Manna 69 Editorial: One True Church

T. Chen

“Which church do you go to?” “True Jesus Church.” Puzzled look. “Why true? Are there any false churches out there?” Silence.

This is a scenario that many of us in the True Jesus Church (TJC) may have experienced before. It may cause uneasiness in some of us, even to utter the word “True Jesus Church” because it seems as if we were boasting about ourselves. But do we truly understand what makes a church “true” and why there is only one true church? The theme writers in this issue provide comprehensive answers to these questions.

Looking at the etymology of the Greek word “ekklesia” for church, we find that the term refers to an “assembly called out from the multitudes.” Moreover, the Bible defines the church as an assembly of people redeemed by the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins—a fact that makes the church unique. Therefore, she is not a secular but a sacred organization, precious in the eyes of God.

Since the church is a sacred institution, we need to look at her from a spiritual perspective to determine whether she is true. Spiritually seen, what makes a church true is not the size of her congregation, material wealth, power, or international standing but the biblical truth she upholds. If the church does not obey the complete word of God as given in the Scriptures, how can she claim to be a true church? Where will she lead the believers?

Moreover, in God’s eternal spiritual realm, the church already existed before the foundation of the world and will remain forever. She is the dispensation of the mystery hidden in God from the beginning of the ages until the apostolic time, when this mystery was revealed to the apostles and prophets and the spiritual true church was manifested through the downpour of the Holy Spirit. When the created world perishes, the New Jerusalem, which is the spiritual church, will descend from heaven. She will be ready as a bride adorned for her husband and will be received into eternal glory. This spiritual true church includes both ancient saints and new covenant believers, and she transcends time and space.

Paul tells us: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:4-6). The true church, the only body of Christ, has only one faith. If we believe that observing the Sabbath day is part of the truth of salvation, while another Christian group does not, the latter does not share one faith with us. The true church has only one baptism. If we believe that water baptism can only be administered in the name of the Lord Jesus, while another Christian group baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, we do not have the same baptism. Therefore, the Bible distinguishes the one true church from other Christian denominations.

The Lord promised us eternal life—our ultimate hope. So, just as a patient has to follow the doctor’s instructions faithfully in order to recover, we too must be faithful to His word to be saved. We cannot pick and choose what we want to or do not want to believe in. The path to salvation has been laid out in the Bible, and in the end-time, this path is found in the True Jesus Church. If we want to obtain salvation, we have to follow this path tailored by God.

Members of the true church, which the Lord has called out and redeemed with His own blood, need to truly understand and be rooted in the doctrine of one true church. Only then, can we be firm in our faith and have courage and confidence to carry out the great commission that the Lord has entrusted to us. Let us therefore live up to Jesus’ expectation; let us witness for Him by preaching the gospel of salvation and glorify Him by living a life worthy of His calling, so that many more will be drawn to the “mountain of the LORD” and enter the one true church.