IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MY SALVATION TO BELONG TO A CHURCH GROUP?
Sakkie Parsons
I share with you this question that someone sent me and my answer to it from the Word as our LORD led me:
“Is it important to belong to a church group? Will it determine your salvation?”
I’m going to talk to you personally, as if you are on the other side of my desk
There is nothing, absolutely nothing that you, or I, or any other person for that matter, can do to achieve salvation
Jesus Christ has already done everything that needs to be done to make it possible for you and me to spend eternal life in Heaven with Him.
TITUS 3:3-6
3For we too once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various sinful desires and pleasures, spending and wasting our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
4But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form as the Man, Jesus Christ],
5He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
You and I just must take the wonderful great gift of eternal life from His hand and make it our own. (I wrote another writing about this which I will send to you on your request.)
If what I just said is the truth, then what about the instructions in His New Testament, which He had recorded for us, which He expect us to do, such as for example:
HEB 10:24-25 24and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, 25not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.
In my own life and in the more than 51 years that I preach this Gospel, I have experienced and seen; that the closer you live to the Word, as our Lord Jesus Christ had it recorded for us in His New Testament for His followers, the better and the more your relationship with our Lord improves, and the better your reward in the afterlife will be.
Although people sometimes say: (and even a pastor said it to me)
“I don’t care how big or how small my reward will be, as long as I can only be with Jesus.”
Now it might sound pious, but it is a distortion of Jesus ‘ Gospel and you can say that it is part of one of those 29,999 false gospels of the 30,000 gospels of Jesus that are preached.
It is precisely the above-mentioned type of proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus, which makes Christians argue:
“I sometimes go to church on Sundays.
I read my Bible, and I also pray quite often.
Now, as long as I end up in Heaven, that’s good enough for me.”
I could have quoted many examples from our Lord Jesus Christ ‘s Gospel to confirm what I have just told you, but I will suffice with the following two, (because my writing to you is already lengthy), so that you can see, that our Lord want us to work hard for Him, to get as many people as possible to Jesus, before they plunge over the abyss into eternal hell, where they will die the most terrible death forever and yet never die.
In the following verses, it is my great hero Paul, (to whom our Lord entrusted most of the New Testament); to teach us what Jesus expect of us as His children in this regard, who is speaking here:
1 COR 3:10-15
10According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, 11for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold (which cannot be destroyed by fire), silver (which cannot be destroyed by fire), precious stones (which cannot be destroyed by fire), wood (which can be destroyed by fire), hay (which can be destroyed by fire), straw (which can be destroyed by fire),
13each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.
14If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward.
15But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.
REV 22:12-14
12“Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness). 13“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].”
14Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those who wash their robes [in the blood of Christ by believing and trusting in Him—the righteous who do His commandments], so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
One of the reasons why we should not neglect the mutual gatherings is the following:
Your and my fight is ultimately not against people. People are just instruments that are misused by satan to make you and me stumble and sometimes fall.
EPH 6:11-18
11Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. 13Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14So stand firm and hold your ground, HAVING TIGHTENED THE WIDE BAND OF TRUTH (personal integrity, moral courage) AROUND YOUR WAIST and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (an upright heart), 15and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
18With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.
Ultimately, satan’s goal is not only to make you fall, but to make you fall over the abyss, into hell.
I understand from your writing to me that you have been hurt more than once by people in the church, and then I probably put it lightly, – but remember that the church is also a hospital where there are many sick people who also seek healing.
I have heard so many people say to me:
“Yes, but just look at what they do, and if Christians act like that, then I’d rather not be a Christian.”
When you say that, you have already picked up the ‘bugs’ of some of those sick people in the church – you need to get spiritual antioxidant from Jesus immediately.
What is this Jesus antioxidant and how do you take it?
I am giving you the answer now and I hope that you will take it and remember if you take it – Unfortunately, it is not a 3- or 5-day course. You will have to do this every day, so that you will be immune to the bugs of satan, inside and outside the church of Christ – and will be able to remain immune.
Here then is my answer for you, which has always worked for me:
Do not look at what the people do to you, or how ridiculous some of them make Jesus’ Gospel.
Read and study Jesus’ Gospel, as He had it written down for us – and follow His example that He set for us and pray daily.
I close this writing from me to you with some examples from His precious Word to endorse what I have just shared with you:
JOHN 14:15-17
15“If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.Role of the Spirit16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.
JOHN 14:21 21“The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].”
JOHN 15:10 10If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
MAT 5:14-16
14“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I believe, because I experience it this way in my own life:
Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and has a love relationship with Jesus that she/he is constantly working on, (as one must work on any love relationship) simply cannot be a passive Christian
Read these next two passages. Ponder this and you will see for yourself that there is no such thing as a true Christian who can be passive when it comes to the gospel of Jesus.
I begin with Jesus’ last command to us after His crucifixion, where He paid the price and saved you and me from hell – if we truly accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.
But first just the following:
JOHN 1:12-13 12But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— 13who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
Jesus’ last command before He ascended to heaven:
MAT 28:18-20
18Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Then Jesus underline His command to us with the following words:
ACTS 1:8-9 8“But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
The Ascension
9And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight.
People have asked me:
“But what can I do?
I can’t preach.
I can’t sing.
I get anxious when I have to stand up in front of people to say something. “
How wonderful!
Yes, we cannot all preach.
We can’t all sing.
We cannot all pray in public.
We can’t all send out thoughts from the Word or sermons over the internet and so I can go on.
All of Jesus’ followers have one thing that our Lord has blessed us with and that we all can and must use – and that is: the life you live.
Do you remember what you read at the top of this letter?
MAT 5:14-16
14“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
How wonderful if the lost people around us, and the sick Christians in the church, can see Jesus in, and through us – and we can thus live out His command of love, because – and how wonderful:
GAL 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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