Salvation and the Church Of Christ: God's Righteousness in Salvation

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN SALVATION:
The Truth About Salvation taught by the Bible

Why do we need to enter the Church Of Christ in order to be saved? Can we attain salvation outside the Church Of Christ?

 

GOD’S LAW WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE CLEARLY

STATES “EACH IS TO DIE FOR HIS OWN SIN”

The Lord Jesus Christ did not violate any God’s law, and God’s law explicitly tells us:

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16 NIV)

God’s law clearly states that “each is to die for his own sin.” It is against the law of God to put to death the father because of his son’s sin, and to put to death the son because of his father’s sin. One should not be put to death because of the sin of others. This is the reason why the Lord Jesus Christ said:

“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ did not violate any of God’s law, including Deuteronomy 24:16 which says “each is to die for his own sin.” Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “you will die in your own sins.”

WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID TO SAVE MEN

WITHOUT VIOLATING GOD’S LAW

What did the Lord Jesus Christ do in order to save men without violating God’s law stating “each is to die for his own sin”? This is what Apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 5:23:

“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.” (Ephesians 5:23 TEV)

The Lord Jesus Christ made those He is going to save as His body. The verse clearly stated that the Church is the body of Christ. Colossians 1:18 clearly stated the relationship of Jesus with His Church:

“And he is the head of the body, the church...” (Colossians 1:18 NIV)

Christ is the head and the Church is His body. Thus, in the sight of God Jesus and His Church are "one new man”:

“By abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.” (Ephesians 2:15 NIV)

Jesus is the head and the Church is His body, thus, Jesus (the head) and the Church (the body) are “one new man.” Take note that what violates God’s law written in Deuteronomy 24:16 is if Christ will die for others because this law states that “each is to die for his own sin.” Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ will die not for others, not for all of humanity, but for His Church as what Ephesians 5:25 clearly states:

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

Christ died for His Church? This doesn’t violates with God’s law stating “each is to die for his own sin” because Christ (the head) died not for others but for the Church (which is His own body). Christ gave His life for the Church? Yes, because Christ as the head is responsible for the Church (His own body).

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ORDERED US TO ENTER THE

CHURCH OF CHRIST IN ORDER TO BE SAVED

Christ died for those outside the Church? This will violates God’s law stating “each is to die for his own sin.” Thus, Christ ordered those who want to be saved to enter Him:

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved...” (John 10:9 NKJV)

Christ said, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Christ is not referring to His physical body, but to the Church (Col. 1:18), which is called “Church Of Christ (Romans 16:16). Thus, if we enter the Church Of Christ, we enter Christ’s body because the Bible explicitly states that the Church is Christ’s body.

We must enter the Church Of Christ in order to be saved because if we are outside His body, His Church, the Lord Jesus Christ cannot die for our sins for God’s law statrs “each is to die for his own sin.” This is also the reason why Apostle Paul explicitly stated that God will judge those outside the Church:

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you.” (I Corinthians 5:12-13 NIV)

Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior, but the one that will be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ is His Church:

“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.” (Ephesians 5:23 TEV)

ONE TRUE CHURCH – THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Church is the one that Christ will save because the Church is His own body, and He is the head of the Church. As the head of the Church, Christ’s is indeed responsible for His Church. However, how many Church that Christ built? Are all churches belonging to Christ? This is the Lord Jesus’ answer 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 built only one Church. He said, “I will build my church.” He did not said, “I will build my churches.” This Church is called “Church Of Christ”:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, 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)

Those churches who are not called “Church Of Christ” cannot claim that they are the one true Church that the Lord Jesus will save because the Bible clearly states the following:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NIV)

NOT BY FAITH ALONE

However, there are people that refused to submit to God’s righteousness in salvation, they tried to set up their own way of salvation as what Apostle Paul testified:

“I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right.” (Romans 10:2-3 TEV)

They claim that it is enough to have faith or through faith alone man will be saved. This directly contradicts the teaching of the Bible:

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:14, 24 NKJV)

They claim that it is enough to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to be saved. But the Lord Jesus Christ says otherwise:

“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)

They claim that salvation can be attained even outside the Church Of Christ. Apostle Paul answered this:

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you.” (I Corinthians 5:12-13 NIV)

Others claim that Christ died for all humanity. But the Bible clearly states that Christ died for His Church:

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

CONCLUSION

Think about this: How will Christ die for you or save you even though you claim you believe and accepted Him as your personal Savior, but you are outside the Church Of Christ (His own body), if God’s law clearly states that “each is to die for his own sin” (Deut. 24:16)?

Christ established the Church Of Christ and made it His own body, and order those who want to be saved to enter it, so that He can die for you or save you without violating God’s law which states that “each is to die for his own sin.” Christ as the head of the Church Of Christ, and the Church is His body. Christ died for His Church (His own body). This is God’s righteousness in salvation.
 

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Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ)

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