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Church of God-eim    PO Box 3332 . Modesto, CA 95353    www.cog-eim.org

God's True Church - What is it, Where is it?

When it comes to religion, the world’s landscape is littered with thousands of churches, all claiming to be the harbingers of the true faith. No matter the culture, it would be difficult to find a people stripped entirely of religion. Even communism has not been able to stamp out the shrines that mark the Buddhist or Taoist faiths in China. While touring in Xian, China you can even visit a museum dedicated to Christian Sabbath keepers. It would be interesting to stand above the earth and just listen to the cacophony of bells, chimes, and choirs all sending up music to praise God. How many of these would God be listening to?

Jesus Christ said, “I will build MY church.” Yet even within the Christian faith there are vast numbers of denominations, all claiming they represent the true faith. Among the three majors branches of Christianity -- Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Catholicism, and Protestantism -- there can be found countless disagreements in their beliefs. However, Christ continued in the same verse to say, “The gates of Hades (the grave) shall not prevail against it (His church)” – it will never die out. Therefore, it is a fair question to ask: Where is that church today – amidst the hundreds if not thousands of denominations claiming Him as their savior? Where is the Church that believes and lives the doctrines and practices of Christ and His apostles, as they were taught in the New Testament?

To understand why these modern Christian denominations teach different doctrines in the name of Christ, it is necessary to know a fundamental fact of church history: After the death of the apostles, who had been taught directly by Christ, false ministers with false teachings led followers away from the true church. This is noted in the Bible in Jude 3 and 4. These false ministers, even during the time of the apostle John, claimed to be a part of the true church; however, they began to change the fundamental doctrines upon which Christ’s church was built (Revelation 2:2). They kept the name of Christ (Matthew 24:4), but resorted to human reasoning influenced by Greek Philosphy to formulate their own doctrines. These leaders were not of the church, but were like wolves amidst sheep as they came among God’s people:

Acts 20:28-30 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. NKJV

Guided by Greek philosophy and under the auspices of the Roman Emperor, these false religious leaders combined popular paganism with Christ’s teaching to raise up a universal religion with a broad appeal to the masses that could be easily assimilated by various cultures, using the name of Christ but denying much of what Christ taught. What is amazing about this is that many church historians recognize the radical transition away from the New Testament teachings to a religion that combined certain of those teachings with man’s philosophically-guided human reasoning. These church historians understand that this transition took place during the second century of the church, after the death of the original twelve apostles. The following quote clearly shows this:

“We now descend from the primitive apostolic church to the Graeco-Roman; from the scene of creation to the work of preservation; from the fountain of divine revelation to the stream of human development; from the inspirations of the apostles and prophets to the productions of enlightened but fallible teachers. The hand of God has drawn a bold line of demarcation between the century of miracles and the succeeding ages, to show, by the abrupt transition and the striking contrast, the difference between the work of God and the work of man, and to impress us the more deeply with the supernatural origin of Christianity and the incomparable value of the New Testament. There is no other transition in history so radical and sudden, and yet so silent and secret.. The stream of divine life in its passage from the mountain of inspiration to the valley of tradition is for a short time lost to our view, and seems to run underground.” (History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff, Vol. 2, Page 7)

What emerged at the end of the second century, according to Schaff and other church historians, is a radically different church in doctrine and practice. In fact, it was a counterfeit of the church Christ built. So let’s return to the original question: Where is the true church Christ built? He said it would always exist. If you are looking for Christ’s church after two millennium, how can you recognize it?

What is important to understand and what Schaff failed to explain in the above quote is that the true church continued in its unaltered faith. Their history is largely undocumented, though traces of it can be found during periods In history when the true church came into conflict with the false religion that overshadowed and persecuted it. To be able to identify the church built by Christ, as it exists in our present age, it is necessary to turn in the New Testament to the passage that describes its foundation as: “the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone…” (Ephesians 2:19-20). It will be a church largely adhering to what the apostles, prophets, and Christ himself taught, while struggling against corruption from the uninspired theology of men.

