ will cleanse us of our sins.
MATTHEW 7:21-29
MARK 16:15-16
LUKE 6:46-49
1 TIMOTHY 4:10
JAMES 1:22-25; 2:14-26
32. The church will preach only the true gospel of Christ, with no
variations. It will neither add to the meaning of Christ's teachings
not take away from them-even though current revelation will provide insight into them.
MATTHEW 5:19
GALATIANS 1:6-9
EPHESIANS 4:5
HEBREWS 13:8-9
33. Christ's church will espouse a pre-earth life, or a pre-existence, such as taught by the Orthodox Jews. Included in this teaching will be the doctrine of fore-ordination and not pre-destination. God the Father will be recognized as having created the individual spirits of all people.
GENESIS 1:26-31
JOB 38:4-7
ECCLESIASTES 12:7
JOHN 17:5
EPHESIANS 1:4-5
HEBREWS 12:9
34. The church will believe in the "original sin" of Adam.
Nevertheless, it will teach that Christ atoned for Adam's sin, and
that we will be punished for our own sins, as Adam's sin has already been atoned for.
JOHN 1:29
ACTS 24:14-15
ROMANS 5:6-19
1 CORINTHIANS 15:21-23
35. Christ's church will teach that the gathering of Israel, in the
last days, will be literal.
ISAIAH 5:26-30; 11:12-13, 35
JEREMIAH 3:14-18; 31:10
36. Members of the true church will respect the beliefs of others and will allow people to worship as they choose.
GALATIANS 5:22-26; 6:1-2
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-10
37. The church will be subject to the laws of the land, regardless of the type of government in power in that land - thus rendering to
Caesar that which is his, and to God that which is his.
MATTHEW 22:21
MARK 12:17
LUKE 20:25
38. It should be recognized that, while perfection is to be sought
by each member of Christ's church, the members will have human
failings and will make mistakes, and they will thus need to grow and learn- line upon line, precept upon precept.
ISAIAH 28:10
EPHESIANS 4:11-14, 28, 32
39. After repentance, baptism by immersion is essential, as is
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. A person performing these
ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost must be duly authorized to perform such ordinances.
MATTHEW 3:13-15
JOHN 3:5
ACTS 2:38, 41; 22:16
ROMANS 6:5-6
40. The Savior's church will have an unpaid ministry. This lay
ministry will be called "by revelation," even as the apostles called
new members to their quorum following the resurrection of Christ.
AMOS 3:7
MICAH 3:11
JOHN 10:13
ACTS 1:22-26
With so many churches not having the completely correct gospel of Jesus Christ, how could an individual find the true church? Fortunately, the Bible can help answer this question. Just as an architect's plans for a building are specific, and are exactly right for only one structure, so also are God's plans for His true church.
He has said, 'Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto eternal life, and few there be that find it.'
(Matthew 7:14.) However, a careful reading of the Bible will clearly identify specific characteristics of Christ's true Church.
1. The Godhead consists of three separate and distinct beings -
God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
GENESIS 1:26-27; 3:22
MATTHEW 3:17, 28:19
LUKE 3:22
1 JOHN 5:7
2. God the Father, as well as his Son Jesus Christ, who is a
resurrected personage, both have bodies of flesh and bone and spirit.
GENESIS 32:30
EXODUS 33:23
LUKE 24:39, 41-43
JOHN 20:17; 21:13-14
ACTS 7:55-56
1 JOHN 3:2
3. Jesus is the Christ, the literal Son of God, the Messiah,
and the only perfect person upon earth-and not simply a great teacher.
LUKE 9:35
JOHN 17:4-5
HEBREWS 1:6-7
4. Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament, is Jehovah,
God of the Old Testament.
EXODUS 3:14
JOHN 8:58
ISAIAH 43:11
HOSEA 13:4
5. The Holy Ghost is a distinct personage of spirit and is the
third member of the Godhead.
MATTHEW 3:15-18
JOHN 14:26; 16:13-14; 20:21-22
EPHESIANS 1:17
6. The Holy Bible is the word of the Lord insofar as it is translated correctly. It is the record of the Jews and will be joined with another record in the last days to relate God's word to his people. This record will come from a descendant of Joseph.
