Examining Churches and Religions
Part 3
By Allan E. McNabb

In this series we’re examining churches and religions by asking questions, eliminating false churches and religions, and identifying the Lord’s church.

The questions we’ve asked so far are:
Does the church believe Jesus is the divine Son of God?
Does the church believe Jesus is the only way to God?
Does the church teach anything different from the doctrine of Christ?
Is the church a denomination?
Is the church organized as authorized in God’s word?
Does the church wear a name authorized in God’s word?

By answering these questions we’re able to eliminate every religion but Christian, and every church but the Lord’s church.

Now, we continue with another question that will more clearly identify the Lord’s church.

Does the church exclusively teach and practice salvation as commanded by God?
Few churches teach and practice salvation as commanded in God’s word.

Some teach you’re saved by faith only.  Others teach you have to say a prayer of faith receiving Jesus into your heart.  Some christen babies, then confirm them when they’re older.  Some teach you have to confess to a priest and do whatever he commands.  Some pray to dead people they’ve ordained as saints.  One church in particular bestows indulgences, claiming the receiver is forgiven before he sins.  Other churches let people do whatever they feel they should do to be saved.  And one group believes you have to speak in tongues as a sign of your salvation.

God, on the other hand, commands us to believe based on His word, repent of our sins, confess Jesus to be God’s son, and be baptized in order to be saved (Rom. 10:17; Lk. 13:3; Matt. 10:32-33; 28:18-19).
Babies can’t believe, repent, and confess Jesus.  Therefore, they can’t be baptized with the Lord’s baptism (Acts 8:12).

Most churches teach faith, repentance, and confession in some form, but few teach and practice the truth regarding baptism.  As a result, members of these man-made churches remain lost in their sins, because they’ve not been baptized with the baptism of Christ.
Some churches baptize people to join their congregation.
Some churches baptize people as a matter of obedience, but not to be saved.
Some churches baptize people as an outward sign of what they claim is an inner grace.
Some churches don’t baptize people, claiming they’re saved without baptism.

Baptism is immersion in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-29).
"Baptize" is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo, meaning to dip, to immerse.  It is a process of immersion in water and emergence out of water.
Sprinkling and pouring are not baptism.

What happens when we are baptized as God commands?
We are born again of water and Spirit (Jn. 3:3-5; Acts 2:38).
Our sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38).
We are added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16; Rev. 7:14).
We are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3-7).
We receive all spiritual blessings in Christ: adopted by God, redeemed through His blood, forgiven all trespasses, an inheritance, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, made alive together with Christ, seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, become fellow citizen with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph. 1-2).
We are spiritually circumcised, buried with Christ, raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, made alive together with Christ, forgiven all transgressions (Col. 2:11-13).
We are saved (1 Pet. 3:21).
We call on the name of the Lord (appeal) to be saved by obediently submitting to baptism (Acts 2:21, 38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

In the Bible, every person obeying the gospel and becoming a Christian was baptized to be saved.
Over three thousand people in Jerusalem on Pentecost, baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
People in Samaria, baptized (Acts 8:4-13).
Ethiopian eunuch, baptized (Acts 8:26-40).
Paul, baptized to wash away His sins (Acts 9:1-20; 22:16).
Cornelius and people with him, baptized (Acts 10:34-48).
Lydia and her household, baptized (Acts 16:13-15).
Philippian jailer and his household, baptized (Acts 16:25-34).
Crispus and many other people in Corinth, baptized (Acts 18:8).
Men of Ephesus, baptized (Acts 19:1-7).

If a church sprinkles or pours rather than baptizing (immersing), it’s not the Lord’s church.

And if a church doesn’t baptize in order to be saved (1 Pet. 3:21), it’s not the Lord’s church.