Introduction to
the
Arlington
Church of Christ
When you start attending a new church, people naturally have
questions. They want to know what kind
of a church it will be. Every church has
their own “personality” that is determined by the beliefs and actions of it’s
members. Some matters are spelled out
quite clearly in the Bible, and we have listed some of those in “Our Faith
Summary” at the conclusion of this document.
Other matters are open to interpretation, and church leaders must make
decisions about how they think we should best follow the example of Jesus. While no one can say with absolute certainty
what any congregation will do or will become in the future, we would like to
share our current thoughts.
A Question of Identity – A People of Restoraton Spirit
The Arlington Church of Christ is an independent congregation that is not
affiliated with any denominational organization. That does not mean, however, that this group
has no identity with other Christians.
There are many important things that the Arlington Church of Christ
shares with all who call themselves “Christians.” On specific matters of doctrine and practice,
the roots of this congregation are firmly planted in what historians have
called the “Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement.” This movement started in the United States
with the hopes of uniting all Christians.
That goal was to be reached by letting go of a wide variety of competing
church structures and creeds and returning to (or “restoring”) the simple
pattern of the church found in the New Testament. Among the heirs of this movement, church
statisticians have identified a group of around 13,000 congregations in the
United States that are called “Churches of Christ.” There is a lot of diversity among these
churches because they are independent, with no central denominational
organization and no formal written creed to impose conformity. However, 75 percent of the churches with more
than 85 percent of the members are similar enough that no significant barriers
to fellowship exist among them. The
Arlington Church of Christ is in this category.
On all essential matters of faith and doctrine, it is similar enough to
the other Churches of Christ that there should be no barriers to fellowship,
although we plan to exercise the freedom given to us by God to try different
ways of reaching our community, so we may not be doing the same things that
other congregations are doing.
There
are some sayings of the movement that speak to the spirit of restoration: “We
have no creed but Christ, no rule of faith and practice but the Bible;” “We
speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent;” “We
are Christians only, but not the only Christians.” Some people view the Restoration Movement as
something that was completed almost 200 years ago. We consider the Restoration Movement an
on-going process that will need to continue until the Lord returns.
We
want all our beliefs to be nothing more or less than what the Bible
teaches. That is why we have “no creed
but Christ.” By following a simple
Biblical pattern of autonomous congregations governed by elders under the
authority of Christ, we avoid the layers of hierarchy that many denominations
add.
We
pray that what you will find at the
Our Immediate History
Arlington Church of Christ had its beginning in 1943. Laurel Avenue Church of Christ had become
overcrowded, and its leadership encouraged the formation of a new church in
this area, partly to relieve the congestion at Laurel, and partly to strengthen
the gospel in Knoxville by establishing another congregation. As a result, a small group with 25 to 30
members started meeting in the old Broadway Theatre, in the 3400 block of
Broadway, N.E. This group was known as
the Arlington Church of Christ. The
church continued to meet in the old theatre, undaunted by any obstacles they
encountered. They purchased land for a
building on Fairmont Avenue; but this was later disposed of, and a larger tract
of land was purchased on the corner of Clearview Avenue and Tecoma Drive. The land on Fairmont Avenue was later sold.
On February 1, 1948, the Arlington congregation rejoiced as they held
opening services in Phase 1 of their new building. Phase 1 is what is currently the hallway of
older classrooms that connects the auditorium to the hallway of the newest
classrooms. By April 1957, the congregation
– with a membership totaling approximately 175 – completed Phase 2 of its
building program, which is the
auditorium we have today. In 1983, the
Arlington and Halls congregations merged.
The building the Halls congregation used was sold; and with the monetary
gain from the two congregations merging, Phase 3 was completed which includes
the new classrooms, hallway, and fellowship hall. These three phases of construction have
formed the worship place for the Arlington Church of Christ.
We are thankful to God for the faith and love of
those who opened the doors of the Arlington Church of Christ on that day in
1943 and for our on-going restoration spirit.
We look forward to all that God has planned for the future.
The Mission
All churches seek to glorify God through worship, service, teaching, and
evangelism. Each congregation, however,
has its own unique mission. Our mission,
simply put, is to “connect people to our Lord and one another.” You will find this statement repeated often
at the Arlington Church of Christ.
