We have a deep and abiding respect for doing what God has commanded, in exactly the way He has commanded that we do it. Certainly is this true in regard to the important matter of our salvation.

When Christ asked Peter who he thought Jesus was, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Jesus then said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus had come in the fulness of time to bring the one thing that all the Earth’s inhabitants—from Cain, the first murderer, to the lawless men who eventually would put Him to death—so desperately needed: the salvation that God’s heavenly plan would provide.

In writing to the young evangelist Timothy, Paul observed that it had been God’s plan to save men through Christ even before the foundation of the world. He wrote of God, “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9). God, through His foreknowledge, knew that sinful man one day would need redemption from sin. In fact, throughout the history of Israel, God made both promises and prophecies concerning a coming kingdom, and its King. The promise was that from David’s seed, God would build a house and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:11-17—a promise, incidentally, that was affirmed in Psalm 132:11, and preached as reality by Peter in Acts 2:29-34 when the church began). Seven hundred years prior to Christ’s arrival, the great prophet Isaiah foretold:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Thus, Christ’s exclamation to Peter that the building of His church would be upon a rock was nothing more than what the Old Testament prophets had foretold hundreds of years before Christ was born. Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily’” (Isaiah 28:16).

Later, Peter himself—through inspiration, and no doubt with the events of Caesarea Philippi still fresh on his mind—would make reference to this very rock foundation when he wrote about “the living stone, rejected indeed of men…the stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner” (1 Peter 2:1-7). In fact, even Jesus Himself mentioned the rejected stone of Old Testament allusion. In Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, and Luke 20:17, He made reference to the psalmist’s statement about “the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner” (Psalm 118:22), and applied the rejection of the stone by the builders to the Sanhedrin’s rejection and repudiation of Him.

Unfortunately, today some erroneously teach that Christ’s church was established out of desperation, as an emergency measure set in motion when the Jews rejected Him as Savior.

The basis for such a view is the idea that Jesus presented Himself to the Jewish nation as its Messiah, but was rebuffed—a rejection that came as an unexpected surprise to Him and His Father. Christ’s failure to convince the Jews of His rightful place as their King forced Him to have to re-evaluate, and eventually delay, His plans—His intention being to re-establish His kingdom at some distant point in the future. In the meantime, the story goes, He established the church to temporarily allay complete failure of His mission.

However, such a view ignores the inspired writers’ observations that before times eternal, God had set in motion His plan for man’s salvation as His Son’s church. [The Greek word ekklesia, translated church in the English, denotes “the called out.”]

It ignores the Old Testament prophecies that plainly predicted Christ’s rejection by the Jews. And, it also ignores Christ’s own allusions to those prophecies during His earthly ministry. But worst of all, it impeaches the omniscience of both God and His Son by suggesting that they were “caught off guard” by the Jews’ rejection of Christ as the Messiah, thus causing Heaven’s emissary to have to rethink His plans. What an offensive, and unscriptural, view this is!

Jesus was a man with a mission—and He completed successfully what He had come to accomplish.

Deity had come to Earth, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7) to communicate to man the truth (John 8:32) about the lost state in which man now found himself (Romans 3:23; 6:23), and to pay the ransom for man (Matthew 20:28), thereby extricating him from a situation from which he could not extricate himself (Jeremiah 10:23).

When Christ died upon the cross, it was not for any sin that He personally had committed.

Though He was tempted in all points like as we are, He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). When Peter wrote that Jesus did not sin, he employed a verbal tense which suggests that the Lord never sinned—not even once (1 Peter 2:22). Isaiah repeatedly emphasized the substitutionary nature of the Lord’s death when he wrote, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…. Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). When the prophet declared that our iniquity was laid upon the Son of God, he employed a figure of speech known as metonymy (wherein one thing is used to designate another). In this case, the cause is being used for the effect. In other words, God did not actually put our sins upon Christ; He put the penalty of our wrongs upon His Son at Calvary. Yet, in spite of the fact that all sinners deserve to be lost, God provided a way to escape what Christ Himself referred to as “the judgment of hell” (Matthew 23:33).

Jesus made it clear that He would provide this way of escape through a plan that would result in the establishment of His church—His body of the called out.

The first messianic prophecy was to be fulfilled: Satan would bruise the Lord’s heel, but the Lord would overcome, and bruise Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15). Against the building of Christ’s church, not even the Gates of Hades could prevail (Matthew 16:18).

