Are You A Member Of The Lord’s One True
Church?
By Ron
Boatwright
In this study we
will see according to the Bible that the Lord only has one true church
and He is only going to save those in His one true church. In this
Bible study I do not wish to be harsh, but I have tried to point to what
God's word says in the Bible about His one true church and not what I
think. We will also see, according to the Bible, that the Lord’s one
true church does not include any of the more than 600 different kinds of
false denominational churches, and that the multiplied millions of
people in these counterfeit churches are all going to be eternally lost
in Hell, if they stay in them. This is very sad. Quotations from the
Bible are in red.
The Bible is our
only true guide of going to Heaven. Now let’s see what the Bible says.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will
build My church". Whose church? Christ's church -- the church
of Christ. Jesus does not say "churches", but "church". The word
"church" is singular, meaning one and only one and the word "My" is
possessive, meaning it belongs only to Christ. Christ only built His
one true church. Christ began His one true church almost 2000 years ago
as we will see in Acts chapter two. Christ "loved
the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus
Christ did not die for or establish any of the more than 600 different
false denominational churches, which men have begun during the past 500
years. All of these false denominational churches were established by
men hundreds of years after Christ established His one true church. All
of the many denominations are evil counterfeit creations of Satan and
have no Bible authority to exist. Just as counterfeit money is
worthless, all denominational churches are worthless counterfeit
imitations of Satan. None of the hundreds of different denominations
belong to Christ, but they all belong to Satan. And because of this,
denominationalism is horribly sinful and stands in opposition to the
will of Christ as stated in the Bible.
The Bible says that
the Lord only has one body, which is His one church. Ephesians 4:4-6
says, "There is one
body and one Spirit, just
as you were 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."
(emphasis added). The Bible says there is only one true God even though
there are many false gods in this world. The Bible also says there is
only one body even though there are many false bodies in this world.
But what is this one body? Ephesians 1:22-23 says that God gave Christ
"to be head over all things to the
church, which is His body" and Colossians 1:18 says that Christ "is
the head of the body, the church". According to the Bible,
Christ only has one body which is His one church. Christ is not head
over any of the many different false denominational churches, but Satan
is.
What is the Lord
going to do with His one body, which is His one church? Ephesians 5:23
says, "Christ is the
head over the church and He is the Saviour of the body".
According to the Bible, Christ is only going to save those in His one
body, which is His one church. If one expects to be saved and go to
Heaven, one must be in the Lord's one body, His one true church, and not
in any of the many man-made denominational churches. Christ’s one
church does not include any of the many false substitute denominational
churches. There is no salvation for any of those who are in any of the
hundreds of different denominations, but only eternal damnation. The
Bible says, "The Devil, who deceived them, was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone... and will be tormented day
and night forever and ever...And anyone not found written in the Book of
Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:10, 15). All
of those who are in the many counterfeit imitation denominational
churches belonging to Satan will be eternally cast into Hell along with
Satan. Those in the more than 600 different kinds of denominations
don’t realize they are still lost, but they will realize it on Judgment
Day when the Lord will "declare to them, 'I never
knew you, depart from Me'" (Matthew 7:23), and they "shall
be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth" (Matthew 8:12), but it will be too late then. But the sad
and tragic thing is that all those in their many differing denominations
are going to be departing into the eternal torments of Hell. This
breaks my heart.
Acts 2:47 says "And
the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved".
The Lord only adds the saved to His one body, which is His one church.
Since those in denominational churches do not believe the Lord's
requirement, that baptism is necessary for one to be saved, they remain
unsaved. And since the Lord does not add unsaved people to His one
church, the unsaved have to go and join a denomination. The Lord will
not save anyone in the more than 600 different kinds of denominations.
Why? Because they are not Christ’s. Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless
the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it".
Those in all the denominations are all laboring in vain, only to lose
their souls in the eternal fires of Hell. Satan has been very
successful in fooling people in getting them to join one of his many
counterfeit denominational churches of their choice. Those in
denominational churches have "already
turned aside after Satan" (1 Timothy 5:15). All the hundreds of
different kinds of denominations all belong to Satan. None of the
denominational churches belong to Christ.
Jesus says, "Every
plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted"
(Matthew 15:13). At the end of time in eternity all of the many
denominational churches will all be uprooted which will end with their
eternal destruction, including all of the people who are in them. The
scandal of denominationalism is a sinful shame and denominationalism is
as foreign to the New Testament as light is to darkness. It is indeed
tragic that so much error is being taught in all the denominational
churches which will cause many, many people to be eternally lost in the
eternal fires of Hell. Jesus says concerning denominationalism, "You
have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition...And in
vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
(Matthew 15:6,8). The denominational doctrines and commandments of men
are all vain and useless, which will cause many, many people to be lost
in the eternal torments of Hell. Jesus warns us that "For
laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...All
too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own
tradition" (Mark 7:8-9). The many false vain doctrines and
creeds of men with all their man-made conflicting beliefs have become
enemies of the Lord and His word in the Bible.
