The Importance of the Church of Christ to Man's Salvation

The Bible teaches the Importance of the Church of Christ to Man’s Salvation

________________________

It is true that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior and not the Church, 

however, the Bible clearly teaches that it is the Church of Christ that the Lord Jesus Christ will save. Thus, if it is important to accept the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, it is also important to accept the true Church of Christ that He will save come Judgment Day.

________________________

 Contrary to popular belief, the Holy Bible clearly teaches the importance of the Church of Christ to man’s salvation. Yes, it is clearly written in the Bible. This article aims to show the teachings of the Bible regarding the importance and value of the Church of Christ in attaining salvation come Judgment Day.

How important is the Church of Christ to man’s salvation according to the teachings of the Holy Scripture?

Christ built His Church And Promised

That Death Will Not Prevail Against It

The Lord Jesus Christ established His Church when He was still here on earth or in the first century AD. In His declaration that He will establish His Church, He also proclaimed how important the Church He is going to establish. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:18:

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18 NIV)

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Would Christ build the Church if it were not important to man’s salvation? The Revised Standard Version explains what Christ meant in saying “the gates of Hades will not overcome it”:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18 RSV)

This is how important the Church that the Lord Jesus built, “the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” It is said that death will not prevail against the Church founded by Christ because those who died in Christ as members of His Church will be raised to life first:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (I Thess. 4:16, NKJV)

Those who died inside the Church of Christ will be included in the first resurrection. The Bible further explains how important it is to be included in the first resurrection:

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6, Ibid.).

The Lord Jesus promised that the powers of death shall not prevail against the Church He built because those died inside His Church will be included in the first resurrection, and the Bible declared that “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the resurrection” because they will reign a thousand years with Christ and the “second death” has no power over them. The “second death” referring to is the eternal punishment in the “lake of fire”:

“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14, Ibid.).

Those included in the first resurrection will not be cast into the lake of fire, instead, they will be raised again to enjoy eternal life:

“Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment.” (Jn. 5:28-29, NLT)

The “eternal life” that will enjoy by those included in the first resurrection is the life in the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, having no more death, mourning, crying or pain:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev. 21:1-4, NIV)

Concerning the members of the Church of Christ who are still living when Christ returns, they will no longer die but along with those who will be resurrected first, they will meet the Savior to be with Him forever:

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (I Thess. 4:16-17, NIV)

Thus, blessed are those who belong to the Church that Christ established because they will be included in the first resurrection come Judgment Day and the second death, that is, the eternal punishment in the lake of fire, shall have no power over them, instead, the Savior Himself guarantees that they will rise again to enjoy eternal life in the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, where there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain. For this reason, the Savior Himself commanded those who want to be saved to enter His Church:

“I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe.” (John 10:9, REB)

Christ said, “anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe.” The fold the Lord Jesus referring to is the Church of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28, Lamsa)

Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself commanded those who want to be saved to enter the fold through Him, or to enter the Church of Christ, the Church He established.

Testimonies of the Lord God and the Apostles

RegaRding the Importance of the Church of

Christ to Man’s Salvation

The Lord God also testified the importance of the being a member or being inside the Church of Christ. In Acts 2:27 this is what the Bible says:

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (KJV)

 Even Apostle Paul testified that the Church is important for man’s salvation. This is what Apostle Paul said:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.

“Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.” (Ephesians 5:23 and 25, TEV, emphasis mine)

Apostle Paul testified that the Church is the body of Christ, and Christ is Himself the Savior of the Church. Apostle Paul further testified that Christ loved the Church and gave His life for it. Thus, it is true that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior and not the Church, but the Bible also testified that the Church is the one that will be saved by the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s the Will of God that all be gathered

together in Christ through the One Body

of Christ or the Church of Christ

Because of the importance of the Church of Christ for man’s salvation, it is the will of God that all be gathered together in Christ:

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” (Ephesians 1:9-10, KJV)

How the will of God that all be gathered together in Christ be fulfilled? Apostle Paul explained this in Romans 12:4-5:

“We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body.” (TEV)

The will of God is that all be gathered together in Christ, this is fulfilled when “all joined together to each other as different parts of one body,” thus, “though are many, we are one body in union with Christ.” The body referred to is the Church of Christ (cf. Col. 1:18; Romans 16:16). Thus, it’s the will of God that all be gathered together inside the true Church of Christ.

“Salvation is found in no one else”

How about those who say that they already accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior but not members of the Church founded by Christ. What does the Lord Jesus Christ says to those who call upon His name but failed to fulfill the will of God? In Matthew 7:21-23, this is what the Lord Jesus said:

“Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!' Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!” (Matthew 7:21-23, TEV)

Others believe that all churches are of God and Christ, thus everyone will be saved whatever his religious organization he belongs to as long as he believe in Christ. Are all churches are of God and Christ? Can we find salvation outside the Church of Christ? This will not be answered by opinion but by the truth written in the Bible. This is what the Bible says in Acts 4:12 and 10:

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NKJV)

It is the Bible who said that there is no salvation in any other. The Bible testified that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” How are those that will be saved by Christ called in His name? In Acts 20:28:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28, Lamsa)

The true Church is called after the name given by God, or called in name of Christ, the “Church of Christ.” How important is this name? The Bible said, “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” How important it is that church you belong to called in the name of Christ or the name “Church of Christ”? The Bible further testified that “Salvation is found in no one else” (cf. Acts 4:12, NIV). These are the words of the Bible not ours.

Truly, the Bible teaches that the Church of Christ is important in man’s salvation. The Church is not the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is, but the Church of Christ is the one that the Lord Jesus Christ will save come Judgment Day.

Abbreviation of Bible Versions used:

KJV - King James Version

Lamsa - George M. Lamsa's Translation

NIV - New International version

NLT - New Living Translation

REB - Revised English Bible

RSV - Revised Standard version

TEV - Today's English Version