Will The Good People In All Churches
Be Saved?
Int,roduction:
1. It is freely conceded there are good people in all
churches. Will the good in all churches be saved? Have you
ever heard this question? How was it answered? Did all an-
swer alike? Are you confused?
2. Then, how shall we settle the issue? By what we think?
How we feel? What parents or others taught? Creeds, confer-
ences of men?
3. Is there a safe place to go?
4. All questions must be answered by the Bible (Jno.
12-48)-
I. Man Must Do God's Will To Be Saved
A. This truth taught by Christ (Mt. 7:21; 24-27) Note:
word iniquity here means to act without divine authority.
Then religious works referred to this passage were unauthor-
ized by Christ.
B. God's will revealed by Christ (Mt. 17:5) through the
Apostle whom he selected, taught, trained. (Jno. 16:13).
C. This being true, some inevitable conclusions follow.
1. Man will not be saved merely because he is good. None
good in absolute sense. (Ecc. 7:20; Rom. 3:10,23). if good-
ness save, Christ died in vain. Then there is the example
of Cornelius. (Acts 10). If moral goodness alone would save
it would have saved Cornelius. Why send for Peter? He was
to bring saving words.
2. Man will not be saved merely because he has faith in
Christ (Jno. 1:11,12). The Gospel is God's power to save the
believer not the unbeliever. (Rom. 1-16).
3. One is not saved simply because he is religious. Must
be right religiously.
4. Takes more than honesty, and sincerity to save one.
Paul lived a good conscience, but was "chief of sinners."
(Acts 23:1; 24:16). He was a violent persecutor of the church
(Gal. 1:13). There is a way that seems right. (Prov. 16:25).
What makes it seem right? The number traveling in it?
5. Man cannot be saved in ignorance (Acts 17:24; 3:17;
Rom. 10:1). Whose fault is it that men are ignorant of God's
will.
II. What Then Is God's Will?
A. His will to sinners. Hear (Acts 18:8); believe: (Mk.
16:15,16); repent (Lk. 13:5); confess (Mt. 10:32); baptism for
remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3,4).
1. This begins a new life (Titus 2:11,12). Duty to self
(sober); righteously (neighbor); godly (duty to God).
2. It is His will that we worship Him in song, prayer,
Lord's Supper, giving of means and preaching.
B. Can I be in any church and do all these things? If yes,
then good in all churches will be saved, if NO then the good
in all churches will not be saved, because I cannot do the
will of God in the church of man's choice.
1. Christ to save the obedient. (Heb. 5:8,9). Cannot obey
Christ and join church of choice. Therefore the good in all
churches not saved. Is it because they are not good? Sincere?
Honest? NO! NO! BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT DONE
THE WILL OF GOD.
2. If God in His mercy does save disobedient it will be
all right with me, but no reason to expect it, since the mercy
of God is extended through the terms of the new covenant
(Jer. 31:31). And no such promise of mercy is found in it.
Conclusion:
1. No one can do the will of Christ except in the body of
Christ. This is not a boast, but a sober fact.
2. All teach others wills, ways, names, acts of worship,
other than those given by will of God.
3. 1 do not say there is no truth taught by others. But
any principle of truth found in a human church can be had out
of that church. Therefore it is not peculiar to it. If it is not
peculiar to it, it played no part in putting one into a human
organization. Hence, no principle of truth must be foresaken
in order to leave any human religious body.
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