How can I find a good church?
These days, with the drive toward ecumenism and tolerance among churches, denominations are watering down their beliefs in order to fit in with the world. It is difficult to say which specific denomination is following biblical principles because, in these last days, it seems as though the judgment of many church bodies has completely gone awry.
What I can give you, though, are some techniques to use to identify possible church homes. A biblically minded church will always say that the Bible is the infallible Word of God as described in 2 Timothy 3:16: "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."
A good church will teach the doctrine of the Trinity. This means that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings but are one. This is a difficult truth to wrap our feeble human minds around, but it is biblical and must be accepted in faith. It will be made clear to us when we meet the Lord! See, Matthew 28:18, 19 and Romans 5:5-8.
A church teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ will tell you that the only way to earn God's favor is by faith in Jesus. It will never tell you that a series of actions or rituals done on your part will make you holy, clean, or forgiven. See, John 14:6, Romans 4:4-6,and Ephesians 2:8, 9.
A strong body of believers will encourage you as you grow in your faith. It will teach you about God's principles for righteous living, train you in sharing the Gospel, and correct you when you are in error. You can learn a lot about a church by talking with the pastor, sitting in a Sunday School class, reading the doctrinal statement, and asking a lot of questions. Sometimes it just takes time, though. Pray and ask God to speak to your heart as you search for the proper place to grow and worship.