Christ only has His
one church "which He purchased with
His own blood" (Acts 20:28). The church of Christ was purchased
with the precious blood of Christ. The one church that Christ purchased
with His own blood belongs to Him and the name it wears must honor and
glorify Him. We read in Romans 16:16, "The
churches of Christ greet you". This
Bible name, "the churches of Christ", glorifies and honors Christ who
died for it and built it. Christ did not purchase any of the
denominational churches with His own blood. Colossians 1:18 says
concerning Christ that, "He is the
head of the body, the church". Christ is the head of only His
one body, which is His one church. Also we read in Ephesians 5:24 that
"the church is subject to Christ", and not
to the many creeds and false teachings of men.
The one true church
which Jesus bought with His own blood, is not a denomination and is not
made up of any of the many denominations, which men have created. Those
in the Lord's one true church are not to have fellowship with any of the
denominations, because we are commanded to "have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose
them" (Ephesians 5:11). All the denominational churches have
rejected the headship of Christ by choosing their own names and
doctrines instead of submitting themselves only to the will of Christ as
found in the Bible. Christ is not the head of any of the more than 600
different kinds of denominations we see in the world today, but Satan is
because they all belong to Satan. Anyone who leads people away from the
truth of Christ, as found in the Bible, is a false teacher.
Now there are
literally hundreds of differing denominations, each with its own
peculiar man-made doctrine and practice, which contradicts the Bible.
How can any of these differing man-made doctrines be true? They can't
be. Anything that contradicts or is different from the Bible is false
doctrine. Their divisive human creeds that govern them come from the
minds of men and not from God. Their different man-made creed books
hold their group together as a false counterfeit denomination. The main
reason for the religious division of denominationalism is man will not
accept God's word as final authority. But the Bible says we are to "Contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"
(Jude 3). The word of God "which was once for all delivered" as found
in the Bible will not change. 2 Peter 1:3 says that God in the Bible "has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness". We
need only the Bible and not any of the many different denominational
creeds.
To be pleasing to
God and go to Heaven, we must do only what God says and we must not be
following and "teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). All denominations are the
result of the many departures from the teaching of the Bible.
Denominationalism is unscriptural since each denomination has its own
human founder, and not Christ. Denominationalism is plagued with
division, conflicting creeds and doctrines, unscriptural worship and
other practices; all of which are different from what God has authorized
and commanded in the Bible. They are doing man's will and not God's
will; thus God will not save any of them in their folly. People are
charged in 1 Timothy 1:3, "that they teach no
other doctrine", other than the word of God as found in the
Bible. God's word to us in the Bible says, "It is
not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23),
but we must only use the Bible as our only guide in religion if we
expect to go to Heaven when this short life here on earth is over.
Denominationalism
confuses people and pulls them away from the Lord's one true church.
Jesus says, "And many false prophets shall arise,
and shall lead many astray" (Matthew 24:11). This is being done
today in all the denominational churches. All denominational churches
are governed by the thinking of men and not of God. For God says in
Isaiah 55:8, "For My thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord". Because
people are being led away from the truth of God as found in the Bible,
many, many people are going to be eternally lost in Hell. Those in all
the denominational churches have fallen under the influence of false
teachers and their erroneous doctrines. 1 Corinthians 4:6 says that we
are to learn to "not to think beyond what is
written" in the Bible. We must only believe and obey only what
is expressly taught in the word of God in the Bible, and not what men
falsely teach if we expect to go to Heaven.
Even by the many
different names the denominational churches wear, they do not even claim
to be the Lord’s one true church. Since the denominations are not the
Lord’s one true church they give their glory and honor to: Martin
Luther, the city of Rome, the apostles, the day of Pentecost, the
community, the methodical way of doing things, the city of Nazareth, the
seventh day of the week, the city of Antioch, the Russians, the Greeks,
free will, primitive, missionary, southern, baptism (even though they do
not believe it is necessary to be baptized to be saved), the apostles,
Calvary, family life, fellowship, and etc. And the list goes on and
on. The question is asked in Galatians 3:1, "Who
has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?". Satan is
the one who does the bewitching and he has been very successful in doing
it. In order to keep people out of the Lord’s one true church and to
cause people to be eternally lost in Hell, Satan has promoted these
false imitation denominational churches, which has always been one of
Satan’s most successful tools.
