SEVEN PROOFS of The True Church of God - Proof Two 
Good News Magazine
May-June 1968
Volume: Vol XVII, No. 05-06
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SEVEN PROOFS of The True Church of God - Proof Two

This world is filled with churches! But Jesus said He would build HIS Church. WHICH ONE DID HE BUILD? Here is the SECOND major, infallible, irrefutable, unshakable, positive and ABSOLUTE PROOF of God's ONE AND ONLY True Church!

   ARE WE "CLOSER" to some churches than others? Are "our beliefs" in some way "similar" to the beliefs of other churches?
   Do you know of churches that are almost "just like we are" in MOST things — but differ in just a FEW points of "belief"?
   You may THINK you do — but after reading this whole series of vitally important PROOFS of the True Church of God, you will really KNOW — and know that you know — that there is NO CHURCH ON EARTH that is even remotely like the ONE TRUE CHURCH, except in some FEW, and comparatively MINOR, "doctrinal" points!
   In the first article in this series, we saw the fact that God RULES this Church — the ONLY Church willing to unconditionally SURRENDER to Him, humbly accepting His absolute AUTHORITY in everything! That God is our RULER is proof number one!

PROOF NUMBER TWO: THREE DEFINITE SIGNS!

   The second infallible PROOF of God's True Church is composed of three major parts. In a few cases, a church of this present evil world, or a now DEAD remnant of what used to be the SARDIS era of God's True Church may have one, or even TWO of the three identifying SIGNS given in the Bible.
   But that is only ONE PART OF ONE PROOF OUT OF SEVEN! It takes the perfect and complete TOTAL — all seven proofs — to really identify the TRUE CHURCH CHRIST BUILT!
   There is NO group on this earth — shocking as it may seem — which has even ONE of these seven MAJOR proofs of where God is working! Some have a PART of one, such as a few doctrinal truths — but viewed in the wrong light! Some may have one, or even TWO PARTS of this second major point — but NONE has even ONE COMPLETE PROOF from the seven, and that means NONE has as much as two. Remember, unless ALL SEVEN are present — there is NO PROOF OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD!
   The DEVIL knows these three signs! Satan knows the Truth about prophecy, about doctrine, about GOD'S POWER! But the Devil won't submit to the RULERSHIP of God, nor will he OBEY what he knows!
   Surprising as it sounds — SATAN HIMSELF could show more knowledge of basic truths than ANY FALSE CHURCH ON THIS EARTH!
   The BIG difference is, he will NOT OBEY!
   But the True Church of God not only believes these basic truths — these great identifying PROOFS of God's True Church — but obeys them!

A Confusing Jumble of "Names"

   The first of the three definite signs forming this second great proof is the NAME of God's True Church. Is the True Church of God the church of Martin Luther? Is it a church named after a certain "method" of church government? Is it a church of the people — that is, a "congregational" church? That would be like saying it is a "church" church! Is it a church which believes in the advent (second-coming of Christ) and is therefore an "adventist" church? Is it a "Two-Seed-In-The-Spirit Predestinarian Baptist Church"? NO, it is not! Yet all these weird names can be found in various reference books, and are the actual names of some of the churches of this world. The True Church of God is not "Moravian," "Mennonite" or "Mormon" — it is not "Latter-Day," or "Reorganized"!
   It is not Buddhist, Shintoist or Baptist; not the Fire Baptized Holiness Church, the Pillar of Fire Church, the Old Order of Yorker Brethren Church, the Amish Church, The Duck River Baptists, Free Will Baptists, General Six Principle Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Regular Baptists, Separate Baptists, or Seventh Day Baptists!
   In short, the True Church of God is just exactly that — the CHURCH OF GOD!
   And, according to your Bible, the ONLY name that the Creator-Ruler God will recognize as the identifying sign of HIS Church, the very Body of Jesus Christ and the Church which Jesus built, is "THE CHURCH OF GOD"!
   Shocking as it may seem, all these counterfeit churches, with their sometimes laughable, pathetic and somewhat pitiful "names," openly admit they are not the CHURCH OF GOD!
   When asked, "To which church do you belong?" and a person answers to the "Church of Martin Luther" — he is probably telling the truth!
   That is, he is affirming that he is NOT a member of God's Church, a true member of the very Body of Jesus Christ, a member of the CHURCH OF GOD — but that he IS a member of a church which Martin Luther built! If he answers by any other statement of a similar nature, as I have just mentioned (and you can find all these names listed in The Handbook of Denominations, the book entitled The Small Sects of America, or by looking in an Almanac) then he most certainly IS NOT a member of the True Church of God!

