Some brethren are having difficulty determining who Christians are and what makes one a Christian. Some believe that there are saved people in all churches. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Denominations Do Not Please God There are not saved people in all churches because all churches do not please God. A Christian is “a follower of Christ and his Word.” One can’t be a Christian and obey another gospel, another doctrine, and attend the church of their choice as opposed to the church of God’s choice. (Jn. 12:48 f; 2 Jn 9) Christ Did Not Die For Denominations There are not saved people in all churches because Christ did not die for all churches. According to the Bible, Jesus “with precious blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” purchased one, and only one church (1 Pet. 1:18-29; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25,26,29) Christ died for the church he built, died for, and purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28 f; Mt 16:18) Not All Have Obeyed There are not saved people in all churches because people in all churches have not obeyed the gospel of Christ. It is the gospel which is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1: 16), and one must obey the gospel or be “punished with everlasting destruction from the face of the Lord and the glory of his power” (2 Thess. 1:79). Obeying the gospel includes faith, confession, repentance and baptism. (cf. Rom. 10: 17 ff; Rom. 10:10; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). Those in denominations have not done these things; therefore, they are not saved. Not All Worship Scripturally There are not saved people in all churches because people in all churches do not worship according to the apostolic pattern. God’s people “broke bread on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7), put into the treasury whatever they were “prospered” and that freely. (1 Cor. 16:1-2 f; 2 Cor 9:6,7), The taught “one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs without the use of instrumental music” (Col. 3:16), worshiped without confusion, decently and in order. (1 Cor 14:33,40) and “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (i.e. what the apostles taught) (Acts 2:42). One must worship God in spirit and in truth in order to be saved. (Jn 4:23,24) Those in denominations do not worship according to the pattern of Christ and his apostles; therefore, they are not saved (cf. Heb. 8:5; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2 Jn. 9-11). Not All Wear The Right Name There are not saved people in all churches because people in all churches do not wear the name Christian, through which one glorifies Christ in particular. Their religious names are divisive and give glory to some man or doctrine peculiar to that particular denomination. So, one often hears of “Baptist Christians,” “Methodist Christians, Catholic Christians” etc. No such terminology is found on the pages of God’s holy word! One cannot be a Methodist and a Christian at the same time, nor can one be a Baptist and a Christian at the same time, nor can one be a Catholic and a Christian at the same time. In other words, what makes one a Christian will not make one a Baptist or Methodist or a Catholic or any denomination! All are made Christians by “the seed which is the word of God” (Lk. 811). One seed will not produce two different kinds of fruit. God’s immutable law of reproduction is, “seed after their own kind” (Gen. 1:11-12) Conclusion: Denominations do not wear the name of Christ, but rather man made names. The name of the church which Christ died for is “The Church of Christ” and this name only. Rom 16:16 It is the church which Christ is the head of, died for, and contains the manifold wisdom of God, the pillar and ground of the truth, the gospel of our salvation. Col 1:18 ff; Acts 20:28; Eph 3:10; 1 Tim 3:15 Denominations do not obey the gospel of Christ, and only those who obey this gospel can wear the name of Christian. Denominations do not abide by the doctrine of Christ, but rather by the doctrines of men which makes their worship in vain. Mt 15:7-9 Denominations do not speak where the bible speaks and remain silent where the bible is silent. 1 Pet 4:11 Once any church ceases to do this they can’t produce faithful Christians that can be saved. Rev 2:10 When people do what has been commanded by Christ and his apostles they will be Christians only; nothing more and nothing less. If the same people happen to be the only ones on earth who “obey from the heart that form of doctrine where unto they were delivered” (Rom. 6:17-18), they will be the only Christians! Members of the church of Christ are the only ones who have done this, for when one obeys the gospel, the Lord adds them to HIS church (Acts 2:41,47) This makes them the saints of God who are worthy to bear the name Christian because they follow the strait and narrow path which leads to life everlasting and abide by what the new testament authorizes. (Matt. 7:13-14; Lk. 13:24). Therefore, all denominations and all their members are sinners and will be lost in their sins unless they repent and obey that form of doctrine which was first delivered to the saints and obeyed by every new testament convert. (Rom 6:17,18 ff; Jude 3; Acts 8,9,10,16,19) Alfred Shannon Jr.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 13:12:38 +0000
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