Marks by which Christ’s church is known
Rev. James Laning explains the three marks of the true church according to the Belgic Confession: the pure preaching of the gospel, the faithful administration of the sacraments, and the proper exercise of church discipline. This article emphasizes that Christians should choose their church membership based on whether it faithfully adheres to Christ's instructions in these essential areas, rather than secondary considerations like friendliness or activities.
If a random group of those who attend some church were asked why they attend the specific church that they do, one would suspect that a relatively small percentage of them would make a reference to the marks of the true church. Some would perhaps mention their upbringing. Others might talk about the friendliness of the people, the activities that take place during the week, or the mission-mindedness of the people. Yet there would likely be relatively few who would mention the marks, with fewer...
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