The denominations
make Satan so proud of his more than 600 different kinds of counterfeit
denominational churches. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says, "But
I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness,
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that
is in Christ". Satan is still fooling people today with his lies
just as he fooled Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6). Satan
tempts people to take short cuts around God's word in the Bible and to
subvert it. Many times a partial truth is more dangerous than a total
lie. Trickery, deceit, and deceptions of all kinds are used to make
others believe their man-made counterfeit faith is Devine truth, when it
is not. This is done by perverting the word of God in the Bible. We
are warned in Galatians 1:7, "there are some who
trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ". All of
the denominations are substitutes of man's own creation and have no
authority from God to exist. What benefit is there in joining a
man-made denomination, which will cause one to be eternally lost in Hell
in doing so. The division and confusion of denominationalism has paved
the way for atheism, agnosticism, humanism, skepticism, modernism, and a
denial of the Bible. This is what Satan wants.
No one is a
Christian until he/she does what the New Testament says we must do to
become a Christian. The Bible warns us, "But evil
men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13). There is so much false doctrine
being taught in the world today, that people are so confused and don’t
know what to believe. We are warned in Hebrews 13:9, "Do
not be carried about by various and strange doctrines". The
denominations all have their different and opposing false doctrines and
creeds, different plans of salvation, different kinds of worship,
different organizations, and different teachings about Heaven and Hell,
and many other false doctrines. Jesus asks, "Why
do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"
(Matthew 15:3). The religious traditions of men violate the word of God
and are sinful. We must not let men take the truth of God away from us
by adding to, taking from, twisting it, perverting it, etc. The Bible
says, "For there are
many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers...whose
mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things
which they ought not" (Titus 1:10-11). People become
bewildered and confused with the many conflicting beliefs of the
denominations and don't know what to believe. The many perversions of
the denominational churches have also made infidels out of many
people.
Denominational
churches are "tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men in
cunning craftiness" (Ephesians 4:14). From where did all of
these different and conflicting teachings come: God or man? 1
Corinthians 14:33 says, "God is not
the author of confusion", but man is. Those in the
denominational churches have not done what God requires for one to do to
be saved. The rubbish of the denominations' creeds is a fraud that will
cause many, many people to eternally lose their souls in Hell, but
please don't be one of them. Satan enjoys the false preaching and
teaching which is done in all the denominational churches, because it
keeps sinners lost who think they are saved. The Bible says, "For
many deceivers have gone out into the world" (2 John 7). Romans
1:25 says they are those, "Who changed the truth
of God into a lie" by their false teaching. Those who promote
these counterfeit faiths try to appear as though they are presenting the
truth. People do this by "walking in craftiness"
and "handling the word of God deceitfully"
(2 Corinthians 4:2). We are warned in Ephesians 5:6, "Let
no man deceive you". But today there are many, many people who
are being deceived with the false doctrines of denominationalism.
Denominationalism is deceitful because its only goal is to cause people
to be eternally lost in Hell.
The fact that the
Lord has only one true church is very unpopular with many people who
want to belong to one of their many differing counterfeit denominations
of their choice. People have helped Satan to create counterfeit
churches "by smooth words and flattering speech
deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:18). Each
denominational church is as good as all of the other denominational
churches, because they are all worthless imitation counterfeits of
Satan. Counterfeiters try to make their counterfeit money look like the
real thing, but counterfeits are not the real thing. Those who make and
spread counterfeit money, when caught will be tried, convicted, and
sentenced to prison. Those who are in their counterfeit denominations
will all one day stand before the Lord on Judgment Day, and will be
tried, convicted, and sentenced to eternal torments of Hell. But Romans
3:18 says, "There is no fear of God before their
eyes." as they are teaching their false doctrines. We are warned
in Acts 20:29 that "men shall arise, speaking
perverse things to draw away disciples after them". This is
happening in all of the denominational churches, but it will cause
people to be eternally lost.
The church of Christ
contains only those who are saved (Acts 2:47) and are in Christ
(Galatians 3:27). All those outside the Lord’s one church are all lost
in their different denominations. The saved are those who have been
reconciled "to God in
one body" (Ephesians 2:16), by being
"baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians
12:13). Only those who are in the Lord’s one true church have been
reconciled to God. The Bible says, "Blessed are those
who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of
life, and may enter through the gates into the city" (Revelation
22:14). Only those, who keep God's commandments as given in the Bible
and are in the Lord's one true church and will enter through the gates
of that Heavenly city. All others in their denominational churches, who
are keeping the commandments of men will be eternally lost in the
eternal torments of Hell, "into the fire that
shall never be quenched" (Mark 9:45). We read in 1 John 5:3, "This
is the love of God that we keep His commandments". Those who
love God keep God's commandments. But those who keep the commandments
of men show that they do not love God.