We believe that evangelism is and should continue to be the most central
mission of this church. The focus of the
church is reaching the “un-churched” (those not claimed by any congregation of
any religious group in the area).
Closely related is the emphasis on restoring Christians who have dropped
out of the existing congregations.
Another important focus is on involving Christians who now are only
passive spectators.
The Worship Assembly
The first thing that people notice when they attend a new church is the
style of its worship assembly. One of the
things people are likely to notice about the assembly is that it is
celebratory. Life is difficult and
people need encouragement. You will not
get beat up at our public worship.
Rather, you will feel encouraged and challenged to take Jesus with you
into your world (job, marriage, community).
The singing will be uplifting and the Bible lesson clear and practical.
We offer Bible classes for all ages on Sunday morning. This is a great time to dive deeper into the
Word of God. We highly encourage our new
members to be involved in a small group.
Currently they meet on Friday nights.
With any church it is easy to get
lost in the crowd. We don’t want you to
get lost. Lifelong friends are made in
small groups. The focus of our groups
are prayer, Bible study, and fellowship.
On Wednesday nights we have several adult Bible class options and
classes for children of all ages. During
the school year, a meal is prepared in the fellowship hall at 6 p.m. so you do
not have to worry about dinner plans.
A time of giving is set aside at each worship assembly. This is something the members of Arlington
get to do as we give toward the work of the Lord as He has prospered us (2
Corinthians 8:7; 9:7-8). As a visitor,
please do not feel obligated to give as the plate is passed.
Some visitors will notice that the atmosphere at the Sunday morning worship
assembly at the Arlington Church of Christ is more casual. We hope that those who prefer to dress up
when they go to worship assemblies will feel comfortable dressing up or if you
prefer to be more casual but modest in their manner of dress, that is fine as
well.
When you attend the Arlington Church of Christ you may hear people say
“Amen” out loud, as they did in 1 Corinthians 14:16. Some may lift up their hands when they sing
or pray (after the pattern of 1 Timothy 2:8).
You may see some people who take literally the language of Psalm 47:1,
“O clap your hands, all peoples.” No one
will judge you or look down on you if you do not prefer to express your feelings
in that way.
At Arlington, we celebrate the risen Savior at each of our assemblies as we
break bread together in communion.
Whenever the early church of the New Testament met, they took communion
so we do likewise (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:20). We believe that Jesus is the host of our
communion so all are invited to feast and share in the meal.
Some churches teach and practice the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit
as exhibited through people in the public assembly speaking in tongues and
performing miracles of healing. You will
not find this practice at this congregation.
We hope you will find a joyful atmosphere in our worship assemblies. The essence of worship is to praise God. True authentic worship is a life-changing
event. We hope that what you will find
at the Arlington Church of Christ is an atmosphere where people can experience
the transforming power and presence of God.
Ministry
We believe that many churches are far too clergy-oriented (paid or
professional ministers). The New
Testament, as we understand it, teaches the priesthood of all believers. We believe that all Christians are
ministers. We hope that those who become
members of the Arlington Church of Christ will find that this congregation
helps them discover their gifts, find appropriate areas of ministry, and become
actively involved in the work of the church.
Churches that have plateaued or that are declining in membership often
employ ministers to do the work members should be doing. Growing churches typically employ ministers
to recruit, train, motivate, and supervise the work of the members.
The Arlington Church of Christ is not a place where you can be a passive
spectator and feel comfortable about it.
You will be encouraged to get involved.
If you believe that God has called all Christians to be ministers and
priests; if you seek a “ministry lifestyle” - then the Arlington Church of
Christ may be the place for you.
Leadership
Elders are selected by the entire congregation to shepherd (be spiritual
guides) to the flock (congregation).
Some congregations have a tradition of “lifetime tenure” for elders, but
the Bible is silent regarding tenure for elders. The essential difference between “leaders”
and “lords” is that the authority of leaders is based on the consent of the
members, while the authority of lords is based on their position. These men are servant leaders, not
lords. They are “teaching shepherds” and
not a self-perpetuating board of decision-makers. When additional elders are selected, they
will be selected by the entire congregation and not just by the present
elders. It is very important that the
leaders have the consent of the members.
