Does it make a difference which Church of God you attend? Today, there are more than 300 Church of God groups that acknowledge the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Only a few are organized bodies; most are very small and may represent only a family or a very few individuals. Of these larger Church of God bodies, some claim: “We are all the same.” This statement, however, ignores real and defined differences. In truth, we are not all the same. So we must ask the question: what difference do these differences make to you, as a member of God’s Church? Are they important to your salvation?
Some of the differences are quite plain. There are some groups that believe it is wrong for a woman to wear makeup. Some insist you must believe Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was the Elijah. Others practice differing forms of Church government. Many other doctrinal variations also exist when you compare teachings and biblical explanations. Many believe the “Work” is over. Among those that are doing a Work, most define the Work as “sharing their faith,” but they feel no responsibility to proclaim a warning message, as per Ezekiel 33.
Are any or all of these important issues? Do any of these differences affect your spiritual life—your growth, your character and your heart? Will they make a difference when you stand before Jesus Christ? Are the differences that separate the Living Church of God really important to you?
Years ago, when I was coming to terms with what was happening in the Worldwide Church of God, I spent quite a bit of time in debates that helped me focus more clearly on the issues about which people, although they were in the Church of God, disagreed. Some Church members told me, “You need to be more tolerant.” This advice came from friends, not enemies. This is an important point. We should certainly be tolerant of each others’ weaknesses, and of others trying to grow and change. But in terms of what we believe, and the faith we practice, Jesus Christ addressed this when He said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
If you were personally walking with Jesus Christ while He was on earth, in the flesh, how would you act? If you thought to yourself, “What I am doing here is really borderline; maybe it’s barely acceptable, but it’s not at all what Christ wants,” would you continue to do it? Of course not!
Jesus said: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). Christ plainly stated that we can worship God, yet miss the mark, if we worship in error. Jesus said that the Pharisees and scribes were “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do” (v. 13). The “effect” of which Christ is speaking here is what “enters the heart of man” (vv. 18, 19). We need to understand that true doctrine and correct practice will change the inner man. The “effect” is to fulfill God’s purpose. It is to prepare us for the Kingdom of God and membership in the very family of God (see also 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Peter 1:2–3). The “effect” is the very crux of why the differences that distinguish the Living Church of God should be important to you.
Keeping this in mind, we need to examine key differences between the Living Church of God and the other “Church of God” groups.
Church Government
The first area—the one about which the different groups tend to say the most—is Church government. As we know, Church government in the Living Church of God has continued in the same pattern that God used in the ministry of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong believed very strongly that Church government is a central issue in the way God prepares us for His Kingdom. Some think Church government is just a “ministerial issue.” Is that all it is? When you pray for the Work of God, you acknowledge and embrace the way we work together and support one another. In the Living Church of God, we pray that God will inspire the leadership to lead according to the will of God. We do so in the structure of government from the top down, with the Council of Elders providing counsel as the scripture exhorts (Proverbs 11:14 and 15:22). We pray asking God to inspire the discussion and counsel given. We then pray God will guide His servant, Presiding Evangelist Mr. Meredith, to lead the Church according to the will of God. In our prayers, in our service in the Church and in our relationships with those to whom God gives responsibility, we learn to think in a certain manner. The foundation of our thinking is based on the structure of government in use.
Many in the Church of God like to debate the subject of government. There is a very simple principle that can help us understand what to do. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should “keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:14–15). When God has shown us His way, we ought not to discard it in favor of our own ideas. Remember that God Himself has only exercised one type of government. For nearly 6,000 years, mankind has tried different forms of government. But for how many billion years prior to that was God practicing government? And how many years after this 6,000 will government be practiced? We know what that form of government will be. It will remain the same.
You may have heard some say, “I don’t ever want to be under a one-man government.” There are those who say, “I want to have a voice.” The Bible records that someone said this in the past. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God’” (Isaiah 14:12–13).
