Torrington Church of Christ Celebrates First Anniversary
by Stephen Bastin
A year ago you received our
first issue of “Straight Bible Talk” to announce the beginning of the
Greater Torrington Church of Christ on October 11, 2003.
Today we invite you to our first anniversary celebration on October 10
and a congregational potluck dinner following.
We set out a year ago to
establish a church in Torrington upon New Testament principles alone.
We were determined to follow the teachings of Jesus as expressed through
his chosen apostles in every way.
We began with 16 people and
have grown to over 30 meeting together each Lord’s Day.
Many of you came and worshipped with us.
Some have continued with us and from those many have obeyed the gospel
and become Christians.
In worship we do what the
church did in the New Testament. We
have preaching from the Bible. Pop
psychology and the latest from the political arena have no place in the worship
of God’s church. Giving is
voluntary and is the only means of fund raising employed by this congregation.
The Sunday morning collection is the only collection we take.
There are no additional contributions at our Sunday evening and Tuesday
evening meetings. Prayer is led by
the men of the congregation as outlined in the New Testament.
Singing is without instrumental accompaniment as it was done in New
Testament churches. Communion is
observed every Sunday just as New Testament churches observed communion to
remember Jesus.
Every item above is disputed
by advocates for change. We would
seriously consider changing if we could be convinced by the Word of God.
Lacking a new instruction from God we choose to walk in the “old
paths” that were laid down by Jesus.
In like manner we accept as
Christians all who have met the Biblical standard for becoming a Christian.
We seek to be as inclusive as God and as exclusive as God about those
whom we accept.
The Bible clearly teaches that
faith comes from hearing the Word of God. And
“without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek
Him.” No ritual of any church can
make someone a Christian who does not have faith.
Just as clearly, the Bible
teaches the need for repentance. Jesus
said that those who will not repent shall perish.
Paul said that God “commands all men everywhere to repent.”
Repentance is caused by a sincere sorrow over past mistakes, both things
that should not have been done and things that have been neglected.
In repentance that sorrow leads to a sincere desire to live a different
life. The changes brought by
repentance will be obvious to all who know the person.
And the Bible teaches the need
for baptism. Jesus said, “He who
believes and is baptized shall be saved.”
Peter said, “Repent and let each of you be baptized for the forgiveness
of your sins.” Ananias told Paul,
“Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the
Lord.”
The baptism of which Jesus, Peter and Ananias spoke was
an immersion in water. How could it
be otherwise when that is what Jesus himself did?
As John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing in the wilderness by the
Jordan, Jesus came to him. Requesting
that John baptize him, the Bible says simply that “Jesus came from Nazareth in
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
Jesus was baptized in the water. The
water was not taken from the
Jordan and poured or sprinkled
on Jesus. In Mark’s account of
Jesus’ baptism, he continues by saying, “Immediately coming up out of the
water, He saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending upon
Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: ‘You
are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’”
The Bible knows nothing of the
baptism of babies. There is no
command nor example of such being done by Jesus, John the Baptist or the
apostles. Believers were baptized.
People who repented were baptized. But
babies are not capable of believing or repenting.
Belief requires understanding. Repentance
requires sorrow for sin. Being
without sin there is no reason in the Bible to baptize babies.
Original sin is not in the Bible. Baptism
is a personal decision, not a family matter.
There is no question but that
we need for God to save us. We
cannot save ourselves. The Bible
also makes it very clear whom God chooses to save.
He chooses to save those who believe, repent and are baptized.
Such people He adds to His church. They
are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, sanctified for the work of God, justified
from their past, made holy and a fit receptacle for the indwelling of God’s
Holy Spirit.