Diversity
Some people believe that agreement on issues is the basis of Christian
unity. Our understanding, based on
Romans 14:1-15:7, is that our common relationship with Jesus is the basis of
our unity. We believe, therefore, that
we can have unity in our diversity. We
can differ without dividing. We can have
discussion without having discord.
Diversity is not bad. God gave us
different gifts (Romans 12:6).
Role of Women
One issue on which Christians differ today involves the role of women in
the church. Our understanding is that
the Bible teaches a principle of “male spiritual leadership.” We do not have women elders, but believe they
have gifts to be used in various ways.
In the Arlington Church of Christ, therefore, we expect to see women
taking an active role in serving, sharing their faith, and using their
God-given talents. Our women meet twice
a month (second and fourth Wednesday mornings) for a time of prayer. Women freely share in adult classes and small
groups. The small group time, in
particular, is a place for all to share together in the study of God’s Word and
in prayer for one another.
You will not find women elders and preachers in the Arlington Church of
Christ. But what you will find is a
church where women have meaningful roles where they can use their God given
talents to serve.
Instrumental Music
One of the ways we praise
our God together in corporate and private times of worship and devotion is
through the medium of song. The
Surprising to many people is
the fact that the early church did not sing with instruments. In fact, instruments were not used in
Christian churches until the later Middle Ages (for at least the first five
hundred years and continuing predominately for most of the next
millennium). It just was never thought
that instruments were needed to accompany Christian worship, whether it was in
a small house church of the first century or in larger church buildings of the
centuries to follow. Due to the
associations of musical instruments with immorality in the pagan world, the
church fathers did not view them favorably and were very slow to be accepted
within churches.
Even today, Orthodox Jews,
who follow the tradition of the synagogue, along with millions of Russian
Orthodox and Easter Orthodox fellowships do not use instruments like the early
church. In fact, the music of the early
church was so distinctly non-instrumental that it became referred to as a cappella which means “in the manner of
the church”.
The early church was not
focused on the beauty, style, or beat of its music. They were focused on the words being sung
from the heart and being filled with the spirit. But today, for us to settle for simple
antiphonal refrains would be boring or unmoving. Perhaps we need to do a heart check (both
those in non-instrumental churches and instrumental churches). Worship is not about us, about being
entertained, or about our favorite type of music. It is about God.
Some of us take an “anti-instrumental” position based on our conscience,
believing the use of instruments to be a sin.
Others take a “non-instrumental” position based on their judgment,
believing the use of instruments is just not necessary to the kind of worship
God seeks. Others have a
“pro-instrumental” position and would not mind in the least if we used
instruments in our worship assembly. In
spite of this diversity, however, we have managed to work together. Those who insist on using instrumental music
in the worship assemblies have left us and formed their own fellowship of
congregations.
The Arlington Church of Christ has members who hold different views on this
topic, but if you are looking for a congregation that uses instrumental music
in the worship assemblies, you will not find it here. You may be surprised, however, at how beautiful
acappella singing (using our voices only) sounds.
Fellowship
Christians also differ on how we should view those with whom we
differ. Some use the King James Version
of Amos 3:3 to prove that we must agree on issues in order to walk
together. Other translations, however,
ask “How can two walk together unless they have agreed to do it?” All that two have to agree on in order to
walk together is that they want to walk together. “Fellowship” in the New Testament means
sharing, not approval. Fellowship in an
activity implies approval of that activity, but it does not imply approval of
the people with whom we share in that activity.
Christians are not supposed to be in the business of approving or
disapproving. That is God’s role, not
ours.
Some Christians insist that the only saved people in all the world are
those who agree with them on all issues that they define as being
essential. You will not find that
teaching in the Arlington Church of Christ.
Some Christians act as though doctrines and practices taught in the Bible
do not really matter. They insist on
judging that others are saved in spite of what we see as serious errors in what
they teach and practice. You will also
not find this teaching in this congregation.
We hope that what you will find in the Arlington Church of Christ is a
group of Christians who teach the Bible as they understand it and expect to
continually find deeper truths. We
desire to teach the Bible plainly in a spirit of love, but who can then leave
it up to God to decide who is saved and who is lost.
The pioneers of the Restoration movement used to say, “We do not claim to
be the only Christians, but in humility we cherish the hope that we may be
Christians only.” That is what we
believe.
