The Origin of the ONE TRUE CHURCH

We saw in the study about the foundation of the ONE TRUE CHURCH that the plans or concept of the Church were prepared before the foundations of the world. Before God ever said "Let there be light", He had a plan of redemption in place. That plan would be through Jesus Christ the Son of God.

However, just because the plans were prepared does not mean the church was built before the actual event.

We would compare it to a building project today. Before the first shovel of dirt is turned, and before any building is begun, an architect meets with a designer and the one who wants the structure built to plan for such. Surveyors map out the land, and the plans are created. The plans are checked and double checked. Then they are presented to the appropriate authorities for approval by getting a permit to build. The permit does not give the builder freedom to change the plans. Any deviation from the plans must be coordinated with the authorities and must have approval. Otherwise only the agreed upon plans can be followed. This is not too hard to understand.

Notice that God prepared the plans, and the builder has to follow the plans as prepared by God. Since Christ is the builder and since Christ is also God, there would be a perfect construction without spot or blemish, and without error.

Jesus said that He would build His church in Matt 16:18. As Jesus was preparing to leave the earth, He gave instructions to His disciples to go into Jerusalem and wait for the kingdom was to come with power.

Acts 1:4-5 "And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, Which, He said, you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

We see the not many days from now come into being in Acts chapter 2: 1-4. There we read that on the day of Pentecost (which was fifty days after the Passover of which the Lord was crucified) the kingdom came with power.

This power had been prophesied by Jesus and other Old Testament prophets.

Jesus said in Mark 9:1 "And He was saying to them, 'Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.'"

Isaiah teaches us in Isaiah 2:2-3 "Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths', For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

The ONE TRUE CHURCH would be established when these things came to pass. We read in the sermon by Peter in Acts 2 that Hades could not hold on to the Christ, and all these events are proof of God's plan.

Acts 2:29-33 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to Him with an oath to seat one of His descendants upon His throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear."

From the evidence, we can see that the ONE TRUE CHURCH began fifty days after Jesus died upon the cross, and fourty-eight days after the resurrection of Jesus. We also see that the ascension up into heaven occured about ten days before these events.

Many religious groups can point to a specific date within the past few years or centuries to find their origins. Any religious body that points to any date other than the first century for their origin is not a part of the ONE TRUE CHURCH.

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