Themes included
How Do We Find a Good Church?
Today, the Christian faith faces numerous challenges where genuine worship is often mixed with entertainment and false doctrines, which is why it is important to discern the essentials of a good church. From sexual and financial scandals, legalistic cults, to the proliferation of prosperity theology, many churches have suffered a loss of credibility, leading to a decline in the trust of believers.
Despite these challenges, the central message of the gospel remains pure and true, and we must seek out churches that reflect biblical faithfulness and spiritual integrity.
Worship: The Heart of a Good Church
Prayer: Direct Communication with God
A good church is distinguished by its focus on the prayer. Prayer is the pillar of Christian life, a channel through which we communicate directly with God. Jesus himself taught us the importance of prayer by giving the model of Our Father In Matthew 6:9-13, prayer is not just a ritual activity, but a form of worship, submission, and gratitude.
Since the times of the early church, prayer has been central to the lives of believers, as seen in Acts 2:42, where they “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” A good church emphasizes corporate and individual prayer as a means of drawing closer to God and expressing our dependence on Him.
Praise: Expression of Worship and Gratitude
The praise is another key element in worship. Ephesians 5:19 The Church urges us to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Through praise, we express our gratitude and awe for God. Traditional hymns, filled with deep theology, connect us to generations of believers who came before us, while contemporary songs express the freshness and vitality of our faith today. However, it is important that praise does not become mere entertainment, but remains an authentic expression of worship to God.
The Proclamation: Preaching the Truth
One of the most relevant pillars of a good church is the proclamation of the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 4:2-3Paul exhorts Timothy to “preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and doctrine.” Preaching must be sound and scriptural, building up believers and confronting sin.
We live in times when many prefer to listen to messages that please them rather than confront their lives with the truth. 2 Timothy 4:3-5 prophesies this reality: “For the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears.” A good church preaches the gospel with integrity, without compromising the truth to please the masses.
💡 If a church minimizes the importance of prayer and praise, this is a bad sign. If it also offers weak sermons that conform to the desires of the congregation, and focuses on materialism, highlighting only promises and blessings while avoiding topics such as sin, God's judgment, repentance, and hell, we are facing a congregation with serious doctrinal deficiencies.
Unity: Reflection of a good church
Community: The Body of Christ in Action
The church is more than a weekly meeting; it is a community of faith. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-14Paul reminds us that “we are one body in Christ,” and each member has an important role to play. Christian community manifests itself through fellowship, service, and mutual love.
The sacraments, such as the baptism and the Lord's Supper, are visible signs of our union with Christ and with other believers. Baptism symbolizes our entry into the family of God, while the Lord's Supper reminds us of our communion in Christ and our unity as a body.
💡If constant divisions are observed in a congregation, nepotism, abuse of power, lack of unity, mismanagement of resources, gossip, conflicts or aggression, both psychological and physical, these indicate a serious lack of cohesion and morality. These are clear signs that the community is not being guided by principles of faith, prayer and grace, which compromises its legitimacy as a true Christian church.
Confession of Faith: Sound Doctrine as the Basis
Our common confession of faith is what unites us as believers. In a world where beliefs can vary widely, it is essential that a good church maintains a sound doctrine, based on the Scriptures and aligned with the historic doctrines of Christianity.
The essential doctrines shared by most Christian groups provide a theological framework that unifies the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, despite denominational differences.
Are doctrines are:
- The Trinity: The Unity in Diversity of God The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one in essence, but manifests himself in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. These three persons are co-equal and co-eternal, sharing the same divine nature, but with distinct roles in creation, redemption, and sanctification.
- The Incarnation and Deity of Christ: God Become Man The incarnation affirms that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, assumed human nature while remaining fully divine. As God incarnate, Christ lived a sinless life, taught, healed, and was crucified, offering his life as a sacrifice for sin to redeem humanity.
- Original Sin: The Fall of Man Original sin refers to Adam and Eve's first act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, which brought devastating consequences to all of humanity. This act caused a separation between God and man, corrupting human nature and making it inclined to sin from birth.
- Redemption Through Christ: The Saving Work Redemption refers to the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through his sacrifice, Christ paid the price for the sins of humanity, freeing believers from the guilt and punishment of sin. His death and resurrection offer reconciliation with God and the promise of eternal life.
