The church are those bought with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). Those in the church are the only ones saved (Acts 2:41, 47; Eph 5:25–27). Only members of the church of Christ Jesus are enrolled in heaven (Heb 12:23). By the way, all children are safe in Christ (Matt 19:14). Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).
Because the churches of Christ proclaim this biblical teaching, many are mistaken to assert that the churches of Christ mean only those with name “church of Christ” on the building’s sign will receive eternal life. The churches of Christ are made of imperfect people and they are not perfect in themselves. Only Christ perfects Christians having repented of their faults and strengthened through their weaknesses.
Churches of Christ
Did Jesus build His church as He promised (Matt 16:18)? Did He purchase the church with His blood (Acts 20:28)? Jesus certainly did. For the church of Christ is a part of God’s eternal purpose (Eph 3:9–10). Where is that church? Look to the Scriptures. Christ established and bought the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Christ cleansed the church of their sins by His blood (Eph 1:7; 1 John 1:7; Matt 26:28; Rom 3:25; 5:9; Col 1:20; Heb 9:12, 14; 13:12, 20; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 1:5).
As a minister trained by loving evangelists within the church of Christ, this Christian has never heard that only the “Church of Christ” denomination, only “church-of-Christers,” or only those with the sign “Church of Christ” on the building are the only ones going into eternal life in paradise. The churches of Christ do not make that judgment. God decides who are His people — the church of Christ. God makes the judgment of who is going rise and live in the new paradise (2 Pet 3:13). “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim 2:19).
Denominations Divide
In the Scriptures, no one was baptized into the Baptist church, Catholic church, evangelical church, or any man-made denomination or sect. No one was baptized solely into a local congregation, but they were baptized into one body — the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 12:13).
Believers were only baptized into the church of Christ in the Bible. The Scriptures do not assure the salvation of those baptized into denominations. Paul taught against divisions according to names — even good names like Paul, Cephas, and Apollos other than Christ (1 Cor 1:10–13; Gal 5:19–21). Paul revealed that divisions are destructive, and those who cause and maintain such division will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (Gal 5:19–21). Jesus prayed that Christians be one (John 17:20–21). Did His prayer fail? Certainly not! Christ is the Head of the one church (Eph 1:22–23; Col 1:18). The plea of the churches of Christ is not to denominate and join as one church of Christ.
False Unity
Interdenominational churches may boast of working together despite their differences, but their differences are apparently trivial opinions and man-made traditions or they would not forfeit them. Certainly, ecumenical churches can give up their own traditions, opinions, and inventions. No Christian should divide over opinions (Rom 14). However, Christ’s church cannot compromise His words, His teaching, His commands.
If someone must do something to join a local church that a believer does not have to do to join the church of Jesus Christ, then those church leaders are adding to God’s written Word. Joining a denomination is not joining that church that Christ built. The Scriptures provide complete teaching for every good work (2 Tim 3:16–17). Adding and annulling parts of God’s Word is the foundation and source of divisive sectarianism (Gal 1:6–9). If joining a denomination is the same as joining the church, then all Christians would be a part of the same denomination. However, joining a denomination is not joining the church that Christ built.
Must one be a member of a denomination to receive eternal life? No. Must one be a member of the church of Jesus Christ to enter into eternal life? Yes. Must believers be a part of a denomination or the church of Jesus Christ? The Bible revealed that the Lord adds believers to the church when they are baptized in Jesus’s name (Acts 2:41, 47; 1 Cor 12:13). Now, are those of the church of Christ that Christ built the only ones receiving eternal life in paradise? Yes! Jesus saves faithful Christians who have joined the church that Christ built.
The Head of the Church
How can all churches unite? The church of Christ is solely built upon the Rock who is Christ by the confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Matt 16:16–19). Churches unite in Christ, that Jesus rose from the dead, and He gives eternal life through His resurrection (Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 6:12–13).
Because Jesus is the chief cornerstone and the head of the church, the church finds Jesus Christ as having authority over His church (Matt 28:18). Jesus is sinless (John 6:63; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). Therefore, Jesus’s words are infallible, and He gave those words to His Apostles and prophets in the Scriptures (John 15:20, 16:12-13, 17:8). The apostles and prophets wrote the Scriptures for Christians to perceive the apostolic insight of God’s revelation (Eph 3:3–5). Christians can unite in the meaning of Scripture and obey Jesus’s commands without dividing over opinions. Christ’s church cannot compromise Jesus Christ and God’s commands for man’s traditions (Matt 15:7–9; Mark 7:6–9).
