About Front Street Church of Christ
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Our Aim
TO RESTORE ORIGINAL CHRISTIANITY
When caught in a flood, one looks for a high place of safety. In times of confusion, we search for surety and confidence. In today*s religious climate, the sensitive believer is anxious to find a way toward fellowship with God that is safe, solid and secure. The old established denominations and Catholicism are groaning with the pangs of decay. Many strange voices are being heard on the religious horizon. But these only lead further away from the truth of the gospel.
Christ did build his church! It flourished in simple purity In the first and second centuries. Then was pure Christianity, unadulterated by man*s hand. Have you ever pondered the possibility of drinking from the clear springs of original Christianity today?
Someone may ask, is it necessary to restore the church? The careful student of scriptures and church history knows that many serious changes have been forced upon the Christian religion since its beginning.
*The form of church government has been changed drastically.
*Names by which the church is known have been changed.
When caught in a flood, one looks for a high place of safety. In times of confusion, we search for surety and confidence. In today*s religious climate, the sensitive believer is anxious to find a way toward fellowship with God that is safe, solid and secure. The old established denominations and Catholicism are groaning with the pangs of decay. Many strange voices are being heard on the religious horizon. But these only lead further away from the truth of the gospel.
When caught in a flood, one looks for a high place of safety. In times of confusion, we search for surety and confidence. In today*s religious climate, the sensitive believer is anxious to find a way toward fellowship with God that is safe, solid and secure. The old established denominations and Catholicism are groaning with the pangs of decay. Many strange voices are being heard on the religious horizon. But these only lead further away from the truth of the gospel.
Christ did build his church! It flourished in simple purity In the first and second centuries. Then was pure Christianity, unadulterated by man*s hand. Have you ever pondered the possibility of drinking from the clear springs of original Christianity today?
Someone may ask, is it necessary to restore the church? The careful student of Scripture and church history knows that many serious changes have been forced upon the Christian religion since its beginning.
*The form of church government has been changed drastically.
Names by which the church is known have been changed.The recipient of baptism has been changed by many groups.The form of baptism has also been changed. The creed of the church has been displaced. Human creeds have overshadowed the will of Christ The form of worship has been altered with various additions and/or **subtractions. The plan of salvation has been obscured.
The unity of the church has suffered because of denominationalism. These many changes have robbed believers of a clear vision of what their religion was really like in the beginning. The problem is magnified when we remember that an infallible, all-wise God founded the church and Unit sinful, fallible men have presumed to change it. Can man ever hope to improve on God*s work?
Is it possible to restore first century Christianity today? Jesus founded an everlasting kingdom, (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 16:18). Surely the God who gave us the church is able to preserve it through the ages. To realize the goal of restoration, we must recognize the following points: Christ is the supreme authority in all matters of religion. His New Testament is the only authoritative rule of faith and practice for Christians.
We must make a proper distinction between the Old and New Testaments.
We must be content to worship and serve God exactly as the first Christians did, as set forth in the New Testament.
The autonomy of each local congregation must be respected.
Every effort must be made to achieve and maintain the unity of all Christians upon the basis of obedience to Christ and His Word.
If we have no book but the Bible; no creed but Christ, and no name but the divine name, surely we can achieve this goal. When reached, we can maintain it if in matters of faith we will stand united; in matters of opinion and methods we will grant liberty and toleration and in all things practice love for our brethren.
The idea of restoring New Testament Christianity has a universal appeal to men of all nations.
It looks to that one universal church that Jesus founded and is savior of. (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23.)
A universal book (the Bible) is set forth as the only rule of faith and practice, the only authoritative and complete repository of all that is necessary to serving God and preparing for eternity. Its confession of faith is universal, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16.) Universally accepted scriptural names are used: i.e. Christian, disciples, brethren, saints, church of Christ, etc. Its teaching on baptism and the Lord*s Supper are universally appealing for they would be observed precisely as when instituted by Christ. It advocates a universal life of Christian purity and service as exemplified by the Lord, that goes beyond racial and national boundaries. It has a universal aim which is to exalt and spread the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Could any honest soul object to such spiritual principles as: Wearing the name of Christ to the exclusion of all human names. . . Faith in the living, reigning, interceding Christ being the only creed of the church. . The New Testament of Christ being the only book of discipline accepted by the church. . . .The complete authority of Christ over his church being recognized and restored. . .Christ*s one church being exalted above all man-made institutions and organizations. All the commands of Christ being obeyed by his people. .
The ideals of Christ being exemplified in the lives of all who wear his name. . . .Unity in Christ by faith, repentance and baptism into him superseding all denominationalism to the end that there should be one body of which Christ is both Head and Foundation?
The concept of *Restoration* is not new. It is an ancient and constant need in religion. Twenty-five hundred years ago God said to the men of Judah, *Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. . (Jeremiah 6:16). The student of church history will find many voices who pled the same message. It is not a local movement. All across the earth, independent movements have sprung up with the announced goal of going back to the Bible, restoring primitive Christianity. This common faith and goal cannot but bring these movements together in Christ, if sincerely followed.
It is not an institutional or governmental movement. Rather, God-fearing