The True Name of God's Church

   A minister, preaching to God's true people may begin to describe the True Church of God. He may say, in his sermon, "This is the very Church which Jesus built — that LIVING Church which is the very Body of Christ, the Church in which God RULES — the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD!"
   But is he saying this whole phrase is to be taken as the "name" of the Church? Is this the official TITLE that God Himself places upon His own True Church?
   Wouldn't it look a little silly if you were to receive a letter from Mr. Armstrong with "THE TRUE CHURCH OF THE LIVING CHRIST — THE CHURCH IN WHICH GOD RULES — THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD" as the letterhead?
   In other words, brethren, though there are MANY descriptive passages about the True Church of God in the Bible, it would look a little silly to paint a sign with these as the name to be put over the door.
   Wherever Almighty God speaks of His true Church, identifying it BY NAME — the name is always the same!
   Jesus prayed, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world [but not OF the world}, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own NAME those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" (John 17:11). Jesus prayed the Father to KEEP His own true people in and through a particular NAME! Jesus prayed that name would be the name of the Father!
   Did the Father honor this prayer? Notice Acts 20 and verse 28. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves," wrote the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian Elders, "and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the CHURCH OF GOD, which he hath purchased with his own blood. "
   God DID honor the prayer of Jesus Christ! He DID give His own name to the True Church!
   Wherever the actual name of the Church as an organized Body is given in the New Testament — it is called the CHURCH OF GOD!
   Oftentimes, the geographical location was added to the legal NAME of the Church, "THE CHURCH OF GOD"!
   There were then, just as there are today, many local congregations of that one True Church, which is a spiritual organism.
   The Apostle Paul said, "We have no such custom, neither the Churches of God" (I Cor. 11:16), showing many local congregations! When the Apostle Paul addressed any one of these local congregations, he included its geographical location — just as you, when receiving a personal letter, read not only your NAME on the address, but also your street or box number or rural route.
   Paul had addressed this letter to "The CHURCH OF GOD {which is the true NAME of the Church) which is at Corinth" (I Cor. 1:2).
   Notice a few more examples.
   "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia" (II Cor. 1:1). "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it" (Gal. 1:13). "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God" (I Cor. 15:9). "For ye, brethren, became followers of the Churches of God which IN JUDAEA are in Christ Jesus..." (I Thes. 2:14). "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?" (I Tim. 3:5). "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth..." (I Tim. 3:15). In this example, the Apostle Paul adds the descriptive word "Living," just as he went on to describe the Church as the "pillar and ground of the truth."
   Do you see, brethren? The Apostle Paul also addressed the "Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ..." (II Thes. 1:1), and "the Churches of Galatia ..." but did not intend these to be designated as the one NAME of the True Church of God to continue down through the ages!

Why "RADIO" Church of God?

