Is Your Church Biblical?

by Stephanie A. Mayberry

I spent a lot of time in a “Bible-believing church” and believed it followed the whole Bible. That’s what they told me and I bought it. I didn’t have any real reason to believe otherwise. This went on for years, with me blissfully ignorant that I was so, so wrong.

When I opened the book and began studying, I soon came to realize just how wrong I’d been.

Granted, my husband and I had happened upon a phenomenal teacher who said some things that made us think – and sent us digging through our Bibles to check it out and see what else we were missing.

Over the years I’ve studied this out, bit by bit. Now that we have our own congregation that we pastor, my body of research is even more important. We want to lead people into whole biblical truth, not just give them half the story.

So, is YOUR church biblical? Only if it teaches ALL of these biblical truths.

Repentance

Repentance is an integral part of salvation. You can’t be forgiven if you don’t repent. And if you aren’t forgiven, you can’t be saved.

³ I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
⁴ Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
⁵ I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:3-5

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4), He included repentance in that prayer. While we aren’t to repeat that prayer word for word, we are to use it as a template for our own unique prayer.

You should be praying repentance every day.

Baptism in the name of Yeshua (Jesus)

Jesus said that we must be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). In Acts 2:38, we see Peter explain that we are to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Most churches today baptize in the titles, father, son, and Holy Ghost. However, that is not taught in scripture, nor is it demonstrated anywhere. Over and over you see people getting baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts 8:12-16, Acts 10:46-48, Acts 19:1-5). Paul even references it several times in his letters (1 Corinthians 1:13-16)

And of course, scripture tells us that in everything that we do, we are to do it in the name of Jesus (Colossians 3:17). Baptism in the name of Yeshua/Jesus is important. It’s biblical.

Infilling of the Holy Spirit with the Evidence of Speaking in Other Tongues

Scripture says that when you are obedient to God by repenting and being baptized in the name of Yeshua/Jesus, that you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It also demonstrates over and over that speaking in other tongues is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6). No other evidence is given anywhere in the Bible.

We can also look at the perfect example in Matthew 3:13-17 when John baptized Yeshua. It says that the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and lit on Him. That was a SIGN that the Holy Spirit was given. This tells us that there is indeed always a sign and after the ascension the only one given is tongues.

One God, NOT a Triune God

Most churches teach that God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is no scriptural evidence to support this. In fact, the evidence points to something that is quite the opposite.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord

Deuteronomy 6:4

There are more than 55 verses that show Jesus is God.

John 1:1-14 tells us that the Word was God and the Word became flesh. That is talking about Jesus. God came to this world and entered into the human economy as Jesus so that He could save us. Jesus is God manifest in flesh.

In John 10:30 Jesus said that He and His Father are one. Here are a few others but there are so many more:

Matthew 1:23 says that Jesus’ name, Immanuel, means “God with us.”

Isaiah 44:24 says that God alone created the world but according to John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16, it was Jesus who created everything.

Isaiah 43:10-11 GOD said that before Him there was no God formed, nor after. He also said that besides HIM there is NO SAVIOR. But Thomas called Jesus “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28). Also, Luke 2:11 and 1 Timothy 1:15 both refer to Jesus as our savior.

Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12 say that God is the first and the last. However, Revelation 1:17-18 and Revelation 2:8 say that Jesus is the first and the last.

Isaiah 44:6 says that GOD is our redeemer, but 2 Peter 1:1 says that it is Jesus who is our redeemer.

Acts 20:28 says that God purchased us with His own blood. God is a spirit (John 4:24). Spirits cannot shed blood to atone for sin because a spirit does not have blood. Revelation 1:5-6 and Revelation 5:9-8 say that Jesus’ blood purchased us.

There is no doubt that Yeshua/Jesus truly is God Almighty.

Remember the Sabbath and Keep it Holy

Keeping the Sabbath is the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), it is mentioned more than 100 times throughout the Bible, Jesus and His disciples kept it (Luke 4:16, Luke 4:31, Luke 6:6), and God said we are to keep it forever (Leviticus 16:31, Exodus 31:16, Exodus 31:13), yet it is one of the most hotly contested topics in the Bible, especially in the modern church.