God had given Lucifer a position among the other angels, but Lucifer was not satisfied. He wanted to exalt his position. Did this please God? We know that it did not. Government plays an important role in preparing us for God’s Kingdom. If we believe that we are being prepared for eternity in the God Family, we should be living that way now. The reality, of course, is that we are under a one-God government. A human leader has a serious responsibility before God, and those who would take that responsibility onto themselves are taking a very serious risk with their own spiritual lives.
Correct Government Teaches Us “The Way”
Throughout the book of Acts, we find the Christian life described as “the Way.” When we attend the Feast of Tabernacles, people outside the Church often say of us: “That’s that group that has big Bibles and lots of kids!” And even though people may not understand our devotion and our focus, they appreciate how the brethren treat their facilities, and show people courtesy and kindness. That phrase—“the Way”—describes our Way of life.
That Way means living our faith in Christ. That faith extends into our personal life, and is also a description of God’s government, because it is faith in Christ (Acts 24:24). He is the Head. He is the One we look to. Yes, Christ works through the individuals He places in leadership. But it is faith in Christ that we practice as a Church.
While he was in prison, Paul wrote to the Colossians that he was “rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:5–7).
Ours is a Way of faith in Christ. He is our Head. He is indeed the Head of the Church. He is alive and He is very capable. By practicing the right form of government, we exercise a living faith—trusting God will guide and lead His Church in all things.
In the book of Hebrews, Paul wrote: “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:7–8).
It is interesting that many will quote verse 8, but do so out of context, not noting the verse that came right before. A similar statement comes later in the chapter. “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (v. 17). In other words, the issue is your salvation— your heart, your soul and who you are. He continues: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (v. 20). Who is ultimately our shepherd? Christ is our Shepherd.
How, then, did Paul relate those “who rule over you” in relationship to Jesus Christ? As you read Hebrews 13, you see how Paul understood that Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd, who had control, working through and encouraging the brethren (vv. 20–21). Paul thus exhorted the brethren to follow the leadership that Jesus Christ had put in place.
This principle of God’s government also touches us in the home. God gives us instruction that, in the home, the husband is to be the head, and the children are to honor their father and mother. God says to the head of the family, “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5:25). You must be willing to follow Christ’s example and sacrifice for her. This is servant leadership.
Marriage counselors have observed that when a husband and wife have grown up in substantially differing family structures—with varying assumptions about how to cooperate, how to adapt, how to make decisions, how to set priorities, and so forth—they are most likely to experience significant conflicts as a couple. When a husband and wife have widely differing expectations about “government” in their household, it is no surprise that conflict can arise. The family background in which you are reared affects your relationships in the family you create by marriage.
Why is this principle important to our salvation? Because God is preparing us now for His family! We are being prepared to be the bride of Jesus Christ. Would God prepare us in a way that is totally alien to how His own family operates? Of course not! We are preparing to join His family, and live the way He has lived for all eternity. He will make us His children, and we will honor Him. We are not going to call the shots.
Those who have difficulty understanding this point, and who trouble themselves with the issue of government because of problems in government in this life, have the wrong focus. They are focusing on this life—while our focus needs to be on preparing for God’s Kingdom.
Doing the Work
Another point that has distinguished the Living Church of God from the other Church of God groups is the Work that God is doing through us. You might ask: “How is the Work preparing me, and how will I benefit?” The Apostle John explained that God views our support of the Work as vital. What was Christ’s priority? “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). That is an interesting statement, because we often look at what Christ did and think of it as His ministry. Yet Jesus Christ saw Himself as doing the Father’s Work, seeking to finish His work.
Christ saw that there was plenty to do. He said: “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (v. 35). It is amazing that there are people today who say the Work is over. My children’s generation never heard Mr. Armstrong preach the message of the Kingdom of God. Since the death of Mr. Armstrong, more than a billion children have matured as young adults. There is still a Work to do!