   Some few of the worldly churches understand a minor doctrinal point or two. Some FEW of the worldly churches have discovered this doctrinal point of truth about the true name for the Church! They have adopted this name, and call themselves "The Church of God." But a name is to convey MEANING! And if these various "Churches of God" of this world are not recognizing God as their RULER, are not completely SUBJECT to Him, are not OBEYING Him, do not keep His weekly Sabbath, the annual Sabbaths, and do not have ANY of these other SEVEN major proofs — then, even though possessing the NAME authorized in Scripture, they are NOT the True CHURCH OF GOD!
   Because of a number of organizations of men laying claim to the NAME of the True Church, just as MILLIONS of *'professing" Christians have laid claim to the NAME of Jesus Christ — my father, when wanting to incorporate the fledgling beginning of the Philadelphia era of the True Church of God, for the purpose of conducting the BUSINESS of God on this earth, was unable to incorporate it as, simply, "The Church of God"!
   Realizing the doctrinal truth of God's Word that the various churches were also identified as to their GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS, God led Mr. Armstrong to incorporate the PHILADELPHIA era of the True Church of God as "The Radio Church of God."
   God says, of this Philadelphia era of His Church, "Behold, I have set before thee an OPEN DOOR" (Rev. 3:8). The Apostle Paul said, "For a great DOOR and effectual is opened unto me..." (I Cor. 16:9), speaking of the door God opened before him for the preaching of the Gospel! He said, "Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel, and a DOOR was opened unto me of the Lord" (II Cor. 2:12). When the Apostle Paul began the second 19-year cycle of the preaching of the True Gospel — now taking the Truth of God into EUROPE, he spoke of this opening before him as a DOOR!
   The DOOR that God has opened before His True Church today is mainly the door of RADIO! For years, there was only the one small local congregation, up in Eugene, Oregon — but a RADIO door had been opened, which was growing by leaps and bounds — fast becoming NATIONAL, and soon to become WORLDWIDE!
   Therefore, since God has opened this great door of radio before His True Church, it was obvious that to FURTHER IDENTIFY this True Church of God, not alone by geographical location, but by the great DOOR God had opened, that it should be incorporated, legally, as "The Radio Church of God"!
   In the past year we have pursued the possibility of changing this legal name to "The Worldwide Church of God." Until recently this, too, was impossible. Now that door is opening. We are beginning to make the transition.
   But the actual BIBLICAL NAME of the True Church has always been, and always WILL BE — THE CHURCH OF GOD!

