DOES YOUR CHURCH TEACH THIS?

Today, there are thousands of denominations within Christendom, each one teaching something unique from the others.  There are differences concerning baptism, the Lord's Supper, the qualifications for the clergy, what one must do to be saved, what one cannot do and remain saved, musical instruments, the gifts of the Spirit, etc., etc., etc.  And because each believes their teaching is true to the Bible, many believe those holding different views than theirs, are not going to heaven.  In other words, if you are not a member of their church, you are lost.

While I agree that there are false doctrines taught in many denominations, not all of them are essential to one's salvation.  In fact, there are Roman Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Lutherans, etc. who are saved regardless of their church's idiosyncrasies.  Souls are being saved in all Christian churches, often in spite of what their church teaches.  The reason is, if the person has a Bible, and if the person reads and believes the true Gospel, he or she will be saved!

Salvation, according to the Bible, is a gift from God for all those who will simply believe the true Gospel.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "For by grace (unmerited favor) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).  He also wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom.1:16).

Paul, in defining the true Gospel, the one we are required to believe in order to be saved, stated: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you . . . which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-4).  Notice that the Gospel is all about what Jesus did, and not about what we need to do.  We simply need to believe.

Finally, Paul wrote:  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:9-10, 13).

If your church teaches what you must do to be saved;

What you must do is find another church!