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By Roger A. Scully Jr.
“Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7), describes a great number of
people in the religious world. There are countless numbers of people who read, study and memorize Scripture, yet
these men read with eyes closed (Mat 13). While riding in my car I often listen to talk radio, or audio sermons, etc.
Recently I was listening to the Jimmy Swagart radio program, when I heard it said, by a caller, that there are people
who have a greater bond to their church than they do to Jesus. The host responded in agreement, and added that
Jesus saves, not any church. You see, they indeed have learned that Jesus saves; yet they have not come to the
knowledge of the truth that Jesus saves through, and only through, His church.
First, let it be made known that the Bible does, in fact, bind Jesus to His church. Ephesians 5:23 explains Jesus to be
the head of the church, and in 1:23 calls the church His body. How is it possible to separate a head from a body and
still have life? Also, Ephesians 5:22-32 states, in an expressive form, that the church is the bride of Christ, thus the
two are one (Mat 19:6; Eph 5:32).
The Oneness of Christ and His church are also shown in Acts 8:1 wherein we read that Saul was leading a “great
persecution against the church.” In chapter 9, however, it is stated by Jesus, in verse 4, that Saul was persecuting
Jesus. How is it possible, unless the two are one?
Now, in the second, Jesus saves only those who are a part of His body, which is His church. Again we refer to the
epistle to the Ephesians. 1:22-23 reads: “…to the church, which is His body..” 5:23 reads: “…Christ is head of the
church: and He is the Savior of the body.” What is the body? Is it not the church? Indeed. So it is, then, that if He is
the Savior of the body, and if the body and the church are synonymous terms, then He is the Savior of the church.
Applying, now, the law of excluded middle, it must follow that if Jesus is the Savior of the church, then only those who
are a part of the church will be saved, for, says Peter, “neither is there salvation in any other” (Ac 4:12).
Let us now ask the question: Is our allegiance to be with Christ or the church? In answer: both. We cannot pledge an
allegiance to one without pledging the same allegiance to the other, because the two (Christ and the church) are
inseparable.
Men will never cease to separate that which God has joined together, but their attempt is futile. If we wish to serve
Jesus, then we must be in Him (Gal 3:27), which is to be in His church (Eph 1:22, 23), wherein salvation lies, and
labor is counted as worthy (1 Cor 15:
58).
