Good News For Youth (GNFY) published under the oversight of the Alkire Rd Church of Christ elders and posted by permission of the editor.

Will Good People in all Churches be Saved?

Let us be sure what we are trying to do in discussing such a question.

No person has a right, and ought not to have the desire, to assume the role of God and pass judgment on anything or anybody according to his own standards. But we must recognize the distinction between judging by our standards and accepting the judgments God has made and revealed according to His standards. We are not trying to draw a line with our pencil, but to recognize the line God has drawn with His.

We are aware there are those who really do not care about salvation, being good, or anything related. On the other hand, there are those who care, who want to be good, who want to know and abide by the will of God. However, many such people are mistaken as to what God has revealed and what constitutes salvation and being good.

This subject arouses religious passion; sometimes heat without much light. It has separated friends, families, even marriage partners. While this is regrettable, we must also recognize that the way of Christ sometimes produces such things (Matt 10:34-37), because some will follow Him and others choose to go their own way.

There are a lot of sincere people who are divided over the very question we have under consideration. But may we suggest that the question itself indicates several false assumptions.

Some feel that it really does not matter to which church one belongs. We hear the admonitions, "Join the church of your choice." Others will say "One is as good as another".

Many will even tell you there is no need to belong to any church at all in order to be saved. People who are honest and sincere sometimes hold these very views. But that is because they do not consider the church the way the Bible reveals it. They think of the church in terms of denominations, either Catholic or Protestant, evidently never questioning the propriety of their concept of the church in such terms.

Have you ever considered the possibility, yes, the reality, of the church separate and apart from denominationalism? After all, there is no Biblical teaching that presents the church in that fashion. It is a wonderful and refreshing thought to know that one need not be Catholic nor Protestant to be Christian. In fact, when one comes to understand the church as God has revealed it, he will find there is no room in his thinking for Catholicism or Protestantism. There is simply nothing in the Bible that condones it. In fact, the scriptures condemn the very division that denominationalism promotes, propagates and upon which it feeds for survival (I Cor 1:10; John 17:20,21).

The Bible teaches there is one church (Ephesians 1:22,23; Ephesians 4:4; Ephesians 5:23; Matthew 16:16-18). Why some think that is too narrow and is difficult to understand. Some in the church seem to cringe and shy away from that basic and fundamental truth regarding the church. Are some ashamed of and embarrassed by the truth (Romans 1:16)? As surely as there is one shepherd, there is one fold (John 10:16). We contend for one church on the higher authority.

Rather than there being any scriptural support for believing there are many acceptable churches, Christ warns, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matthew 15:13). God has not planted many churches. He has planted only one.

Men attempt to escape this truth by saying, "You think you and your people are the only church". Friend, regardless of what I think, or what my brethren think, or what you think, for that matter, our thinking does alter what the Bible teaches regarding the singularity of the church. It is just that way. What anybody thinks will not change that revelation, try hard as anyone might. Ridicule, scoffing, etc., in no way changes anything regarding the truth. There is one church. And, that church is not a denomination or the amalgamation of the many denominations. If so, where is the scripture that so teaches?

It makes a difference what one believes. It makes a difference to which church one belongs. Christ built the church (Matt 16:18), purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28), is the Savior of it (Eph 5:23). To contend the church does not matter is to contend Jesus wasted his time and Himself.

Everyone really believes it matters what one believes whether they will admit it or not.

The fact "there is one faith" (Ephesians 4:5) assures us that God thinks it matters what one believes. Had you just as soon be a Hindu, Buddhist, "Moonie," or atheist? We have never met anyone who actually believed it did not matter. If one believes it does not matter, why are they so insistent that we all believe it does not matter?

During the life of Jesus many turned away from him when they rejected the hard sayings (John 6:66). Many turn from the truth on this matter also because it is harder than what they want to accept, but not because it is false. We sympathize with those who have been reared under the influence of denominationalism so strongly that they find it difficult to grasp the Biblical presentation of the church. But, we cannot change it.

Let us realize that being religious, good, honest, and sincere, are all well and good, as far as it goes. But, it does not go far enough. We are not saved by just being good. Examples of conversion of such as the eunuch, Cornelius, Lydia, etc., prove that. In fact, nearly every example of conversion is that of one who was morally good.

While moral goodness is necessary, it is not sufficient for salvation just like air, or water, or food is vital to life, but none of these stands sufficient alone. We are dependent on the blood of Christ for salvation (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12). We must come in contact with his blood to be saved. This we do, by the grace of God, when we obey the conditions he has given for reaching His blood.

Obedience is necessary (Hebrews 5:9). We must believe (John 8:24), repent (Luke 13:3), confess our faith in Christ as God’s Son (Romans 10:9,10), and be baptized for the remission of sins to be saved (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16). In baptism, we are baptized into his death (Romans 6:3,4) where His blood was shed (John 19:31). We are then enabled to rise to walk in a newness of life (Romans 6:3,4). God adds us to His church (Acts 2:47).

There is no pleasing way to tell people they are lost, especially those who think they are saved. But one remains lost until he obeys what God has directed to be believed and obeyed. To contend otherwise is to contend the word of God is meaningless and optional.

Will good people in all churches be saved?

The Bible answer is "NO".

We must accept what the Bible teaches. Why is the answer "no"? Because the Bible does not teach salvation by just being good. Because the Bible does not teach there are many churches acceptable before God. One denomination may be as good as another, but God did not establish any of them and not one of them nor all of them compare with the church that belongs to Christ. The Bible teaches one church and Christ is its Savior.

We insist this is not passing judgment of our own making upon anybody. It is to accept what God has revealed concerning everybody.

Some may ask, "Do you believe you are in His church?" The answer is obvious. Certainly we believe we are. If we did not, we surely would be busy become a member of it the way the Bible teaches. Will you do the same?