EZEKIEL 37:15-17
ISAIAH 29:18
REVELATION 20:12-14
7. Jesus Christ is recognized as the head of his Church, with other
officers named, beginning with a foundation of apostles and prophets, and including teachers, saints, elders, evangelists, bishops, deacons, priests, and high priests.
JOHN 15:16
MARK 3:14-15
EPHESIANS 2:19-20; 4:11-14
8. Officers in Christ's church will be "called of God." They will
receive their authority through "the laying on of hands." By those in authority. One cannot call himself to the ministry.
a. College degree or license insufficient.
b. Royal priesthood will be known as such,
c. Bishops and leaders are to marry and have children.
ACTS 19:25
HEBREWS 5:4, 10
TIMOTHY 3:2; 4:2-3
1 PETER 2:9
9. Members of Christ's church will be "workers," and will be called "saints." In addition, women will be included in activities and leadership.
PROVERBS 12:4
ROMANS 1:7
EPHESIANS 4:12
1 CORINTHIANS 11:7
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-10
10. There will exist within the church separate entities for each of the groups of members. Adult and youth organizations will exist. This point stands to reason, if Christ is concerned with helping each individual from that person's own level of understanding.
EPHESIANS 4:11-14
11. Christ's church will believe in the "virgin birth" of Jesus Christ
but will not believe in the "immaculate conception" of Mary.
ISAIAH 7:14
MATTHEW 1:19-20, 23
LUKE 1:26-31, 42
12. Christ's church will believe in immortality or eternal life, and
in heaven and a hell. After the resurrection, we will be assigned to the different places and degrees according to the judgment. The first resurrection will be for the righteous and will commence 1,000 years before the second resurrection.
JOHN 3:16-17; 5:28-29; 14:2
1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-22, 40-42
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18
13. The Savior's church will honor Sunday as the Sabbath, with the understanding that the resurrection transpired Sunday morning, the first day of the week-and thus replaced Saturday as the Sabbath.
HOSEA 2:11
MATTHEW 28:1
JOHN 5:18
ACTS 20:7
1 CORINTHIANS 16:2
14. Officers as well as members of Christ's church will receive
continuous revelation from God.
AMOS 3:7
MATTHEW 16:13, 16-19
EPHESIANS 1:17
15. Members of the Lord's church will be payers of tithes and
offerings.
MALACHI 3:8, 11
LUKE 11:42
HEBREWS 7:4-5
16. Members of the church will regularly partake of the Lord's supper. This sacrament represents the flesh and blood of Christ and is partaken of in remembrance of him.
MATTHEW 26:26-28
ACTS 20:7
1 CORINTHIANS 16:1-2
17. Members of the Lord's church will experience miracles, such
as visions, tongues, and prophecies. In addition, the church will
practice divine healing. When members of the church are sick, elders of the church will anoint them with oil and heal them.
MATTHEW 9:18
MARK 6:5; 16:17-18
ACTS 5:12, 16
JAMES 5:14-15
18. Church leaders will teach that the resurrected Jesus Christ will come again to the earth in the last days. This "second coming" will be greatly anticipated.
JOB 19:25-26
MATTHEW 24:30
ACTS 1:11; 3:19-21
19. Members of the Lord's church will be persecuted for their beliefs.
MATTHEW 5:10-12; 24:9
LUKE 6:22-23
ACTS 8:1-3; 28:22
HEBREWS 11:36-38
20. The church as a whole, as well as its members, will be recognized for their "fruits"-as will the prophets who lead them. The church will esteem honesty, virtue, and wholesome activity.
PROVERBS 15:4
LUKE 6:43-44
2 CORINTHIANS 9:10
PHILIPPIANS 4:17
HEBREWS 13:18
21. The church must provide salvation for ALL of God's children, not just those who receive the gospel while living on the earth. It will practice baptism for the dead.
MARK 16:16
JOHN 3:1-8
1 CORINTHIANS 15:29
22. The church will build temples similar to the one Solomon built,
which was destroyed and built again at the time of Christ. These
temples will have unique purposes, including baptism and other
ordinances. Temples will also be holy places, contain the Holy of
Holies, and be used by members as places of worship.
ISAIAH 2:3
MALACHI 3:1, 7
23. Christ's original church was organized by him and named after
him, and his church today will also be named after him, and his
church today will also be named after him.
