DOES THE CHURCH SAVE?


  1. INTRODUCTION:

    1. THIS LESSON IS PRESENTED IN RESPONSE TO A RECENTLY ASKED QUESTION.

    2. THE ANSWER IS A SIMPLE: "NO"!

      1. The Church is that "which is saved".
      2. The Church is a spiritual house and a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. I Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

        1. It is made up of "lively stones". That is living stones [people] that compose, or make up what is the Church, that are added only by the Lord. Acts 2:47 "… And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
        2. The Church is made up of people. Paul expressed it rather well in I Corinthians. 14:23 "If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and here come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?"   I Corinthians. 14:26 ….. "How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
        3. The spiritual sacrifices are "living sacrifices", the bodies of the "living stones" that are the Church. Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God."

    3. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH IN SALVATION:

      1. Those that will be saved are in The Church, which is the body of Christ, and there is only one body – church. Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
      2. A person can not be saved outside of the church which Jesus built. But a person can be saved outside of churches made by man.

    4. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CHURCH AND SALVATION.

  2. DISCUSSION:

    1. THE CHURCH WAS BUILT BY CHRIST AND PAID FOR BY HIS BLOOD.
    • Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
    • Acts 20:28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the clock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."

      1. The Church is built by Christ.
      2. The Church was purchased with the blood of Christ.
      3. The responsibility of feeding the Church is the elders.
      4. Those that will receive the benefits of the redeeming blood of Christ are added to the Church.

    1. CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH:

    • Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."
    • Ephesians 1:22-23 "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."

      1. Christ is the head of the Church.
      2. Christ is the savior of the body (church).


    NOTE:
    Christ then is not the savior of those outside of His body – The church.

      1. The church and Christ’s body are the same thing and only within it does Christ provide fullness "that filleth all in all" [Ephesians 1:23]. That is filling all the needs of it’s members.

    1. THOSE TO BE SAVED ARE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST, OR HIS CHURCH:
      • II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

      1. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that they were the body of Christ [I Corinthians 12:27].


        1. Christ is the savior of the body [Ephesians 5:23].
        2. Therefore Christ saves those in his body the church and not out of it.


      2. To be in Christ is to be in the church [Ephesians 1:22-23].
      3. To be in Christ one has to become a "new creature" [II Corinthians 5:17].

    1. HOW DOES ONE BECOME A NEW CREATURE?
      • Romans 6:3-4 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

      1. Paul tells us how one enters the body of Christ, to obtain the benefit of his redeeming blood shed at his death [Acts 20:28]. …… Galatians 3:27 "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
      2. By baptism one enters the body (church) of Christ:
        1. "In newness of life" [Romans 6:4].
        2. In the body of Christ (church) one is a "new Creature" [II Corinthians 5:17].

  3. CONCLUSION:

    1. THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE IN CHRIST.
      • Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

      1. These are those that "… The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" Acts 2:47.

        1. These were in the "oldness of life" - walking after the flesh [Romans 8:1].
        2. These now walk in "newness of life" – walking spiritually [Romans 6:4].

      2. There are however conditions that must be met for there to be no condemnation:

        1. They must not walk after the flesh [Galatians 5:19-21].
        2. They must walk after the Spirit, that is after the direction of God’s Word.
          • Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
          • John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
          • [Read Romans 8:2-14].

          1. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" [Romans 8:2].
          2. "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" [Romans 8:8].
          3. "…If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" [Romans 8:10].
          4. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" [Romans 8:13].

    1. THOSE THAT WILL BE SAVED ARE IN THE CHURCH.

    2. NO ONE WILL BE SAVED OUT OF THE CHURCH, FOR THE CHURCH IS:


      1. "The saved" [Acts 2:47]
      2. Who are live "acceptable unto God" [I Peter 2:5; Romans 12:1].

    3. HAS THE LORD ADDED YOU TO HIS BODY – THE CHURCH?

    4. ARE YOU WALKING ACCEPTABLE TO GOD?

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