Fifthly, the right kind of church will be one that is militant in its defense of the faith. When we speak of the faith we are speaking of the teaching, the precepts, the truth, the complete doctrine of Christ as revealed in His Word.
Where are those churches today that are steadfastly engaged in a polemic defense of the truth? We believe some do exist, but they are few and far between. Compromise of the truth is rampant even among independent Baptists, but Jude still admonishes believers to "...earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (vs. 3).
In his second epistle bearing his name Peter writes, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (2 Peter 2:1,2). Peter writes later in this same chapter of those who "...have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray."
In Ephesians 6:11 Paul instructs believers to "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Two verses later Paul commands, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." The "right" church will be one which stands and defends the truth of the Word of God in a day of blatant and widespread compromise.
The "right" church will not be a church who caves to the demands of the radical homosexual agenda. The "right" church will preach against the wicked abortion crowd whose hands for decades have dripped unceasingly with the blood of untold millions of innocent unborn babies. The "right" church will stand against the evils of the alcohol industry - in spite of the ramblings of some from within fundamentalism - which has destroyed countless lives and wreaked havoc on the family.
The "right" kind of church will stand in support of the King James Bible, unashamedly declaring it to be the inerrant, infallible, inspired, God-breathed, indestructible Word of the living God. The "right" kind of church will stand boldly against the encroaching liberalism of our day, and refuse to capitulate to the atheistic and immoral impulses of a depraved culture. Yes, the "right" kind of church will stand without apology (thanks BJU) for the old time religion and preach the Christ of the Bible.
In the sixth place, the right church will be one that believes in and practices personal and ecclesiastical separation. Does not the reader agree that there should be a distinct difference between the unsaved world and born-again Christians? This is what we mean by personal separation - separating from the world and its practices while being separated unto the Lord. The lives and appearances of many believers today so mirror those who have never been saved that a line of marked distinction can hardly be seen. This ought not to be for Christians have been called to a life of separated holiness unto the Lord (see Ephesians 1:4; 5:27).
The verse "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" remains in the Bible (2 Corinthians 6:14). Ecclesiastical separation is separation from known error whether it be from unbelievers or from members/churches/institutions within the body of Christ. Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. is quoted as saying, "It is never right to do wrong in order for a chance to do right." I believe he was correct.
Believers are still commanded to "...come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:17). The right church will not only preach separation from worldy lifestyles, but will also refuse for some cause to join hands with unbelievers or disobedient brethren though the cause may be good. That approach is hard to swallow in some quarters yet it remains biblical.
Lastly, one may reasonably feel they are attending the "right" church if the music program of that church brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ. So many so-called churches today have greatly compromised and acquiesced to fleshly appetites in the area of music. Such modern-day churches are nothing more than entertainment centers with music (if one can call it that) that rivals the downtown nightclub. I believe such rock and roll antics are a disgrace to the church of Jesus Christ and should be avoided by every Christian who seeks to please and honor the Lord with their music.
Returning again to Paul's letter to the Ephesians we read, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18,19).
This writer is certainly aware of the plethora of prevailing opinions in existence today regarding appropriate music within the walls of the church. However, in spite of the current trend to "go with the beat," he chooses to stick with the old time music and the old time way which God has blessed down through the years.
As noted above in Ephesians 5:19 the music we sing should be from our hearts and rendered "to the Lord." Much of today's congregational music is administered simply for the enjoyment of the crowd. So-called praise and worship leaders are nothing more than religious cheerleaders performing at religious pep rallies! A good church, in this writer's opinion, will be one that implements good, godly, spiritual and melodious music that ministers to and honors the Lord.
Someone has well stated that the church exist to 1) Exalt the Savour, 2) Edify the saints, and 3) Evangelize the sinner. Similarly, in these two consecutive posts regarding the "right" church, this writer has given several biblical standards by which one may reasonably judge whether or not they are attending a good church. Other issues could have been addressed as it was not the intent of this writer to present and exhaustive list. We may safely declare that the benchmarks mentioned above carry significant weight in choosing the "right" church.
The selection of a church where one chooses to place their membership and render their service is, quite naturally, a decision that must be derived at prayerfully between the individual and the Lord. It is not a light matter especially in a day where the number of churches available within driving distance of most of us are numerous.
In conclusion, may we be reminded that the right church is a triumphant church, the very "pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). The reader may rest assured that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against God's true church! God bless, and thanks for reading. David.
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