{"id":96089,"date":"2026-06-13T12:05:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T17:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=96089"},"modified":"2026-06-13T12:08:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T17:08:03","slug":"dont-be-confused","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/dont-be-confused\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Be Confused"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\tby Garreth L. Clair
\nvia\u00a0Sentry Magazine<\/em>, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995\n

Today, there are approximately 300 different religious groups in the U.S.A. Since there are so many different religious grogps, many people are confused as to which is right and whether all are right, The truth of the matter is that Christ built only one church<\/strong> (Matthew 16:18). Since Christ has built but one church and has purchased it with his own blood<\/strong>\u00a0(Acts 20:28), men must become a part of that one, and it alone, in order to be saved.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt but that many sincere folks have become members of certain religious groups, thinking that the group was “OK.” We are not questioning motives in this article, but are seeking to inform our readers about the truth of this matter:\u00a0 Christ built only one church<\/strong>, and in order to be saved, all must belong to it<\/strong>. Friends, we want to show from the Bible God’s truth about His church. The facts are inserted for you below:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Prophecy foretold of a new system for man’s reconciliation to God; that new system contained references to the kingdom (church).<\/strong>\n
      \n
    • The Church was to be set up in the days of the Roman Caesars (Daniel 2:44).<\/li>\n
    • It was to be established in the last days (Isaiah 2:1-3). The apostles of Christ lived during the last days<\/strong> (Acts 2:16-17: 2:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3).<\/li>\n
    • Certain men were awaiting the beginning of the kingdom<\/strong> (church) at Christ’s crucifixion (Mark 15:43).<\/li>\n
    • It was to come about, said Christ, who cannot lie (Matthew 16:18).<\/li>\n
    • The kingdom had not arrived at the last supper (Luke 22:18,29,30).<\/li>\n
    • The kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom; the church is indeed everlasting (Daniel 7:27).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • The kingdom (church) came as foretold, according to the events recorded in Acts 2, on Pentecost day.\n
        \n
      • The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost (Acts 1:8). The coming of the Holy Spirit signaled the fulfillment of Mark 9:1<\/li>\n
      • All nations were included in the invitation to serve Jesus Christ according to Acts 2:5, 39.<\/li>\n
      • The events took place in Jerusalem, according to previous testimony recorded above (Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-5).<\/li>\n
      • Fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel was also accomplished on the same day, Acts 2:16-21. See Joel 2:28-32.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Friends, be not deceived. The church in the Bible can be identified with churches of Christ in your community. You ought to investigate these facts today.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        by Garreth L. Clair via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Today, there are approximately 300 different religious groups in the U.S.A. Since there are so many different religious grogps, many people are confused as to which is right and whether all are right, The truth of the matter is that Christ built only…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[448],"class_list":["post-96089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-church"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":94178,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-church-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":0},"title":"The Church of Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Joe R. Price via The Spirit's Sword The expression \"church of Christ\" is a descriptive term of possession. The word church is a collective noun (like \"flock\" or \"family\"). The church is composed of saved people (Christians, the \"called out\" ones, Acts 2:41, 47). \"Church of Christ\" is used\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43171,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/time-for-churches-of-christ-to-fellowship-other-groups\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":1},"title":"Time for Churches of Christ to Fellowship Other Groups?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wes McAdam via\u00a0Radically Christian This is a hard post to write. I realize what I'm about to say may be misunderstood or misconstrued. But as difficult as it is to find the right words, this is something that must be said. In fact, I believe there is no greater\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38050,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-emergence-of-denominational-leadership\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":2},"title":"The Emergence of Denominational Leadership","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Ed Harrell, \"B.C. Goodpasture: Leader of Institutional Thought,\" in Melvin D. Curry, ed., They Being Dead Yet Speak (FloridaCollege Lectures, 1981), pp. 249-250. (Excerpt from a section entitled \"The Emergence of Denominational Leadership\"). B. C. Goodpasture fits neatly into a sociological model of second-generation religious leaders. One can pretty well\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61067,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-i-am-a-member-of-the-church-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":3},"title":"Why I am a Member of the Church of Christ","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Irvin Himmel via\u00a0The Voice of West End, Vol. 5, No. 23, Feb. 16, 1964. People have offered a variety of reasons for their religious connections. I am here to present my reasons for being a member of the church of Christ; but, first, some negative thoughts: Not because of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53845,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/stages-of-decline\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":4},"title":"Stages of Decline","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Steve Wolfgang The stages of development often seen in religious fellowships, related here by historian David Edwin Harrell, Jr., are well worth contemplating in these times. From truth-oriented to group-oriented. From open controversy to closed controversy. From self-conscious rejection of society to self-conscious acceptance of society. From builders to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32557,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-are-not-a-religious-non-denomination\/","url_meta":{"origin":96089,"position":5},"title":"We Are Not a Religious Non-Denomination","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Campbell Sentry Magazine, September 2001 \"Denominationalism\" denotes a group of people devoted to a specific religious belief system who assemble under the name of a person, or concept, as their focus within a formal organizational environment governed by those of prominence that hold to that belief system. 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