Bible Class
Sunday - 10:00 AM
Morning Worship
Sunday - 11:00 AM
Evening Worship
Sunday - 6:30 PM
Bible Class
Wednesday - 7:00 PM
Malcolm Green
Jerry Lunsford
Burl Sink
Richard Bateman
Dan C. Bailey1713 W State St
Bristol , VA 24201-3639
276-669-1094 - Phone
276-669-1094 - Fax
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State Street Church of Christ (Bristol, VA)
One Faith
by Dan C. Bailey
The Bible teaches us that there is but one faith. It is just as sure and just as clear as there is one God. Paul informs us in Ephesians 4:4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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." The one faith is the "faith of the gospel." "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27). The "one faith of the gospel" is that one system of faith whereby one is saved and has the hope of eternal life. "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).
There simply is no such thing in the New Testament as following the faith of your choice. It is true, we must make a choice as to whether or not we believe and obey the gospel of Christ, but God only gave one gospel and one faith. We read in Acts 13 that the "one faith" is the result of preaching the Word of God. Yea, when one preaches the truth, he is preaching the "faith of Christ."
We read in Acts 13:5-8, "And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith." Elymas tried to turn him away from "the faith." That is the one faith of the gospel.
In the book of Galatians it is called "the faith of Jesus Christ" and the "faith of Christ" in chapter 2, verse 16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
At one time Paul persecuted the Lord's church but then he became a disciple and an apostle and preached "the faith" according to Galatians 1:23.
"But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed." It is possible for a child of God to obey the truth and then to depart from "the faith." We read in I Timothy4:1-3, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." It is possible to err from the faith. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (I Timothy 6:10). Let us pray that we will never err from the truth of God's Word.
We should not only preach the faith, but we should also contend for the faith. "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).
My friends, since there is only one true faith, don't be satisfied with the commandments, traditions, creeds, and doctrines of men. Let us be certain that we teach and defend the "one faith" that is from God and that is revealed in the pages of the New Testament.
