The New Testament Church Salvation and Church Membership

Introduction God does the saving. Salvation is the pardon or forgiveness of sins—the blotting out of our sins. Church, then does not do the saving. Question needs to be asked: Can one enjoy the salvation that God has provided without being in the church of the Lord?”

Purchased with His own blood The Essentiality and Importance of the Church—As Seen in Christ’s Own Attitude Purchased with His own blood “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” {Acts 20:28} “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” {1 Peter 1:18,19}

The Essentiality and Importance of the Church—As Seen in Christ’s Own Attitude Gave Himself up for her “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” {Ephesians 5:25}

The Essentiality and Importance of the Church—As Seen in Christ’s Own Attitude Thus Christ evidenced His attitude toward the essentiality of the church by the PRICE he paid for its existence. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” {Philippians 2:5}

One Cannot Be “IN CHRIST” Without Being “IN THE CHURCH.” Christ is the Head, the church is His Body. Christians are members. One cannot be joined to the head without being a member of the body—the church. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” {1 Corinthians 12:27} “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” {Colossians 1:18}

One Cannot Be “IN CHRIST” Without Being “IN THE CHURCH.” Christ is the King, the church is His kingdom. One cannot be subject to the King without being a citizen of His Kingdom. “Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” {1 Timothy 6:15} “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” {Colossians 1:13}

One Cannot Be “IN CHRIST” Without Being “IN THE CHURCH.” Christ is the Bridegroom, the Church is His Bride. The two are one. One cannot be related to Christ, therefore, without being equally related to the church. A child belongs by the same birth to both the family of his father and mother. “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” {Ephesians 5:30-32}

One Cannot Be “IN CHRIST” Without Being “IN THE CHURCH.” To be in Christ is to be in His Body, which is the Church. In Christ Jesus, made nigh by blood of Christ. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” {Ephesians 2:13}

One Cannot Be “IN CHRIST” Without Being “IN THE CHURCH.” To be in Christ is to be in His Body, which is the Church. In One Body, reconciled by the Cross. “And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” {Ephesians 2:16}

All Spiritual Blessings Are in Christ Every spiritual blessing man can have is in Christ—therefore in the church! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” {Ephesians 1:3}

To be a Member of the Church of Christ Means Name is Enrolled in Heaven. One’s name is entered into the “roll” kept in heaven upon one’s obedience to Christ. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.” {Hebrews 12:22,23}

To be a Member of the Church of Christ Means Name is Enrolled in Heaven. To not have your named enrolled in heaven means to be eternally lost at the judgment. “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” {Revelation 20:14,15}

Same Process and Conditions Save From Sin, Makes One a Christian Faith, baptism, salvation. “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” {Mark 16:15,16}

Same Process and Conditions Save From Sin, Makes One a Christian Faith, baptism, puts one into Christ. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” {Galatians 3:26,27}

Same Process and Conditions Save From Sin, Makes One a Christian Faith, baptism, one’s obedience to the gospel—God adds them to the church! “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them... praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” {Acts 2:41,47}