Church Criteria

2014-07-27

Here is a list of items worth noting when I am considering a church.

Justification by Faith in Fact: This means that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only requirement for salvation. Salvation is not contingent on anything else, including repentance of sin or good works. The church does not believe in justification by faith if they say, “Jesus will save you if you _______” and the blank is something other than believe.

Jesus died for our sins and rose again: He paid the penalty for our sins at Calvary. They are nailed to the cross, never to be brought back again. If the church believes that your sins will come back to get you, they do not believe that Jesus died for their sins.

We died and are risen with Jesus Christ, and are new creations: We are positioned and identified with Christ. We believe that Jesus died for our sins, and that we also died with him. We were buried, and were raised with him. Our identity is completely in Christ. Freedom from sin in experience only comes from believing that our dying and rising with Christ has delivered us from sin.

Eternal life: The church must believe in eternal life. When you are saved, you are saved into eternal life. Eternal means forever. If the church believes in eternal life that ends, they do not believe in eternal life.

Biblical authority: The Bible is the final authority for our lives.

Children should be in church: If the church does not allow children in their meetings, and forces you to farm them out to some spiritual day care, the worship “experience” has usurped power over the father who is the spiritual leader, and has forgotten that Jesus said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16).

Commitment to discipleship: The church is committed to unity, love for one another and for the lost, and is committed to teaching people to grow in grace.