WHAT the Church Really IS

   God names things, or people, WHAT THEY ARE! There is real meaning in a name.
   When God writes of His Church, He calls it His! It is the Church — and the only Church, that truly BELONGS to Him. His true Church is directly owned by Him, it is His instrument, His own property, to perform His WORK on this earth!
   The English word "church" merely means "congregation." Wherever you find the word "church" in the New Testament, it is translated from the Greek word "ekklesia" from which such English words as "ecclesiastical" or "ecclesiastics" are derived. The word simply means "group" or "collection" of people! There is nothing holy, nothing sacred, about the word CHURCH, by itself. It is only when you further identify WHICH GROUP OF PEOPLE, with the name of GOD, that there is anything holy about the name!
   Therefore, when a person of this world says he or she belongs to the "Lutheran Church" — he is not necessarily misappropriating that name! That is — he is affirming that he does, indeed, belong or pertain to that GROUP OF PEOPLE who follow the teachings of Martin Luther — not God!
   Those members of worldly organizations of MEN, with their human names, are, in most cases, CORRECTLY LABELED! They are correctly identified! That is — they really ARE an "Adventist" or "Baptist" or "Methodist" group — and they most certainly ARE NOT the GROUP THAT BELONGS TO GOD!
   "I will build MY Church," said Jesus Christ. And it IS His! Jesus Christ is the direct HEAD of the Church (Col. 1:18), which is described as His own Body (Eph. 1:23). The ONLY ones who are truly members of that ONE (Eph. 4:4-6) Body are those who have been PUT INTO it, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we he bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 17:13).
   The BAPTISM with the Holy Spirit is the receiving of the Spirit at the time of the laying on of hands, after REPENTANCE, and WATER baptism. It is NOT, as some of the wildest, emotional FALSE churches of this world have said, a PHYSICAL EMOTION OR SPEAKING IN TONGUES!
   Notice, then, it is only those who HAVE received God's Spirit that are in the True Church. The Church is not a physical building. The Church comes to, and assembles inside of, a building, or a rented hall. But the building is not the Church — but a building! It is that group of CONVERTED PEOPLE, in whom is the very SPIRIT OF GOD, which makes up the Church!
   Jesus said we must REPENT (Luke 13:3, 5). Peter said REPENTANCE must precede baptism (Acts 2:38; 3:19). God inspired Paul to say, "For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14).
   "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ." God inspired Paul to write, "HE IS NONE OF HIS!" (Rom. 8:9). Yet — it is only through OBEDIENCE to God through total repentance, complete surrender to God, symbolized by figuratively laying down your life, and your whole being in water baptism, that you may receive the Spirit of God!
   NOT ONE of you, brethren, is a member of the True Church of God merely because we attend. Weekly Sabbath attendance, or being at the Festivals — tithe-paying, participation in social activities, or being "active" in the "church," NONE of these things mean, of themselves, you are a member of the True Church of God! Unconverted children, unbaptized ones in attendance at Feasts, or a local meeting, are not MEMBERS of the Body of Christ.
   It is ONLY those who have really been conquered of God, who have unconditionally REPENTED, been baptized, and have really received of HIS SPIRIT who are members!
   They are then JOINED TO HIM! They do NOT join themselves together, becoming a "group" of human beings, known by a certain name. Rather, they become directly — JOINED TO CHRIST!
   Notice it! "I am the true VINE, and my Father is the husbandman," said Jesus. "Every branch IN ME that beareth not fruit he taketh away "
   "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I AM THE VINE, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:1-5).
   The newly begotten child of God becomes directly JOINED TO CHRIST! He is the Vine, supplying the life-giving sap from the roots which produces the fruit on the branches!
   The BRANCHES, or the individual Member of the Church are joined, ONLY THROUGH THE VINE! If any member is not truly IN CHRIST, and Christ LIVING IN HIM, then he is NOT a member of the True Church!
   "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you," wrote John, "that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly our fellowship is WITH THE FATHER, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3).
   The true FELLOWSHIP of one member of the Church to another is IN and THROUGH the FATHER, and the SON! Any worldly organization of men, banding themselves together, in their OWN fellowship, is just like a group of branches, lying in a pile! Not joined to a productive, life-giving VINE, they are UNPRODUCTIVE, THEY ARE LIFELESS, THEY ARE ROTTING... AND THEY BEGIN TO STINK!
   Do you see, brethren? The NAME of the True Church of God is a vitally important PROOF of the Church! It is NOT to be taken lightly! And it has real meaning.
   God names things what they are. If you ARE a member of His own Church, then you should be named what you ARE! But if you are a member of a group of people — dead branches — not joined to the only True Vine, then you should also be named, just what you ARE!
   That is why so many of the "names" of the worldly churches are so appropriate! The "Catholic" or "worldly" church is JUST THAT! It is a church of the WORLD — universally so — COMPLETELY worldly, and not of God! The "Separate Baptists" ARE truly SEPARATE from the True Vine! The "Methodists" DO truly have a DIFFERENT METHOD from God's! The "Congregationalists" truly HAVE banded THEMSELVES together, as a pile of rotting branches!
   There are a tiny FEW who know the true Biblical name of God's True Church, and have STOLEN THAT NAME. But having this one STOLEN "proof," which is only ONE OUT OF THREE PARTS OF THIS SECOND MAJOR PROOF OF SEVEN, will not ever make them, really, the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD!
   How truly grateful and thankful we should be that God, in His mercy, has called us to become true members of the very Body of Christ — truly JOINED to the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit — and not wandering in the spiritual darkness of this blinded world! What a blessing, if we are truly members of the CHURCH OF GOD!

SEVEN PROOFS of The True Church of God - Proof Three

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Good News MagazineMay-June 1968Vol XVII, No. 05-06