By: Gail

Gail — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:19:02 +0000

Hi Royce, I just happened upon your site. I was in the church of Christ all my life, but like so many others, have found it missing the Grace of God. I think most churches have – no matter what “denomination” – which explains why there are so many “divisions” of Christ’s one church. And I believe the church has continued to “divide” simply because of disputes about “works.” You can’t just miss it somewhat…Grace can’t be mixed with works, or else it isn’t Grace. The catch is to find out what God calls “works,” because no flesh will be declared Righteous by works. I’m beginning to get a pretty good idea of what “works” looks like in today’s church…it’s teaching and believing that our Righteousness depends on anything else other than the blood of Christ. And I’ve finally understood what baptism is supposed to be about: it is dying to the LAW (Rom. 7:4,6). Christ nailed it to the cross in His flesh, obliterating the certificate of debt, and we die to it with/through Him, by faith in Him. We can’t be raised to Righteousness until we first die to the law (works). Paul warned again and again that the bride of the last Adam could fall under the same deception as the bride of the first Adam, Eve. If you keep reading further, you see that he was talking about the false teachers (messengers of Satan) who would deceive us into believing our salvation is based on righteous works. They were already in the church at that time…so how far might the church have strayed by this point, 2000 years later?

I started studying the Scriptures diligently a few years ago…but this time by asking the Spirit to reveal the truth to me – not the doctrines my church taught. I have written much on these “revelations,” which are basically when my understanding becomes clear. My husband and I are not going to church anywhere at the present time, and I know that sounds terrible. But I have been searching for the wisdom of what “church” was intended to be….and I have come to believe that the church today doesn’t look like that. I’m hoping we can find a group of like-minded believers at some point. I also think that meeting in buildings may have done more harm than good. It seems the early Gentile church met in homes, and probably daily….they were truly a “family.” I don’t know why the term, “first day of the week” got translated that way, when it actually says “one Sabbath,” which speaks to me of REST from “works.” It can become a source of pride to think we have “done church” for the week (like a checklist) when we attend church in a building on a Sunday morning.

I’m glad I found your Grace site, and truly appreciate what you are trying to do. I hope to find time to read more of your writings. I would love to believe that all of our brothers and sister could become “like-minded” concerning these important issues, but that is very unlikely. But fortunately, I’m beginning to find more and more people – from all kinds of different backgrounds – that have become disillusioned with the wrong teaching that has kept them in bondage. Maybe there’s still hope!

Grace and Peace to You in Abundance,
Gail

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:57:20 +0000

Great article. I really appreciate the way you expressed your thoughts on baptism. I have been in deep discussion with others, but hear clearly through your speaking of God's Word. Thank you Thank you for your kind words Charlotte. Please come again. Royce

By: joeland7

joeland7 — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:02:49 +0000

Good site. I will be coming back.. you presented some very important information. thanks

Comments on: Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

By: Gail

By: Charlotte

By: joeland7