In Ephesians 4:5, Paul taught that there is only one body. That one body is the church (Eph 1:22–23). Churches of Christ proclaim this church urging all believers to leave the named divisions and man-made church governments behind and let all believers unite in Christ by His Word. In the Bible, the apostles organized churches with elders leading each congregation (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). The churches of Christ assemble to learn, sing, pray, break the bread, and give to collection every first day of the week (1 Cor 11:17–34; 14; 16:1–2).
Paul and Barnabas divided over application of the way to spread the Gospel, but they remained united in the Gospel, the revealed message of Jesus Christ (Acts 15:36–41). Christians may differ and do regarding application of the Scriptures, but Christians rarely disagree concerning the meaning of biblical texts.
Entering the Church
The Scriptures teach that Jesus saved the baptized and added them to the church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47; 1 Cor 12:13, cf. 1 Cor 6:11). When the Pharisees rejected baptism, they rejected the purpose of God (Luke 7:30). As Ephesians 5:26 depicts, Jesus washed those in the church with water, and the church unites in only one baptism as one body (Eph 4:5).
Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18–20). Peter revealed, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Peter also taught, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). Therefore, Peter refused to withhold water and commanded them “to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:47–48).
In His resurrection, Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit (Matt 28:18–20). The early church affirmed that Jesus revealed, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:15–16). Christ saves believers through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:1–4). Therefore, true believers confess that Jesus is the resurrected Lord (Rom 10:9–10). Believers do not reject Jesus’s resurrection; be saved by being raised with Christ from baptism (Rom 6:4–7; Eph 2:4–6; Col 2:12–13).
The Church that is of Christ
The churches of Christ refuse to bear a denominational name or form a man-made organization. Christians bear the name of Christ by being called “Christian.” By the name “Christian,” the church is “of Christ.” Christ tears down the dividing walls (Eph 2:14–17). The church carries the name of God and Christ in descriptions such as “church of Christ,” “churches of Christ,” “church of Jesus Christ,” “Christians,” “disciples of Christ,” and so on with biblical names.
The churches of Christ are congregations of Christians who have set to be the church of Christ as found in the Bible. These congregations are not perfect, and the churches in the first century were not perfect. Like the first century, churches of Christ are made of imperfect people who are only perfected by the death of Jesus Christ (Col 1:21–23).
Some churches will continue to struggle in their immaturity, but those who are truly believers will unite in love for God, Christ, and one another (Eph 4:11–16; Col 3:14). Christ makes Christians holy, blameless, without spot, and blemish (Eph 5:27; Col 1:21–23). Therefore, the churches of Christ diligently strive to unite and not to divide by man-made doctrines and divisive names. Churches in the first century struggled with divisions and false teachings too (1 Cor 1).
Making a Stand
The churches of Christ believe the Bible that Christ only saves the church of Jesus Christ (Eph 5:25–27). Congregations of Christ stand against the leaders and teachers who divide and denominate. The church pleads with all believers to be Christians only and to follow Christ through His words. Because of our confident stance upon the Scriptures as the sole authority for doctrines and practices, churches of Christ are diligent to “observe all things” that Jesus instructed (Matt 28:20). The churches of Christ strive not to go beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9). Because of this, many judge the churches of Christ and scoff at the church’s love for God, love for one another, and obedience to His commands (John 14:21, 23; 1 John 5:2–3; 2 John 6).
Invitation
The churches of Christ welcome all believers to unite. Members of all denominations are welcome and urged to become Christians only — apart from denominationalism. If you disagree, we lovingly and kindly plead from the Scriptures to find and join the church of Christ. Those who are honest will all seek Christ. All guests are welcome meet with churches of Christ. The congregations of Christ are focused on the mission of making disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit and teaching them to observe all things that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:19–20).
Christ has built the church and bought the church with His blood (Matt 16:18; Acts 20:28). The Lord adds repentant baptized believers to the church of Christ (Acts 2:41, 47; Eph 5:25–27). Only members of the church of Christ are enrolled in heaven (Heb 12:23).
Find out more about the churches of Christ via this article, “Ten Characteristics among Churches of Christ,” or online video, “Searching for the Truth.”
