Volume 21 – 1980 (PDF) - Searching The Scriptures

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joined the church of their choice. And they continued
to follow the dictates of their consciences, and to
have fellowship with all other churches."
The preceding three paragraphs are NOT the word
of God, but they do express the doctrines of
denominationalism today. Times have changed, and
men have tried to change the word of God, but every
such change takes away the power of God to save.
God's power to save is the gospel of Christ (Rom.
1:16). There is no other gospel (Gal. 1:7-9). The
gospel must be expressed in the words of the Spirit
(1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Peter 4:11). No other doctrine is to be
taught (1 Tim. 1:3). We must insist upon sound
words that cannot be condemned.
When we accept the fact that the church in many
parts of the country has changed over the past 25
years, and is continuing to change, we are ready to
find the reasons and the remedy. Many brethren have
their heads buried in the sands of ignorance and
apathy and refuse to acknowledge the reality of the
moral decline, liberal teaching and denominational
practice that characterize so many "churches of
Christ" over the land today. We who call attention to
these changing times in the church are labeled
"negative" and "pessimistic" in our attitude. Call it
what you may, the church is changing for the worse
day by day. Certainly this is not true of every
congregation. Many are sound in the faith and
working hard to keep the church pure from all
innovations.
The church that Christ built is unchangeable and
inalterable in doctrine and practice. "Wherefore we
receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28). The
word of Christ does not change (Matt. 24:35). We
must resist the dogmatic and subtle changes that are
coming upon us from the god of this world.