By: Orean Brown
We hear a lot today about identity theft. Unscrupulous fellows have found ways to discover social security numbers, addresses, names, dates of birth, and other information related to one’s identity and used such things for nefarious purposes. In some cases, individuals have become indebted overnight for cars, motor homes, and real estate because they lost control of their unique financial identity. Unfortunately, there are times when our identity isn’t just stolen, but our identity can be lost due to disease. Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain causing memory loss, and sadly a person may feel that they lost their identity. A well-known psychologist stated that when someone’s sense of purpose evaporates like the morning mist, they “don’t know who they are anymore” and they seek help to rediscover their identity. Sadly, brethren some in the Churches of Christ have lost our purpose, therefore have lost their identity. We used to be known as “people of the book.” Sadly, it appears not to be the case. In the past, if you visited a congregation with the sign out front that said “Church of Christ” you reasonably knew what to expect. That is no longer so. Our churches are “struggling” with issues that at one time we didn’t even have problems with. Some of us do know who we are and what we stand for, but, unfortunately, many do not. There are several reasons that I believe contributes to the crisis of identity. First, we have brethren that are allowing outside influences to distort their purpose and identity. They have decided that being relevant in the modern world, is more important than sound doctrine. On the other hand, some churches have lost the Biblical sense of congregational autonomy and are depending on “our” colleges and universities, especially the Bible Departments, to set the agenda for congregations instead of following the Lord’s agenda. I believe there are some things that must never change if we are to maintain our identity as the Church of Christ. Let’s consider a few of those things. First, we must not change our worship. I’m not talking about what songbook we use, the order of the activities, or whether we use PowerPoint or not. I’m talking about our actions in worship: prayer ( 1 Timothy 2:8), singing ( Ephesians 5:19, Hebrews 13:15), hearing/studying God’s word ( 2 Timothy 2:15), giving ( 2 Corinthians 8-9), and observing the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week ( Acts 20:7). This includes respecting God’s roles of authority for men and women in worship as well ( 1 Timothy 2:8). How we worship affects our relationship with God as His people because God demands those who worship Him to do so in spirit and truth ( John 4:23-24). The churches of Christ are unique in their worship and that uniqueness defines our identity. Second, we must not change God’s plan of salvation. Some in “Christendom” has gone so far as to say that even faith in Christ isn’t necessary for salvation. Some teach that faith alone is necessary even rejecting repentance. Most believe that baptism is not necessary for salvation. The Bible clearly teaches, however, that baptism is a prerequisite to salvation ( Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:11-13, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21). Hebrews 5:9 teaches that obedience is as much a part of God’s plan for man’s salvation as anything else. We must not change our teaching regarding the necessity of baptism in God’s plan for man’s salvation. Third, we must not change what the Bible teaches regarding the church. The church is a necessary institution for which Jesus died and shed His blood ( Acts 20:28). There is only one body ( Ephesians 4:4) which is the church and Christ is its head ( Ephesians 1:22-23). It is not a body composed of many bodies ( 1 Corinthians 1:10-13). It has for leadership elders which is to say, shepherds (pastors) and bishops. These men are appointed based upon the scriptural qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The churches of the New Testament are also always represented as having a plural number of these governors, not just one. If how the local church is governed is simply a matter of opinion, then anything goes in the church. We must not change God’s pattern for the organization of the church. Fourth, we must not change what the Bible teaches regarding morality. “Christendom” has already abandoned Bible teaching on the above subjects and now we are seeing it abandon Bible morality as well. We must not change God’s teaching regarding sexuality. We must not change God’s teaching regarding pure speech and godly living. The doctrine of once saved, always saved has wreaked terrible havoc in the church. We must be faithful to the Lord and to His church in order to be saved ( Revelation 2:10). We must withdraw from those who refuse to live faithfully ( 2 Thessalonians 3:6). Lastly, my brethren to help shield us from identity theft, and spiritual Alzheimer’s we must strive to always follow and mimic our head which is Christ (Ephesians 1:22). In Colossian 1:18 Paul states, “And he is the head of the body; the church.” If we are the body of Christ, then we should bare the Identifying Marks of Christ’s body. In John 20:24-28 the bible states, “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God”. Notice that Thomas didn’t believe that it was Jesus until he physical saw the identifying Marks on Jesus’s body. The same can be said about his spiritual body (the church). Do we bear the identifying marks as the body of Christ? Can people recognize Christ’s body, by the way, we worship, God’s plan of salvation, the organization of the church, and lastly our teaching on morality and Christian living? If we can answer no to any of these questions, then sadly brethren we have suffered from A Case of Lost Identity.