The Church Is Not Christianity

By Xlibris US

Religion is the most dreadful and influential force on earth. Contrary to assertions made by some individuals and group of individuals, every human person on earth is religious. Practically, from historical past to this present day, religion has a link to most of the problems and issues in our world.

There is no distance you could go to exit the extent and power of religion. It goes with you wherever you go, because it is an inherent nature of man. Religion is present in your everyday communal life and association. It infuses itself into legal, social and economic activities that define our daily living. Thankfully, I was able to escape from the grip and the power of religion by taking time out to know the real me and my purpose on earth.

This book will provide you with the pragmatic solutions to overcome the inherent nature of religion in you and take on a new nature that will provide you with the sense of joy, peace and personal relationship with your God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499047233

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Nathaniel Uko-Ima.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4990-4724-0

                eBook           978-1-4990-4723-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Rev. date: 07/11/2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgment

Foreword

Where Is The Church?

Concept Of Religion

Concept Of Transformation

Chapter One The Existence Of God

Chapter Two The Human Person

Chapter Three Redemption Of The Fallen Human Person

Chapter Four The Church

Chapter Five The Fall And Restoration Of The First Century Church

Chapter Six The Origin Of Christianity

Chapter Seven The Reformation And Restoration Movements

Chapter Eight The Church And Power Of The Holy Spirit: Evidence Of The Church Of Christ

Chapter Nine Faith: The Believer’s State Of Confidence In God’s Word

Chapter Ten Grace: The Sufficiency Of God’s Power For Salvation And Service

Chapter Eleven The Christian Person

Chapter Twelve Pastoral Ethics And Responsibility

Chapter Thirteen Why Do Christians Trust In God?

Acknowledgment

This book is dedicated to my mother, Elder Ima Inyang-Nneke who was the first to reveal the calling of God upon my life and inspired me through her fervent prayers, dedication to God’s work and services to humanity. And to my father who mentored me into manhood. Words are not enough to describe Glad’s instrumentality to the fulfillment of God’s calling in our lives. I thank God for the wisdom bestowed upon her to write the forward to this book. Above all I thank God for the revealed truth in his words culminating in the production of this book.

Foreword

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God is a Spirit-Being who operates with his angels at the Celestial realm. However, God operates on the cosmic realm through his creative representatives. God sent each human person to this earth as his representative and instruments by which he could affect the world. Satan, who suffered a defeat in the celestial realm, turns his attack on God’s representatives on the cosmic realm. Satan was able to deceive the first human person and continues to deceive many individuals today from having relationship with and being obedient to God.

After the deceit and the fallen of the first human person, God constituted a nation of Israel to be his representation on earth and through which all the nations of the earth were to hear of the good news of the dead and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, as it were with the first representative in the garden of Eden, Satan deceived the nation of Israel and turned the hearts of the people against God. However, the purpose and God’s intent for the earth remains undefeated. God, in his foreknowledge and wisdom had already inhibited in him an eternal institution of which the gates of hell will not prevail against. On the Day of Pentecost as it were, God breathed out into existence, the Church as his final and eternal representative on earth.

As you read this book, do not consider the church as the building of brick, mortar or wood. But, see the church as the constitution of God’s people on earth who are only subject to the Headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is God’s representation on earth. It is an instrument by which God manifests himself and fulfill his purpose on earth. The church holds the final baton on the race to saving the human race. The church holds the message and the power capable of transforming the heart of evil into the heart of righteousness and blissful relationship with God.

As Satan deceived the first human family and the nation of Israel, he has been able to derail the church from being God’s mouthpiece to becoming an organ of the earthly governments and capitalism. The church has become politicized, capitalized and constitutionalized with human wisdom. Thus, the church has lost its power and authority to affect the world as it was originally intended by God. Thus, the governments of nations and its people have no regards or sense of longing for the church.

Whenever I sit under the teachings of the author of this book, Pastor Uko-Ima, he reminds me of the ministry and the teachings of Paul the Apostle. In fact, three years after the inauguration of the church at Jerusalem, Satan corrupted the church with erroneous teachings and unrobed it of its power. As it is in our days, the church was politicized and legalized by powerful people and organizations of the day. But, God in his foreknowledge and wisdom raised a man from Tarsus called Saul who later became Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ. God raised up Paul as an instrument to restore the church. For this purpose, the resurrected Christ met with Paul in the Arabian Desert for three years to teach him of things pertaining to the church. Paul came out to challenge the erroneous teachings in the church and the denial of the Power of Holy Spirit thereof. God, through Paul restored the church with salvation message for all races and the Power of the Holy Spirit for all believers.

