Broadcast Date – February 17, 2002 on KCXY (Y95) - 95.3 FM

Friends, one reason I am a member of the church of Christ is because salvation can only be found in Christ’s church. I know salvation can only be found in Christ’s church because Christ purchased the church with his blood. Notice Paul’s words to the elders of the church at Ephesus: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). To the members of the church at Corinth, Paul wrote: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Friends, think for a moment about the significance of these two passages. The church was purchased with the blood of Christ. We can conclude from this that, if the church is a non-essential institution, God gave the blood of Christ to no avail. Anyone who says that a person can be saved apart from the church brings a serious charge against God. Anyone who says that a person can be saved apart from the church is essentially saying that God is cruel, having used the blood of his son to purchase an institution that was not needed.

Friends, I know salvation can only be found in Christ’s church, because Paul promised that Christ would save the church. Notice Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For 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" (Ephesians 5:22-23). Christ’s church and Christ’s body are one and the same. Notice the following from Colossians 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." Because Christ is the savior of the body and the body is the church, we know that Christ is the savior of those persons who are in his church. We also know that those persons who are not in Christ’s church are living in the world without promise or hope.

Salvation can only be found in Christ’s church because it is only in the church that man is reconciled unto God. To the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" (Ephesians 2:14-16).

Friends, I know salvation can only be found in Christ’s church because the church is the group that Christ will present to himself. Notice Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus: "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27).

Salvation can only be found in Christ’s church, because the saved are added to the church. "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:46-47). From the American Standard Version we read the following: "And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved." In Acts, chapter two it is recorded that three thousand souls obeyed the gospel on the day of Pentecost. Notice that ,while these people were still in a lost condition, they were not members of Christ’s church. But when these people were saved from their sins, they were added to the church. Friends, another lesson we learn from this passage is that the requirements for salvation and the requirements for membership in Christ’s church are the same.

Friends, I know salvation can only be found in Christ’s church because if a person has to be a child in the family of God in order to be saved (and he does), then he has to be a member of Christ’s church in order to be saved. The apostle Paul taught that God’s family, or house, is the church. Paul wrote the following words to Timothy: "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (I Timothy 3:14-15). Those people who teach that a person can be a child of God without being in Christ’s church are teaching that God has children who are outside of his family.

Friends, I know salvation can only be found in Christ’s church because Jesus, the good shepherd, taught that man must enter into the fold to be saved. "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:7-9). From Jesus’ words we know that salvation is found within the fold (John 10:9). The fold is the church (Acts 20:28). Therefore, salvation is only found in the church.

Friends, it is impossible to find salvation outside of Christ’s church because it is impossible to be saved without being justified. In Romans 8:30 Paul wrote: "…and whom he called, them he also justified…". In Colossians 3:15 Paul wrote: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Notice the following from these two passages. First, the called are justified. Second, the called are in the body, or church. Therefore, the justified are in the church. This makes it plain that if a person is not in the church he has not been justified.

Friends, it is impossible to be saved outside of Christ’s church because it is impossible to be saved without being delivered out of the power of darkness. Notice Paul’s words from Colossians 1:12-14: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Those persons who are in the kingdom have been delivered out of the power of darkness while those persons who are not in the kingdom have not been delivered out of the power of darkness. Because the church and the kingdom are one and the same (Matthew 16:18-19), we know those persons who are in the church have been translated out of the power of darkness while those persons who are not in the church have not been translated out of the power of darkness.

Friends, there are some people who believe that a person can be saved simply by possessing good morals and living clean lives. These people believe they can go to heaven regardless of whether or not they are in Christ’s church. These people believe they can go to heaven regardless of what their relationship to Christianity might be.

But friends, if this were true it would mean that man could be saved without Christ coming into the world. But notice the following from John 3:17, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." If this were true, a person could be saved apart from Christ’s stripes, yet I Peter 2:24 teaches we are healed by his stripes. A person could be saved without the death of Christ, but the Bible teaches Christ died for our sins (I Corinthians 15:3). Man could have been justified without the resurrection of Christ, but the Bible teaches he was raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). We could be redeemed apart from the blood of Christ, but the Bible teaches we have redemption through his blood (Ephesians 1:7). Men could be saved without faith, but the Bible teaches without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6). A person could be saved without repenting, but the Bible teaches those persons who fail to repent will perish (Luke 13:3). A person could be saved without being baptized, but the Bible teaches baptism saves us (I Peter 3:21). A person could be saved without obeying the gospel, but the Bible teaches Christ will one day render vengeance upon those who do not obey the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8). We could be saved while ignorant of the truth, but the Bible teaches that it is the truth that sets men free from his sins (John 8:32). We could be saved without loving the truth, but the Bible teaches those persons who do not love the truth will perish (II Thessalonians 2:10). Cornelius would have already been saved, but the Bible teaches he was not saved until he obeyed the gospel (Acts 11:14).

Friends, many people teach that man does not have to be a member of the church to be saved. If by church they mean a denomination, an institution that man built and of which they are members, they are right. But if they mean the Christ’s church that he purchased with his blood, they are wrong.

Rod Halliburton