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Bible Will I Find: We Are To Preach Christ, Not The Church For Salvation? By: Gary Colley
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Bible Will I Find: We Are To Preach Christ, Not The Church For Salvation? By: Gary Colley
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The church of the Bible is not a denomination. In fact, the only reference to denominationalism in the New Testament condemns division (I Corinthians 1:10-13). Many and various are the teachings of denominations concerning their thoughts on God's plan for saving the world. The different plans offered by men do not change God's divine plan in the least. Some teach babies should be "baptized" by sprinkling or the sinner should pray, instead of obey or faith alone saves, which is expressly condemned in the Bible (James 2:14, James 2:17, James 2:20, James 2:22, James 2:24, James 2:26) or that Jesus saves and not the church and one can be saved outside as well as in the church of Christ. None of these are the plan brought to the earth by God. God sent His only begotten Son to seek and save the lost (John 3:16, Luke 19:10). God's plan was, that Jesus should seek the lost by establishing the church. The church was planned, prophesied about, promised, and predicted for several hundreds of years before its establishment. In Acts 2, the church is an established reality, and is represented as being the place prepared by Christ for the saved
(Acts 2:41, Acts 2:47). THE CHURCH IS NOT A PART OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION, IT IS THE PLAN OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. According to the Bible, men cannot be saved outside of Christ, the church, or body of Christ, all which terms refer to the place of salvation. The plan for entering the church of Christ includes a man hearing, believing in Christ with all of his heart, repentance, confession, and being baptized (Acts 8:35-39). Jesus, in carrying out God's will, never promised to save anyone outside the church which He built with His teaching and purchased with His blood (Matthew 16:18-19, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 20:28).. This is the only institution over which He is head (Ephesians 1:22-23) and the only one on the earth now that He promised to save eternally (Ephesians 5:23). With these thoughts clearly before us, one express his ignorance of the Scriptures and talks badly who might say, "I am so glad to hear someone preach Jesus as the Savior and not the Church as the Savior." When deadly persecution arose with the stoning of Stephen, the members of the church at Jerusalem were "scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria . . ." and "went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:1-4). Preaching Christ and preaching the Word are one and the same (Acts 8:4-5) and the same as preaching the church or kingdom (Acts 8:12). It is important for us to study to be approved of God (II Timothy 2:15).