This book is not another volume added to your religious texts collections. Rather, it is a life changing relationship with God. It is written to provoke the authority of your earthly representation and power to transforming your world. I am sure by reading this book your relationship with God will become that of a broken hearted question, Father, what would you want me to do? And God will transform you and renew your mind with His words so that you would be able to denounce religion and its hypocrisy.

Glad Effy Uko-Ima

Pastor, Island Fellowship Church

New York City, USA

Where is the Church?

Since 313 A.D. when Emperor Constantine of Rome took over the authority of the church and turned it into a national religion called Christianity, many people have come to believe that the church of Jesus Christ is synonymous with Christianity. As it was in the days of Constantine so it is today. Church organizations, so called, are the congregation of religious people for religious purposes. Today, many individuals have denounced their membership with the church and identified the church with the crimes and practices of the past and present day Christianity. Thus, this book is written to correct the 1,700 years of erroneous teachings and believe that the church is synonymous with Christianity.

It is commonly assumed that, the word church applies to a building where people meet for worship. Thus, I will like to make it simply clear from the very beginning that the word church refers to assembly of called out people for a specific purpose or interest rather than a building. However, there is a church building for the purpose of serving as a center for the assembly of people, church. Thus, gathering of citizens at the city center, called out for political or civil discuss could be referred to as church. The assembly of people in the market place, called out for the purpose of exchanging goods and services could also be referred to as church. In like manner, the assembly of people called out for the purposes of studying the word of God and fellowship with one another is referred to as church. Church is simply the assembly of people. The only difference between other churches and the Bible church is in the ‘called out’ medium or instrument.

At the city center or market place churches people are mechanically called out through media advertisements and human contacts. Likewise, in Christianity which started in Rome; people were called out by the power and decrees of the emperor to join the Roman national church ‘Roman Catholic’ which gave rise to other reformed churches such as Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and the present day Pentecostal (so called) churches. But, the assembly of people at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ which started on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem was called out by the Holy Spirit. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are peculiar people, a holy nation called out by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of taking the message of salvation to the lost souls. Any assembly of people without the power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit is as carnal and mechanical as the church at the city center or market place.

For over a century, people were taught to believe that Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. World Encyclopedias and scholars define Christianity as a religion for the followers of Jesus Christ. In view of this teaching, people hold it that the Church is synonymous with Christianity. However, in the recent past, individuals and group of individuals began to hold the view that Christianity is not a religion. Unfortunately, these individuals or group of individuals could not define what Christianity is if it is not a religion. It is also a widely held view that Christians are members of Christianity. In this book you would learn the Biblical truth that there were Christians before Christianity was formed and that Christians are members of the Church rather than members of Christianity. Members of Christianity are identified with their denominations; whereas Christians are identified with the Church. You would also learn that the Church was in existence long before Christianity was formed. In truth, Christianity is a humanly formed organization whereas the Church is an Organism which was hidden in God before the foundation of the world and made manifest on the Day of Pentecost.

Suffice me to say that, these two schools are misconceptions. This book is written to correct these erroneous teachings that Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. It is also written to show that Christianity is a religion and that it is not synonymous with the Church. The book will show how Christianity is detrimentally opposed to the power and growth of the Church. In fact, Christianity was specifically formed to oppose the Authority of God and the Church as the Kingdom of God on Earth. Christianity attempts to usurp God’s throne by elevating humans to take on God’s holy name, Reverend. Christianity replaces the office of the elders of the church with the board of carnal and unrepentant people.

Practically, from historical past to this present day, Christianity has a link to most of the problems and issues in our world, For example, the most deadly wars ever fought in human history which claimed millions of lives were orchestrated by Christianity. About 1618-148) 3,000,000 to 11,500,000 people were killed in the Thirty Years War between Protestants and Catholic in the Holy Roman Empire. French Wars of Religion between Protestants and Catholics in France (1562-1598) 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 killed people. Second Sudanese Civil War from 1983 to 2005 between Islam and Christian killed 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 people. The Crusades in the Holy Land and Europe between Islam and Christians from 1095 to 1291 killed 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 people. The Lebanese Civil War of 1975 to 1990 in Lebanon between Sunni, Shiite and Christians killed 130.000 to 250,000 people.

Christianity is a product of a civil system and society which both the rulers and the ruled are corrupt, with unlawful and depraved motives. It is a society and system where Justice is replaced with depravity, perversion and impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principles. It is a society and system where everything is done with an intent to give some advantage inconsistent with official duty and the rights of others; and a fiduciary’s or official’s use of a station or office to procure some benefit either personally or for someone else, contrary to the rights of others.

In the society and system of Christianity, property that rightfully belongs to one individual or group could be wrongly possessed by another individual, group or government without any recourse to the rightful owner. There is a violation of both distributive and corrective justice which involves opportunist’s gain at the victim’s expense. The opportunist has too much and the victim too little or nothing at all. The system does not require the opportunist to compensate for the victim’s losses, despite the opportunist self-enrichment.