Jesus came into this
world to establish His one and only church through which to save lost
and dying humanity. Jesus is only "the
author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9).
Those who obey their false denominational church doctrines instead of
obeying the commandments of Christ cannot be saved. False
denominational doctrine seeks to neutralize the truth of God’s word as
found in the Bible. Satan has always opposed those who are following
God's will. Satan has his denominational preachers ridiculing and
misrepresenting the Lord's one true church, the church of Christ. Those
in the denominational churches are playing Satan's game the very way
Satan wants them to play it as people are running headlong into their
own doom of eternal destruction. They will be with Satan forever and
ever in the torments of Hell. "The devil, who
deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the
beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tormented day and
night forever and ever...And anyone not found written in the Book of
Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:10, 15).
Since the names of those in any of the many denominational churches are
not written in God's "Book of Life", they will be "cast into the lake of
fire", along with Satan.
God's word to us
contains many, many warnings throughout the Bible for us to watch out
and not be deceived by the many different false doctrines of men which
are meant to deceive. The Bible says, "Do not be
carried about with various and strange doctrines" (Hebrews 13:9),
"After the commandments and doctrines of men"
(Colossians 2:22), and "For many deceivers have
gone out into the world" (2 John 7). The many different false
doctrines of men will cause billions of people to be eternally lost
forever in the torments of Hell fire. Of the seven billion people in
the world today, these false doctrines of men have deceived more than
one billion people to become atheists, and almost four billion people to
become Islamics, Buddhists, Confucianists, Hindus, etc., and more than
two billion people to become members of the more than 600 different
false counterfeit denominational churches. The end result of all of
this deception will be the loss of all their eternal souls in Hell
fire.
Denominationalism
offers deceptive satisfaction to many people and does them great harm,
because it elevates personal opinion of man over the truth of God’s word
as written in the Bible and fosters a false sense of security. Men have
altered, revised, manipulated, rearranged, added to, and ignored what
God has said in the Bible as they have created their own man-made
doctrines. The confusion of denominationalism is guided by opinion,
pride, prejudice, impulse, physical sensations, emotionalism and
assumptions. Denominations give their allegiance to the authority of
men over that of Christ. Their sin is making their own religious laws
and setting aside the laws of God. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There
is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death".
This death is being separated from God in the eternal punishment of Hell
"who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His
power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Anything that turns people away
from what God says in the Bible is false teaching, which will cause
many, many people to be eternally lost. In trying to find any of the
counterfeit denominational churches in the Bible is somewhat like a
blind man, in a black cellar, looking for a black cat that is not
there.
People must do
something more than, or less than, or different from what the Bible says
to become a member of a denominational church. Denominationalism does
great harm because it leads people into an irrational spirit of
assurance of "I feel in my heart I’m saved", which destroys their
capacity to objectively examine their condition in the light of God’s
word as found in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine
yourself as to whether you are in the faith". Denominationalism
falsely teaches that one can be saved and go to Heaven without being a
member of the Lord’s one true church, the church of Christ. The Bible
cautions us, "Beloved believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets
are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Notice that God's
word says that there are "many false prophets gone out into the world".
These false prophets are all of the denominational preachers who are
teaching all of their different false doctrines which will cause many,
many people to be eternally lost in Hell, which is what Satan wants.
These false denominational preachers do this "by
smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple"
(Romans 16:18). No one can be saved and go to Heaven by believing and
obeying a man-made devised plan of salvation, but will be eternally lost
in the eternal fires of Hell. Please don't be lost.
Every humanly
devised denominational church on earth is in serious and deadly
competition with the Lord’s one true church for the eternal souls of
men. Every person who joins a denomination, and stays in it, will be
eternally lost in Hell. Denominationalism is the case of the blind
leading the blind, and Jesus says, "And
if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch"
(Matthew 15:14). The ditch is the eternal torment of Hell, which awaits
both the denominational leaders and their followers. A Horrible and
terrible surprise will greet all those in the denominations on Judgment
Day when the Lord tells them "I never
knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew
7:23). They will be departing to the eternal torments of Hell.
Ignorance of God's word in the Bible has led many, many people to accept
the false denominational doctrines of men, who are being led by Satan.
Those who are following these false denominational doctrines may think
they are saving their souls when they are actually losing their souls in
Hell.
