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A Question and Answer
By Doug Post
Oct 23, 2005

What is meant by the affirmation: “There is no salvation outside the Church?"
            There are two extremes to avoid here. One, that the church herself saves. The church is composed of those people who, by faith/obedience, have been saved. The church is the saved, not the Savior. The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:40-41). She has no power of her own to save others. She is, on the other hand, God's instrument to save. It is her mission to proclaim the gospel in order that all people might be saved. Hers is not to merely be a good example and do good works, but to speak a good word for Jesus. Hence, it’s appropriate to speak of individual Christians saving others (1Cor.7:16; 9:22; 1 Tim.4:16; James 5:20; Jude 1:23).
                The second extreme to avoid is to consider that the church has no relation to salvation. This is the common denominational view. But redemption is in Christ (Rom.3:24), as is eternal life (Rom.6:23), justification (Gal.2:17), sonship of God (Gal.3:26), every spiritual blessing (Eph.1:3). To be in Christ is equivalent to being in the one body, the church (Rom.12:5; 1Cor.1:2; 1 Thess.2:14). To be baptized into Christ (Rom.6:3; Gal. 3:27) is to be baptized into Christ's body (1Cor. 12:13).
                In this question, one must also consider the nature of the church. The church is not a building, a hierarchy, a conglomeration of denominations and divisions which teach differing doctrines, nor some association which people may call a church. The church was established by Christ (Mat.16:18); the saints bear his name as Christians (1 Pet.4:16); they follow his lead as the one with all authority (Mat.28:18); they speak only the gospel of Christ (1 Cor.2:2); they carry out his mission of evangelism (Mat.28:19,20); they worship according to his instruction (John 4:24).

Keep on Sowing

By Tim Hall

It was a disappointing year for corn in my garden. Though I planted six rows

with Silver Queen seeds just as I've done in the past, there wasn't much
to show for it. Many factors could be cited: rain

at the wrong time, an overgrown chestnut tree that

cast too much shade, seed that might not have been good,

or a lack of effort on the part of the gardener (I quickly ruled that one out!).

Regardless of the cause, the bottom line was that we enjoyed only a few ears of

fresh corn this summer. 


It's discouraging to see so few tangible results from

our labors.Christian workers know the feeling. When we

try our hardest to teach God's word but see so few who are

interested, we're tempted to give up. How can we get motivated again? 


The Psalmist long ago exhorted God's people with these

words: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually

goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless

come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with

him" (Psalm 126:5,6). Christians should make it a point to read that passage regularly. 


There are two words in this text I'll emphasize.The first

is "continually."In my years of gardening I've learned

that one year may be dismal for certain crops while the

following year will be terrific. The key is to keep planting

the seed. 

One thing is certain: there will never be growth if the

seed isn't put in the ground. The second word to note is

"doubtless." I can't use that word when I'm referring to my efforts

alone. But this verse isn't referring to mere human efforts. In verse 3, the

psalmist had said, "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof

we are glad." If the Lord works with us, we know that the end will be glorious.

His power enables tiny seeds to penetrate asphalt and stone.

In time, we'll see the fruits of our labors.

Christian, here is a promise God has made for his people

throughout time.Keep on doing the good that you're able to do. Know that it will

ultimately produce sheaves of blessings. Though we sow with

tears, we shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing

our sheaves with us! 


"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in

vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

IN ALL THINGS, TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

The Whole World Stinks
by Mike Benson

Each afternoon while the grandkids were in school Grandpa would lie down for a nap. One day, the kids came home early and found him fast asleep on the couch, and so they decided to have a little fun with him. They dabbed Limburger cheese in his moustache. Moments later, Grandpa woke up, took a few sniffs and then observed, "Why, this room stinks!" From the couch he made his way into the kitchen, but it wasn't long before he decided that the kitchen smelled too. So he stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Much to his chagrin, the air outside smelled just as bad as the air inside, to which he exclaimed, "The whole world stinks!"
In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always ..." Ironically, these words were penned while he was in a Roman prison. What I learn from the apostle is that while I can't control all of the circumstances in my life, I can control my attitude towards them.
What about you, dear friend? Have you got Limburger cheese in your attitude? Does the whole world smell bad? It may be that you need an attitude adjustment. Think about it...