Bible Articles

J O H N   W.   M O O R E IF THE ANSWER IS YES In determining whether or not any given denomination is the one true church revealed in the New Testament, a simple question can be posed to its sectarian adherents. The question is as follows: "Can an individual be saved outside your denomination?" If the answer is yes, then that religious group is most assuredly not the church. Here is why. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised that He would build His church. Notice that Christ said HE would build the church and that only one would be built. That church is identified by the apostle Paul as the body (Eph. 1:22-23) and is said to be the only body (Eph. 4:4), hence the only church. This church is also identified as the bride and Christ as its bridegroom (Eph. 5:22-23; cf. Matt. 9:15; 25:1). Christ is not a polygamist. He has but one bride for which He nourishes and cares. The beautiful bride of Christ, the church, consists of a blood-bought people who, by faith, have been baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38,47). Collectively, these baptized believers are known as the saved, the church, the body, the temple, and the kingdom (Acts 2:47; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:27; 1 Cor. 3:16; Col. 1:13, respectively). They belong to Christ, and wear His name (Rom. 16:16; 1 Pet. 4:16). It is this entity of people whom Christ will take to glory at the Judgment. Christ is clearly and unmistakably the Savior of this body - His body, the church (Eph. 5:23). Undeniably, salvation is to be found in the church and only in the church. Since the church is the body of Christ, and salvation is only in Christ (2 Tim. 2:10; Acts 4:12), it follows that one cannot be saved outside the church. When Christ comes again, He will save only those who are in His church. Therefore, if an individual tells me that I do not have to be a member of their church to be saved, then I can know with certainty that their church is not the church of our Lord. Nearly all denominations assert that you can be saved even though you are not a member of their church. However, no one can be saved apart from the Lord's church. Thus, any religious group espousing the doctrine that salvation can be procured outside the church is not a church which belongs to Christ. Salvation is in the church. If you want to be saved, then you must be in the church.