Does Salvation Exist Separate from the Church?

purchased / copyrighted photo

purchased / copyrighted photo

In speaking to those at Give-Away Day about their souls, I realized once again that many people feel saved, yet they have no affiliation, and certainly not regular involvement with a church.  While there are lots of important issues there regarding being a part of the church of the Bible and worshiping correctly, I just want to address very briefly in this post the thought, which is so common in our world, that you can be saved apart from the church.  

Frankly, this view shows a lack of Bible knowledge.  The pages of Scripture show the essentiality of the church.  The Old Testament prophecies its coming (Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, etc).  The ministry of John the Baptizer and Jesus was announcing the “kingdom is at hand (near)” (Mat. 3:2,  4:17, 10:7, Mark 1:15).  Jesus saw his work on earth as establishing and building the church; which is an assembly of disciples called out from the world to serve and follow Him (Mat. 16:17-20).  The Apostles established the church on the day of Pentecost by announcing the conditions of pardon and salvation (Acts 2).  The church is then seen as in existence from Acts 2 through Revelation 22.  The apostles formed and organized local churches or assemblies together under local leadership of Elders/Pastors/Overseers and deacons.  Christians were expected to assemble on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:1-2) to participate in communion, offerings, singing, prayers, and study of God’s word.  It is a sin to forsake the assembling of the church because we are to encourage and strengthen one another (Heb. 10:25).  We are to worship our Lord and Savior.  When you are saved at baptism you enter a covenant with Christ, you come together for the covenant meal with fellow believers to study the covenant of Jesus.  The Apostles described the importance of the church throughout.  Paul said the church of God was purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28)In a specific sense Christ was dying on the cross for the church.  Those outside of the church are not saved and have rejected the grace of God.  Listen to parts of Ephesians 5:23-27, “Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior . . . as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water by the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”

We must not decapitate Christ from His body!

 

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