- The New Creation: Transformation in Christ The new creation refers to the radical change that occurs in a person's life when he or she puts his or her faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, the believer experiences a spiritual transformation, leaving behind his or her old nature and being renewed to live a life in accordance with God's will.
- The Resurrection: Guarantee of Eternal Life The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, as it demonstrates His power over death. This doctrine teaches that just as Christ was resurrected, all believers will also be resurrected to eternal life with God, ensuring victory over sin and death.
- The Second Coming and the Final Judgment: Restoration of All Things The second coming of Christ is the long-awaited culmination of human history, when Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. At this time, all things will be restored, the righteous will receive eternal life and the wicked will be condemned, and God's eternal kingdom will be established.
- The Biblical Canon and Its Divine Inspiration The biblical canon is the set of books that Christians recognize as inspired by God and therefore authoritative for faith and life. These texts were written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and are considered infallible in their teaching, providing the basis for Christian doctrine.
💡 These doctrines not only form the core of Christianity, but also offer a common basis of belief that connects diverse denominations Christian and serve as an essential criterion for evaluating whether it is a good church that we attend and whether it has an authentic Christian doctrinal basis.
For example:
- If the church does not firmly hold the doctrine of the Trinity, which teaches the unity of God in three persons.
- If you don't preach that Christ is God incarnate, who came into the world to redeem humanity, or minimizes the importance of his redemptive work.
- If you do not teach about it original sin, by which all human beings are separated from God and need the redemption that only Christ offers.
- If it is not taught that the salvation It is a gift of God's grace, accessible only by faith and not by human works.
- If you deny the transformation of the believer into a new creation what happens in your life when you receive Christ.
- If you do not claim that the Resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of eternal life for believers.
- If you do not teach about the second coming of Christ to judge the world and restore all things.
- If you question the authority of the Bible.
These are all warning signs that the place where we congregate may not be doctrinally sound.
Equipping: Preparing to fulfill the Great Commission
Making Disciples, Not Just Converts
Jesus left us a clear mandate in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” A good church is not content with doing converts, but rather focuses on forming disciples that they grow in their faith and become committed followers of Christ.
Discipleship involves a continuous process of growth, in which we are equipped to know God better and share our faith with others.
💡 A good church is not measured by the number of attendees, but by the spiritual quality of its believers. The popularity of a preacher, the emotionality of his message, or the musical show that draws crowds can make a church appear successful externally. However, if the Spirit of God is not working in it, if the sermons lack solid and transformative biblical content, and people leave spiritually empty, then that church is not fulfilling its true purpose.
Therefore, a good church must focus on the discipleship and authentic formation of its members, so that each believer is an active defender of the faith and not just a passive spectator attending a weekly service. 1 Peter 3:15 urges us to be “always prepared to present a defense with gentleness and respect.”
Current challenges in the church
Moral, Sexual and Financial Scandals
Sadly, many churches have been hit by scandals of a moral, sexual and financial nature. The Catholic Church has suffered a drastic decline in membership due to numerous sexual abuse scandals, while many Protestant churches have been shaken by leaders who have engaged in highly questionable sexual and financial practices. These scandals have caused many believers to distance themselves from the Church, losing confidence in the leaders who should be guiding them spiritually.
💡It is important to know how to differentiate the message from the messenger. We must remember that, although some leaders have failed, the gospel message remains unchanged. In 2 Timothy 4:3-5, the apostle Paul warns us that there would come times when many would turn away from sound doctrine, seeking teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear. This is practically what we are experiencing today, as witnesses of this prophecy.
These scandals are not a surprise, we knew they were coming and they must not weaken us in our faith. We must be vigilant, discerning between those who preach the truth and those who seek their own benefit.
The Theology of Prosperity
Another challenge that has affected the perception of the church is the prosperity theology, a doctrine that promises material wealth and success in exchange for faith and donations. Many believers have come to perceive that some churches have become business, where people's emotions are played with and their immature faith is profited from. This approach distorts the gospel, moving away from the true message of Christ, which calls for repentance and putting emphasis on the soul and not on material goods.
Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?
