Is It Right To Do Repentance And Baptism?

Luke 24:46-48, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”

Someone emailed me today and asked the simple question: Is it right to do repentance and baptism? They also sent this image along with their question...

Repentance and water baptism are good in their proper place.

The Bible teaches that water baptism always comes AFTER a person gets saved, never before or as a means of obtaining salvation. Baptism symbolizes the Gospel (i.e., one's faith in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection). Baptism is like a wedding ring. The ring doesn't make someone married, it just symbolizes the marriage bond, letting others know that they are taken in marriage. Adding baptism to one's faith is a false gospel which cannot produce the new birth and is a sure road to Hell. Baptism must NOT be trusted in for salvation.

The same is true of repentance. Repentance is necessary for salvation, but biblical repentance means " a change of mind," not a change of behavior...

• https://www.jesusisprecious.org/fundamentals/repentance_simple.htm
• https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer's%20Corner/Doctrines/repentance.htm

No one in the Old Testament was water baptized. The thief on the cross who got saved didn't get baptized. In the Epistle of 1st John, he explains how to "know" that we have eternal life (1st John 5:13), yet John never says to make sure you've been baptized. The word "baptize" is not mentioned in any form on 1st John. Clearly, baptism is NOT required to get to Heaven. My grandmother on my Mom's side of the family was a born again Christian, but she never got baptized. I was baptized four years after I got saved. Baptism was not essential to be saved, but I felt obedient to God when I was finally baptized at age 17. Water baptism is strictly a matter of discipleship, not sonship. It is a matter of sanctification, not justification.

The first step of obedience for a new believer is water baptism. Getting baptized is a matter of pleasing God, and not of getting saved. In the Scripture that you cited from Luke 24:46-47, "remission of sins" comes by faith in Jesus. Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." So, here we learn that you get your sins remitted (pardoned) through FAITH in Jesus Christ. This has nothing to do with being willing to turn away from the sinful bad habits in one's life.

Also, don't make the mistake of ass-u-ming that "repentance" in Luke 24:46-47 means to turn from one's sins, because that is NOT what the word means. The English dictionary defines "repentance" as "turning from sins," but that is not the biblical meaning of the word. The Greek noun for "repent" is METANOIA (a change of mind) ...

• https://www.lovethetruth.com/bd/metanoia.htm

Bible repentance is a change of mind. It is clear from dozens of passages that salvation comes by simply believing on the name of Jesus. So, Bible repentance can only mean then, to change your mind from unbelief to belief. Anything else would constitute works for salvation.

In Jonah 3:10 we read, "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." The Bible says God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way. The Ninevites didn't get saved, they merely turned from their sins and God in His mercy spared them judgment. God sent the prophet Nahum 100 years later to pronounce judgment again on Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) for their return to wickedness, and they were destroyed by the Babylonians.

Nobody repented in the Holy Bible as much as God. Jonah 3:10 says that God repented. God is incapable of doing evil. So, if repent means to turn from your sins, then how could God repent? No, God simply changed His mind not to destroy the Assyrians. When a lost sinner changes his or her mind from unbelief, to faith in Jesus Christ, they are born again immediately and permanently. That is how people have always been saved. There has only always been one Gospel. Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." This has always been God's simple plan of salvation, through childlike faith (trust, reliance) in the name of Jesus.

Since we cannot see Jesus, all we can do is trust in His name. John 1:12-13, "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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Any needy sinner who receives Christ's sacrifice on the cross by faith, believing that He was buried, but then bodily resurrected from the dead three days later, is saved. This is the Gospel (i.e., the GOOD NEWS) of Christ crucified, buried and risen (1st Corinthians 15:1-6).

If you have never been water baptized dear reader, you have nothing to fear if you died today. But if you've never been born again, then you should be very afraid. Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

A False Gospel Is Being Preached Nearly Everywhere Today

Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

Here is a truthful quote from Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)...

“𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗜'𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹. 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿. 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿! 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗿! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 '𝗲𝗺, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 ​𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀, 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁!” —𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀, "𝗔 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴"

Pastor Jack Hyles -  'A Vote For Preaching'

Truth matters! The purity of the inspired Word of God matters! The accuracy of the Gospel matters!

Abraham Lincoln Was Right

Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Both sides of the repentance debate cannot be right!

On one side you have hellbound neo-evangelicals like John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Marty Herron, Steve Pettit, Ken Ham's Answers-In-Genesis, Pensacola Christian College, Bob Jones University, Harvest Baptist Church on Guam and other theological cults who pervert the Gospel. They all preach the Devil's lie that Bible repentance means to be willing to forsake your sinful bad habits, as a prerequisite to qualify saving faith.