The two billion
people today in the denominational churches will be eternally lost in
Hell because they have chosen to be in their own denominational church,
and are not in the Lord’s one true church. In eternity there are only
two final places of existence: Heaven or Hell. Jesus says, "for
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and
there are many who go in by it" (Matthew 7:13). The vast
majority of people are going to be lost in the eternal destruction of
Hell. The false doctrines of denominationalism have caused billions of
people to go through life believing they are saved when they are all
actually still lost. Anyone who would question or criticize any of
these false denominational doctrines is wrongly considered unchristian
and unloving. Jesus continues to say, "Because
strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few
there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14). Jesus says there will
only be a few people who will go to Heaven. This is a very serious
warning! The question is asked in Galatians 4:16, "Have
I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" I
am only wanting to point you to the truth of God's word as found only in
the Bible. Do you want to be among this few who are saved and go to
Heaven or among the many who are lost in the eternal torments of Hell?
What you do in this short life here on earth will determine which of the
two places you will go.
Every denomination in the land has prostituted God’s plan of salvation
and the worship of God. According to the Bible, those in all the
denominational churches are "going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3). Denominational
preachers give people a false sense of security by persuading people
that they are saved without doing what the Lord requires in the Bible
for one to do to be saved and because of these false teachers, the
majority of people remain lost. Jesus says in Mark 7:13 that these
false teachers are "Making the word of God of none
effect through your tradition". The Bible warns us in Colossians
2:18, "Let no one cheat you of your reward".
Man cheats himself to think the unchangeable truth of God’s word can be
tossed around to fit what man wants. It is sinful to set aside the laws
of God and replace them with man-made religious laws.
God’s one plan of
salvation, as contained in the Bible, is to be baptized for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16) to be saved (Mark 16:16) and then
the Lord will add that saved person to His one true church (Acts 2:47),
the church of Christ (Romans 16:16). God "is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6), by
following His instructions as given in the Bible. In entering any
denomination one has to reject God’s only plan of salvation and replace
it with a salvation-robbing false human denominational plans of
salvation. Anything that contradicts or is different from God’s word in
the Bible is another lie of Satan, which is designed to cause many, many
people to be eternally lost in Hell. The Bible speaks of Satan as the
one "who deceives the whole world"
(Revelation 12:9). Satan must separate man from what the Bible says.
Jesus says in Luke 8:12, "then the devil comes and
takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be
saved". Satan does this by taking away God's word out of the
hearts of those people in the denominational churches and replacing it
with false man-made doctrines and creeds. And because of this all
people in their denominations remain lost.
Jesus warns us to "Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). These false prophets
are the denominational preachers, who appear innocent but spiritually
they are very dangerous. Spiritually they are out for the kill. God's
word also says, "there shall be false teachers
among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies...And many
will follow their destructive ways" (2 Peter 2:1-2). These
"destructive heresies" are all the false teachings of the denominations,
which "many will follow" into the eternal torments of Hell. And many
today are following "their destructive ways". It will be too late for
the many, who end up in Hell, to change. They will be there being "tormented
day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10, 15). Many
people today do not believe there will be eternal torment in Hell, but
they will believe it one day when they are begging for one drop of water
to "cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this
flame" (Luke 16:24). The Lord warns us in Hebrews 10:30-31, "Vengeance
is Mine, I will repay says the Lord...the Lord will judge His people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Many, many people will find out in eternity just how fearful it will be
to be eternally lost in Hell, forever and ever, but it will be too late
then.
Jesus says, "He
that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). One
needs help to misunderstand what Jesus says here. Jesus placed both
believing and being baptized before one is saved and not after it. Just
as 1 + 1 = 2, believes + baptized = saved. To reject what Jesus says
is to reject the salvation He wants to give us. The denominational
world laughs at what Jesus says, when Jesus says that baptism is so one
can be saved and go to Heaven. This is sad and will cause many good
honest people to be eternally lost in Hell, because they believed a lie
of Satan. This lie of Satan says that baptism is not necessary for the
forgiveness of sins and to be saved. Satan says all you have to do to
be saved is just "accept Jesus as your personal Saviour" and say the
"sinner's prayer". Satan says it is alright to be baptized to join a
denomination, after you "think" you are already saved, because even
Satan knows God saves one at the point of baptism, not before. One who
joins any of Satan's counterfeit denominational churches just got wet in
doing so. Satan knows that being baptized in order to join a
denomination does one no good and that if one is not baptized for the
forgiveness of sins to be saved, he is still has every sin he ever
committed and is still lost. The Bible says that it is "Satan
that deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9).
