Christianity, Cults and Culture

The One True Church

January 30, 2024

As a general definition, the doctrine of grace pertains to God’s activity rather than to his nature. Although God is gracious, this trait of his nature is revealed only in relation to his created works and to his redemptive enterprise. In other words, grace is to be understood in terms of a dynamic expression of the divine personality rather than as a static attribute of God’s nature. Grace is the dimension of divine activity that enables God to confront human indifference and rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless. God is gracious in action.^[1]We are encouraged to extend that same grace to fellow believers. Colossians 3:13 (NIV): “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

I watched a movie yesterday about a young man who had attended a denominational Bible College. While there he became involved in an argument about grace. The denominational stalwarts were concerned that an overemphasis on grace would lead to their denomination abandoning many of their hardline doctrinal positions. It caught my attention because as surprising as it should have been, it was just a confirmation of what we all see daily. How many of us know people who go to the only true church? In that denomination or sect, there is a metaphorical wall that isolates the members of the denomination from all other denominations. Those inside the denomination are the saved, the good people and those outside are the lost or the vulgar. Yet Christ died in order that we might come to love one another. That was how we would show the world the love of God, through our unity.

What am I saying? I am not saying we need to have a single form of church government or one big church. For three hundred years, churches existed in communities, meeting in homes. It took a while for organized religion to arrive, and I am not sure its arrival was at all helpful. What I am saying is that God’s grace extends to all believers in Jesus, and for most of us, that circle of believers extends further than we think. It would be more helpful for us to understand that there is one worldwide church that consists of all believers, and there are dozens, hundreds, or thousands of ways that the worldwide church expresses itself in local communities. We should learn to embrace all those who name the name of Jesus and seek to follow him. Denominational names, denominational theologies, and other barriers should be put aside, and each group of believers should embrace every other group of believers, showing love and compassion. No one should expect to change other churches, nor should they expect to be changed. They simply need to follow Jesus and demonstrate the unity God expects from us.

Perhaps you don’t belong to a group that thinks of itself as the One True Church. Perhaps you recognize there are other churches and Christians out there. What sort of relationships do you have with other Christian groups? Are there still barriers? Is there an underlying feeling of superiority (or inferiority)? Why? We can do better. Let’s commit to striving to break down barriers. The church doesn’t need firm control and oversight, it needs to be filled with the spirit doing the work of God.

Let’s look at what the Bible says about the width of salvation, what we must do to be saved and the unity that we should have.

1. Five verses underscore the universal scope of God’s love and desire for the salvation of all people, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or social status. They convey the inclusive nature of God’s offer of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
   1. John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
   1. Romans 10:12 (NIV): “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.”
   1. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV): “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
   1. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV): “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
   1. Isaiah 45:22 (NIV): “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”
2. Five verses highlight the central role of faith in Jesus Christ and the recognition of His lordship and resurrection as essential elements for salvation. They emphasize that salvation is a gift from God received through faith, not something earned through human works.
   1. Acts 16:31 (NIV): “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”
   1. John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
   1. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV): “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
   1. Romans 10:9 (NIV): “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
   1. Acts 4:12 (NIV): “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
3. Seven verses emphasize the unity of believers as a reflection of the unity within the Godhead and as a witness to the world of the transformative power of Christ’s love. They encourage believers to pursue peace, harmony and love within the body of Christ.
   1. John 17:20-23 (NIV): “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
   1. Ephesians 4:3 (NIV): “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
   1. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV): “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
   1. Colossians 3:14 (NIV): “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
   1. Psalm 133:1 (NIV): “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
   1. John 13:34-35 (NIV): “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
   1. 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV): “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

^[1] Gilbert Bilezikian, “Grace,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 898.