III. Effects

What is the fruit or the result that occurs if we follow these guides?

A. The Bible Produces True Christians, Members of the One True Church.

The gospel reproduces like seed.

Luke 8:11,15 - The seed is the word of God. When good hearts receive this seed, it grows and produces fruit. Note the connection between the seed and the fruit.

All doctrines are like plants. The plant bears fruit, which produces a seed. The seed produces more plants, which bear fruit, etc.

In religion, when teachings are planted in a man's heart, if his heart is receptive (good soil), the seed will produce fruit in that person's life. He will become the kind of person the teaching says he should be.

1 Peter 1:22-25 - We are born again into God's family by obeying the incorruptible seed, which is God's word, the gospel.

Notice this procedure in conversion.

Romans 1:16 - The gospel (seed) is God's power to salvation.

Romans 10:17 - Hearing the gospel produces faith.

Mark 16:15,16 - Faith leads to obedience - i.e., baptism. The person is thereby forgiven of sins. He is born again as a child of God.

Acts 2:47 - The Lord then adds him to His church, which is God's family.

Galatians 5:22-24 - He must then bring forth fruit as God teaches - a faithful life. If he remains faithful, he will receive the inheritance, which has been promised to family members.

God's word is the seed that produces Christians, members of God's family. This is how the seed worked in the first century; and the same seed will always produce the same results when planted in receptive hearts, even today. If we just follow God's guide, we become simply Christians, members of Jesus' church. We are not members of any denomination, just like people in first century were not.

[Acts 2:38; John 3:3,5; Galatians 3:26,27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Tim 3:15; 1 Peter 1:3,4; Romans 8:14-17]

B. Other Standards Produce Denominations and Division,
False doctrine also produces fruit.

Galatians 6:7 - Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Seed reproduces after its own kind. The fruit of an apple tree is apples. The fruit of a corn plant is corn. Since man-made standards are a different seed from the Bible, we must expect it to produce different fruit.

Matthew 7:15-20 - Regarding false teachers Jesus warned, "By their fruits ye shall know them." Consider the "fruit" of man-made religious guides.

What fruit do denominational creeds produce?

Some years ago a poll was taken of six denominational leaders regarding their creeds (Gospel Digest, 6/61 - slightly reworded.)

Two questions were asked:

(1) If I refuse to follow the creed of your denomination and follow only the Bible, can I be a member of your denomination? All six denominational preachers answered, "No"!

(2) If I refuse to follow the creed of your denomination and follow only the Bible, can I still be a Christian and go to heaven? All said, "Yes."

Conclusions:

* No human denomination is essential to salvation. All admitted you can be saved outside their denomination.

* No human creed is essential to salvation. All admitted you can be saved without following their creed.

* Human standards result in denominational division. Each denomination has its own creed, and the peculiar doctrines stated in those creeds, are what separate them from one another. And since they admit we need not follow their creeds to be saved, they are admitting they are divided from one another over things that make no difference regarding ones salvation.

* Simply following the Bible will not make you a member of a denomination. In fact, in you insist on following only the Bible, you can't be a member of a denomination. They will not accept you if you refuse to follow their creeds!

What does God think about these facts?

1 Corinthians 1:10,13 - Paul taught there should be no division among Christians. We must firmly oppose error, but denominational division is not the result of people standing firm for what God requires. They admit people in other denominations are still pleasing to God! They are divided over man-made doctrines. Surely God is displeased.

Ephesians 4:4-6 - There is one body and one faith, just as surely as there is one God. God will not accept many different faiths, any more than He will accept many different gods.

John 17:20,21 - Jesus prayed for unity among believers. But the result of man-made guides is division.

If all people would really obey the Bible, the result would be unity: all people would be Christians, members of the one true church. The fruit of following man-made standards is division: people are divided into many different denominations, contrary to God's will.

Conclusion

We have learned why we should not follow man-made religious creeds: They are human in origin, they are imperfect, and they lead to denominational division.

But we have also learned how we can please God in spite of all the man-made denominations, creeds, and division. We can be simply Christians, members of Jesus one true church, without being members of any denomination. How? Just like people in the first century were: by rejecting all man-made teachings and following only the pure teachings of the New Testament!

In the survey described earlier, a preacher in the church of Christ was also asked the questions. The substance of his answers was: The church of Christ is not a denomination and we do not have any creed besides the Bible. If someone followed only the Bible, that person not only could be a member of the church of Christ, he would be a member, because that is exactly what one must do to become a member!

What about you? Are you following the undenominational creed?