Church
The members of some churches make the claim that “we are not a
denomination.” However, when they define
the word “we,” they do so in terms that are clearly denominational. Textbooks on the Sociology of Religion have
more technical definitions for the word “denomination,” but most people use
that word to mean “a group of people who see themselves as a group that can be
identified by name.” In that sense, it
would be very difficult for members of any religious group to argue that “we
are not a denomination.”
There are, however, some claims about non-denominational Christianity that
we can establish. The New Testament
church was not denominational. It is
possible for a congregation to be independent and thus not affiliated with any
denominational organization at all. In
the New Testament the word “church” was applied to a local congregation or to
the universal spiritual fellowship of all the saved. Denominationalism affirms that the universal
church is made up of all the current denominational organizations. Those of us who advocate a non-denominational
approach do not need to deny that we are a group that can be identified by a
name. But we can and do deny that
man-made church organizations above the level of the local congregation are a
part of God’s plan. That is the kind of
non-denominational approach that you will find in the Arlington Church of
Christ.
There are some other claims that the members of some churches from the
Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (1810-1860) like to make (whom our church
was highly influenced by). The following
are just a few examples: “We have no creed but Christ; no rule of faith and
practice except the Bible;” “We speak
where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent;” “We have restored the New Testament
Church.” In the Arlington Church of
Christ, we believe that these things are more likely to be expressed as our
purpose, but not as a claim about what we have achieved. Some people view the Restoration Movement as
a product, something that was completed more than 100 years ago. Our view is that the Restoration Movement is
an on-going process that will need to continue until the Lord returns. We have a set of shared beliefs, and that is
what some people mean by the word “creed.”
We want all of our beliefs to be nothing more or less than what the
Bible teaches. However, if we confront
our human limitations, we must recognize that there is always at least a
potential difference between the absolute truth of God’s word and our
perception of that truth.
In the Arlington Church of Christ, we pray that you will find Christians
who are humble enough to confront their human limitations. We believe that absolute truth is possible,
knowable, and revealed in the propositions of ordinary language such as we read
in the Bible. But you would not find
many people in this congregation who believe that they are perfect in their
understanding of God’s absolute truth.
Instead, they are the kind of people who are life-long students of the
Bible – people who go to the Bible to discover God’s will for their lives and
not just to find some way of proving what they already believe.
Attitude Toward Seekers
You do not have to be perfect in your understanding or in your life in
order to get a warm welcome at the Arlington Church of Christ. If that is what it took, those of us who are
members would not be welcome. We are
people saved by the grace of God, not by our own merit. But we are also people called by God to
become more and more like Christ. There
is, therefore, a constant tension between openness and the need for growth.
Some churches do not seem to recognize the difference between their church
membership directories and “the Lamb’s Book of Life.” At this church, we believe that a list of
people who regularly attend our assembly is just a list. Of course, we have our beliefs about what
people must do to become Christians. We
have our beliefs about how Christians should live. On the one hand, therefore, our purpose is to
extend a warm welcome to anyone who wants to share with us in this work. But on the other hand, we believe that we
have been called by God to encourage one another, teach and admonish one
another, and constantly challenge one another to grow.
The church that we read about in the New Testament included people who had
been sexually immoral, both homosexual and heterosexual. It included people who had been
alcoholics. It included people who had
engaged in all kinds of sinful behavior.
Once these individuals encountered Christ, they were welcomed into the
church and challenged to change and grow.
Our purpose in the Arlington Church of Christ is to extend that same kind
of welcome, but also to communicate that same challenge to change and grow.
Marriage
The Arlington Church of Christ is a family-oriented church. We place a high value on the Christian
family. One of our common concerns is
the way the duties and the responsibilities of the husband and father have so
often been neglected in our modern culture.
We do not believe that divorce was a part of God’s plan for the
family. That does not mean, however,
that this church has no place for the never married singles or for those who
are single again.
Most Christians agree on what God’s will is for those who are single and
for those who are married. We agree that
pre-marital and extramarital sexual relations are wrong. People who are married should do everything
they can to build a strong relationship.
