THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE – 19 One Can Be A Christian Without Being In Any Denomination - Part 1 of 2

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16). KJV

Loved ones, in our Spiritual Battle we are contending with the minds and words of many modern-day believers in Jesus. In a well-meaning but deceptive quote they say: “There are sincere, knowledgeable, devout Christians scattered among all the various denominations.”

The statement is more than a random utterance. From the concepts which it implanted, we have seen the development of an entire "unity movement." This movement purports to be directed toward bringing together all of those who profess to be committed to Jesus as Lord.

Yet, as suggested by the foregoing language the movement actually reaches outside the church built by Jesus (Matthew 16:18-19) and seeks to identify Christians with myriads of people associated and identified with "all the various modern day denominations."

The initial approach is deceptively simple. It is said that all people who obey the gospel are Christians. We believe this and, therefore, if we know no more about what is being taught, we may be inclined to feel that the current unity movement is harmless and perhaps even beneficial.

The fundamental premise is enlarged, then, to say that all people who obey the gospel are Christians even if not baptized by a member of the church of Christ or in one of our buildings. Again, we acquiesce - knowing that baptism is not dependent upon either the administrator or the setting.

Following the elaboration upon these true principles, it is now asserted that baptism, in order to be scriptural, need NOT be "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). If an individual has been baptized out of a desire "to obey God," we are told that his baptism is scriptural, he is a Christian (notwithstanding the fact that he was baptized believing that he was already saved). We are told that he is a member of the church, "in its New Testament sense," and he is our brother in Christ.

Based upon these premises, the spokesman is ready to make the leap to his conclusion which is as previously mentioned, namely, "There are sincere, knowledgeable, devout Christians scattered among all the various denominations."

Obviously, most of those who have been immersed did so in order “to obey God,” regardless of what else they understood or misunderstood about baptism and the plan of salvation. Therefore, given that premise, it would follow that most people in denominations that practice immersion are Christians, members of the New Testament church, and brethren in Christ!

It would also follow from the foregoing reasoning that denominations are administering scriptural baptism and to the extent that we oppose them, we are standing in the way of their baptizing people into Christ.

If this teaching were true, we would have to wonder why our brethren for decades stood in opposition to denominational baptism and contended in public debates that "water baptism, to the penitent believer, is for or in order to wash away sins" (Acts 22:16).

What was the purpose of these discussions, if it really did not make any difference after all? Were the discussions merely academic? According to what some are teaching, we were wasting time because the denominations were administering scriptural baptism all the while.

Some Questions And Answers

Q. Are there sincere, knowledgeable, devout Christians scattered among all the various denominations?

A. There are at least two senses in which we might expect to find Christians caught up in the errors of denominationalism. First, one might obey the gospel, become a Christian, and be faithful for a while, then apostatize, forsake the truth, and join a denomination.

Second, one might study the scriptures, learn the truth, and obey the gospel, but thereafter become affiliated with denominationalism for lack of understanding about the New Testament church.

In the first case if the individual is knowledgeable about the church, he cannot be sincere in joining a denomination. In the second instance if one is sincere, he cannot be called knowledgeable.

The issue, therefore, is not whether one who is a child of God may sometimes become entangled in denominationalism, but whether he can be sincere, knowledgeable, and devout in so doing.

If one is knowledgeable as a Christian, he will know that denominational division is sin (1 Corinthians 1:10). One who is sincere cannot knowingly participate in that which is sinful; therefore, his knowledge would preclude his sincerity in becoming affiliated with denominationalism.

On the other hand, if one is sincere as a member of a denomination, it must be because he feels he is doing right. That sentiment, however, would signify a lack of knowledge; therefore, his sincerity in belonging to a denomination would exclude the possibility of his being knowledgeable.

Consequently, if one is knowledgeable, he could not be sincere; if he is sincere, he could not be knowledgeable. In this context, the terms are mutually exclusive.

Q. Is it necessary to understand the scriptural purpose of baptism in order for the act to be scriptural and valid?

A. Someone today is answering this question in the negative. They say we obey commands, not purposes. The gist of their argument is that so long as we obey the command itself, it is immaterial whether we comprehend the purpose of the act.

Would the same argument apply to other New Testament practices? When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, He took bread and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." He also took the cup and said, “Drink ye all of it" (Matthew 26:26-27).

We know that there was also a divine purpose associated with the eating of the bread and drinking of the cup, for it is said: "Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:24).

Further: "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). The apostle Paul emphatically states, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28).

Now, would the Lord's Supper be valid and acceptable so long as we obey the command, i.e., we eat of that bread and drink of that cup? Certainly not! It is not enough for us to go through the mechanical act of eating bread and drinking the fruit of the vine or ever performing these acts out of a general desire “to obey God,” yet with no appreciation of the purpose of the Lord's Supper.

The purpose is inextricably bound up in the nature of the act itself. Thus, Paul states: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (1 Corinthians 11:29). One had to do more than merely eat and drink; he had to eat and drink while "discerning the Lord's body." The act was not acceptable if separated from its purpose.

So, it is with baptism into Christ (Galatians 3:27). We are to repent and be baptized "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38; Matthew 26:28). It is not enough merely to be submerged in water or even to be immersed in order “to obey God” if in the process we deny the teaching of the scriptures about baptism. Instead of going into the water as a penitent believer, we enter baptism believing we are already saved – already a Christian – and that "God, for Christ's sake, has pardoned our sins."

The problem here is not simply a misunderstanding or a perversion of the purpose of baptism; it is proceeding toward baptism upon the wrong faith - failing to believe what the scriptures teach about the design of baptism, failing to recognize our own sinful state, failing to understand how we contact the saving power of the blood of Christ, and failing to comprehend the connection between the command and the blessing.

Scriptural baptism involves the right subject (a penitent believer), the right action (immersion in water), and the right design (for the remission of sins).

Q. How much did the people on Pentecost understand when they were baptized?

A. First, no one is saying that one must have a perfect understanding of all truth in order to be scripturally baptized; but from the heart he must understand the nature and character of the act he is obeying (Romans 6:17).

If those on Pentecost heard and understood the preaching of the apostle Peter, they knew:

(1) That they were lost. They were charged with the death of the Son of God, and they cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37).

(2) That they had to believe and submit to Christ. They were to "know assuredly" that Jesus was Lord and Christ and that they had to repent of their sin of unbelief (Acts 2:36-38).

(3) That they were required to be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Remission refers to forgiveness. It is not contended that they had to understand one particular set of words regarding the purpose of baptism, but rather that they had to recognize the essence of the command. Salvation comes by the remission of sins (Luke 1:77). Faith, attitude, and understanding is everything. To be continued in Part 2…

Shared with you by Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. He is in control, so trust Him. We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35).