The Breath of God 
I urge anyone who believes they can be saved into a church not belonging to Christ, to visit HisLoveforme.com, and watch the teaching video entitled “Why Are There So Many Churches”. Jesus commanded us to love one another, hence why we plead with the world to believe The True Gospel of Christ, and not the man-made unsound doctrines that are saturating our friends, family members, and the world. We come to you with LOVE. When your brothers and sisters are living a life of crime and sin, do you just let them keep on living that life, or do you do your best to help them change their lives? We love everyone, as Jesus commanded us to to, which is why we humbly reach out to the world’s denominations, and non-denomination organizations. May God soften your hearts, as he did mine, as I too, was also at one time in the same mode and believed that any denomination or non-denomination would get me to Heaven. satan wants the world to be spiritually divided, in order that he has plenty of company on Judgment Day – Rob Trevino
Anecdotal- many have implied to me that Church of Christ denomination is the only church with the truth, and only those with the truth are saved. Additionally, unless you are baptized in the words, “In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” you are unsaved. Maybe you should just use the original Greek so the words are really the right words? This reminds me of two things- “The Christian Church” doesn’t believe there’s a right church apart from them. Also, Catholics claim that they don’t pray to Mary or the saints. Denial of the things I actually have seen from these churches trumps what they put in writing.
This article is not about the “International” or “United” church denominations.
This is about the church of Christ in the New Testament that Jesus built and bought with His blood.
The Christian church see themselves as churches of Christ. They are right to seek to be such.
All churches have access to find Christ in His words. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to Father except by Him (John 14:6). Jesus taught baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt 28:19-20). Christ declared that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). One must take his cross daily and lose his life to save his life according to Jesus (Luke 9:23-24).
church of christ is a shell of a church they are dead…they do not have any power they dont cast out devils..they dont heal the sick..they believe..to thier souls destruction that speaking in toungues and the baptism of the holy ghost isnt for today…and that they have the holy ghost upon baptism which is a lie..they leave out almost half the new tetsmnent by denying the power of the holy spirirt they never demonstrate it cause they dont have it
So your saying pretty much that other believers that are not in church of Christ will be lost.
I am not saying anything other than what Christ and His Apostles and prophets say. Demons believe, and yes, they will be lost (Matt 25, Jas 2:19). The same is true for false teachers and all believers who have no works of faith (Jas 2:14-26). The condemned are thoae reject Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15). Those who do not do God’s will (Matt 7:21), and continue in sin will be lost (Rom 6:1-2, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:19-21, 1 John 1:5-10). All who refuse God raising them in Christ refuse God’s grace and are still dead in their trespasses (Eph 2:1-7). These are not saved and not in the church of Christ.
and your entire church who does not have the holy ghost and think they do then according to the word will all be lost as well..you dont get the holy ghost cause you were baptised the book of acts and the account of the samrtians clearly shows you they werre baptised and still didnt have the holy spirirt..your elders and your pastors are blind you have not recived the baptism of the holy ghost no one who belives toungues are for then and not now has the holy ghost baptism
Did you read the article?
How can a loving God not let other churches go to heaven as well if their Christians also. I don’t get that.
Peggy,
The churches of Christ are not talking about a sect but the whole church. I am not judging who is in Christ’s church. Only His church are the saved, because only the saved are added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47). These are those who God has raised by grace (Eph 2:4-7, Col 2:12-13). When does God raise believers with Christ (Rom 6:4-7, Col 2:12-13, 1 Pet 3:21)? Believers must die and be buried with Christ for God to raise them into newness of life. Remember that we must lose are lives to save them (Luke 9:23-26). Add to this that true worshipers must worship in spirit and truth and not like David’s worship of Jerusalem (John 4:21-24).
God bless your search for the church of Jesus Christ.
Scott,
My response was actually in response to David Jones.
I know. I am sorry if I was not supposed to comment.
No problem. It came up on my end as addressed to you. :) This is also dw. For some reason it gave me a new moniker. Blessings.
In the Blood is life. There is a vast difference is a blood transfusion and consuming blood as part of a religious ritual, which was very common in older times and still practiced by some. A blood transfusion can give life. Consuming blood destroys the RBCs in the gut. I would agree that we’ve become a people more reliant on modern medicine than faith and prayer. But the context of Acts 15 is a refutation of “blood rituals”.
True. Good point.