Expert: John Fields - 4/7/2010

Question
Please explain to me with all available prove within your reach, how Church of Christ is the first Church and why a person who is not a member will not go to Heaven, even when he does good.

Thank you.


Cornelia

Answer
If I attempted to prove this with all available proof I would literally be writing a novel sized book. Since that won't work I'll attempt to answer your question with just the right amount of proof that you'll need.

The Church of Christ, as named exclusively with a building and a sign outside has existed since the early 1800's. If defined as the group with the building and the sign outside, it began in the early 1800s via a number of men seeking to move away from denominational structures and
man-made creeds toward a governance EXCLUSIVELY by God through His Word. Chief among these men were Thomas Campbell, his son Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone. It should be noted that they adopted a name from the Bible to properly describe what the church of Jesus is. They never
had in view that they were forming a new church or denomination, to the contrary, they were attempting to move back to God's authority EXCLUSIVELY.

Those today who try to be Christians according to Biblical authority recognize and laud brave men and women who attempted to move away from man-made doctrines. But many of us chafe at the fact that while they were seeking whole-heartedly to be nondenominational, they adopted an
exclusive name. The church as it existed in Jesus' time had many names that it was referred to as. The Way, the Church of the Living God, the Church of Christ and MANY others. These all described ONE group. The church in the time of its inception in the time immediately following
Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension had no differently named groups. There truly was just ONE church.

Those who say the Church of Christ is the first and only church are hearkening back to when it began in the first century. Many have unfortunately come to define fellowship by overly narrow standards.

According to the Bible there IS just ONE church. In Colossians 1:18,24 it says (18) He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. (24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for
your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

It is VERY clear here that the body is the church. No question. In Ephesians 4:4-6 it says (4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all
and in all.

This scripture clearly shows that there is ONE body. So if there is one body, and the body is the church, clearly, there is ONE church.

What is this church and who is in it? Listen to some KEY things Jesus says about HIS people.

Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and that they obey Him when hearing His voice. He says that if they enter through Him, He being the door, they will be saved. John 10:3,9 (3) "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (9) "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Those sheep who hear AND follow His voice will be given eternal life. John 10:27-28 (27) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

God's people are NOT the group who pays LIP service to God and who have hearts far away. Those people are following the traditions and teaching of men and worship in VAIN, neglecting God's commands. Those who truly consider Him Lord will try to do what He says. Mark 7:6-8 (6) And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' 8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

You must admit that there are MANY, MANY groups who claim they are okay and that there are MANY ways to get to God. This is wrong. There is ONE way, ONE door through the ONE Lord. His NAME is Jesus Christ. There is NO other way except through Him. ONLY those who are saved by Jesus Christ according to His Word can be considered as a part of His church. Who are these who have obeyed Him and listened to His voice? Who are these who have entered into God through the door of Jesus Christ? How can one KNOW they have entered into God through Jesus Christ?

One description of the church is as the "Bride" of Christ. Look what it says about this in Ephesians 5:25-27 (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Christ loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF UP for her. Why? To make her HOLY in sanctification. How did He do this? He cleansed her by the washing of water WITH the Word. There can be no doubt this is a reference to baptism. There is NO OTHER washing of water that cleanses and through which sanctification comes. ONLY those who are cleansed in this way can be said to be a part of the BRIDE. The BRIDE MUST be washed before she can be presented to Him spotless and without blemish. If you are washed, you are in the bride. If you are a part of the bride you are IN His church.

Romans 6:3-6 says (3) Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

Remember, Christ is the door. We are baptized INTO Christ (the door). This unites us with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. This means that they become OUR death, burial and resurrection as well AT our baptism in water. THIS is the time when we are made a part of Christ's body, the church. If we are baptized INTO Jesus we are baptized INTO His Body.

1 Corinthians 12:13 says this well. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. What happens at water baptism is that God's Holy Spirit washes us and puts us INTO Jesus Body, otherwise known as the church and keeps us there when we serve Him with faithful and loving motivations.

Can we be saved OUTSIDE the body of Jesus? No. So if we agree that we cannot be saved OUTSIDE the Body of Jesus Christ, and that we are put INTO His Body at baptism, then this CLEARLY shows that we are made part of His ONE CHURCH when we are scripturally baptized.

All who have been scripturally placed into Jesus have been placed within His Church. This is the church of old which had no exclusive or specific name but MANY names which could describe it. There are groups that wear different names today which are a part of that one Church. EVERY group which practices scriptural immersion for baptism AND which holds to the truth that baptism is NOT a work of man to secure his own salvation but a gift from God to bring forgiveness to men is a part of that ONE church. Sadly, though that church had no exclusive name in Jesus' days, many congregations have adopted different exclusive names which have divided this body and have brought disunity and a party spirit of sectarianism.

When men become Christians, they have been saved by another, not themselves. Once in Christ and his body the church, when they love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength and their neighbors as themselves through continuing faith in Jesus they remain saved their whole lives. God is the one who keeps them saved. It says these things about salvation and sanctification in Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Men are not saved by works done for themselves, they are saved TO work for God's glory and fame throughout the land. We show Him no greater honor than when we say to others, "Do you know my wonderful God and Father? Let me tell you about Him and what He has done for us through His Son Jesus."

Within the one body of Christ, there are groups who practice more of the truth and come much closer to the truth of scripture than others. Having investigated many groups, the one that I find comes closest to biblical truth is the one named churches of Christ. They are not perfect but strive to be for God's glory.

As to the saying that one cannot be saved outside of the BODY of Christ, the CHURCH of Christ, this is true. If you cannot be saved outside of Christ Himself you cannot be saved outside His Body, the church.

As to good works, NONE are righteous. Romans 3:10 As it is written," THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE." All have sinned Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Even if we sin one time we are guilty of breaking every law there is to break just because we've broken that one. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. God says our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

So none of us should EVER suppose that we deserve good things for our supposedly good deeds. We are evil through and through and CONSTANTLY need His help and guidance. Nobody enters into Heaven based upon their own good deeds done to get there. We only get to Heaven through the good and perfect deeds of Jesus done on our behalf which enable us to walk into God's presence as though we'd done them ourselves. I hope this very long and detailed answer is helpful. In short, if there is no baptism there is no entrance into Christ. If there is no entrance into Christ there is no entrance into His body, if there is no entrance into His body, the church, there is no salvation. Therefore, if you are not a member of the body of Christ you CANNOT go to heaven, "good works" or not. This answer could have been MUCH longer with all the material there is in scripture. God bless you as you attempt to be a good disciple to the One God.