Our minister does pre-marital and spiritual counseling to equip and
encourage our couples at the Arlington Church of Christ. Prevention is very important. People who are having marital difficulties
are encouraged to get whatever help they need to work things out. Therapy is very important and we will refer
anyone in need to a local licensed counselor who is a Christian and works from
a Biblical frame of reference. Those who
are separated should remain celibate or be reconciled.
We believe that Matthew 5:31-33 and Matthew 19:3-9 teach that sexual
immorality is grounds for divorce and leaves the innocent party free to marry
again. When people divorce for some
other reason and marry again, we cannot point them to similar passages that
show God’s approval for their situation.
There is, however, a lot of diversity among equally qualified and equally
faithful Christian scholars on the questions about what to do in regard to
people who have divorced for some reason other than sexual immorality and have
married someone else. In some churches,
such people are required to divorce their present spouse and either remain
celibate or be reconciled with their original mate before they can be baptized. Other churches will baptize them without such
requirements, but will accept them only as second-class members.
However, under the Law of Moses, a man was not allowed to remarry a woman
he had divorced (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).
Paul taught that the ability to live a celibate life is a gift that not
all people have (1 Corinthians 7:7). If
a person cannot remarry the original spouse and does not have the gift to live
a celibate life, that would give that person no way to be saved. We do not believe that such people are
without hope.
We believe that repentance does not always require restoring everything the
way it was. Sometimes that is
impossible. But repentance does require
a firm resolve to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
We hope, therefore, that in the Arlington Church of Christ, those who have
divorced and those who have remarried would find a warm welcome, but also would
find a church that firmly and plainly teaches God’s plan for marriage.
You will not find teaching at this church that approves of divorce for any
and every cause. We hope that what you
would find is a church that hates divorce, but that loves divorced people. Furthermore, we hope that in the Arlington
Church of Christ you would find a church that focuses on building strong
marital relationships and correcting the sins that destroy such relationships,
rather than focusing on legal declarations concerning relationships that have
already been destroyed.
Expectations of Members
We believe there are some commitments that are important for any member of
the body of Christ at Arlington to make.
Fulfilling these commitments will help each person to experience fully
the community-of-faith relationships that are so important for all of us as we
grow to love God and each other.
·
That you agree with and are willing to study the essential
statements of what we believe as presented in “Our Faith Summary” document
(included at the end of this document).
·
Commit to personal spiritual growth through Bible study
and prayer.
·
Commit to serving others in the name of Christ and
participate in at least one aspect of service ministry.
·
Attend and participate in the Sunday morning and/or
Sunday evening worship assembly.
·
Participate in a Bible class (offered Sunday mornings and
Wednesday nights for all ages).
·
Commit to being a financial supporter as the Lord has
blessed you.
·
Commit to living a life of holiness and purity.
·
Commit to building bridges to the unsaved.
Conclusion
There are many questions that people have about any new church, and many
other issues that could be considered.
We have not touched on all the issues or questions that people may
ask. One of the implications of the
Biblical teaching that we are all ministers is the freedom we have to study the
Bible and come to our own conclusions.
This document will hopefully give you a brief introduction to our
church, but feel free to study the Bible and come to your own conclusions about
the issues mentioned here.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact the church office for
more information. And please come and
see for yourself.
Our Faith Summary
Arlington Church of Christ
What We Believe
In essential beliefs—we have unity.
“There is one body and one
Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all…”
Ephesians 4:4-6
In non-essential beliefs—we have liberty.
“Accept him whose faith is weak,
without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you to judge someone
else’s servant? To his own master he
stands or falls...So then each of us will give an account of himself to
God...So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and
God.”
Romans 14:1,4,12,22
In all our beliefs—we show charity.
“...If I hold in my mind not
only all human knowledge but also the
very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains—but have
not love,
I amount to nothing at all.”
I Corinthians 13:2
Biblical Essentials
About God
“The God who made the world and
everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples
built by hands. And he is not served by
human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life
and breath and everything else. From one
man he made very nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth, and
he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should
live. God did this so that men would
seek him and perhaps reach out to him and find him, though he is not far from
each one of us. ’For in him we live and
move and have our being.’”
Acts 17:24-28
God is the Creator and the Ruler of the universe. He has existed eternally in three
personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are all God, yet one God.
See also: Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 19:1-14; 104:1-35; 239;1-24; Romans 1:18-32.