💡It is important that when looking for a good church, we make sure that the emphasis is on the gospel of Christ and not on a message of self improvement either material prosperity. Luke 12:15 He reminds us: “Be careful and abstain from all covetousness, because a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Legalistic Churches
One of the traps that many Christians can face when looking for a good church is falling into churches of a legalistic nature, where leaders impose archaic and unbiblical practices on their members. These types of churches distort the true message of the gospel, subjecting people to rigid rules and regulations that have no basis in Scripture. Instead of teaching freedom in Christ, these groups end up oppressing their members with religious burdens that are contrary to the grace and freedom that Jesus offers us.
Legalism: A False Gospel
The legalism is the belief that salvation or God’s favor can be earned by following specific rules and rituals. These churches often impose practices that are out of historical, social, geographical, and cultural context, forgetting that the gospel transcends cultures and times. Jesus harshly condemned this type of practice in his confrontation with the Pharisees, who imposed external rules without concern for people’s hearts. In Matthew 23:4, Jesus said: “They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and put them on men’s shoulders; and they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to remove them.”
💡The problem with these legalistic churches is that they turn the God's grace into a burden. Instead of teaching freedom in Christ, they promote a religion based on fear, guilt, and obligation, subjecting their members to a religious system that is more interested in controlling people than in leading them to a genuine relationship with God.
Sectarian Practices and Isolation
A dangerous characteristic of these legalistic churches is isolation. They often make their members believe that Anyone who does not belong to his church is an ungodly person., a sinner to be shunned or shunned. This creates a cult mentality, where believers are forced to distance themselves from friends, family, and loved ones who do not share the same beliefs or are not part of the congregation. This isolation can lead to deep emotional and psychological disconnection, leaving people vulnerable to manipulation and abuse.
In John 17:15, Jesus prays to the Father saying: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” This clearly shows that Christians should not isolate themselves from the world, but live in the midst of it, being light and salt. We are called to be a witness to the world, showing the love and transformation that God has worked in our lives, not to reject those who have not yet found the truth.
💡Instead of turning away from the sinner, God calls us to draw near to Him, intending that He may see the transforming power of the gospel in our lives. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Exploitation and Abuse in Legalistic Churches
One of the tragedies that often occurs in legalistic contexts is the exploitation of the most vulnerable people. These churches often take advantage of the economic, emotional and psychological weaknesses of its members, demanding total loyalty to the leader or the organization, often to the detriment of their personal and family well-being. Often, people are exploited financially, being forced to give excessive amounts of money under the promise of a future material blessing. 2 Peter 2:3Peter warns: “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.” This clearly describes the exploitation that some leaders exercise over their congregations.
💡In the most extreme cases, these churches can become sects where leaders abuse their power, not only by controlling the behavior of members, but also by engaging in practices physically, emotionally and sexually abusiveThe abuse of power in these contexts destroys people's spiritual and emotional lives, leaving them broken and far from the true freedom that Christ offers.
Freedom in Christ
Unlike legalistic churches, the gospel of Christ is a message of freedom, peace and love. In Galatians 5:1, Paul declares: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Christ did not come to impose burdens, but to free us from the weight of sin and oppressive religion. In Christ, we find freedom to live a life of love, joy, and holiness, not as a result of our works, but as a fruit of God's grace.
💡Proverbs 10:22 He also reminds us: “The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” The blessings God gives us do not come with additional burdens of sorrow or guilt. On the contrary, the true gospel brings peace and joy, even in the midst of trials.
The Problem Is Not the Message, but Some Messengers
Despite the challenges we face, such as scandals and distorted doctrines, we must remember that the problem is not the gospel message, but some of the messengers who have distorted it. The gospel remains the good news of salvation in Christ, and God has called us to remain faithful to His Word. 2 Timothy 4:3-5 It exhorts us to be prepared to face difficult times, but it also gives us hope that those who persevere in the truth will receive the crown of righteousness.
Important points to remember:
- Prayer, praise and the proclamation of the Word are the pillars of a good church
- A good church should be a place of unity, community and service.
- It is crucial for a good church to prepare its members to be disciples and defenders of the faith.
- Although some leaders and congregations have failed, the gospel message remains true and powerful.
- We must discern and look for a good church that preaches the sound doctrine and do not focus on entertainment, legalism or material prosperity.
In the midst of difficulties, our faith must remain anchored in the truth of Christ, seeking churches that reflect the purity of the gospel.