Numbered With the Church But Not Part of It

There are numerous gatherings around the world today that are called Churches. They comprise of people both saved and unsaved. In many cases majority cannot boldly testify to their salvation. Knowing that you’re not saved, or outrightly rejecting Christ is bad. But there is something that is even worse, and that is thinking that you’re saved when you’re not.

A lot of preachers are creating counterfeit believers around the world today by their counterfeit gospels. Many unsaved people have been made to believe that they are saved simply because they repeated a prayer, or accomplished something in the ministry. Everyone who claims to be saved needs to examine themselves and be sure that they know not only what it means to be saved, but also whether they are saved or not.

2 Corinthians 13:5   Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re truly saved, or you want to know how to become a legitimate member of the Body of Christ, then this article is for you.

Knowing that you’re not saved, or outrightly rejecting Christ is bad. But there is something that is even worse, and that is thinking that you’re saved when you’re not.

The Church is not a building. It is not a company or an organization. It is not even a group of people who have agreed to worship together.

The word ‘church’ is from the Greek word ekklēsía (Gr. ἐκκλησία), pronounced ek-klay-see’-ah. It means a calling out, an assembly of Christians. The true Church is the Body of Christ. It contains the people who have been genuinely saved, that is, those who have put their faith in Christ and His redemptive work. The Church is therefore the collective body of believers.

It is also seen in the New Testament as the Bride of Christ, but that is another point entirely – Refer to Isaiah 60:21; 62:5; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:23; 4:12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:24; 2:19; Revelation 19:7; 21:2; 22:17.

The Church is not a building. It is not a company or an organization. It is not even a group of people who have agreed to worship together.

The Role of the Church

This Church has a very short period to be here. We are at the end of this dispensation. But in the meantime, the Church is called to be the light in this dark world. The most important calling of the Church today is to go into the world and make disciples of all people. The Church is also tasked with another important role of edifying, building up and encouraging those who are already in the Body.

Matthew 28:18-20   And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:1-5   ¶ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Matthew 5:14   Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Philippians 2:15   That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:5   Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

There are people who gather physically with the believers but aren’t part of them. They appear in the physical church’s members’ register, but not part of the Church (Body) of Jesus Christ. They look, speak, dress, act, and even worship like the true Christians, but they are not known by Christ.

This situation is cause by a number of reason, but the main point is deception. People are deceiving and being deceived. Let’s look at some of the reasons why many people may consider themselves as part of the Church when they are actually not:

1. Ignorance of the Nature of the Church

Many people believe that the Church is the ministry to which they belong. So they are part of the Church as long as they are members of the ministry. Others think the Church is a mere organization or gathering of people who have agreed to worship together. With this false understanding, they conclude that merely being a registered member make them a part of the Church.

But the sad truth is that you can be a member of an organization, or even a Christian ministry, however popular and hardworking you might be in that group, and not be known to Christ.

The Church is a spiritual Body not a mere gathering of people or a building. You must have truly believed in Jesus Christ to be a part of it.

Ephesians 1:22-23   And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Acts 2:41   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

You can be a member of an organization, or even a Christian ministry, however popular and hardworking you might be in that group, and not be known to Christ.

2. Ignorance of the Gospel

It is a biblical truth that you’re not saved until you have believed, and you’re not a part of the Church until you’re saved. But you have to believe a specific message, not just any random motivational speech. A lot of people have been made to believe lies because they don’t know the truth. The gospel is the word of truth.

Ephesians 1:13   In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

Romans 1:16   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.

The gospel tells us what Christ did with regards to our sins and how we should respond. The ignorance of the power and the purpose of the gospel has made a lot of people believe lies. Until you’ve believed the word of truth, you’re not saved and therefore not part of the Church of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is the word of truth.

3. False Church Establishments

There are many of these out there today. More than ever before. Many so-called ministers got into the ministry because they couldn’t find anything else to do. Others claimed they received special revelations, which turned out to be contrary to the already revealed truth. They started on the wrong and sinking foundation.

The most important goal of these Church leaders is more membership and more offerings. They don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their bellies. They are greedy of gain. Their messages make this very clear to anyone who is paying attention – because they always focus the people’s attention on fleshly and worldly things.

Romans 16:17-18   ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

2 Peter 2:1-3   ¶ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

These Churches and their leaders capitalize on the peoples’ ignorance of the nature of the true Church, and the ignorance of the gospel, and deceive the people with vain words and smooth speaking. They will lure people into their Churches and ministries without the preaching of the cross but with many promises of miraculous blessings and breakthroughs, deliverance and victories over of the enemies, miraculous healing and so on.