But what does the
Lord do with those who obey Him by being baptized to be saved? "And
the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved"
(Acts 2:47). And since the Lord does not add the unsaved to His one
true church, the unsaved have to go and join a counterfeit false
denominational church of their choice. The word of God, when obeyed
without addition or subtraction, makes Christians only. God's word asks
the question, "How shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3). There is no escaping eternal
punishment in Hell for those who do not obey what God says we must do to
be saved. Forgiveness is only on God's terms, not man's. Man is not
authorized to dictate to God as to how man is to be saved.
Jesus asks, "But
why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?"
(Luke 6:46). Since the denominations do not do what Jesus says, Jesus
is not their Lord. Jesus is only the Lord of those who obey Him. Jesus
says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments"
(John 14:15). The denominations do not love Jesus, since they do not
keep His commandments, but they keep their own substitute man-made
commandments. Jesus says, "He who
rejects Me and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the
word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John
12:48). To reject Jesus by not receiving and doing what Jesus says to
be saved is to reject the only way of salvation from sin that exists.
Since the
denominations do not accept Jesus’ words of "He
that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16), they
will be judged and condemned by these very same words which they have
chosen to reject and not obey. Why do so many people choose to reject
the only way that leads to Heaven? In
rejecting what Jesus says, Acts 13:46 says, "but
since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life".
One who does not do what Jesus says is unworthy of everlasting life in
Heaven. The Bible says in 1 John 2:4, "He who
says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and
the truth is not in him". Those in all the different
denominational churches do not love or know the Lord because they do not
keep the Lord's commandments; but God's word says they are liars since
they keep the commandments of men instead.
Denominational
preachers are those "who trouble you
and want to pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:7). All
of the more than 600 different kinds of denominational churches have all
perverted the gospel of Christ with their own false plans of salvation.
But the Bible warns us in Galatians 1:9, "if
anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let
him be accursed". Denominational preachers and all who follow
their preaching will be accursed when they are eternally "cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone" (Revelation 20:10). The
Bible continues to say in Ephesians 5:17, "Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is".
One is very unwise to not understand what the will of the Lord is,
because if he doesn’t understand it, he will not obey it, and if he
doesn't obey it he will be eternally lost in Hell. It is not that
people cannot "understand what the will of the Lord is", but they don't
want to understand it. We are warned to "Beware
lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to
the tradition of men" (Colossians 2:8). People in the
denominations, in following the "empty deceit according to the
traditions of men" are being cheated out of their eternal reward of
Heaven.
Satan fights hard to
prevent people from obtaining the salvation God wants us to have. First
Satan tries to keep people from believing in Christ. If he fails at
this then he tries to keep people from repenting. If Satan fails at
this and people want to be baptized, he tries to get them to substitute
sprinkling or pouring instead of immersion. If he fails at this and
people want to be baptized (immersed), Satan then tries to get people to
first "accept Jesus as your personal Saviour" and to say "the Sinner's
Prayer" in order to be saved and have their sins forgiven. Satan tells
people "after they think they have been saved" to go ahead and be
baptized to join a denomination, but not to be baptized to be saved.
Those people who have been baptized, but not for the forgiveness of
their sins and to be saved, but just to join a denomination just got wet
in doing so. But they still have every sin they have ever committed and
will be eternally lost in Hell. God’s
word asks the question of all those in all the denominational churches,
"Who has bewitched you that you
should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 3:1). Also in addition to
what God requires for one to be saved, Satan has also perverted what God
requires if our worship service to Him is to be acceptable. None of the
more than 600 different denominations have any Biblical authority to
exist, but are sinful and ungodly counterfeit organizations of Satan,
which are designed to cause men to be eternally lost.
We only have two
choices as to where we will spend eternity: either Heaven or Hell. If
one doesn’t go to Heaven he/she will end up in the eternal torments of
Hell, which will never ever end. Most people will choose to be
eternally lost in Hell. The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 that
the denominations are those who through "unrighteous
deception among those who perish because they did not receive a love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all may
be condemned who did not believe the truth". Because those in
the denominational churches do not have a love of the truth of God’s
word as found in the Bible, they have been sent a strong delusion that
they should believe a lie and they will all be condemned to eternal
torment on Judgment Day. We are warned in 2 John 9, "Whoever
transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have
God". Whoever dares to believe and practice that which is not
authorized in the Bible, does not have God and because of this he will
be eternally lost.
