Are We Not All Christians?

By Cj Clayton

Many today walk around calling themselves Christians. They say they are proud to wear the name Christian, but they will not all agree that Christ built only ONE Church.  Even though he says he only built ONE. (Matt 16:18)

These so-called Christians also say that you don't have to be baptized in order to be saved.  They don't agree that Christ meant what he said when he spoke of Baptism in Mark 16:16. Christ made it very clear! There is NO grey area here: “He that believeth and IS BAPTIZED shall be SAVED, he that believeth not shall be damned”.

 

I wonder if they even understand where the name (CHRIST)ians came from. Surely this name defines people as the people of Christ. But when it comes to Christ only building one Church which also carries his name (The Church of Christ) they don't agree with that.

 

So I guess to these people it is ok to borrow Christ's name and to call yourself a CHRIST-ian, but they don't want to hear any more about Christ's teachings on Salvation or that Christ put a name on the church that he built.  Notice Jesus does not say that He built the plural form (Churches) in Matt 16:18 I wonder what God thinks about all of these wicked people borrowing his Son’s name?

 

But unto the wicked God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction and casteth my words behind thee!! (Psalms 50:16-17) 

 

God will not tolerate them forever! This gives us all the more reason to go out and teach the truth and to reach the lost.

 

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the Salvation of God. (Psalms 50:22-23) 

 

The only way to glorify God is to be added to the Church. The Church has to be the Church that Christ built. It cannot be just ANY Church. If you glorify God in a Church that his Son did not build then God will NOT be glorified! Why? Neither God nor His Son is even in, at, or near that Church!  Your worship of God becomes vain worship when you worship at some man made church.

 

Jesus Himself said: “Verily Verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).

 

Jesus told us that if we believe on Him we will have everlasting life. If you don't believe that He only built one Church and you don't believe that baptism is essential to Salvation when he told (YOU) these things, then you do not believe on Him. This is why Jesus advised us to search the scriptures:

 

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5: 39-40)

 

Jesus knew that many still would not come to him that they might have life, then, and it is the same now.

 

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)

 

If you are not in the Church of Christ then you cannot worship God in spirit and truth. This makes you NOT a TRUE worshiper of the Father.

 

The Apostle Paul had care of all the Churches of Christ, (II Cor 11:28). Paul called them by their name: The Churches of Christ (Rom 16:16). There was a Church of Christ in: Macedonia, Rome, Corinth, Galatia, ETC... These were all ONE body, ONE Church.

 

So... are we not all Christians?

 

Answer: “No! We are not all Christians! Only those who are in the one body, in the ONE Church that God’s Son built, are Christians. They are the only ones who have been added to Christ’s church, the church of Christ”.

............Article 193............

ISBS Ladies Daily Devotional
03/18/05

Return to: I.S.B.S. Ladies Daily Devo. Archives