Keeping the seventh day Sabbath – which is NOT Sunday – is holiness. Scripture tells us that He created the Sabbath for us, not us for the Sabbath. He created it at creation and Jesus refers to it when talking about the last days (Matthew 24:20).

Also, if you truly believe that Jesus is God as scripture shows, then Sabbath still stands. Many people try to defile the Sabbath and reject it by saying that Jesus ended the Sabbath when He hung on the cross.

However, Malachi 3:6 says that God does not change. So if Jesus changed the Sabbath then either God is a liar, Jesus and God are not the same, or the belief that the Sabbath is done away with is an erroneous one.

They believe that we are no longer required to keep the Sabbath is what is in error here. God does not change and Jesus is indeed God. Plus, God said the Sabbath is forever. So, yes, keeping the Sabbath really is that important.

Keep the Feast Days of the Lord

The Feast Days of the Lord, also called Holy Days or the Moedim, are prescribed by God. We are to keep these days as He commanded in Leviticus 23. He gave us specific instructions regarding what we are to do and when we are to keep them.

They are based on the lunar biblical calendar, so you can’t necessarily plan them like you can the pagan holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

Over and over we are reminded to keep the feast days forever.

These too were established early on. We see evidence of them being kept even before they are explained in Leviticus.

If your church isn’t teaching and keeping these biblically prescribed feast days, it is not a biblical church and it is not teaching obedience to the Word of God.

Discipleship

We are all called to be disciples. We are not meant to just show up when the church doors open then go home and wait until the next time. And we definitely are NOT meant to be pew warmers!

When we are obedient to the Word of God then we are His disciples (John 8:31-38) and our lives will demonstrate that as we set an example for others (John 13:34-35). We are intended to follow Yeshua and be fishers of men.

Yeshua said to go into all the world and teach the gospel (Mark 16:15-18). We aren’t meant to just sit idly by and wait for Jesus to come. We have a job to do, share the good news, minister to people, and populate the coming Kingdom!

A Coming Kingdom

A biblical church teaches of the coming Kingdom. It does not teach the fable of the rapture, nor does it teach that we all go to Heaven when we die. Scripture does not support either of these. We will see the antichrist and we will go through the tribulation.

The Bible tells us that there is a coming Kingdom (Matthew 6:9-10). It tells us that the meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5, Psalm 37:9-11) and the righteous shall inherit the land (Psalm 37:28-31). But if everyone is going to Heaven, why is this important? Because we aren’t going to Heaven. We are going to inherit the holy Kingdom that is on earth and we will reign there (Revelation 5:10).

The Real Second Coming of Yeshua is far greater than any of the false or erroneous stories that man has created.

Study to Show Yourself Approved

Too many in church leadership today frown upon their congregants studying scripture out for themselves and questioning what they are being taught. The unspoken rule is whatever is taught across the pulpit is the truth and you have no need to go digging through scripture to verify it or look deeper.

This is not biblical.

We are to study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15) because on Judgment Day God isn’t going to ask what your pastor taught you or what your parents taught you, He is going to what YOU learned when YOU studied.

You are responsible for your own spiritual growth and your own relationship with God.

If your church isn’t teaching that – and teaching you how to do it, then it isn’t biblical.

Follow the Example Set by Yeshua (Jesus)

Many churches claim to teach people how to be like Jesus. And that is Biblical. Scripture tells us that if we abide in Him then we will walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). Jesus told His disciples to follow His example (John 13:15).

The thing is, most churches aren’t doing that. They pick and choose what parts of Jesus’ walk they want to follow and toss out the rest.

It doesn’t work like that though. Nowhere in the Bible does it say you get to choose how you follow Him. In fact, others in scripture have done things their own way when it comes to God and it didn’t work out so well for them. But that’s another post for another day.

Scripture is clear on what we are to do.

Now, I’m not advocating going to church Sunday and staging a coup or anything. I am not even saying that you should leave your church – yet.

What I am saying is that you should be praying about these things, studying the scripture provided here, and seeking God’s direction and will for your life.

And if He says, “Go.” Then you go.

It all comes down to where your worship is. Do you worship your church and/or pastor?

Or do you worship God Almighty?

When you figure that out, that is the direction you will go.

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