Jesus continued: “And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (vv. 36–38). These verses make several important points. There is not just one operation in planting and reaping a crop, yet all who play a part rejoice together. When you support the Work, you are sowing. When people come to understand the Truth, they realize that the Truth reached them because of those who sowed before them.
And today, we see that we are often reaping what we have not sown. Many ministers, when visiting new prospective members, hear comments such as “Mr. Meredith reminded me so much of Mr. Armstrong” or “When I received the booklet, it was just like receiving something from the old Worldwide Church of God.”
Another point is that we are reaping as others carry out their responsibilities. We each have our responsibilities—we tithe, we serve in various ways—but by doing our part to support those around us we have “entered into their labors.” Others have labored, and we have entered into it so that, as Christ said, “both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (John 4:36).
The Ezekiel Warning
The Living Church of God also stands out from so many other groups because it takes seriously the warning message as part of doing the Work. How is this important to you? In Ezekiel 8 we read of the abominations taking place in Israel, and in Ezekiel 9 we read of Jesus giving His servant a mission: “Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it’” (Ezekiel 9:3–4).
This warning is not merely about those whom God is calling into His Church. It is a warning to a people engrossed in paganism, who will soon face great calamity. It is a compassionate message, given by God’s servants who are touched by the knowledge of the punishment awaiting these people.
When the Church acknowledges this warning message, and makes it a vital part of the Church’s message to the world, it broadens our focus and fixes it on the reality of end-time events. It reminds us that Jesus Christ must return to end the suffering that will otherwise destroy the earth. Without that focus, reminding us of the reality of what is to come, many people gradually become narrower and narrower in their focus, and eventually the only thing that is important to them is their own little world, or their own little fellowship.
What will God do to those who do not heed His warning? “To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary’” (vv. 5–6).
Do you care about the people around you in the world? It is very important to God that you care. In the Living Church of God, Mr. Meredith and the ministry help you and encourage you to care about what is going on in the world. Our vision as a Church is not just inward and about ourselves. It is about the responsibility we have, and what we look forward to. It is about much more than our own salvation—it is about God’s plan for all mankind.
God is not wasting 6,000 years! This time of man’s learning through the bitter experience of being subjected to Satan’s influence has a tremendous purpose in preparing the Family of God. Even though we as Christians have been called out of it, we are witnesses to it, and we will not forget. We should be very grateful that we have been spared, and we should have compassion on the people around us who have not been spared. God is very concerned about compassion. Regarding his own people, the Apostle Paul wrote: “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart” (Romans 9:1–2). Those words would not be there unless they were absolutely true. God, who sees the heart, inspired those words, and they are a part of His scripture. Paul is sharing with us something deep within his soul. He goes on: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises” (vv. 3–4).
If you live in America or another British-descended nation—if you are a part of Israel—and you do not care, you do not share the spirit that the Apostle Paul had in his heart. If you do not believe that we should warn our countrymen, then something vitally important is lacking in your spiritual life. We in the Living Church of God are part of a Work that recognizes the importance of warning our nations of their sins, talking about what the future holds—indeed, saying that God will, in time, “spank” our peoples. This is about having a heart that cares. We need that heart; it is important in this Work. It is helping you and me prepare for God’s Kingdom, and for His Family, and it is very important to your salvation. It is not just about Mr. Meredith, Mr. Ames or Mr. Ogwyn. It is not just about the Headquarters staff or the ministry. It is about each of us as a member of the body.
Being an Overcomer
Another important way that the Living Church of God differs from many other Church of God groups is that it stresses the need to be an overcomer—that each of us needs to personally walk with God. Perhaps you take this emphasis for granted. You might be surprised that many Church of God groups do not really stress this in their messages or their literature. Some acknowledge it, but do not emphasize it at all. In fact, in the Living Church of God, this message is being preached in a powerful way that has rarely been done in the past.