On the other side you have Harry Ironside, Jack Hyles, Curtis Hutson, Onorato Diamante, myself (humbly), Steven Anderson, Ralph Yankee Arnold, Ray Stanford, Hank Lindstrom, Alexander Marshall and others who preach a free grace Gospel without works. This faithful group of men preach the truth that Bible repentance is “a change of mind.” You must change your mind from unbelief to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

These two different plans of salvation are irreconcilable! The former group requires that you first be willing to reform (turn from your sins) to get to Heaven; whereas the latter group requires that you simply come to God as a needy sinner. We must always remember that eternal life is a free gift from God, because it was paid for by the precious blood of Jesus, God's only begotten (biological) Son. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

I watched a very interesting 12 hour documentary by historian film producer, Ken Burns, on 'The American Civil War.' It is heartbreaking history! I just heard a quote in the film by President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) that caught my attention...

“In great contests [battles], each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God—both may be, but one must be, wrong—God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time!” —President Abraham Lincoln

Why did Mr. Lincoln say that? It is because both the Northern Union and the Southern Confederacy claimed to be doing “God's will” in fighting The Civil War (1860-1865). Both President Jefferson Davis in the south, and President Abraham Lincoln in the north, said they were doing “God's will.” As Mr. Lincoln wisely points out, that is IMPOSSIBLE! When two opposing parties, who are warring against each other, claiming to be doing God's will, obviously someone is WRONG! That is why Abraham Lincoln made that powerful statement!

One of my favorite books is titled: “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” by Michael P. Bowen. The following prolific words are from page 17 of chapter one...

I am at eternal odds with the false, counterfeit messages of salvation-by-works that are taught from virtually every pulpit today, on every television channel, and on every Christian radio station; however, I am not at eternal odds with the individuals who preach these counterfeit messages. My heart literally goes out to all of them because they simply do not understand Christ’s plan of salvation. They have been lied to by a crafty enemy named Satan, whose sole aim is to take as many people with him to the lake of fire as he can possibly manage to steal away from God using a counterfeit plan of salvation that appears so real, so genuine, and so holy that few ever realize they have been deceived by it. Oh reader, so many of today’s professing Christians who think they are going to heaven when they die are not going to make it to heaven as they had assumed because they’ve been lied to by today’s error-filled gospel messages. Radical? Yes. But I am nonjudgmental toward the bearers of false messages; I am only judgmental toward the false plans of salvation they emphasize as being equal to the plan of Christ. There is only one plan of salvation in the bible; therefore, there cannot be two plans. SOURCE

Michael Bowen is so right! A counterfeit message is being preached in nearly every religious college, church pulpit, YouTube video, book and film today. It is tragic!

Dear reader, the inspired Word of God very plainly teaches that there is only ONE GOSPEL.

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

In Acts 15:1 we read a helpful Scripture, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” These false prophets were horribly teaching that to get to Heaven you must keep the law of Moses. This is no different than telling a lost person that God will not save them unless they are first willing to forsake their sinful bad habits. Take a look at what Pensacola Christian College wickedly teaches their thousands of students...

“REPENTANCE — Now is the time to turn from your sin and embrace God. The act of turning away from sin is called 'repentance.' This word implies an inward decision to follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins. It means changing your mind about sin and seeing it as something that grieves God. The Bible says that God patiently waits for all people to make this decision.”

SOURCE: “John & Romans,” Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College, p. 60

To make matters even worse, on page 62 of the “John & Romans” booklet, Campus Church tells the reader that to be saved, you must make a mental check requiring the reader to agree to:

“I repent of my sins. I realize that sin is something that God hates and I no longer want to hold onto sinful bad habits in my life.”

SOURCE: “John & Romans,” Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College, p. 62

Oh My! Folks, this is NOT part of the Gospel which the Apostle Paul preached in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4...

1st Corinthians15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

There you have it! The “Gospel” is the “GOOD NEWS” that Jesus Christ DIED on a cross for our sins, He was BURIED and after three days He physically RESURRECTED from the dead. In Paul's Gospel (which Paul said he received directly from Jesus in Galatians 1:12), did you see anything that reads: “follow and obey God's will instead of your self-serving sins.” No, that is not what Paul taught. So why is PCC and their Campus Church promoting this filth?

