51. Salvation Located

From the time God called Abraham to go to a country that he would shew 'trim, with a promised blessing when this command was obeyed God has always required certain people to go to certain places for safety, or blessing, and no one could hope to reach said blessing or meet God's approval short of doing what God told them to do.

We call to memory, that when God brought a flood upon the earth he placed salvation from the flood, to Noah and his family, in the ark, and all must go into the ark to be saved from death. Many good people in our time would argue God had as much power out of the ark, and is there were just as good men out of the ark as in the ark, going into the ark would be unnecessary, and they would have been preaching salvation out of the ark. God ordained, on one occasion, that Jonah should go down to Nineveh and preach that in forty days Nineveh should be overthrown. Jonah could have preached that doctrine at any other place, and have been a violator of God's law, for the command was to preach at Nineveh. God promised salvation, only in the brazen serpent that Moses hung up on a poll. But many of our time would claim: It is silly for all to have to look at one snake when they could make snakes and hang up all over the camp, and each man look at the snake of his choice. It would make no difference which snake you looked at, so you looked at some snake, and if all were not pleased with the snakes they then had let him make a snake to suit himself, for just as good people look at one snake as at the other.

When God promised Abraham a country that would flow with milk and honey, it was far out of Egypt, and on the other side of waters of the sea, and no one had the promise of that country while he remained in Egypt. All must leave Egypt and all must go where the country was located to enjoy its blessings. No one could have enjoyed the fruits of the promised land had they refused to go to that country. After they went over into the promised land God located six cities of refuge (Numbers 35). When a man's life was in danger, God provided salvation from the avenger of blood only in these cities, and a man must go to these cities when danger came, to find protection.

Under the old dispensation God ordained certain places of worship, and those who rendered scriptural or acceptable worship to God must go where God recorded His name. All the above we find to be the teaching of God in the old dispensation. Coming now to the New Testament I call your attention that Jesus purchased his church with his blood (Acts 20:28). Being purchased by the blood of Christ it became a divine institution in which Jesus is said to be the head, and this church is his body (Ephesians 1:22-23). This church is built upon a divine foundation in which Jesus is the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:20-22). All people who are reconciled to God must be reconciled in this one church or body (Ephesians 2:16).

This brings me direct to the diagram in which I want to affirm that the God of heaven has located salvation from all past sins "in" not "out" of his church, and there is no promise of any man being saved outside the church of Christ and here is where the great battle comes between truth and error, between the human churches and the church of Christ.

1. Some people argue there are just as good people in one church as in another True, but God does not save us on account of our goodness, but spirituality. Jesus teaches we must be born again. here are just as good men outside the Masonic lodges as belong to them, but no man is buried by Masonic honors who does not belong to the Masonic lodge.

2. Some say we are saved outside the church and join the church because we are saved. Paul said he purchased the church with his blood (Acts 20:38). Then ii' you are saved outside of the church you are saved outside the purchased possession, and must claim salvation outside the blood of Christ.

3. Some argue, it is God and not the church that saves. This may be true, but where does God save? Paul says we are reconciled in one body (Ephesians 2:16). He says in Colossians 1:18-24, that this one body is the church. Inasmuch as God reconciles us in his church, ii' you were reconciled outside of his church, it was not God who did the reconciling.

4. Some will ask: Won't God save me out of the church? Let Jesus answer. In the seventh chapter of Matthew, Jesus argues there are only two classes of builders—one on the rock, and the other on the sand. The ones who built on the sand, their building fell, but on the rock it stood. Is the church built on the rock or on the sand? When Peter confessed the Son of God, he said, "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Then as the church is built on the rock, ii' you are building outside the church you are building on the sand, and Jesus says your building shall tall.

5. We are reconciled to God in the church, or one body (Ephesians 2:16). Then it you are saved outside the church, you are saved outside of reconciliation to God, and certainly no one will want that kind of salvation.

Having learned where I am reconciled to God, the next question to settle is, What must I do to come into the place of reconciliation? The answer to this comes by the Son of God when he says we must "hear" his sayings and "do" them to be like the wise man (Matthew 7:24). In doing the sayings of Jesus I must "believe" that he is the Son of God (John 20:30). After believing I must "repent" of my sins (Luke 13:6). After repentance, I must "confess" him before man (Matthew 10:32) and in the great commission Jesus not only taught I should believe but I should be baptized in order to reach salvation ( Mark 16:16) . This agrees with Paul who taught as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). So these five commands I find taught at different places in the Bible teach me "what" I must do to be saved. Now, I should ask, By whom must these commands be obeyed in order to his salvation? (1) Not by a child. (2) Not by a saved person. But the commission comes only to that man and woman who are willing to hear the Lord, believe his word, and obey his commandments.

The final thought: Why should I do these things? (1) Because my eternal happiness depends upon doing the commands of the Lord. In the last chapter of Revelation, fourteenth verse, the Bible says, "Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." It our entrance into the city of our God depends upon our doing his commandments, no one can have a hope of salvation short of complying with the same. On account of the blessings and rewards God otters to those who work for him, I should be willing to go at the first call, and do all I can, not only to save myself, but those with whom I may associate along life's pathway. As salvation is promised to all who obey him and located in the only church Christ purchased with his blood and the way into said church is made so plain, the only reason one can offer for not being saved is: I did not want to do the will of my Lord.