It is extremely important that you let Jesus Christ live in you. In the messages to the seven different churches of Revelation 2–3, they all are told that the reward is for: “He who overcomes.” We are here to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). It is not merely about what we believe. We are called to embrace a way of life that will change us. We have to work to make those changes. We have to strive. Paul reminded us: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
The Olympic Games were held in Mexico City in 1968. Mexico City is at a very high altitude, and pushes athletes to their limits. After finishing one of the events, three runners fell to the ground and collapsed into unconsciousness. They did not just collapse in weariness; they fell unconscious, and needed to be revived. But notice: they collapsed after they finished the race. That is the kind of effort Paul is describing. In the world, only one receives the gold medal. In God’s Kingdom, we each receive a reward of life eternal. However, beyond that, we will each receive different rewards that will reflect not only our potential, but how we can best serve in God’s family. And there is no position in God’s family that will not be glorious, just as there is no part of the body that should not be cherished and honored. That is how God describes His Church—it is like a body, and we give honor to every member.
Brethren in Other Groups?
Do we have brethren in other Church of God groups? Certainly, we do. Mr. Armstrong said that we had brethren in the Church of God Seventh-Day. We have brethren in other groups today. This is a point that has confused some people. They think, “Well, if we have brethren in some other group, what’s wrong with being there?”
How does God present this matter of different groups? Notice what He says to one: “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4). There are “worthy” brethren in Sardis. Notice what else God says: “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead’’ (v. 1). Would you want to be in a Church where you had to strive mightily against the influence of so many around you? One of the functions of the Church is that we provoke one another to love and to good works.
Notice, in Revelation 2–3, that Jesus Christ is in the midst of all seven churches. People today often have trouble with that. Some think that because people in different churches are our brethren, we must therefore all be the same. If you think that, you have not read Revelation 2–3, because those chapters describe churches with Christ in their midst—but they are churches that are not alike!
In the Living Church of God, we believe that as we do the Work—as we follow the leadership of Christ, who has the key of David—we are Philadelphians. Is that important to you? Look at what Christ said to the Philadelphians: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
This should be important to you. It is important to God. He wants us to persevere, not to be watered down or stripped of our vision. Because we persevere, He promises to protect us. Let us understand: it is not that we would not accept our salvation if we had to be martyred, or to go through the Great Tribulation. Throughout history, God’s people have given their lives, or been ready to give their lives. Great men of God died as martyrs. God’s people put Him first, above all things. This is the very heart of a Philadelphian. Because we are Philadelphians, ready and willing to give our all—to persevere, and never give up— God promises protection.
We are a small group. Sometimes we are not able to do everything the Church did in the past. So it is important that we recognize our priorities. Jesus told the Philadelphians: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (v. 11).
Naturally, we wish that all our brethren were here in the Living Church of God with us. We wish they were learning right government. We wish they were part of a Work that reaches out compassionately, recognizing that we need to carry to our nation and our world a warning message of what soon lies ahead. We wish they were part of this Work to be encouraged to walk with God personally, and to focus their lives on Jesus Christ.
But we need to understand that we are not all the same. We consider ourselves the Philadelphia remnant, but we should not wear that as a label. If we start putting that on as a label—”I am Philadelphian”—we miss the point. The point of Revelation 2–3 is a message of what we need to do. We need to look on being Philadelphian as a responsibility and a duty—something we strive to be— not a label that makes us superior to others. A label means nothing. What means something is that we are Philadelphian from the heart.
We are not all the same. Differences do exist. These differences are key issues. They are important to you as a member of the Church of God. The Living Church of God is helping each of us to be better Christians, and is giving us an opportunity to practice our Christianity, doing the Work that Christ commanded—preparing us for our salvation and the sooncoming Kingdom of God.
This article is an adaptation and condensation of a sermon Mr. Greer gave on several occasions in late 2002. One version of the full sermon is available at www.lcg.org, in the Sermon Library section, dated November 9, 2002.