CHURCH OF CHRIST MISSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 164, 14 July 1933, Page 10

CHURCH OF CHRIST MISSION

“SALVATION FROM SIN.” Another large audience filled the building last night at the Church of Christ Mission when Mr. Harry L. Bell answered the question, “Can a Man be Saved out of the Church?” Mr. T. Cave led in a happy song service. “Salvation from sin is distintly a New Testament question,” the preacher said. “The Old Testament has nothing to do with it only as it looks forward to the time when Jesus the Deliverer should come. The New Testament is not a text book on science or philosophy, but its subject matter is salvation from sin. “Here is a man who says to me, ‘Why can’t I stay at home and read my Bible and pray, listen to sermons over the radio, and live a good, clean, respectable life, and be saved from sin without ever joining the Church*’ There seems to be many people who have no use for the Church, but they love the Lord. Can a man be saved outside the Church? Can a man be a Christian outside the Church? Can a man be good outside the Church, and will that goodness or morality save him? “Most assuredly a man can ne a good man outside the Church,” the visiting minister frankly told his hearers, “in fact I have known many to be even better than some of those. in the Church, but according to the New Testament, our authority on the subject of salvation from sin, a man’s goodness will not save him. “The blood of Jesus Christ saves us from our sins. I. John 1:7; I. Peter 1:18; and to be saved we must come to the application of that cleansing Blood, ‘for apart from the shedding or blood there is no remission of sin.’ Heb. 9:22.

“We appropriate the cleansing blood of Christ to our hearts by faith. Romans 3:21-25, and by repenting of our sins, and by a confession of our faith in Christ, Rom. 10:9-19 and Matt. 10:22. We also come to the application of the blood that cleanses by obedience to Christ in baptism. Heb. 5:9 tells us ‘Ho became unto all them that obey Him, the author of salvation.’ Baptism is a positive command of Jesus. Baptism, when preceded by faith, repentance and confession o* faith is for the salvation from sin. Tn His death on the cross our Lord shed His blood, and baptism brings us to His blood and consequently to salvation, because it brings us to His death. Read Rom. 6:3, 4. To die meant to shed His blood, hence if baptism brings us info His death it brings us to the shedding of His blood or we may say that w 0 are baptised into His blood or death. “The same steps or acts which make one a saved man at the same time bring him into Christ. Paul says, ‘We put on Christ in our baptism.’ I might be expressed as being ‘in Christ? To be in Christ means to be a part or member of His body, which, according to Paul, is the Church. Col. 1:18 and 24. “Cornelius mentioned in Acts 10 is a model moral man. He was devout. God-fearing, philanthropic and prayerful. Surely if morality or goodness would save a man this man would have been saved. But the inspired record declares that Cornelius heard preach ing, and with faith expressed in Jesus Christ he was baptised and became a Christian and a member of Christ’s Church.” The speaker closed by commending the good and moral man out of the Church and called on him to place himself on the side of God and the Church. To-night the sermon will be, “At Outs With God.” Mr. C. Wadman will lead in the inspirational song service at 7.30.