Question:
Must we belong to the church called “The Church of Christ,” so that we may be saved? I ask this since the Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).
Answer:
Denominational names give a sense of one’s particular beliefs and are important in identification. Nevertheless, we are not saved by any correlation or combination of letters, whatever those letters may spell. “Name” in the Bible does not mean a mere word. It stands for character, and in this case, it stands for the personal character of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many instances of this given in the Bible. Therefore when the child of God is baptized into the name of the Father, and into the name of the Son, and into the name of the Holy Spirit, it does not mean the mere pronouncing over them of these words; it means they are baptized into the very character of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit—the Father for righteousness in the place of our sins; the Son for self-emptying, self-denial, self-abnegation, that God may fill us; and the Holy Spirit for service. The Lord is not dependent upon any combination of men to save men. He does not save because we go through a specific particular form; He saves because the heart is yielded to Him, and He can come into that heart and make it His living temple. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8).
There are differences as to what name a church ought to take. The church is sometimes called in the Bible “the church of God,” and sometimes “the church of Christ.” The Jesuits have for a name, “The Society of Jesus.” Why should we not take the name “Jesus” just as truly as that of “Christ”? Really it is more a name than “Christ” is. “Christ” means “anointed,” and “Jesus the Christ” means “Jesus the Anointed One.”
Simply calling ourselves Christians does not make us so, and to unite with a church called Christian does not make us Christians, and thousands and thousands of Christians are not called denominationally by the name “Christian.” We need not worry, dear soul, about that at all. The Lord saves us when we give ourselves to Him and accept all He gives us in Jesus Christ by faith. Then, of course, we will walk in His commandments. We will be baptized, and we will obey because we have the spirit and the life of obedience; but that may lead us a long way from those churches which arrogate to themselves the name “Christian,” while they do not always follow the Master. The apostle Paul has stated the condition of salvation very clearly: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that 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 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Those principles are repeatedly stated in many places, but we never see, “You shall take such and such a name in order to be saved.”