God’s word says, "For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they
will heap up to themselves teachers; and will turn their ears from the
truth" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Many people do not want to hear the
truth of God's word as contained in the Bible. God’s word continues to
warn, "For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And
no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according
to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Satan's denominational
preachers try to appear as well-dressed smooth talking ministers of
righteousness as they promote their counterfeit faiths with their false
teaching. Many, many people are fooled by these false teachers. Satan
rejoices at all of the religious confusion and division that is going on
in the world today. Satan works ceaselessly to cause people to follow
their false denominational doctrines instead of the Bible only.
All of those people
in the denominations are following after Satan and their end will also
be the eternal torments of Hell along with Satan. So God’s word says, "Therefore
come out from among them and be separate says the Lord" (2
Corinthians 6:17). God’s word also says, "mark
them that cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which
you have learned and avoid them" (Romans 16:17). The
denominations are to be avoided. Denominational preachers are "unstable
people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the
scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). We are warned in the next verse to "beware
lest you be...led away with the error of the wicked" (2 Peter
3:17), because of their false teaching. Do not allow any of the false
counterfeit doctrines of the many different denominations confuse and
blind your mind on a subject that is so vitally important, because your
soul is at stake. In being a member of any of the many denominational
churches one cannot be pleasing to God and go to Heaven, but will be "cast
alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation
19:20) and "shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10). Please, please don't be
lost. But the decision is yours.
The only church
revealed in the Bible is the one built by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18),
and Jesus is only the head of it (Colossians 1:18). Jesus purchased
only His one true church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Jesus’ one
true church is His one body (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:4), which is His one
bride (Ephesians 5:22-32). Since Jesus has only one true church, He
will "present it to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish"
(Ephesians 5:27). When the Lord saves people who have obeyed His word
(Mark 16:16), He adds only them to His one true church (Acts 2:47), the
church of Christ (Romans 16:16). How tragic it will be for the many who
miss Heaven and who end up in the eternal torments of Hell, because they
chose to obey the commandments of men instead of the commandments of
God.
Jesus says, "Not
everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but
he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out
demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I
will declare to them, I
never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness"
(Matthew 7:21-23). That day will be the Day of Judgment, when the
people of the denominational churches will be desperately pleading with
the Lord, but because they have not done "the will of My Father in
heaven" they will be told by Jesus, "I never knew you, depart from Me".
God's word, the Bible, warns us, "and he shall be
tormented with fire and brimstone...and the smoke of their torment
ascends up forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night"
(Revelation 14:10-11). This will be the worse thing that will be said
to anyone, and particularly those who are members of the many false
counterfeit denominational churches, when they are told to depart,
because they are all headed for the eternal torments of Hell fire that
will never ever end. There are going to be many, many surprised and
horrified people on the Day of Judgment. Please don't be one of them.
Doing God’s will has
never put anyone at anytime into a false counterfeit denominational
church, because none of the denominations belong to the Lord. The cure
for denominationalism is the same cure for any other sin: repentance.
One must repent by coming out of their false counterfeit denominations
and obey the Lord’s will by being baptized for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38, 22:16), then the Lord will add them to His one true church,
the church of Christ (Romans 16:16). 2 Peter 1:10 says, "be
even more diligent to make your calling and election sure". If
you do not make your calling and election sure you will end up in the
eternal torments of Hell. If you want to make your calling election of
going to Heaven sure, you will do what God in His word in the Bible
commands us to do and not what man says. Satan constantly strives to
hinder and hide the truth of God's word. Do not allow Satan's
smokescreen of false denominational doctrine to conceal the truth of
God's word from you.
We are warned in
Titus 1:14 to not give heed to the "commandments
of men who turn from the truth". Those who follow the
denominational commandments of men have turned from the truth of God's
word as found in the Bible and because of this they will be eternally
lost forever in Hell. Jesus says, "He that is not
with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters
abroad" (Matthew 12:30). If you are not in the Lord's one true
church, the church of Christ, then you are against Christ. Please don't
wait until eternity to find out you are lost. God's word says, "Behold
now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2
Corinthians 6:2). The Bible also says to "choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house
we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15). Tomorrow may be too
late. People must come out of their denominations and obey what the
Lord says one must do to be saved, if they really want to go to Heaven
when this short life here on earth is over.
