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THE MEANS OR THE END??
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Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised, “…..I will build My church…. .”
We are familiar with many people who sincerely believe that Jesus
established the church for it to be the means of salvation.
In this brief article we would like to examine appropriate
Scriptures to determine whether that assumption is true.
First, an examination of Matthew 16:18 will reveal that Jesus said
that He would build his church; He
did not say that the church would be the means of salvation.
Secondly, we must hear from Jesus Himself concerning what the means
of salvation would be. Speaking
to Thomas in John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.” That
is not the only time that Jesus referred to Himself as the means of
salvation. Speaking to the
Pharisees in John 10:9 Jesus informed them, “I am the door.
If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved…… .” Speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:18 Jesus clearly stated that
anyone believing in Him was not condemned; on the other hand anyone who
spurned Him was condemned already. Speaking
to the multitude in John 6:47 Jesus said, “….he who believes in Me has
everlasting life.” The
apostles repeatedly wrote in the Scriptures concerning the reality of
faith in Jesus Christ as being the means of salvation.
John wrote in John 1:12 that the right to become children of God
belonged to those who believed in the name of Jesus. Paul wrote in Phil. 3:9 that the righteousness which is the
ground of salvation is given to the one who comes to faith in Jesus
Christ. In Acts 4:12 Peter
plainly states that salvation comes only through the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ. These are just
a sampling of verses that prove that the church is not the means of
salvation, but that Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary is the
means of salvation. What
was the reason for Jesus to cause the church to come into existence; what
would its purpose be? In Eph.
1:22, 23 Paul tells his readers that the church is the
body of Christ, the fullness of Him.
On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 Jesus began building His church.
All who heeded Peter’s admonition to repent and trust Jesus as
their Savior were baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus and in the Spirit
were made members of the body of
Christ, the church (1 Cor. 12:12, 13). In
Ephesians 2:21, 22 Paul refers to the church, the body of Christ as a
holy temple and as a habitation of God
in the Spirit. Peter
wrote about the same theme. In
1 Pt. 2:5 he wrote concerning believers in Jesus Christ, “You
also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house…… .” We
examined just a sampling of many verses from God’s Word which prove that
the church is the end of salvation, not the means.
Jesus is the means of salvation.
Jesus never intended to use the church to save people.
Instead he uses each one who has been saved through faith in
Himself as a living stone to build His church.
What a tragedy for people to rely on a false hope as those in Matthew
7:21-23; they will hear these terrible words from Jesus Himself, “…I
never knew you; depart from Me…. .” Country Bible Church Casco, WI Phone # 1-920-845-9356 Visit us
on the web at www.countrybiblechurch.com |