Just Christians

You can be just a Christian! Does this sound strange? With about 300 religious bodies in our country it might appear impossible to be a Christian without being part of an organized denomination too. But it is not only possible, there are actually millions of “Christians only” in this and other nations.

A Distinctive Plea

To be a simple New Testament Christian is a distinctive plea. Of course, in many ways we agree with others striving to follow Christ. We believe in the divine inspiration of the entire Bible, and that it is sufficient to guide us in all matters of faith. We believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His atonement for our sins, and that after death all men will be rewarded or punished in another life for the way they have lived here. And along with all people of honest religious conviction, we insist that the moral principles of Jesus are absolute truths to be exemplified in the personal righteousness of each Christian.

Restoration rather than Reformation

It is obvious, even to a casual observer, that the religious world is badly divided. Great leaders, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, sought to correct erroneous teachings and practices. But the reformers often started at different points and arrived at different conclusions. Division rather than unity resulted.

We plead for restoring Christianity as taught in the Bible, rather than trying to reform existing religious bodies. Since all can agree that the early church was right, we should also be able to agree that we can also be right if we succeed in reproducing that simple Christianity today in every essential part. While many things have changed through the ages, the teachings of Jesus and His apostles are steadfast and true. We believe that truth is absolute and unchangeable. “God’s Word is truth” (John 17:17) and can save today as surely as in the first century if applied in the same way. This unchangeable “truth will make you free” (John 8:32).

Should you visit us you will find us worshipping God as did the early disciples — “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). You will observe that we remember Jesus’ precious sacrifice by partaking of the Lord’s supper, or communion, every Sunday. This is because we are following the example of the early Christians who assembled on the first day of the week to “break bread” (see Acts 20:7). Likewise, in every other way we humbly seek to reproduce New Testament Christianity — in organization, in work, and in all areas of teaching.