The society and system support unrestraint on people’s treatment of each other. The political principle rests on the lack of freedom and equality that undermine fair terms of interaction and distribution of common good. It has no specificity of boundaries of acceptable behavior and the transference of the costs of wrongful harm to the tortfeasor. It is the state of perpetuity of losses where it falls without justification of responsibility — people who are legally responsible for harm to others are not meant to pay damages and people who commit crimes are not punished.

It is a system and society where the idea of responsibility has no normative importance – all losses lie where they fall. It is a stateless and lawless society in default of burdensome mechanisms. Hence, there is no authority to allocate losses, responsibility or punishment for crimes. It is a state of survival of the fittest – where people transfer their own short-comings from themselves onto others. For example, people transfer their wants for goods or positions by stealing someone else’s property or fortune, or causing harm to another while attending to their own wants. When such events succeed, the harm now lies with the victim or place of commission. It has come to a state where right and wrong, Justice and injustice have no recognition. Any person who suffers harm as a result of another person’s action does so because he or she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a state of selfish pursuits, in which everyone seeks after his or her own lustful gain without any concerns or respect for others or any thought of communal interest or common good. Thus, it is a state of unfairness. It means, if I injure you, it is your own problem, not mine. It means any person can do whatever he or she is able to in pursuit of his or her own ends.

As written in her forward to this book, Glad noted that, it is not Christianity, but it is the Church that has the message and the duty to transforming the evil and depraved hearts of men into that of righteousness and blissful relationship with God.

Hence, this Book is written at a time that the Church has lost its power, integrity and direction. It is particularly written to provoke revival among believers and church leaders all over the world. The church is faced with many challenges ranging from the very core of salvation to the frame of church leadership. Once again, salvation has become indulged with fame, materialism and status. Leadership in the Body of Christ has been taken over by secularism and theology without any regards to the Holy Spirit and God’s gifts for the church.

Divine institutions of family and marriage have long been politicized and dominated by legalizers and society elites. Preaching and teaching of the Scriptures has become the subject of political correctness and constitutional justification. The Church has become complacent about the state of immorality in our society. Even when Biblical precedents show that, Elijah challenged evil in his days; John the Baptist raged in anger against abomination in the corridor of political power; Jesus pronounced seven woes on the religious leaders of his days; Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes

Reviews for The Church Is Not Christianity

[onewithgrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rick Warren's seminal work on the core purpose of church and using the experiences he has gained from planting and building Saddleback Church in California

[aron124_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"I have ambivalent feelings toward Rick Warren. I like him because God has used him to reach so many people for Christ. At the same time, it perplexes me that he is able use the common language in order to accomplish it. This just doesn't fit my personality in how I preach the Gospel. In fact it doesn't even fit the pathos of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary or a large percentage of Bostonians. Yet, Haddon Robison, the preaching professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, wrote that a "wise pastor should read [it] three times," and Robinson has an extensive vocabulary.Please do not misunderstand me. I praise God for Rick Warren's ministry, because people are being saved. This is what the Gospel is all about. Yet, I have difficulty in comprehending how a man has the ability to preach the Gospel to so many people with such a common vocabulary? I tend to want to use larger words when needed. For I feel it’s always fitting to use the most precise word within their context. I even concluded that if the word is in a newspaper, encyclopedia or magazine it's fair game to use in a sermon. Yet, it seems the majority of the people - educated or not - like to hear sermons in the common language, rather than with big words.So here is my dilemma. Either I begin using more common words, which doesn't fit my personality. Or I can take a key theme from “The Purpose Driven Church,” which is to be myself, and allow God to work through me. I find the latter approach to be more effective. This grants me the ability to be more authentic. It also seems to be the similiar approach for the news commentator Dennis Miller. His story is that he was tired of having poor test scores in high school that he decided to broaden his vocabulary by literally studying all the SAT words he could. Now, he is considered to have a very large vocabulary, and is able to communicate very well to his audience. Consequently, I don't consider having a slew of words like Dennis Miller. However, I was also sick of getting bad grades. Thus, it has become my mission to have a large vocabulary, in order to be more effective in communicating to others.So even though Rick Warren chooses to preach the Gospel to people through his personality, I believe that God can use my personality to also preach the Gospel, even if it's different from Rick Warren's choice of words."

[jepursell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rick Warren presents the structure, philosophy, and theology that are the foundation for Saddleback Church. While a prescription for the megachurch of which he is the lead pastor, it is written as a guide for utilizing these principles to structure your church without suggesting that this is the only way to structure a church.

[rchase_28 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the subtitle should be "A Jesuit Handbook for Taking over the Protestant Church" ... just kidding.