The only requirement to believe the Gospel is to know why you need to be saved. You need to know what you're being saved from. You are a guilty sinner, and so am I. No one has ever lived who didn't sin (Romans 3:10-23), except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is the perfect sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29). The Bibles teaches and warns that the wages we earn from our sinning is death (Romans 5:12, 6:23). This includes a second death in Hell, fire and brimstone forever (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). If you admit by faith to God that you are a guilty sinner deserving of Hell, then that is all you need to know to believe the GOOD NEWS that Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay for your sins, was buried and three days later He bodily raised up from the dead for your justification. BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS, oh sinner, and you are saved!

Abraham Lincoln was right, both sides may be wrong, but one side must be wrong! There cannot be two opposing plans of salvation. Either you cannot be saved without being willing to forsake sinful bad habits, or you don't, but it cannot be both.

Don't Get The Tickets Mixed Up!

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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

“𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗠𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣” (Pastor Jack Hyles, 1997). In this helpful sermon, Dr. Hyles presents the Gospel as simply as he knows how. This is awesome! ...

Don't Get The Tickets Mixed Up!

Years ago Brother Hyles visited a museum. He was issued TWO tickets. The first one was to get into the museum, and the second ticket was for refreshments to enjoy the museum. Dr. Hyles explains that false religions confuse these two tickets, making people think that the second ticket is necessary to get into Heaven. This is what the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation is, mixing service with salvation. ...

1. Ticket number 1 is God's Righteousness.
2. Ticket number 2 is my righteousness.

Trusting in what you can do is trying is get into Heaven with ticket #2. In Matthew 7:21-23 the people were trying to get into Heaven with ticket #2 (by their own self righteousness). I encourage you to listen to this practical life changing sermon.

Baptism Is Not Required Nor Permitted To Get Into Heaven

I was saddened back in 2003 when I read this article in the Chicago Sun-Times, which said that U.S. troops were lining up in Iraqi to be water baptized, just in case they were killed on the battlefield. I cut the article out and scanned it, so I could write an article about it.

A Disturbing Article From The 2003 Chicago Sun-Times

The lie that you must be water baptized to get to Heaven in theology is called: "BAPTISMAL REGENERATION." Many of the hellbound cults teach this damnable heresy; such as, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Church of Christ and Roman Catholics. 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟯:𝟭𝟲, “𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.” Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

I feel so sorry for those U.S. troops, who were maliciously lied to, given a false hope that baptism in water could prepare them for Heaven if they were killed. Water baptism no more makes someone a Christian, than walking into a garage makes you an automobile! It is ONLY faith in the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of Jesus Christ's death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection three days later that saves a sinner.

Water baptism is simply one's public profession of faith in Christ, that you have just been saved. Water sprinkling is unbiblical. Biblical baptism must always be by total immersion under water, which re[resents Jesus death and burial. Rising up out of the water symbolizes Jesus' physical resurrection from the dead the third day. Water baptism is an OUTWARD snapshot of what has happened INWARDLY. That is, it pictures your faith in the Gospel. Infant baptism is unbiblical, because babies are too young to understand the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul said that Christ did not send him to baptize; but rather, to preach the Gospel (1st Corinthians 1:17).

In the Epistle of 1st John, the Apostle John tells believers how to KNOW that we are saved (1st John 5:13). Yet, John in his Epistle doesn't mention any form of baptism even once. If water baptism were necessary to be saved, no doubt John would have mentioned it, but he didn't.

Anyone who teaches that you must be water baptized to get to Heaven is a liar.

Any Lutheran who says that not getting baptized shows that your faith is not genuine is a dirty liar. 

Any Church of Christ member who says that you cannot go to Heaven unless you get water baptized is a dirty liar.

Any Roman Catholic who says that water baptism is a necessary sacrament to get to Heaven is a dirty liar. There are NO SACRAMENTS in the inspired Holy Bible. Sacraments are only found in manmade religion!

“Religion and Christ are in opposition to each other!” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Religion Or Christ?”

Religion Or Christ?

Matthew 15:7-9, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

I heard a wonderful sermon today by Pastor Jack Hyles titled: “RELIGION OR CHRIST?”

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿!” —𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀, “𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁?”

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗲; 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴!” —𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀, “𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁?”

Religion Or Christ?

It doesn't matter how good or bad you are, you must go through THE DOOR to get into Heaven, and Jesus is the DOOR (John 10:9). Everyone is freely welcome! Jesus is the only WAY (John 14:6).

The Church As The Bride Of Christ

The following blog is chapter 21 from Pastor Jack Hyles' (1926-2001) helpful book titled: 'THE CHURCH.' I cannot recommend this book enough. There is so much confusion today over what the church is supposed to be. Dr. Hyles pastored churches for over 55 years, starting at age 19 all the way until he graduated to Heaven in 2001 at age 74. I thank God for this faithful man of God! I have amassed a prized collection of 3,334 sermons and Bible studies by Pastor Hyles, if you'd like to listen to them as I do. Without further ado, here is Dr. Hyles...

