The church, biblically speaking, is the body of believers. Cornerstone, specifically, is a community within the larger church that desires to be a local church meeting the local need. We are a body comfortable with being uncomfortable as we share, unashamedly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe in Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus told his disciples to go into the world, making disciples and teaching them to obey the commands of God. We believe that the only proper focus of our time and resources is just that. We are not a perfect church, not even close, but to the very best of our ability and through the power of His grace, we try to honor God in the way we love Him and love one another.

We all worship something, and we all have a god, whether or not it's the God of the Bible. By our very nature, we were created to be a reflection of His glory, and in submission and pursuit of Him, that is exactly what happens. But apart from Him, we become reflections of other things. You may not believe in Jesus and think faith is unnecessary, but you do put faith in something. For some, it may be science (which, by the way, confirms scripture). For others, their faith may be in all they have accomplished, or more than likely, and what we are all guilty of at one point or another, we put faith in ourselves. These things are our gods. Let's frame it this way: "What's on your throne? What do you chase so you don't feel alone? What defines you? What brings ultimate worth? What, if taken away, would bring ultimate hurt? That is your god." If the answer to any of these questions isn't Yahweh (the God of the Bible), then at some point, these things will ultimately fail you. They are carnal and temporary, but God is faithful, consistent, and everlasting. John 17:3 says, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." This means that true life, abundant life, will only be found in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

The answer to this is a resounding "no," but let us break down why. This particular ideology or belief is called universalism, and it holds to the opinion that if you follow whatever your religion says, then ultimately, you will enjoy the treasures of paradise and that everything leads to the same place. The fundamental problem with this is if everything is true, nothing is true. Ultimate truth cannot be relative but is "absolute," and everything else is measured against it. If that is the case, then one must ask what is true...what is the absolute truth. To properly do that, you would need to put all forms of faith and lack thereof on trial and see what can stand the pressure of significant questioning and challenging. As you do this, things will rapidly, and then slowly but surely, become more and more clear.

What's really interesting, though, is many of the world's main belief systems recognize Jesus to be a significant figure, whether a really good man, a prophet among many, the best prophet, or, as Christianity says, Lord. For example, Hindus commonly recognize Jesus as a great teacher with profound wisdom, Islam claims that Jesus was a prophet, Bahá'í labels Him as a messenger of God among other messengers, and these are just a few. This is where they get it wrong, though. He is not just a messenger, or a prophet, or a wise teacher...He is God. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for by Him, all things were created, giving nothingness formation (Colossians 1:13). If everyone looks to Jesus, then we need to look at what Jesus said about Himself. In John 14:6-7, "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'"

This brings us to this conclusion: if what Jesus said is true and the truth of scripture can withstand the test (which it can), then there is only one way, and it is Jesus.

Church hurt is a very real thing. More and more stories come out about abusive pastors, manipulative congregation members, people using the name of the Lord to do unspeakable things, and commonly people who declare Jesus with their mouths but are some of the rudest, most hateful, and judgmental people you've ever met. All of these things and more cause people to want nothing to do with the church, and that includes even those who genuinely love Jesus.

First, addressing the individual who doesn't quite believe in Jesus as Lord: Please don't judge the love of Christ solely based on the representation of His people. To a certain extent, you can, and there are many Christians who genuinely love the Lord and follow His teachings, but many are also either false converts or young believers slowly becoming more like Christ. For example, consider a professional sports team. If you met a fan who is incredibly vulgar and an awful human being wearing a Cowboys shirt, you wouldn't say that all the football players on the Cowboys team are the worst human beings; you would simply look at the fan and conclude that they are a poor representation of the Cowboys fanbase. In the same way, if you meet someone who says they are a Christian but they act in a hateful and repulsive manner, they are a poor representation of the church and the teachings of Christ. Let Christ speak for Himself, and He will prove that He is amazing.

Secondly, to those who love Jesus but want nothing to do with the church: unfortunately, this is impossible. If you truly are a believer, you are a part of God's church and should actively participate in how He is moving through His people. Christianity is not a cruise ship of consumerism but a battleship of participation. There is a very real spiritual battle on this side of eternity, and God has called His people to be a light and fulfill the Great Commission. If you are a believer, scripture makes clear in Hebrews chapter 10 to not forsake the gathering of the saints. This doesn't mean you have to go to the biggest church, but it does mean that if you aren't actively walking with other believers in accountability and consistency, then you are being disobedient and are the same poor representation of the church you are attempting to denounce. Jesus says that they will know you are His disciples by the way you love one another. Running away, not desiring unity or restoration, is not loving one another but training and practicing apathy towards the things of God.

As we close, consider this analogy and picture. If you are familiar with music, you know that a guitar can be an incredibly beautiful instrument. The guitar is made up of four significant parts: the head, the neck, the body, and the strings. The head of the guitar is Christ, and the body of the guitar is the gathering of the believers. If you, the strings, are connected to the head, Christ, but not the body, your life will not produce the beautiful song of worship to the Lord. It is understanding God's love and patience for us, that allows us to lovingly be connected to both the head, Christ, and the body, the church, and then a beautiful symphony of music will sing.