Do you have to choose a Church?

 

When we move to a new area or immigrate to a different country, finding a church where we can practice our faith is essential.

 

 

There are many different types of churches worldwide, and choosing one is crucial for one's spiritual life. It can either nurture the soul or enrich one's life.

 

The 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the origin of Protestant churches, was a movement to reform the Church of Christ according to the principles of the Bible and the early church. It was a movement that exalted Christ alone as the King of the Church and accepted only God's Word as the absolute authority in matters of faith and practice.

 

The theologian of the Reformation, John Calvin did not wish to establish a new church but instead desired to serve all nations and peoples who wanted to obey God's Word, thus establishing a genuine church of the Lord. He corresponded extensively with kings, nobles, theologians, and various countries to achieve this.

 

In a letter to the English Lord Protector, Thomas Cranmer, Calvin stated, "If I could do any service, I would not be afraid to go across ten seas for this purpose." This statement reflects Calvin's fervent zeal for building a true church.

 

The construction of a genuine church is not unrelated to doctrine. If the church ignores correct doctrine derived from the ministry of Christ and God's Word, its construction is in vain.

 

Calvin hoped to unite all faithful Christians into one body. He made significant efforts to guide those who deviated from the doctrine back onto the path of the true church, not welcoming those who strayed from the true church's boundaries or blurred its limits.

 

Followers of Calvin's church tradition clearly distinguished between the signs of the true church and false churches. They confessed that the true church faithfully proclaims God's Word, correctly administers the sacraments established by Christ, and diligently enforces discipline for the church's purity (Belgic Confession, 1561, Article 29).

 

Activities promoting a form of ecumenism that disregards the differences in faith have caused many losses. It makes believers think their church is no different from the neighboring ones. When moving, they might consider any church to be equivalent.

 

Among the many churches, it is wise to choose a church that is as pure as possible, doctrinally sound, with clear signs of the church, and practices the teaching of the Lord. The wise choice of a healthy church is a careful right granted to those who love Christ.

 

The heroes of the Reformed churches do not conform to the flow of the world and time. They always obey Christ, who is the King of the church. Like faithful Christians who rely on the Lord's grace, they serve zealously at the center of the church.

 

Do you need to choose a church? In church selection, there are three things to examine. First. First, does this church believe in Jesus Christ as its only Savior? Second, is it faithful to the Bible's teaching and the historical Christian tradition? Third, do the saints within the existing presence of the Holy Spirit love each other, enjoy inner joy, and devote their best to preaching the gospel?

 

Rev. Doug Choi, Ph.D., President of Peniel Theological Seminary, Busan Korea