CAN ONE BE SAVED OUTSIDE THE CHURCH?

Points of introduction:
1) There is one body, just as there is one baptism which is into that body (Eph 4:4-5, and I Corinthians 12:12-13)?
2) The Church is the body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), how can you know a body without meeting it?
3) Faith comes by hearing, hearing what?  Christ or the Gospel?  BOTH!
4) The US Treasury puts serial numbers on money to verify the authenticity of the bill.  Christ authorized only his Church (Matt 16:18), can it be faked?  The Christian Church and other denominations, are divisions that occurred off the body of Christ which is sinful (I Cor 1:10-13), and we cannot bid that which is without God godspeed (II John 9-11). 
 

When addressing spiritual matters do not seek to find your answers among men, or even logic.  Seek to find those answers from God.  We need to take our souls seriously and not allow our judgment to be clouded in any way.  The word of Christ will judge us in that final day. 
KJV John 12:48
48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

WE MUST KEEP THE WORD OF GOD
KJV Luke 11:28
28. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

THE WORD IS TRUTH
KJV John 17:17
17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING WHAT????  THE WORD (TRUTH, GOSPEL, WORD OF GOD)

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS OUR STUDY TIME
WE ARE TO STUDY TO BE APPROVED UNTO GOD
KJV 2 Timothy 2:15
15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

WE NEED TO STUDY FROM THE WORD AND SPEAK AS THE ORACLES OF GOD
KJV 1 Peter 4:11
11. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

THOSE IN BEREA WERE NOBLE BECAUSE THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY
KJV Acts 17:10-11
 10.  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH
IT IS THE CHURCH CHRIST PURCHASED WITH HIS BLOOD
KJV Acts 20:28
 28.  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

IT IS CHRIST CHURCH
KJV Matthew 16:18
 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.

THE CHURCH IS CHRIST BODY
KJV Ephesians 1:22-23
 22.  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
 23.  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH
KJV Colossians 1:18
18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
 

HOW IS ONE ADDED TO THE LORD’S CHURCH
BY THE LORD
KJV Acts 2:47
47. Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

BY BAPTISM INTO HIS BODY (THE CHURCH)
KJV Acts 2:41
 41.  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

KJV 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12.  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
 13.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST (Body) LEAVING OUR OLD SELVES BEHIND
KJV Romans 6:3-6
 3.  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
 4.  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.
 5.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
 

NOTE:  How does one become into Christ without knowing him? 
 

BAPTIZED AFTER BEING TAUGHT OF THE KINGDOM (CHURCH) AND CHRIST
KJV Acts 8:12
 12.  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

KJV Acts 8:35-38
35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
 36.  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
 37.  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 
38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

WHAT PRECEEDS BAPTISM?

HEARING – (Romans 10:17) Philip preached the kingdom.  Can one be added to something they do not know and have not heard of?  (John 8:32) Only the TRUTH can set us free!

BELIEVING (John 8:24)– Can one believe in Christ and not know about his Church?

REPENTING (Acts 2:38)– Can one repent of sins if they have no plans on stopping them?
Example – 
Denominationalism – Sinful

KJV 1 Corinthians 1:10-13
10.  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
 11.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
 12.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
 13.  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

KJV 2 John V7-9
 7.  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
 8.  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

YOU CANNOT REPENT WITHOUT REPENTING CAN YOU?

Confession – Confess Christ without truly knowing anything about him?

Baptism – Be baptized without knowing why?  Can one be added to Christ Church accidentally?  This is what would occur if God would except salvation outside the Church.

IS DENOMINATIONAL BAPTISM (CHRISTIAN CHURCH ETC) VALID?  DO WE NEED TO PERFORM RE-BAPTISM ON THOSE THAT COME FROM DENOMINATIONS TO THE LORD’S CHURCH?  THIS DOES NOT EXIST!  THERE WERE THOSE THAT WERE BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS AND NEED TO BE BAPTIZED CORRECTLY INTO CHRIST-  THERE IS ONLY ONE BAPTISM – EPH 4:5 AS THE SAME AS THERE IS ONE BODY V4!

JOHN BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
KJV Mark 1:4
4.  John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

IT NEEDED CORRECTED
KJV Acts 19:2-5
 2.  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
 3.  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
 4.  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Is there  a Book, chapter, and verse example or command to accept someone in something that is holy, and pure when the come from that which is without God?

Denominations are EARTHLY, SENTUAL, AND DEVELISH AS IT LIES AGAINST THE TRUTH!
KJV James 3:11-15
 11.  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12.  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
 13.  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
 15.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

So the question is can a fig tree bear olive berries?  The answer is that by the Authority of Christ and the knowledge of the truth it cannot!!!

WE NEED TO TAKE OUR SOULS SERIOUSLY AND NOT FORSAKE WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF US!!!!
 

Copyright 2000 by Brian Yeager may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.