CHURCH ENTRANCE
One of the marks of identification of the church of Christ of
which we read in the New Testament is the way one becomes
a member of that church. When we speak of the "terms of
entrance" we have reference to the conditions that God has
established to which people must conform before they are a
member of Christ's church.
One is not a member of His church by virtue of his physical
birth or ancestry. One must be "born of water and the Spirit"
(John 3:3-5) to belong to the church. the house of God.
which is the kingdom of God. (1 Tim. 3:15; Mt. 16:16-18).
Neither does one become a member of His church by
making application to some committee of men. or by being
elected by a vote of the existing membership, nor any other
of the various ways that men become members of
denominations. We can be sure that when requirements for
belonging to some church varies from those requirements in
the New Testament, that church is not the New Testament
church. Man's ways are not God's ways (Prov. 14:12; Isaiah
55:8.9).
Salvation is " in Christ. " (2 Tim. 2: 10). All spiritual blessings
are " in Christ. "(Eph. 1:3). One cannot be " in Christ"without
being in the body which is the church (Eph. 1:22,23). Christ
is the head of the church (Coi. 1:18); the church is His body
(Eph. 1:22,23), the members of the church make up His
body (I Cor. 12:27). One cannot be in fellowship with the
head without being a member of the body, which is the
church.
It is the church that the Lord will save (Eph. 5:23). The
saved were added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47).
Some complain that the church does not save you, as if it
makes no difference to which church you belong. They miss
the point. The church is the saved. Unless one is in the
church that belongs to Christ he is not saved.
Contrary to much denominational doctrine, you do not do
one thing to be saved and something else to "join" some
church. Man is not called upon to "join" anything. He is
taught to obey the gospel (2 Thess. 1:8) because Christ is the
author of salvation unto all them that obey Him (Heb. 5:9).
When one obeys the gospel, God adds him to the body of
the saved, the church (Acts 2:41,47). Every person can be a
member of the Lord's church without asking the permission
of any other human being. What one must do to be saved is
exactly the selfsame thing that he must do to be added by the
Lord to the Lord's church.
Men mav hear the the plea. "Be saved and join the church of
your choice." Such a plea is as foreign to the teaching of the
Bible as sin is from righteousness. Such a cry is a false
doctrine of man. Our choice is to obey God or disobey God.
When we obey, God attends to the matter of church
membership.
Men may "join" denominations. But the church which
Christ established is neither a denomination nor is composed
of the total of denominations. Scripture reveals no authority
for the existence of any denomination that has, does or shall
ever exist But it does reveal the church which He purchased
with His blood (Acts 20:28).
It is not a question, "Does Christ save?" He does. But what
is the relationship between salvation and His church? The
answer is simply that salvation in Christ is in His church.
When we turn our sincere attention to the Scripture. we can
learn what people were taught and what they did in New
Testament times and be saved. to be added to His church This
is exactly what people must do now to be saved, added to
that same church. What was taught and what did they do?
In the book of Acts we read of several instances of
conversion. The messengers of God went forward preaching
the gospel in obedience to His charge to preach (Mark
16:15). People heard the gospel of salvation, believed.
obeyed and God added them to His church (Acts 2).
Romans 10:13-17 outlines the way man is saved. Hearing
the gospel produces faith. a faith that demands "calling on
the norr,- of the Lord."This is more than simply saying,
"Lord. Lord." (Matt. 7:21). There must be the doing of His
will.
As one studies the conversions of those or Pentecost, the
Samaritans, the Ethiopian, Saul of Tarsus. Cornelius, Lydia,
the Jailor. the Corinthians (Acts 2,8,9,10,16,18), he sees
God's terms unfold before him. Those people heard the
Gospel, believed it, obeyed it in repentance, confessing their
'faith in Christ, and being baptized into Christ. In everv
instance the conversion began with preaching of the Word
and was completed with obedience in baptism.
Those on Pentecost did this and "the Lord added to the
church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47). Today,
when people will do as they did, people will be as they were;
namely, members of the church, the body of Christ, the
saved, the family of God. God's way is the right way and no
other can supplant it.
There is probably nothing that we could do that would be as
beneficial for those around us than to see to it that they hear
such a message that tells them about being a member of the
Lord's church. There is probably not one who reads these
words but has the ability to so learn the message that they
could go and tell somebody this very saving truth before the
day has ended. Every Christian knows any number of people
who are lost, and will die lost, unless they are members of
His church, the saved. Is there any greater duty that we
have, any more wonderful privilege that is ours, to already be
a member of the church and convey to others these simple.
plain, irrefutable truths of salvation.
But will we do as we ought regarding those around us? That
remains to be seen. But words of encouragement to do this,
and do it now, is the way we close the article.
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