About Jesus
Christ
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made. The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One
and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:1-3,14
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect
sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to
demonstrate His power over sin and death.
He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to take His
children to Heaven.
See also: Matthew 1:18-25; John 14:5-31; Acts 2:22-41; Romans 1:2,4; I
Corinthians 15:3-8; I Timothy 6:14,15; Hebrews 4:14-16.
Holy Spirit
“In the same way, the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. We do not know
what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans
that words cannot express.”
Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make us aware of our need for
Jesus Christ. He lives in every
Christian, providing the power for righteous living, understanding of spiritual
truth, and transformation into the image of Christ. We seek to live under his control daily.
See also: John 14:16-17; 16:5-15; Acts 1:6-8; I Corinthians 2:10-12;
3:16-17; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 1:13.
About the Bible
“All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the man of god may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It
was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for
Christian beliefs and living. Because it
is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
See also: 2 Peter 1:19-21; I Timothy 4:1-13.
About Human
Beings
“This righteousness from God
comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-23
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in
character. People are the supreme object
of God’s creation. Although every person
has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of
disobedience toward God called “sin.”
This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in
life.
See also: Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-8; Isaiah 53:6; 59:1-3; 1John 1:8-10
About Salvation
“You are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ has clothed
yourselves with Christ.”
Galatians 3:26-27
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by
self-improvement or good works. Only by
trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from
sin’s destruction. When we turn from our
self-ruled life to Jesus in faith, and are united with Christ in baptism, we
begin a new relationship with God in Christ.
See also: John 14:6; Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5.
About Baptism
“Or don’t you know that all of
us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Romans 6:3-4
To baptize means “to wash.” Just as
Christ died, was buried, and then rose from the dead, in baptism we die to the
old life of sin and self-rule, are buried in water to wash away our sins, and
rise to live a new life. In baptism, a
person is united with Christ as a new child of God and receives the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Baptism is accepting the
salvation He offers. It is not our work
but the work of God.
See also: Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-16; John 3:1-5; Acts 2:36-41;
8:34-39; 10:44-48; 16:29-34; Galatians 3:26-29; Titus 3:3-8; I Peter
About Eternal
Security
“If we claim to have fellowship
with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.”
1 John 1:6-7
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is
secure in that salvation. No outside
force can take it away. Salvation is
maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the
Christian. However, God allows us the
free will to reject Him, and has warned that many religious people are
following a path that will not lead to salvation.
See also: John 10:28-30; Romans 8:35-39; 2 Timothy 1:11-13; Hebrews 7:25; 10:19-31; I Peter 1:3-5.
About Eternity
“For the Lord himself will come
down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever. Therefore encourage each other
with these words.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
People were created to exist forever.
We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally
with God through forgiveness and salvation.
Heaven and Hell are real states of eternal existence.
See also: Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 6:23; 2 Peter 3:3-10; Revelation 20:11-15.
About Unity and
Relationships
“After this I looked and there
before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation,
tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the
Lamb...And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who
sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
Revelation 7:9-10
God loves every person. His church
should reflect that same kind of love as we spread the good news of Jesus. We are a family, a community, that is to love
and care for one another.
See also: Luke 19:1-10; John 4; Acts 10:1-48; James 2:1-9; I John 3:11-24.
About Holy
Living
“Make every effort to live in
peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14
To be holy means to be “set apart.”
We have been set apart from sin to God.
Because of who God is and the salvation He has given us through Jesus
Christ, we must dedicate ourselves fully to Him. We should strive for moral purity based on
God’s moral perfection.
See also: Leviticus 11:44; Hebrews 10:10; I Peter 1:16; I Timothy 2:2.
About Worship
“Therefore, I urge you,
brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Romans 12:1
The church assembles together each Sunday for a time of uplifting worship
and praise to our God. But our worship
is not confined to a building or something that only takes place at a certain
time. Each moment of our life should be
a sacrifice of praise.
See also: John 4:20-24; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 13:15-16; Acts 20:7.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the church office.
Phone: 865-523-1764
Web-site: www.arlingtonchurchofchrist.org
E-mail: arcofc@esper.com
Mail: 2206 Tecoma Dr.
Knoxville, TN 37917
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