Further, Christ stated He would build His church (singular).

When we continue reading in the pages of the New Testament, we learn that when Paul wrote the Colossian epistle (around A.D. 62), he observed that Christ “…is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). In Ephesians 1:22, Paul stated concerning Christ that God “…gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body….” Thus, Paul clearly identified the body as the church. Three chapters later, however, in Ephesians 4:4, Paul stated, “There is one body….” Expressed logically, one might reason correctly as follows:

• There is one body (Ephesians 4:4).
• But Christ is the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:22).
• Thus, Christ is the Savior of one body.
• Christ is the Savior of the body.
• Thus, Christ is the Savior of one church.

The body, Christ’s church, would be known as the church of the Lord (Acts 20:28), the church of God (1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:13), the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15), the household of faith (Galatians 6:10), and the kingdom of God (Acts 28:23,31).

The church was to bear Christ’s name (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16; Acts 4:12). It would be known as His bride (Revelation 21:2), His wife (Revelation 19:7-8), and His kingdom (Revelation 1:9). And those in it would be victorious over Satan and death forever (1 Corinthians 15:26,54-56; 2 Timothy 1:9-10)

Unfortunately, however, not long after the establishment of the church, men sought to alter the church and to infuse it with their own personal belief systems.

Thus, the concept of denominationalism was born. Denominationalism, however, is unknown to, and unauthorized by, the Word of God. A denomination is defined as: a class or kind having a specific name or value…. We speak of various monetary denominations—a five-dollar bill, a ten-dollar bill, etc. They are all different. The same is true of religious denominations. They are all different.

The concept of denominationalism ignores the singularity and uniqueness of the church, and establishes different groups teaching different and conflicting doctrines that are antagonistic both to the Bible and to each other.

At the same time, denominationalism ignores the church’s true relationship to Christ, described so beautifully in Ephesians 5. In his extended discussion on this very point, Paul reminded the first century Christians to whom he wrote that “the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church…” (5:23). The apostle’s point was this: In a physical context, the wife is the bride, and the husband is the bridegroom; in a spiritual context, the church is the bride, and Christ is the bridegroom. [This same point was reiterated by John in Revelation 21:9.] In the book of Acts, Peter discussed the importance of Christ’s relationship to His church when he observed that “neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Those in denominations are in manmade institutions that are neither recognized in, nor sanctioned by, the Word of God.

The simple truth of the matter is that John the Baptist—while a marvelous harbinger of the Messiah did not die to establish the church. Why, then, be a member of a denomination bearing his name? As great a reformer as Martin Luther was, the fact remains that he did not die to establish the church. Why, then, be a member of a denomination bearing his name? The early church’s presbyters (i.e., elders, overseers, bishops) did not give their lives on a cross for the church. Why, then, be a member of a denomination named after such men? The Bible—although it prophesies the coming of the church and documents its arrival—did not make possible the church. Why, then, be a member of a Bible church? Instead, should not Christians seek to be a member of the singular church that honors Christ’s authority, and that He died to purchase with His blood? It is His bride, and He is its bridegroom. Why do men continually persist in aligning themselves with denominational groups that start out with an unscriptural name to begin with, advocate a variety of false doctrines, and then end up with the wrong view of salvation?

Those who are true New Testament Christians are those who have done exactly what God has commanded them to do to be saved, in exactly the way God has commanded that it be done.

In so doing, they have not joined some man-made religious denomination that, like a five-dollar bill is one denomination among many others, is simply one religious group among many others. If the church is the body, and there is only one body, then there is only one church. Further, men do not join the church. The Scriptures teach that as men are saved, God Himself adds them to the one true church (see Acts 2:41) that bears His Sons name. His congregations are called “the churches of Christ” (a scriptural name—see Romans 16:16).

That brings me to the question about what a person must do to be saved (i.e., added to Christ’s body, His church).

According to God’s Word, in order to be saved a person do several things: hear (Romans 10:17); believe (John 3:16; Acts 16:31); repent (Luke 13:3); confess Christ as God’s Son (Romans 10:9-10); and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).

I realize, of course, that some religious groups teach that a person is saved by faith only.

In other words, a person simply “prays and asks Jesus to come into his heart,” so he might be saved from his sins. This teaching, though widespread, is completely at odds with the Bibles specific instructions regarding what one must do to be saved.

