How to Recognize The Church of God

How to Recognize The Church of God

LOVE
There are many characteristics that make up The Church of God. The first characteristic that I would like to speak about is her love. There is a special bond that is in the Church because of the covenant we all share as members. Also we have the love for each other because we have experienced the new birth as believers in Christ.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34). I believe that Christ’s Church will have the love that the Bible speaks of. I know that it was the love of the people in The Church of God that made me want a relationship with Christ. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). In my heart I would say, “I want to be like those people.” So, I feel that the love of God should be the first characteristic of The Church of God.

THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT
The second characteristic that makes up The Church of God is her theocratic government. In order to be The Church of God of the Bible we must meet all the criteria. We must recognize who is in charge of The Church of God. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body” (Eph. 5:23). In order to be Christ’s Church we must have theocratic government.

“Theocratic” means relating to, or being a theocracy. “Theocracy” means government of a state by immediate divine guidance. “Theo” refers to God. “Crat” indicates an advocate or partisan of a specified theory of government; or a member of a specified dominant class.

“Government” is defined as the act or process of government; authoritative direction or control; or moral conduct and/or behavior; discretion. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isa. 9:6, 7). Through the Scriptures we see that Christ is the Head of the Church and that He is the Saviour of the Body.

“Head” means the director, leader—as in a headmaster; one in charge of a division or department in an office or institution. A “Saviour” is one who saves from danger or destruction; one who brings salvation—specifically Jesus. We can clearly see through the definitions of Head and Saviour that the Head (Christ) is in charge of His Church. Also we can see that He is our Saviour and the only One who can save us from destruction. Also Christ came to establish the Church with judgment and justice. “Establish” means to make firm or stable; to institute (as a law) permanently by enactment or agreement; to make a national institution. We can clearly see that without theocratic government, no group of people could be The Church of God of the Bible. Christ’s Church will have government and He will be the Head of it.

TRUTH
The third characteristic of The Church of God is truth. “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Many people question what truth really is. Let us look and see what Webster has to say about truth: “fidelity, constancy; sincerity in action, character, and utterance; the state of being the case, fact; the body of real things, events, and facts, actuality; the body of true statements and propositions; the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality; fidelity to an original or to a standard; in accordance with fact.”

That is the definition from the Webster’s Dictionary about truth. Now let us go to the Bible and see what truth is. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). We know through the Scriptures that God’s Word is truth. Men may say that what they believe is truth, but if it does not line up with the Bible it is a lie. “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged” (Rom. 3:3, 4). Even if the majority of people on earth chose not to believe God’s Word, the Word of God will still convict the heart of a sinner and have an effect upon this world when preached by a true Christian. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13, 14). Christ’s Church will have all the truth of God’s Word. As long as we allow theocratic government to work, God will lead the Church into all truth through the Holy Ghost. Truth is an important characteristic of The Church of God.

BANNER
The fourth characteristic of The Church of God is its banner. “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah” (Psa. 60:4).

God’s Church will have a banner in these last days. The banner is only effective when the people of God are following the truth of God’s Word. The banner says that this is our symbol and this is what we believe. If those who carry the banner turn from the truth of God’s Word the banner loses the meaning it was intended for. That is why God gave The Church of God a new banner in 2001. This banner should reflect Christ and His truth. We see in the Scripture that Christ’s Church will have a banner in these last days and that it will be displayed because of the truth.

THE CHURCH OF GOD
The fifth characteristic of The Church of God is its name. Throughout the Bible in the New Testament we see the name The Church of God. Here are some verses that speak about Christ and His Church. “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9). “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia” (2 Cor. 1:1). “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it” (Gal. 1:13). “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” (1 Tim. 3:5).

We see that there were many churches in different locations, but they had the same name and the same government. In looking at the Word of God that there was just one Church with one name and it was Church of God. Just as Christ had one Church in that time we will also have one Church in these last days and its name will be The Church of God.

DIVINE REVELATION
Without divine revelation it is hard to see The Church of God. “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:17, 18). Jesus was saying that it was that divine revelation Peter had that helped him to see who was the Christ. The “rock” was that understanding of who Christ was and it is that same understanding that will help us to see The Church of God. My prayer is that this article will help others to see The glorious Church of God through the Spirit.
By Thomas Brandy
Crab Orchard, TN