No wonder many Churches are filled with ‘Christians’ who do not understand the gospel nor do they have any assurance of salvation or eternity with Christ.

They will lure people into their Churches and ministries without the preaching of the cross but with many promises of miraculous blessings and breakthroughs, deliverance and victories over of the enemies, miraculous healing and so on.

4. Legalism and Self-Righteousness

This reason is usually or most of the times a result of the above three points. Because these people are so ignorant of all truth, they are deceived into believing that they can be saved or keep themselves saved by their works. Therefore they never trusted in Christ.

All their services to God are performance-based. By that I mean the mentality that you have to do for God, before He can do for you. If you don’t give to God, He won’t give to you. If you apply that principle to your salvation, you will miss Christ and be lost!

Jesus Christ made this profound declaration in Matthew 7:

Matthew 7:21-23   Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Pay a close attention to all the accomplishments of these people, yet they still miss Christ. But why? The answer is tied to the clause “but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” If you’re wondering what this “will of my Father” means, take a look at the following passage:

John 6:28-29   ¶ Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 5:24   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

You just cannot get around putting your faith in Christ. Your good work will not save you. Good works are good, but only for those who are already saved.

If only the believers in Christ are part of the Church, then becoming a part of the Church has everything do with believing something and getting saved. That ‘something’ is “the gospel of our salvation”. At the time of the early Church, they were called the believer. The word ‘Christian’ did not come up until later in Antioch.

Acts 11:26   And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

What You Must Believe

All have sinned, including you and I. We cannot save ourselves. It is totally impossible for anyone to do anything to rescue him/herself from the penalty of sins. Only Jesus Christ can redeem us. Only Jesus can save!

Acts 4:12   Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The way to receive the salvation through Christ is to abandon any of your good deeds and run to the Cross. Believe in the gospel of salvation. The gospel tells us what Christ did on our behalf with regard to our sin problem. Christ came to do the will of the Father, which is to die for our sins and pay the full penalty thereof. Among many other, the following passages clearly spell out the message of the gospel:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

1 Peter 3:18   For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

The message is simple: We have sinned and unable to save ourselves. Christ died, He was buried, and He rose again to pay the full penalty of our sins. All that is needed on our part to be saved is to simply believe that He did all that for our sins. That is the gospel according to the Bible!

John 1:10-13   He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 1:13   In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

You Have to Believe

At this point I need to tell you a little bit of the history of the Church.

God started to put people in the Body of Christ, that is, the Church, from the event at Pentecost recorded in the Book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost, the Jews listened to the preaching of the Apostles. The message was delivered in a miraculous way. The Apostles spoke with divers tongues, in different languages of the people. The people heard the message in their own languages (tongues). But what was even more amazing was the point of the message. Peter preached:

Acts 2:22-36   Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it…36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

The people had the message, and were touched, so touched that they didn’t have any other choice than to repent.

Acts 2:37   Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Peter continued:

Acts 2:38-40   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Important Note: We know that we do not preach the gospel today exactly as Acts 2:38. The above message was necessary for the Jews. But because of the transition in the early Church, the message changed when the gospel went to the Gentiles. Now everyone gets saved by simply believing the gospel.

The Jews at Pentecost believed, three thousands of them! The gladly received the Word, believed and submitted themselves to the water baptism.

Acts 2:41   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

This was how God started bringing people into the Body of Christ, and this is how He still does it today. You have to believe. Christ makes this quite clear in His own Words:

John 5:24   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

All the accounts of conversion (or additions to the Church) subsequent to Pentecost happened in the same way. You have to receive the Word and believe in order to be saved and become part of the Church. Take a look at the following passages:

Acts 4:4   Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Acts 5:14   And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

Acts 10:44   While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Acts 11:24   For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Paul preaches:

Acts 13:38-39   Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through .this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Ephesians 1:13   In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

John writes:

1 John 5:13   These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

This is why the Christians are also called the Believers.

See also: Romans 4:3; 10:9; Galatians 3:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

You’re Joined to the Church When You Believed

When you believe, part of what happen to you is that the Holy Spirit comes into you. This is the power to become a child of God (John 1:12). This is the means by which you’re baptized into the Church, the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13   For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The Bible makes is clear that those who do not have the Holy Spirit do not belong to Christ. That means they are not a Christian and therefore not part of the Church.

Romans 8:9   But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 8:14-17   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

You Can Join the Church Today

All it takes is to believe the gospel. The gospel says that you’re a sinner who cannot save him/herself, Christ has died, paid for your sins and rose again. All you need to be saved is to believe this simple message with all your heart. For more about how to become a part of the Church, please see: How to Become A Christian.

Thank you for reading!