Further, the Scriptures plainly teach that man cannot be saved by faith alone.

James, in his epistle, remarked that a man may indeed by justified (i.e., saved), but “not by faith only” (James 2:24). This, too, makes perfect sense. As James observed, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble” (James 2:19). It is not enough merely to believe. Even the demons in hell believe, but they hardly are saved (see 2 Peter 2:4). It is obvious, therefore, that mere faith alone is insufficient to save. Also, where in the Scriptures does it actually teach that, in order to be saved, a person is to pray to God to ask Jesus to come into his heart? I have asked many within those various religious groups this question, but have yet to have one who could provide a single biblical reference to substantiate their view—for the simple reason that there is no such instruction within the Bible.

Denominationalism, unfortunately, is one of Satan’s most insidious tools in deluding and destroying the souls of men.

He craftily uses denominationalism to convince men that they are saved, when in reality they still are very much in a lost state. Baptists, for example, teach that baptism is essential—not to remit sins, but for entrance into the Baptist denomination. Methodists and Presbyterians advocate that one does not even need to be baptized; he may simply be sprinkled instead. Catholics, on the other hand, suggest that babies must be sprinkled—when, in fact, they cannot obey the commands of God to hear, believe, repent, and confess. And so on.

It is important to impress upon people that the only way to get home to heaven is to follow God’s directions exactly.

There are numerous things God has commanded that we do in order to receive the free gift (Romans 6:23) of salvation. Obviously, one cannot follow God’s commands if he has not heard them, so God commanded that people hear what He has said [I will not repeat all the Scripture references to each of these points, since I have given them above]. Likewise, one who is lost cannot be saved if he does not believe what he hears. So, God commanded that belief ensue. Similarly, one who is lost cannot obtain salvation if he is unwilling to repent, for without repentance he will continue in sin; thus, God commanded repentance. Additionally, since Christ is the basis of our salvation, God commanded that a confession of Him as the Son of God be made.

However, this is not all that God commanded.

The most urgent question for the sinner who is willing to accept Christ as his Savior is this: how do I get rid of my sins? Over and over again within the pages of the New Testament, that question is asked and answered. The Jews who had murdered Christ, and to whom Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost when he ushered in the Christian age, asked that question. Peter’s sermon had convicted them. They were convinced that they were sinners, and desperately in need of salvation at the hand of an almighty God. Their question then became, “…brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Peter’s response could not have been any clearer. He told them “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). Saul, who later would become Paul, the famous apostle to the Gentiles, needed an answer to that same question. Because of his persecution of the early church, God struck him blind while he was on a trip to Damascus to further persecute Christians (see Acts 22). The blind Jew then asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). When God’s servant, Ananias, appeared to Saul in the city, he said, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins…” (Acts 22:16).

What, then, is the correct biblical answer regarding how one rids himself of soul-damning sin?

The biblical solution is that the person who has heard the good news of the Gospel, who has believed its message, who has repented of past sins, and who has confessed Christ as Lord must then—in order to receive remission (forgiveness) of sins—must be baptized (from the Greek, baptizo, meaning to immerse, dip, plunge beneath, or submerge—thereby excluding sprinkling; see Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, p. 94). Is baptism a command of God? Certainly; the Bible so states (see Acts 10:48). Is baptism where the remission of sins occurs? Certainly; the Bible so states (see Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). Is the forgiveness of sins that results due, then, to some special or miraculous power within the waters employed during baptism? Certainly not! Baptismal regeneration—the false doctrine that there is some special or miraculous power in the waters of baptism that produces salvation (i.e., regeneration) is plainly at odds with biblical teaching. In the Old Testament (to choose just one example), when Naaman the leper was commanded by God’s prophet Elijah to dip seven times in the Jordan River, he eventually did so and was healed. However, there was no meritorious power in the muddy waters of the Jordan. Naaman was healed because He did exactly what God commanded him to do, in exactly the way that God commanded it be done. This was true of the Israelites’ salvation as well. When they sinned on one occasion, and God began to slay them as a result of their unrighteousness, those who wished to repent and be spared were commanded to look upon a brass serpent placed on a pole in the midst of the camp (Numbers 21:1-9). There was no meritorious power in either the pole or the serpent. Rather, the Israelites were saved from destruction because they did exactly what God commanded them to do, in exactly the way God commanded them to do it. The power to remove sin lies not in the water, but in the God who commanded the sinner to be baptized.

