Is Institutional Church Salvation The Real Deal?

You are watching TV and a big "Crusade" featuring a famous evangelist is giving an "invitation" to "come forward" and or "make a decision" for Christ".  You then see streams of people move toward an area in front of the stage. 

 Or perhaps you have been in a church service where the minister says something like "with every eye closed and every head bowed, if you want to be saved, ask Jesus into your heart (no one looking now, to give everyone privacy), indicate yes by raising your hand".   

This action may be followed by asking them to "come forward so we can pray with you", or an announcement from the pulpit pronouncing the hand-raisers "saved".

Having watched this scene or a variation played out countless times over the years, I suppose we just ignored the still small voice inside that softly nagged at us with doubt because we had never read of these methods or statements in the Bible.
But we trusted our leaders as we thought they knew what they were saying was true... 

Still, questions flitted through our minds like "did they repent? what about being baptized? Are they really "born again" like Jesus said? 
Although we were part of a 150+ member assembly including many regular church attendees, tithers, and some who even read the Bible, we noticed much of the conversation and even the sermons lacked references to scripture. 
But there was a lot of exhortation to "be faithful" in attendance, participation in programs, and of course, "giving" in the form of tithes and offerings...

We all got real good at following our leaders and doing church "stuff", but in looking back, I wonder how many of the "brethren" were really even "born again"? 
If "accept Christ", "going forward", or "ask Jesus into your heart" was how you get saved, then WHY wasn't that in the Bible? 

In our last couple of years "in church", as we considered our own lives and those in our assembly, it became painfully clear we were all a pretty worldly bunch, -all the while we played the church routine.

What do I mean by "worldly"?
Well, we talked about the things in the world, we borrowed money to finance our wants just like the world, a little gambling trip here, a few risque jokes there. We pursued financial gain and security like the world, we saw church people divorced and young people pregnant without marriage like the world, we listened to worldly music and even had a dance or two in the church just like the world, we watched the same movies and entertainment produced by the world...

We coveted wealth and influence just like the world, we overlooked blatant sin among us just like the world, we fund-raised and sold merchandise for profit just like the world, we avoided rather than taking loving responsibilty for others just like the world, we looked down our self-righteous noses at those we disagreed with just like the world, we held grudges just like the world, we got political just like the world, and we sought help from lawyers, tax specialists, psychologists, and doctors just like the world.

We substitued church attendance and membership for the new birth, we substituted "seeker sensitivity" for repentence,  we substituted tithes for giving to the needy, we substituted a few catchy songs for real worship, we traded fellowship in a building for reaching out to the lost, we traded the gospel of repentence for comforting acceptance from a pastor or minister. 

The main difference was that we called ourselves "Christian" and a lot of our time was centered around church activities. But were we and other church members and attendees really "saved"? 

If we believed the preachers on TV or behind the pulpit we could convince ourselves it was so, but if we dared to compare the gospel and message of Scripture with what the religious leaders said, and we gave attention to that "something is missing" sense inside, then we might have cause to rethink "institutional church salvation".

Let me ask you, is "going to church",
living a moral life,
being a nice guy and
a "good" person,
taking communion or the mass,
listening to Christian radio and watching Christian TV, 
but still doing the things listed in the blue paragraph above, evidence of a disciple of Jesus Christ?

No friends, it might ease our conscience to put a church-patch over a gaping wound, but it truly grieves me to say the church-world has lost its salt. 

Some might want to do what Paul told the church in 2nd Corinthians 13:5 

Examine your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.
Reprobate means: unapproved, that is, rejected; by implication worthless (literally or morally): - castaway, rejected, reprobate.

You see, it is easy to build an assembly if you water down the gospel by offering a pleasant sounding, comfortable, easy-to-accept message.  What we have done is removed the cross from the gospel; by this we have walked away from the gospel of scripture.  -And this is why Jesus Christ is once again calling His people to come out from the religious institutions of man.

Now I realize most of the readers of this are no longer "in church" and that many of you have already walked away from the hollow shell of church services.  Some of you are trying to make sense between the conflicts of scripture and the Christianity that is mostly represented by traditional church. You really don't know much about your walk with God until you walk away from church.

++++++++++++

And if by chance, you are reading this and wondering if you have obeyed the gospel, there is GOOD NEWS for you. Salvation is free, thank God,
but God requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentence from dead works of sin, and for a life of obedience where Jesus Christ is Lord.
Those who are "born from above" will produce the fruit of the nature, character, and authority of Christ as evidence of a truly transformed life. The works Christ did, we shall do also.

But if you look around the typical social club for good works and nice people called "church", you will see little evidence of what the disciples of scripture produced.

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 14:33 ..whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
John 3:5 , Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Repentence brings forgiveness and was never to be a one-time response to the gospel.

Now look at some of the signs that REAL Gospel conversion brings, acccording to Jesus:
Mark 16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not (the real gospel) shall be condemned.

17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 they shall take up *serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
(with all the sick around, this should be common in the church, unless we have a "sick" gospel)

20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
( *a snake bit Paul and he took it and shook it off into a fire. Acts 28:3-4 )

Finally, we give two examples of real born-again salvation by folks who believed,  from the scripture, and how we enter in:

Cornelius, a "good" man who "feared God",  prayed and gave to the poor, yet Cornelius still needed to hear the New Testament news.

From Acts 10, Peter giving Cornelius the real gospel:

43   To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.
44   While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word.
45   And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.
46   For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47  Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?
48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...

Next we have a group of God-fearing people from Ephesus who had been baptized by John the Baptist, and walking in repentence. Yet when they encountered Paul, they found they needed more perfectly the Word of the Lord in order to be "born again".   Right after that, Paul departed and spoke to devout Jews in regard to New Testament salvation.  From Acts 19:

1 And it came to pass, that, ... Paul... came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples:
2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.
3 And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John`s baptism.
4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus.
5 And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And they were in all about twelve men.

8   And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9   But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples,
(from among the unconverted Jews at the synagogue)
reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

That friends, is how several dozen new believers were added to the church.
And not a word about:

(if you have time, this 7 minute video is heart stirring)
   

Is there any wonder when we shuffle people through the wrong door into Christianity that we get an altogether different looking Christian from those in the Bible? 

(PS. after writing this, a sister sent me this utube link. The preacher gave a message about this same subject. It is HERE about 1 hour.)

In a response, REX wrote:

Rory: Read the article, thanks for sending it.  Some 20 years ago I gave a teaching regarding Acts: 2:37 ”what must we do” Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is obvious most make sheep unto themselves and not Jesus.  The Word specifically states “no one can come to God unless God draw them” John 6:44.  Acceptance is a revelation of being cut off from God and conscience of sin and how it grieves Him, which stirs true repentance which is constant.  While it can be accompanied by emotion its roots are revelation.  Never read where the Apostles and/or disciples recited a prayer of “salvation, had soft music, and all the other tie-ins like rededication, change of membership, coming up front.  How can one not share Christ and eat of Him daily after receiving so great a gift, May the Lord help us. Blessings Brother, Rex

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