The following material lists basic ways to identify the church that Christ himself built:

~ The church Christ built will be keeping the commandments of God, for that shows its love of God (I John 5:3). Christ also illuminates which commandments John is referring to in Matthew 19:16-19:

Matthew 19:16-19: Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?"
Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" NKJV (Also see Romans 12:8-10; James 2:8-11; and Revelation 12:17)


~ Christ makes it clear that the keeping of the fourth commandment -- the seventh-day Sabbath -- is still to be counted among the Ten Commandments, and that it is to be observed by His followers. It is a hallmark of his church. He proclaims Himself to be ”The Lord of the Sabbath” which is a name or title he still carries:

Mark 2:23-28: Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man IS also Lord of the Sabbath." NKJV (For more on this subject please download your free copy of our booklet “God’s Holy Sabbath” from this web site.)

Therefore, even in this liberal day of anti-law, Christ’s church will be obvious because it will be observing the seventh-day Sabbath.

~ The church Christ built will be known by the name that Christ ordained - it will carry the name of His father, for that is what Christ said:

John 17:11: Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. NKJV

The true church Christ built was to be kept in the Father’s name, and throughout its long history, it has been called The Church of God, for it is God’s church, and Jesus Christ is the head of it (Ephesians 1:22-23). The name of the true church is mentioned in twelve different scriptures in the New Testament. They are as follows: Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 10:32; I Corinthians 11:22; I Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; I Corinthians 1:2; II Corinthians 1:1; I Timothy 3:5; I Timothy 3:15; I Corinthians 11:16; I Thessalonians 2:14; and II Thessalonians 1:4. Please take the time to look these up so that you can understand this vital point.

So why is Christendom filled with churches having all manner of different names? Once the apostatizing church started down the path of human reasoning guided by Greek philosophy, it lost the significance of the name, Church of God. Instead, adherents named their churches after men who were prominent in their history; or after the kind of church government they wanted in their organization; or after a significant doctrine they wanted to emphasize, such as the trinity; or after a goal like becoming united. However, wherever the church Christ built was (and still is), it continued to carry the name, Church of God.

~ A church called by the name Church of God that keeps God’s laws, including the seventh day Sabbath, is largely unrecognized in the mainstream of written “church” history. Therefore, it is difficult to trace the history of the true church. Yet, the history of the true church exists for those who have eyes to see. It is a history written in advance, and is not authored by humans, it is found in biblical prophecy!

The first sentence in the Book of Revelation -- a book of prophecy -- testifies to the fact that this book comes from Christ and is to be shown to the church by the apostle John. These prophecies were to reveal, among other things, what would take place in His church down through its history. Revelation 1:19 tells us John was to write down what he had been shown, what existed at that time, and what would take place in the future. The “letters to the churches” that begin in chapter two of Revelation are addressed to seven different congregations in Asia Minor that lay along a progressive mail route and were in existence at the time John wrote. The messages in these letters served various purposes: They were to admonish and encourage the seven congregations. They also carried strong warnings. These warnings and admonitions are punctuated by the final passage of each letter which states, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7). Therefore, all the letters are of value to all Christians at all times. But there is still more to be understood about these letters.

There is a third dimension to these letters: the book of Revelation is a book of PROPHECY. John wrote it down around 94 – 96 A.D. There is a blessing pronounced on those who read and understand its prophecies (Revelation 1:3). The seven letters to the churches, as part of the book, are prophetic also. If they were not, they would not be recorded in the Book of Revelation, but would be found in some other part of the Bible.

The seven letters are to be read as a progressive history of the church down through time: they represent seven specific eras of the church. The seven churches extant in John’s day were used as ante-types of the eras to come. Each letter foretells the history of the church as it pertains to that particular era. Most of the letters are now prophecy fulfilled.

