October 28, 2007

Although some teach that baptism is not a part of being saved, the New Testament teaches that baptism is a work of faith that brings us into relationship with Christ who adds us to His church.

Mark 16:15-16 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (16) "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Gal 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Rom 6:3-4 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.

Col 2:11-12 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; (12) having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

If you have been taught you can become a Christian in some other way than this, then you have been taught wrongly. The apostles never baptized babies. They also never taught people to pray for forgiveness and that they were saved at that point without being baptized.

What is Jesus’ Church?

Jesus’ church is His body of saved people who submit to His will. The word church means “called-out ones” who are that assembly of people that obey Him as the apostles have directed. When we are baptized, we are added to His body. This body is not an organization but simply a collection of people who submit to Jesus.

Eph 1:22-23 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

1Cor 12:13 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.

Do We Need to Meet with a Local Church?

When we read the New Testament, we learn that members of Jesus’ church met as local churches to work and worship together. They did not join any of the churches we see today such as Roman Catholic or Baptist but they remained simply Christians submitting to Jesus as head following the apostles teaching. One of the ways these local assemblies were described was by the term churches of Christ.

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

1Cor 1:1-2 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, (2) To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

Rom 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Jesus has revealed how these local churches should be organized and worship together. If we are meeting with a local church that does not follow the apostles’ teaching, then we should find or start one that does. Each local group was to look to Jesus for instructions and not to any central earthly headquarters.

Phil 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

1Tim 2:11-12 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. (12) But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

1Cor 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (25) In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

1Cor 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. (2) On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Let us join ourselves to Jesus in the way He has commanded and He will add us to His only church, saved body. Then, let us regularly meet with others of His church and work and worship as He directs. Those churches that wear different names and teach different things were built by men not by Jesus.

– Gary Hunt

As I See It

Which Church Should I Join? (2)