The true Church is the one that continues in the traditions, teachings and practices of the New Testament Church. Our booklet The Church Jesus Built details the transformation and corruption by reformers of many teachings given by Jesus Christ to His disciples. God's Church rejects the doctrines men have added or changed, and it holds to "the faith which was once for all delivered" (Jude 3).
An important tenet of Jesus' teachings was the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The role and work of the Son of God is central to the gospel. However, most churches preach only a message about the person of Christ, saying much about His role as Savior but little about His role as King. In other words, most churches do not preach the gospel that Jesus did. Jesus came as a special Messenger (Malachi 3:1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
See All...) of the Kingdom of God—as well as the Savior. The true Church will also be preaching this gospel to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
See All...).
Another key in identifying the true Church is the correct day of worship. Jesus customarily observed the seventh day, the Sabbath (Luke 4:16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
See All...), the day that God set aside at creation for worship (Exodus 20:8-11 [8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
See All...). Scripture reveals that the Sabbath is a perpetual sign or an identifying mark of the people of God (Exodus 31:12-17 [12] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[13] Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
[14] Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
[15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
[16] Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
[17] It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
See All...), meaning that the Church of God would be observing it today. Most churches say that the Sabbath law is no longer binding or that God caused Sunday worship to supersede it. They're wrong.
The Church Jesus Built discusses these topics more thoroughly. It shows the beginnings of a counterfeit Christianity in the first century. Several books of the New Testament mention false teachers infiltrating the Church with corrupting ideas. They combined bits and pieces of pagan religions with Christian concepts and convinced many to follow their ways. Satan has taken great advantage of these circumstances (2 Corinthians 11:13-14 [13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
[14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
See All...) and has created a counterfeit church to parallel the true one. Through the intervening centuries, people accepted the counterfeit over the true Church. The booklet explains the doctrines and practices of the early New Testament Church of God, so those who would like to find it today can do so.
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