By Neal Griffin
The restoration movement should not be an effort to restore a religious organization, but rather an effort to establish New Testament Christianity in the lives of people. You cannot restore something that never was. The "ancient order" that many of us search for is but a figment of our imaginations. There never was a church in the sense that we understand the word "church", and the Bible is not a manual for establishing church organizations. Nor is it a detailed guide for the activities of such organizations. But, rather, it is a manual for the organization and activities of Christian lives. It was not intended to be a manual to show Christians how to conduct worship "services". But, rather, it is a manual showing Christians how to offer up their lives as living sacrifices in worshipful service to God. (Romans 12:1-2) It is not a manual to show church organizations what their "corporate" work should be. But, rather, it is a manual showing Christians how to love and care for one another. It is not a law book of mystical patterns which require meticulous compliance. But, rather, it is a law of love that calls for obedience motivated by love prompted by the death of Jesus. It is New Testament Christianity that we should be trying to restore in the lives of people.
When we have put on the loving mind of Jesus, we will have restored New Testament Christianity, and we will have restored the "church" in the truest sense of the word.
Please think on these things. I believe them to be true to the Word.