12 Reasons For Being A Member Of The Church Of Christ
"In Christ There Is Forgiveness Of Sins"
Only in Christ is there forgiveness of sins. Paul in his letter to the saints at Ephesus sets forth this truth in a way that anyone with an honest and good heart could understand. "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,......In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph 1:1-7)
To be in Christ is to be in His body (1 Cor 12:12-14). The only way to get into His body is to believe, repent, and be baptized into Him (Gal 3:26,27). His body is His church (Col 1:18, 24). Also, in Col 1:7-10, we find that Paul had been informed of their love in the Spirit. This knowledge prompted Paul to pray for them that they might have all things needed "for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1:11-14). Christ is the head of the church, "He Him- self being the Savior of the body" (Eph 5:23).
Giving careful consideration to these scriptures, only one conclusion can be drawn. To be in Christ is to be in His body. To be in His body is to be in His church. To be in His church is to be in His kingdom. To be in His kingdom is to have our sins forgiven. To have our sins forgiven is to be saved, to be blessed "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 1:3). One such blessing is the privilege of prayer through which the penitent Christian may approach his Heavenly Father and seek forgiveness (Acts 8:22). The child of God is expected to oppose sin and to be constantly striving against it (Heb 12:4). However, even the strongest of Christians will occasionally stumble. Concerning which John writes, "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). It is through Him we approach our Heavenly Father for forgiveness.
In conclusion, one must accept the truth set forth in Eph 4:4-6 that, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." It would be impossible to be in Christ, in His body, which is His church and be a member of a denominational church at the same time. Christ has not been divided physically so why believe that His spiritual body contains multiple hundreds of denominations (1 Cor 1:12,13). The truth is, there are no divisions in this one body, His church (1 Cor 12:20-27). Since the forgiveness of sins is promised only to those who are in this one body, then it necessarily follows that there is no forgiveness of sins promised to those in any other religious organization on earth. Only in Christ (His body, His church) is there forgiveness of sins. - Ray Wilson
"For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another" (Tit. 3:3 emph. mine, ed). "Unto you therefore which believe he (Christ, ed) is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner. And a stone of stumbling, and rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed" (1Pet. 2:7,8). "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Col. 3:6). "...every...disobedience received a just recompence of reward..." (Heb. 2:2).
The above verses teach us the danger of disobedience. Let each one remember that Jesus is the "...author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him..." (Heb. 5:9). Obey the Lord, walk in the narrow path of truth, go home to glory.