ACTS 4:10-12
EPHESIANS 1:22; 4:11-14; 5:23-24
24. Specific authority to function in the administration of the
church is called "priesthood." It is obtained through ordination
by one having the power to so ordain.
1 SAMUEL 13:9-14
MARK 6:7
JOHN 7:16; 20:21
ACTS 19:2-5
HEBREWS 5:4-6, 8-10
25. A higher priesthood authority is required to bestow the Holy Ghost than to baptize.
MATTHEW 16:19
MARK 1:7-8
ACTS 8:15-18; 19:2-6
26. The church that Christ originally organized did not baptize
infants since the prerequisite for baptism was (1) a capacity for
repentance of past personal sins, and (2) a personal belief in the
divinity and teaching of Christ.
MARK 10:14-15; 16:16
ACTS 2:38; 8:12
27. The church is to send out missionaries (in twos,) to preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
MARK 6:7
ACTS 2:38; 8:12
28. The church will have a welfare system to provide for the poor
and the needy within the church. Members are to provide for
themselves and their families first, and then receive help from the
church.
DEUTERONOMY 15:11
PSALM 9:18
ISAIAH 14:30
MARK 10:21
LUKE 18:22
ROMANS 15:26
29. The church will have a law of health. Alcoholic beverages will
not be used by the members of the church.
EPHESIANS 5:18
1 CORINTHIANS 5:11; 6:9-10
30. The church will be one that is restored to the earth. Christ's
original church experienced a great apostasy or falling away, but his church will be returned or restored again in the last days.
JEREMIAH 31:31-34
ACTS 3:19-21
2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-13
REVELATION 14:6-7
31. Christ's church will believe in being saved by the grace of Christ through exercising faith in him. In other words, it will teach that when we repent of our sins and forsake them, the atonement of Christ will cleanse us of our sins.
MATTHEW 7:21-29
MARK 16:15-16
LUKE 6:46-49
1 TIMOTHY 4:10
JAMES 1:22-25; 2:14-26
32. The church will preach only the true gospel of Christ, with no
variations. It will neither add to the meaning of Christ's teachings
not take away from them-even though current revelation will provide insight into them.
MATTHEW 5:19
GALATIANS 1:6-9
EPHESIANS 4:5
HEBREWS 13:8-9
33. Christ's church will espouse a pre-earth life, or a pre-existence, such as taught by the Orthodox Jews. Included in this teaching will be the doctrine of fore-ordination and not pre-destination. God the Father will be recognized as having created the individual spirits of all people.
GENESIS 1:26-31
JOB 38:4-7
ECCLESIASTES 12:7
JOHN 17:5
EPHESIANS 1:4-5
HEBREWS 12:9
34. The church will believe in the "original sin" of Adam.
Nevertheless, it will teach that Christ atoned for Adam's sin, and
that we will be punished for our own sins, as Adam's sin has already been atoned for.
JOHN 1:29
ACTS 24:14-15
ROMANS 5:6-19
1 CORINTHIANS 15:21-23
35. Christ's church will teach that the gathering of Israel, in the
last days, will be literal.
ISAIAH 5:26-30; 11:12-13, 35
JEREMIAH 3:14-18; 31:10
36. Members of the true church will respect the beliefs of others and will allow people to worship as they choose.
GALATIANS 5:22-26; 6:1-2
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-10
37. The church will be subject to the laws of the land, regardless of the type of government in power in that land - thus rendering to
Caesar that which is his, and to God that which is his.
MATTHEW 22:21
MARK 12:17
LUKE 20:25
38. It should be recognized that, while perfection is to be sought
by each member of Christ's church, the members will have human
failings and will make mistakes, and they will thus need to grow and learn- line upon line, precept upon precept.
ISAIAH 28:10
EPHESIANS 4:11-14, 28, 32
39. After repentance, baptism by immersion is essential, as is
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. A person performing these
ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost must be duly authorized to perform such ordinances.
MATTHEW 3:13-15
JOHN 3:5
ACTS 2:38, 41; 22:16
ROMANS 6:5-6
40. The Savior's church will have an unpaid ministry. This lay
ministry will be called "by revelation," even as the apostles called
new members to their quorum following the resurrection of Christ.
AMOS 3:7
MICAH 3:11
JOHN 10:13
ACTS 1:22-26
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