Will Only Members of the Church of Christ be Saved?

by Charles E. Murray

I have been asked the above question many times during the past years. My response usually is to say, "I don't even believe most of them are going to be saved!" This question is raised, usually in derision by someone who fails to understand what the Bible says about the exclusiveness of God's people. Jesus taught that the way to heaven is "narrow" and that "few find it," while the "broad way " leads to destruction and is found by "many." Yet most religious people do not believe what Jesus taught about "few" people being saved.

The general concept is that many people are going to heaven. In fact, if you listen to the televangelists, it really is not as difficult to go to heaven as Jesus said it would be. We are told that it doesn't make any difference what a person believes. As long as that person is sincere, heaven is his destination. Again we are told that we can "get saved" and then go and join any church of our choosing regardless of what that church teaches. Most denominations teach conflicting doctrines and even this doesn't matter! We can believe almost anything we want to believe without any effect on our eternal destination, we are told.

But is heaven really that easy to reach? Does God really not care that the religious world is divided over the "Perfect law of liberty" that He left to guide us to that heavenly abode? Does it not matter to God that men teach many ways to heaven, when the New Testament teaches there is only one?

In this brief study, I will attempt to answer the question heading this article: "Will Only Members Of The Church of Christ Be Saved?" My first response to this question is "Yes" and "No." Now, I realize that this reply is contradictory, but please consider carefully what the New Testament teaches about who will be saved.

If a person's concept of the "church of Christ" is that of a denomination, then the answer to our question is "no." The reason for this is that salvation is not in any denomination that exists today. There are no saved people in denominations. Denominations did not exist when Peter on Pentecost preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and "there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2: 41). These "souls" who were added, were not added to any denomination, but they were added to "the church by the Lord" (Acts 2:47). No doubt, you already can see how the answer to our question can also be "yes." In view of the fact that the Lord adds to the church those who are saved, only the saved are added to the church. If you are not saved, you are not put in the church by the Lord. If you are saved, the Lord adds you. So, only those added to the church by the Lord are going to be saved. Will only members of the church belonging to the Lord, who are added to His church by the Lord Himself, be saved? The answer to this question obviously is "yes." The Lord will not add someone who is lost to the church. Since every saved person is added to the church, only those in the Lord's church will go to heaven!

But the difficulty in giving an answer to our question is seen in the many misconceptions today about what constitutes the church of Christ. A "church of Christ" can be a denomination. In fact many organizations that use this name are nothing more than a man-made denomination. But not every church belonging to Christ is a denomination. The fact that Christ has a church cannot be denied by those who believe what the New Testament teaches. For example, can anyone deny that a church existed to which the Lord added saved people (Acts 2:47)? Would anyone be so bold as to deny that the church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22,23; Colossians 1:18)? Can anyone refuse to believe that those congregations of saved people were called "churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16) in New Testament times?

If we believe what the Bible teaches, we must believe what the above passages teach. But also, we must believe what the Lord says about the exclusiveness of the saved. Contrary to what the religious world teaches about there being "many ways" that lead to heaven, Jesus taught, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Note carefully that Jesus taught "one" way to the Father, not "many" ways! Furthermore, about this "way" Jesus taught, "but narrow is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:14). This statement of our Lord is prefaced by the sobering fact: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (verse 13).The way to heaven is narrow and only a few find it, according to the teachings of our Lord.

In the same context, Jesus reveals truth that helps us answer our question, "Will only members of the church of Christ be saved?" Notice what He teaches in Matthew 7: 21: "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Who is going to heaven?

Not everyone! Not even every religious person! Not even everyone who acknowledges Jesus as "Lord, Lord!" Those going to heaven are those who "do the will of" the "Father." Who are these who "do the will of the Father?" They are those who obey what the Lord has commanded. This naturally leads to the next question, "What has the Lord commanded?"

This is the most important question we can ask! Since only those who obey the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21) are going to heaven, we must learn what His will is for us. What has the Lord commanded us to do in order to be saved?

The Lord demands that we believe in Him as God's Son and that we believe that He died for our sins. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists…" (Hebrews 11:6).

The Lord commands that we repent of past sins: ".....unless you repent you will all perish" (Luke 13:3).

"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).

Confession of our faith is also demanded by our Lord. "Whoever acknowledges [confesses] me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).

Baptism is also commanded. "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:48). According to verse 47, this baptism was in water.

Would anyone be so bold as to deny that these are commands? If they are commanded, can we go to heaven without obeying the Lord's commands? Remember what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of the Father in heaven." The will of the Father in heaven is that we believe, repent, confess and be baptized. Only those who obey this will of the Father are going to heaven! Now, in conclusion, let's examine how this action of obeying the will of the Father is related to church membership.

Let's go back to Acts chapter two, where the birth of the church is recorded. After Peter convicted his audience of crucifying God's Son, they cried out, "Men and brethren, What shall we do?" Peter's answer is found in verse 38: "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins."

Notice verse 41: "Those who accepted this message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." They believed the message Peter preached and they accepted it and they obeyed it by being baptized for the remission of sins. Now, we can understand the significance of verse 47: "and the Lord added to the church daily those were being saved."

"Will only members of the church of Christ be saved?" Answer: Only those whom the Lord adds to His church will be saved! Only those who obey the will of the Father will be saved (Matthew 7:21). Only those who obey the will of the Father will be added to the church (Acts 2:41).

Friend, have you been added to the church by the Lord? Have you obeyed the will of the Father in heaven? This is the only "way" to heaven. It is a narrow way and only a few will find it.

The other "way" is "broad" and many are traveling this way to destruction, simply because they have not obeyed the will of the Father and have not been added to the church by the Lord.

"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord...." (2 Thessalonians 1: 8,9).

Do not be "shut out" from God's presence by your failure to obey the will of the Father and be added to the church of the Lord.