To demonstrate how these letters can be read as prophecy, it is necessary to dissect one of the letters. For example, the letter to the church of Ephesus in chapter 2 starts with a salutation, which includes a description of Christ as He “who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (or churches).” The salutation makes it clear that Christ is the head of the church, and that He is revealing the specific message to the Ephesians. Verses 2 and 3 are commending the era for their work in living, preaching, and preserving God’s truth. Verses 4 and 5 point out the failures of the church during the era with verse 6 again pointing out the strength of the church in this particular era. The last verse in the letter is a message to all who read the letter at any time in history:

Revelation 2:7: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. NKJV

All of the letters to the congregations in both Revelation 2 and 3 follow the same basic pattern as the letter to Ephesus. The following is an example of how these passages of prophecy have been fulfilled:

The church at Ephesus was the final headquarters congregation of the “apostolic” era (the time in which the church was led by the twelve apostles). The mother congregation was forced to flee Jerusalem ahead of advancing Roman armies. It fled to Pella and then on to Ephesus. Headquartered in Ephesus, the mother congregation never regained the stature of the earlier Jerusalem headquarters congregation. The city of Antioch was the center for coordinating the work to the Gentiles.

John, the last survivor of the original twelve apostles, and Philip, who was originally known as a Deacon, died in Ephesus. It was at Ephesus that the Apostle John trained Polycarp who was later martyred in 155 A.D. because he refused the change of observing the Passover (as Christ had ordained) to observing the pagan Easter. By the end of John’s life, around 96 A.D., the strength of the church was being drained by ministers who were preaching false doctrines to gain their own following (I John 2:19-20, 3 John 9-10). What Paul had earlier warned against was already in progress. Therefore, some time after John’s death, the lampstand (meaning the vessel that contains God’s spirit and therefore identifies God’s church) was symbolically removed from the Ephesian era of the church. It was passed on to the next era identified as Smyrna.

There is not space in this article to trace the history of the true church through every era. However, it is worth noting that the prophecy concerning the seven churches in Asia Minor ends with a letter to the church in Laodicea. During this last prophesied era of the church, Christians are described as being so materialistic they are spiritually blind. As a result of their condition, they are advised “to buy gold refined in the fire” (of a coming tribulation):

Revelation 3:15-18: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. NKJV

The prophetic letter to the Laodicean church is, by all accounts, a prophecy that fits our time. It warns against becoming spiritually lax during a time when material comforts are great. It warns against becoming blind to spiritual truths when fulfillment of human wants and desires supercedes, in priorities, the studying and preaching of God’s word. The Laodicean church era is admonished to desire to be clothed in the humility of righteousness as opposed to the arrogance of stylish array. And it reveals God’s opinion of a materially glutted church that, in his sight, is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked when it comes to spiritual matters. This letter describes the days in which the church Christ founded, The Church of God, presently finds itself.

These seven letters begin and end with messages to church eras that are lacking in zeal, and they contain both encouragement and warning. The first era lost the love it started with, and the last era is bluntly told that it is so lukewarm it is in danger of being cast out by Christ for its lack of zeal and works. Both eras are admonished to ignite the spiritual zeal needed to do the work – that is to preach the gospel -- which is another identifying characteristic of The Church of God.

~ Preaching the gospel is the “work” Christ gave to the church down through its long, 2000-year history. In Matthew 28:20 Christ states: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel…even to the end of the age.” That gospel is the good news -- the announcement -- Christ brought from His father about the coming Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15):

Mark 1:14-15: Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. NKJV

This message is an identifying marker of God’s church. Therefore, The Church of God will be found following Christ’s instruction to preach this gospel throughout the world.

The church Christ established will be recognized in our day in the same way it was recognized during the time of the twelve apostles, because Christ does not change. Hebrews 13:8 tells us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” It will be known by God’s family name, which is simply The Church of God. It will be keeping the Father’s commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath; and it will be fulfilling the commission to preach the gospel given to it by the living head of the church, Jesus Christ: it will be proclaiming the imminent return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth.