WHERE GOD PUT SALVATION
                             Col.4:5

1.  "Without" implies "within."  Within what?  Col.1:2,13,18; 3:3,6,15.
2.  People are constantly misled about the subject of salvation.
     A.  Some teach that it comes by the law of Moses - Rom.3:20; Gal.2:16.
     B.  Some teach it comes by good works - Isa.64:6; Tit.3:5; Eph 2:8,9.
     C.  Some teach it comes by honesty and sincererity. Pr.14:12.
     D.  Some teach it is universal - Heb.5:8,9; Matt.10:32,33.
3.  Many are ready to affirm that the church has nothing to do with salvation.

I.  GOD HAS ALWAYS PLACED SALVATION IN A PLACE THAT WAS PREPARED,            
    APPOINTED AND UNIQUE.
    A.  Ark - Gen.7:7,23; Heb.11:7; 1 Pet.3:19-21.
    B.  Behind the Door - Ex.12:7,12,13,29,30.
    C.  The Most Holy Place.
    D.  In the Ship - Acts 27:31.
    E.  In the Church.  Notice the five additional arguments as proof that God put salvation in the   
          church:
          1.  The voice of the prophet - Isa.46:13; Heb.12:22,23.
          2.  The terms of the great commission - Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38,41,47; 1 Cor.12:13.  The 
               conditions of salvation equal the conditions of church membership.
          3.  The means of fellowship with Christ.
               a.  The church is the body over which Christ is head - Eph.1:22,23; Col.1:18,24.
               b.  No connection with the body means no connection with the head.  And therefore no  
                    connection with salvation - 2 Tim.2:10; Acts 4:12; Eph.2:16; 5:23.
               c.  We get into Christ the same way we get into the body - Gal.3:26,27; 1 Cor.12:13.
          4.  The promise of Christ  - Matt.16:18.
               a.  The church is built upon Christ the foundation - 1 Cor.3:11.
               b.  The church is the fulness of Christ - it covers the foundation - Eph.1:22,23.
               c.  There is no way for one to be in Christ and not be a part of the church.
          5.  The family of God. 1 Tim.3:15.
               a.  House means family - Gen.7:1; Heb.11:7.
               b.  God has no children outside His family - 1 Pet.4:17.  It is the house of God or having 
                    not obeyed the gospel - 2 Thess.1:7-9.
               c.  What makes one a member of the family also saves one - Gal.3:26,27; John 3:3-5.

CONCLUSION::
A.  Where did God put salvation?
B.  You are not too good to obey the gospel or too bad to accept the invitation.