The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at New Georgia

Tim Johnson, editor

October 5, 2003

 
In This Issue:
How does one call on the name of the Lord to be saved?
by JImmy Thomas

The Church that Jesus Built
by Steve Klein

 

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  "How does one call on the name of the Lord to be saved?"

   The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32). This promise is to all. Everyone who thus calls "shall be saved."

   Some think that calling on the Lord is crying, "Lord, Lord," but Jesus asked, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Lk. 6:46) Again He said, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt. 7:21). There is something one must do in order to be saved (Acts 16:30; 22:10).

   Others tell sinners to kneel at an altar and pray to the Lord for salvation. This, they insist, is how one calls on the name of the Lord. Prayer is a privilege of God's children (Mt. 6:9). No alien is saved by prayer (I Pet. 3:12). The publican and the thief were both Jews, not aliens (Lk. 18:13; 23:42). Cornelius was not saved by his prayers, as he had to hear words whereby he was saved (Acts 10:2,4; 11:14).

   Many teach that one calls on the name of the Lord when he believes. They shout, "All you have to do to be saved is just believe on the Lord." James wrote, "Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith" (cf. Jas. 2:15-19; John 12:42,43).

   Paul indicated that those who call on the Lord are the ones who hear, believe and obey the gospel (Rom. 10:14-17). These are the same "who were baptized into Christ" (Rom. 6:3,4,17,18). When one hears, believes and is baptized, he calls "upon the name of the Lord" and is saved (cf. Acts 18:8).

   On Pentecost, Peter identified "the Lord," upon whose name one is to call, as "Jesus of Nazareth" "whom God raised up" (Acts 2:22,24; cf v. 36). When the people asked, "What shall we do?" (i.e., "How shall we call on His name?"), Peter replied, "Repent ye, and be baptized&ldots;in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins" (vv. 37,38). "They that received his word were baptized" (v. 41). In this way, they called upon His name.

   The example of Saul clearly shows how one "calls on the name of the Lord." Although he was praying, Ananias said to him, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on His name" (Acts 9:11; 22:16). As a penitent believer, Saul was baptized to wash away his sins, and, in so doing, he called "upon the name of the Lord."

   This is exactly what Jesus said one must do to be saved (Mk. 16:16). Notice the parallel: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." One calls on the name of the Lord to be saved when he is "baptized into Christ," not before (Gal. 3:27).

By Jimmy Thomas
Via "Ask and&ldots;The Bible Answers"

 

The Church that Jesus Built

  What religion are you?  Have you ever heard someone say that they were a "Church of Christ"?  Sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?  How can one person be a church?  Why would a person claim to be a "Church of Christ"?  Could it be that they just view the Church of Christ as a religious group like Baptist or Methodist?  Unfortunately, many members of churches of Christ, and most everyone who is not a member, have this view. 

   In Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised "I will build my church."  In Acts 20:28 we learn that He purchased the church "with His own blood."  It is vital that we understand what the church that Jesus built and bought really is.  We need to view the church less as the best denomination and more as the body of the saved.  Perhaps by examining what the Scriptures reveal about the names, composition and nature of the church (both worldwide and locally), we can arrive at a more accurate understanding of the church.

Names & Descriptions
  The most common designation in Scripture for the body of the saved is simply "The Church".  The word church translates a Greek word (ekklesia) that refers to an assembly of people.  Other names used in Scripture for the church describe that group of people in terms of the relationships shared with God, Christ and one another.

    · The church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32; 15:9

    · The Body of Christ, Colossians 1:18, 24

    · The House of God, 1 Timothy 3:15

    · Church of the Firstborn (ones), Hebrews 12:23

  Each of these names focuses attention on either the owner or composition of the church.

Composition of the Church
   Who makes up the assembly or group known as the church?  In the New Testament, those who were saved were added to the church (Acts 2:47).  Jesus is said to be the Savior of the Body, which is the church (Ephesians 5:23; 1:22-23; Colossian 1:18, 24).  "There is one body" (Ephesians 4:4).  And Paul says that, "by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13).  From these verses we learn that the church is composed of all the saved because everyone who is saved is added to the church.  We also learn that there is only one church or body of the saved and that all who are in it were baptized into it.

Local Churches
  So far we've seen that "the church" is the body of all the saved everywhere.  But the Bible also uses the term "church" to describe the saved in a given location who meet together for work and worship.  There are many Scripture references to such local churches (Acts 8:1; 11:22, 26; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Revelation 2 & 3).  Two important facts to remember about local churches are&ldots;

    1. EVERYTIME the plural word "churches" is found in Scripture it refers to more than one local church, never to a group of denominations (Acts 9:31; 15:41; 16:15; Romans 16:16).

    2. EVERY local church in the New Testament was to have the same doctrine, same practice and same organization. Notice how the following Scriptures demonstrate this:

      · 1 Corinthians 4:17 states that Paul taught his ways in Christ "everywhere in every church."

      · In I Corinthians 7:17 he commands "as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches."

      · 1 Corinthians 14:33-34 states that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 34Let your women keep silent in the churches&ldots;"

      · Regarding taking up a collection, 1 Corinthians 16:1 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also."

      · Acts 14:23 records how Paul and Barnabas "appointed elders in every church."

      · In Titus 1:5, Titus was commanded to "appoint elders in every city."

  These verses show that every local church is to get the same teaching, practice the same things, and have the same organization.

Thinking Right
  Don't let yourself fall into denomination-like thinking about the church. Denominations are man-made. They are the fruit of division and heresy. The church you can read about in the Bible is the only one built and bought by Jesus. You might find this comparison helpful: A chain is made of links, not chains. The church is made of members, not churches and certainly not denominations. Understanding the true nature of the church will help us appreciate what a wonderful and unique privilege it is to be a part of it.

By Steve Klein