The headline of the Christian Chronicle, March 2007, reads, “Churches face identity crisis.” The reason for this is identified in a quote from David Duncan, pulpit minister for the Memorial church in Houston which relays that in the past Churches of Christ were distinguished by belief in church autonomy, baptism for forgiveness of sins, weekly Lord’s Supper on Sunday, public male leadership, plurality of elders and acappela singing; then brother Duncan is quoted, “Now, some congregations have given up most, if not almost all, these distinctive characteristics.” No wonder some people are having an identity crisis; they do not know who they are themselves.
The church described in the New Testament exists today on every occasion when she follows what the scriptures teach as identifying qualities of that body of called out people. The reason that churches of Christ are distinguished by belief in church autonomy is that the New Testament teaches that this is to be the case. Baptism for forgiveness of sins marks the church of Christ, not because someone decided to compel people to be immersed, but because the New Testament teaches that it is essential to salvation. The observance of the Lord’s Supper was not man contrived, but rather established by our Lord Himself It is observed on the first day of the week because once the church was established, that was the time we have as an example as to when it was observed (Acts 20:7). Any other day, or for any other purpose, man must use his own, not God’s authority, to practice. On each occasion of those qualities which the New Testament sets out as requirements to be the body of Christ, whether concerning leadership or acappela singing, or anything else obviously can be used to identify any body of people in any nation in any age as being the Lord’s church.
Those who have decided to modernize the marks of the church to fit into current society have forgotten the purpose for the qualities prescribed by the Holy Spirit in the Word. It is the LORD’s church, not man’s. Man has no right to tweak those things which he has decided is needed for the modern man. When one abandons the characteristics of the church that are given in His Word, it is natural that he cannot identify with those who seek diligently to follow those God given requirements. In fact, it is utter folly for anyone to keep trying to identify with those who have obviously abandoned biblical authority as the basis for their lives and practices.
We need to stop fooling ourselves. The chasm is wide between those who seek to follow God’s dictates and those who feel they no longer need to be submissive to what God says. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John2:19).
No, the Lord’s church will never have an identity crisis-that will be left to those who do not really know who they are, for they have left the old landmarks behind.
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