The Bible says in
James 4:14, "Whereas you do not know what will
happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that
appears for a little time and then vanishes away". This life
here on earth is so short, but eternity is forever and ever without
end. If you are in any one of the more than 600 different kinds of
false counterfeit denominational churches, please, please come out and
obey the Lord before it is everlastingly too late. Be baptized for the
forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16) so you can be saved
(Mark 16:16), and then the Lord will add you to His one true church
(Acts 2:47) so you won’t be eternally lost in Hell; but only you can
make that decision. If a person is eternally lost in Hell, he will only
have himself to blame. Jesus is asking you a question, "For
what is a man profited if he should gain the whole world and lose his
own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
(Matthew 16:26). Each one of our souls is worth more than the whole
world and everything in it. Every person's future eternal state of
either Heaven or Hell is permanently fixed when he/she dies. Each of us
makes the choice in this life as to whether we are to be in Heaven or in
Hell in eternity. The choice is yours. What is your choice going to
be? Your eternal destiny is at stake. The false doctrines of the
denominations are robbing people of an eternal inheritance of Heaven.
If one doesn't go with the few to Heaven, he will be with the many who
will be eternally tormented in Hell. But the sad and tragic thing is
that all of the many, many people in their many differing denominations
are all going to be eternally lost. Please don't be lost with them in
the eternal torments of Hell.
Multiplied millions
of people in the world today have based their hope on the false
conclusion that they can be saved in any of the more than 600 different
kinds of false denominational counterfeit churches built by men. This
false conclusion of error will cause them to lose their eternal souls in
Hell. People must do something more than, less than, or different from
what the Bible says to become a member of a denomination. Since the
Lord only has one true church that He is going to save, we have the
choice to accept it and become a member of His one true church and go to
Heaven, or reject it and become a member of any of the different
counterfeit churches and be eternally lost in Hell. The Bible says we
are to "Fear God and keep His commandments"
(Ecclesiastes 12:13), and not the commandments of men. Ignorance of
what God's word says is very dangerous. God says in Hosea 4:6, "My
people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." Because of a lack
of knowledge of God's word, false doctrines have become widespread and
have deceived and mislead many, many people into a false sense of
security, which has caused them to close their eyes to the truth of
God's word. We are warned, "Let no man deceive
himself" (1 Corinthians 3:18). If we want to please God and go
to Heaven, we must speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the
Bible is silent, call things by Bible names, and do things in Bible
ways.
Hebrews 9:27 says, "And
as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment".
We have two appointments which all people will definitely keep, death
and the Judgment. These two appointments cannot be cancelled. Eternity
awaits each of us. We cannot afford to be wrong about our eternal
salvation. If only the pure word of God is taken without addition,
subtraction, innovation, or alteration; it will only produce
Christians. If people will take only the Bible and believe only what it
teaches, teach only what it teaches, obey only what it teaches, and
practice only what it teaches; only then can one be a Christian and be
pleasing to God and go to Heaven. Are you ready for the Judgment?
How does one become
a member of the Lord’s one true church? In Acts 2:37 people asked the
question, "what shall we do?" In Acts
2:38, 41, 47, these people were told to "repent
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins…Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:
and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Here the Bible places forgiveness of sins after a believer repents and
is baptized. After one is baptized and is saved (Mark 16:16), then the
Lord adds him to His one true church (Acts 2:47), the church of Christ
(Romans 16:16). Jesus built only His one true church (Matthew 16:18),
Jesus is the head of only His one true church (Colossians 1:18), and
Jesus is the Saviour of only His one true church (Ephesians 5:23).
Jesus says in John 8:31, "If you continue in My
word then you are My disciples". Only when we are faithful in
obeying the commandments of Jesus, are we His disciples and only then
can we go to Heaven.
Truth is at stake
and your soul is precious. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men". It is going
to be very terrible for the majority of the people in this world who are
going to be eternally lost in Hell. I plead with all people everywhere
to forsake their false doctrines, false church names, false practices,
and false commandments of men and believe, practice, and obey only what
God says in the Bible.
If
you would like to locate a congregation of the Lord's one true church
who follows only what God says in the Bible and who will help you in
your being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins so you can be saved
and go to Heaven, then locate a congregation of the Church of Christ in
your community. If you would like to locate a congregation of the
Church of Christ near you then click on and search the following three
directories:
Directory #1
Directory #2
Directory #3
They will be glad to study with you and baptize you for the forgiveness
of your sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16) so you can be saved (Mark 16:16), just
as the Bible says. Then the Lord will add you to His one true church
(Acts 2:47), the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16), of which He is the
Saviour (Ephesians 5:23). There in the Church of Christ you can worship
God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
And Jesus promises, "Be faithful until death, and
I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). Please
become a member of the Lord’s one true church so you can go to Heaven
when this short life here on earth is over. The choice you make will
determine the eternal destiny of your soul.
If you have any
questions or need help in locating a congregation of the Church of
Christ then email me at rboat@netbiblestudy.net
I deeply care for
your soul. Ron
Boatwright
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Copyright © 2005 Ron Boatwright
