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How to Recognize a Good Church

(Condensed from a booklet published by "Radio Bible Class", Grand Rapids, MI)

  1. A Good Church Must Be Doctrinally Correct:
    1. It believes and teaches the Bible as the inspired, infallible, inherent Word of God (II Tim. 3:16 – 17).
    2. It believes in and worships the one Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19).
    3. It believes in Jesus Christ, his deity, His humanity, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning death, his literal resurrection and His personal coming again.
    4. It believes in salvation by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8 - 9).
    5. A good Church also has correct beliefs about:
      1. The Holy Spirit (personal with vital role in our lives and our ministry).
      2. The Church (invisible and visible) as well as its importance.
      3. The End Times (Christ’s return as well as heaven and hell).
  2. A Good Church Must be Evangelistic In Spirit:
    1. An evangelistic emphasis (Luke 19:10).
    2. A missionary outreach (Mark 16:15 & Acts 1:3).
    3. A regenerated (born from above or born again) membership (II Corinthians 6:14 – 17)
    4. A Biblical message (faithful and without compromise) (II Timothy 4:1- 5).
    5. The people (members) of an "ideal" church – even though every Christian and every church is imperfect:
      1. Loving (John 13:34 – 35)
      2. Caring for each other (I Corinthians 12:25 – 26, Galatians 6;2).
      3. Forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
      4. Forbearing (Ephesians 4:2)
      5. Submitting (Ephesians 5:22, Hebrews 13:7, I Peter 5:5, Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3)
  3. Marks of a False Church:
    1. A lack of historical perspective (Ignores Church History)
    2. A distorted view of Scripture
    3. A desire to cause division
    4. A tendency to major on the minors
    5. A return to past errors (Heresys of past are recycled)