Is baptism a meritorious human work?

Certainly not! But is it required to be saved? Indeed it is. How is this possible? Again, please allow me to explain. The Bible clearly teaches that we are not saved by works (see Titus 3: 4-7). Yet the Bible clearly teaches we are saved by works (see James 2:14-24). Since those of us who accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God realize that inspiration guarantees the Scriptures will never contradict themselves, it is obvious that two different kinds of works are under consideration in these passages. Let us explore this concept.

The New Testament mentions at least four kinds of works: (1) works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21); (2) works of the Law of Moses (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20); (3) works of merit (Titus 3:4-7); and (4) works resulting from faith (James 14:14-24).

This last category often is referred to as works of God. By that phrase, we do not mean works performed by God; rather, the intent is works required and approved by God (see Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, p. 248). Consider the following example from Jesus statements in John 6:27-29: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…. Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’”

Within this context, Christ makes it clear that there are works that humans must do which will result in the reception of eternal life.

Moreover, the passage affirms that believing itself is a work (“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”). It therefore follows that if one is saved without any type of works, then he is saved without faith, because faith is a work. Such a conclusion is absurd, and would throw the Bible into hopeless confusion.

In addition, it might be noted that repentance from sin is a divinely appointed work for man to do prior to his reception of salvation.

Observe this point. The people of ancient Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah (see Matthew 12:41), yet the Old Testament record of this event relates that God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way (Jonah 3:10). Thus, if one can be saved without any kind of works, he can be saved without repentance. Yet Jesus Himself declared that without repentance, one will surely perish (Luke 13:3,5).

But what about baptism?

The New Testament specifically excludes baptism from the class of human meritorious works unrelated to redemption. Read very carefully Titus 3:4-7. The context of that passage reveals the following pertinent information. (1) We are not saved by works of righteousness that we do by ourselves (i.e., according to any plan or course of action that we devised and accomplished—see Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, p. 526) (2) We are saved [note the contrast to (1) above] by the washing of regeneration (i.e., baptism), exactly as 1 Peter 3:21 states. (3) Thus, baptism is excluded from all works of human righteousness that men contrive, but is itself a work of God (i.e., required and approved by God) necessary for human salvation. When one is raised from the watery grave of baptism, it is according to the working of God (Colossians 2:12), and not according to any manmade plan. No one can (justifiably) suggest that baptism is a meritorious work of human merit. In fact, when one is baptized, he is completely passive during the event, and thus can hardly be accused of having performed some kind of work. Instead, he has obeyed God through saving faith. His works of God were belief, repentance, confession, and baptism—all commanded by the Scriptures of one who would receive salvation as the free gift of God (Romans 6:23).

Some within denominationalism—in order to circumvent the connection of water baptism with salvation—have suggested that the baptism being discussed in such passages as Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, et al. is actually Holy Spirit baptism.

But that position cannot be correct. Christ commanded His followers—after His death and ascension—to go into all the world and “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-20). That same command applies no less to Christians today. Work through this passage carefully. During the early parts of the first century, we know there was more than one kind of baptism in existence (e.g., John’s baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, Christ’s baptism, etc.). But by the time Paul wrote his epistle to the Christians in Ephesus, only one of those baptisms remained. He stated specifically in Ephesians 4:4-5: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism….” Which one baptism remained? We know, do we not, that Christ would never give His disciples a command that they could not carry out? If only God can baptize with the Holy Spirit, yet Christians were commanded to baptize those whom they taught, then it is crystal clear that the baptism commanded by Christ could not possibly have been Holy Spirit baptism. If it were, Christ would be put in the untenable position of having commanded His disciples to do something they literally could not do—baptize people in the Holy Spirit (a task only God can perform). However, they could baptize in water, which is exactly what they did. And that is exactly what we still are doing today. Baptism in the Holy Spirit no longer is available; only water baptism remains, and is the one true baptism commanded by Christ for salvation.

In order to be saved, one must do exactly what God commanded, in exactly the way God commanded it.

When a person hears, believes, repents, confesses, and is baptized for the forgiveness of his sins, that person becomes a Christian and God adds him to His Son’s one true body—the church. If the Christian remains faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10), he will receive a crown of life and enjoy an eternity in heaven as a result of his faith, God’s mercy, his obedience, and God’s grace (John 14:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 1:5). What a joyous thought!

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