People often say: "I don't think it makes much difference to which church a person belongs, or whether one is a member of any church, just so one is sincere. Denominationalism teaches: "All the saved are in the family of God. but all the saved are not in the church."
We may forget what God means by "the church," and accept the world's definition that "the church" means any religious organization, a method of worship, or a denomination. To come to a knowledge of the truth we must study carefully what the New Testament says (Eph. 5:17).
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear" (I Pet. 4:17-18)? Peter teaches, those who have obeyed the gospel are the "us," the "righteous," the "saved," those of the "house of God." That is in contrast with the "them that obey not the gospel," the "ungodly," the "sinner."
Here we have, those in the house of God and those not in the house of God. That is, the saved and the lost.
But, one might ask, what is the house of God? To answer this we read in I Tim. 3:15; " But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
Please study carefully, our eternal destiny depends upon our knowing and obeying the truth. Peter said those who have obeyed the gospel are the "saved," the righteous, the house of God. Paul said the house of God is the church. Those that "obey not the gospel," are the "ungodly" and the "sinner." We know without doubt that the saved are in the church and those outside are the lost.
"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be [those that were-ASV] saved"(Acts 2:47). How many of the saved does that leave out ? All the saved are added to the church. To say there are saved outside the church is in direct contradiction to God's word.
The record states in Eph. 5:23, "The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." Christ is not anyone's personal savior. Paul says he is the savior of the body. If one is to be saved, he must be in that "body, the church" (Col. 1:18, Eph.1:22-23).
"I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus..." (II Tim. 2:10.). Of course, to be in Christ Jesus is to be in his "body, the church."
As we sum up we note:
1. Those that obeyed the gospel are the "righteous," the "saved;" they are in the "house of God," the "church" (I Pet. 4:17-18, I Tim. 3:15).
2. Those who have obeyed not the gospel, the ungodly , the sinner, are not included in the church.
3. The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:47).
4. Christ is the savior of the church (Eph. 5:23).
5. Salvation is in Christ, the church (II Tim. 2:10).
6. We read in Acts 20:28 that Christ purchased the church with his blood. If we are to have the benefits of the blood of Christ we must be in that church which he purchased. There are no saved outside.
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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