The word translated “church” in the New Testament is ekklesia, from two words, ek, “out,” and kalein, “to call”—SO, a calling out of. It describes a body of people assembled for a definite purpose, whether it be an assembly of State, or the people of Israel (used for Heb. qahal), or even a rioting mob (Acts 19:32, 41)—any group assembled either as a common people or for a common cause (ISBE, I, 693). Keeping that definition of ekklesia in mind, let us look at First Peter 2:9 to provide a more specific picture of what the church (ekklesia) in the NT is all about.

I Peter 2:9-10 : But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This church which we read of is that promised by Christ, that He would build on the foundational truth that He is the Son of God (Matt. 16:18). That divine ownership is identified many times when the various churches are referenced in Scripture

• 1 Corinthians 1:2   “church of God”
• Romans 16:16  “churches of Christ”
• Acts 20:28    “church of God”

HOW Christ delivered us from sin is another point I’d like to consider. As we examine how the Bible describes the body of saved believers, we will find that the answer to, “Do you have to be in the church of Christ to be saved?,” is indeed connected to widespread foundational beliefs in salvation through Christ.
 

1)  The blood of Christ saves—right?

The book of Hebrews establishes that God requires blood as a condition of redemption.

Hebrews 9:22 : And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

But the dilemma existed that there was no fitting sacrifice on earth to make recompense for our transgressions—

Hebrews 10:4 : For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, there was needed a more perfect sacrifice to intervene for the sins of mankind. And so Jesus, the Son of God, poured out His own precious blood for the sake of our redemption (Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Without the application of His blood, there can be no salvation. Those who are saved are those whom He bought with His own blood—those identified as being in the church (Acts 20:28).

YES, Christ’s blood saves us, and that blood is found IN THE CHURCH. Therefore, to be saved out of the church is to be saved without the blood of Christ—and that is impossible!

2)  The saved are reconciled to God through Christ—right?

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 : Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

There are three points of importance in this passage:

1) we are reconciled through Christ
2) our trespasses are not held against us
3) this was accomplished by the word of reconciliation.

But are the reconciled necessarily in the church? Ephesians 2 identifies the Christ’s church as a body of reconciliation, particularly regarding the enmity between Jew and Gentile, created by the Old Testament law, which locked its followers up under sin.

Ephesians 2:14-16 : For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

We are reconciled in the ONE body. What body?

Ephesians 1:22-23 : And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

God, in Christ, reconciles the world to Him. Those who are reconciled are in the ONE body. That body is the body of Christ. Those who are reconciled are in the church—if you’re NOT in the church, then you aren’t reconciled!

3) Saved people are born again—right?

John 3:3-5 : Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, confirms quite clearly for us that the kingdom Christ spoke of is the same as the church He came to establish—

Colossians 1:13-14 : For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We notice from the wording of this passage also that presence in the kingdom is presence in THE SAVIOR.  He “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption . . . .”

Returning to what Christ told Nicodemus: in order to enter into the kingdom, into Christ, you must be born again. All those that are born again are put into Christ. “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We conclude, again, since Christ’s body IS the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), that if you are NOT in the church of Christ, you are not born again. The church contains all the saved, so those NOT in the church of Christ are those still under the condemnation of their sins.

The church of Christ is the body of those called out of sin by Christ—the universal body of believers that all denominations DO BELIEVE IN.

1) The blood of Christ saves—it is in the church He purchased, Acts 20:28. If you are not in the church of Christ, you do not have Christ’s blood to cover you.

2) The saved are reconciled to God through Christ—His one body is the church, II Corinthians 5:18-19, Ephesians 1:22-23. If you are not in the church of Christ, you are not reconciled.

3) The saved are born again—you must be born again to see the kingdom. All those who are born again are put into Christ, II Corinthians 5:17. THEREFORE, if you are not in the church, His body, you are not born again!

Must you be a member of the church of Christ to be saved? YES!! Is that church of Christ some intangible thing that exists across all lines of doctrine and belief? NO!! Faith is based on knowledge of the word of Christ (John 17:17, Romans 10:17). If that knowledge is according to false information, then that faith is not a saving one.

The universal church is recognized in the New Testament, organized in local bodies, and those bodies were distinguished by their origin, name, organization, worship practices, work, teaching, and practice. The teaching was unique, unified. Those in the church were expected to live by it. The epistles were written in order to encourage Christians to live by it and not stray from the pattern established by the apostles—the word of Christ.

First Timothy 1:10-11 speaks of men who live “contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” There is a right way and a wrong way, and the measuring rod by which we tell one from the other is the Bible!

Paul warned Timothy to teach no other gospel but that which was given.

1 Timothy 1:3 : As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,

2 Timothy 1:13 : Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

The church is characterized by a distinct pattern that it adheres to—those who are individually parts of it are no different. They wear a distinct name: Christian (Acts 11:26). “Christian” means “a follower of Christ.” Who got this name? “The disciples were first called Christians . . . .” Being a Christian means much more than just growing up with a vague idea that Jesus is the person who you should worship. Christians are FOLLOWERS of Christ.

Luke 9:23 : And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

“The DISCIPLES were first called Christians at Antioch . . . .” The disciples are those who were SAVED.

And where are the saved? In the church!

Isn’t that simple, the idea that the church of Christ is simply every saved believer on Earth, and the local church is just a group of these Christians striving to walk in the paths of righteousness laid out by Christ’s ambassadors? It only get complicated when we begin to subtract, to add on, to supplement, to develop belief systems that are distinct from one another, and thus cause widespread division in the name of Christ. Our Lord prayed that His followers would be ONE, according to one knowledge (John 17).