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:21-27

Baptists have been educated by inter-denominationalists, so we have garnered much of the doctrine that was taught by the Protestants and not by our Baptists forefathers. One of those doctrines is concerning the bride of Christ. Our inter-denominational friends have influenced us to believe that all believers are the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, and the church.

Recently, I was reading a book by a well known interdenominationalist. All through the book he presumed that all believers formed the church, and if you are saved, you are a member of the church. No, if you are saved, you are saved, but you are not automatically a member of the church. I have no axes to grind with him about salvation. I strongly disagree with him about the church. Likewise, most Christians have automatically assumed that everybody who is saved is a member of the bride of Christ.

All believers do not form the bride of Christ.

1. The word bride is mentioned only five times in the entire New Testament.

John the Baptist used it once when talking about being the friend of the bride. They thought he must be the Saviour. He told them that he was just a wedding guest and that the Bridegroom was coming later. He was not referring to all Christian people. He was merely talking about himself.

The word bride is not mentioned in any of the Epistles. In fact, it is not mentioned again until Revelation 18:23. It is also mentioned in Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:9 and Revelation 22:17.

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: Revelation 18:23a

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talk with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. Revelation 21:9

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. Revelation 22:17a

Apart from John talking about the bridegroom in a brief illustration about himself, there is not a single mention of the word bride, in any connection, until Revelation 18:23. The rapture takes place in Revelation 4:1, so the word bride is not mentioned until after the rapture.

Revelation 21:2 refers to the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven after the millennium.

Revelation 21:9 and Revelation 22:17 refer to the same thing, all of which transpires after the rapture.

All saved people do not become a bride until after the rapture. There is no bride of Christ today. There is no place in the Bible where it mentions anything about us now being the bride of Christ. That is only in some inter-denominational theologian's commentary. It is not in the Bible.

I make an issue out of this because I am bothered by the fact that fundamental Baptist churches are swallowing the fallacy that all believers form the church, the body of Christ, and the bride of Christ; none of which is true.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:7, 9a

The marriage supper of the Lamb takes place after the marriage. It is the reception. Revelation 19:7 talks about the marriage of the Lamb. The marriage of the Lamb takes place during the seven years after the rapture. We are caught up in the air and during that seven year period, there is the marriage of the Lamb.

A woman becomes a bride at marriage and not before. The marriage of the Lamb is in the air after the rapture. Only then will we become a bride. You become a bride after the marriage, so we will not form the bride of Christ until after the rapture. The word bride is not mentioned in the entire Bible concerning God's people until after the rapture, because we are not His bride until the wedding has been performed.

All believers are members of his family, but all believers are not members of the church. You must join a church to be a member of a local body. The church is His body, so all believers are not in His body. All believers are not in the church, and all believers are not in His body. When Jesus comes again, at the rapture all believers will be called out and will assemble in Heaven. All believers will then become members of the church, because then we will all be a called out assembly. That called-out assembly, or church, will become his bride, but this does not happen until the rapture.

2. There is no mention of the church now being His bride.

In all of the letters to the churches there is no mention of them being His bride. In fact, the word "bride" is not mentioned in any of them.

3. The bride and the body are never the same in this age.

There are people who believe that they are the same. Consequently, they believe that only the people who belong to the New Testament church are members of the bride and that everybody else will be wedding guests in Heaven. That is not right. All people who belong to a New Testament church are simply church members now. At the rapture when all of us form a church in the sky, all believers will be the bride and the church, but this is after we have been called out and have assembled.

4. The future church will be the bride.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23

The local church is His body by possession. When it says that He is the saviour of the body, it means that the only way to continue being called a local church is to continue being purified by Jesus.

Speaking to the church at Ephesus, Revelation 2 says, .. . repent, and do thy first works; or I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick.... The candlestick is the church. He is saying that He would not recognize them as a church unless they got back to soul winning.

Jesus is the saviour of the body. The body is the church, or the called-out assembly. The only way a church can continue being a New Testament church is to yield to Him and He will preserve it.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you the overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. Acts 20:17

Paul called for the preachers of the church, not churches, in Ephesus. It is referring to the local church in Ephesus. These preachers at Ephesus could not possibly feed all believers. They could feed only that local assembly; yet, he commands them to feed the whole assembly of God which He hath purchased with His own blood. Jesus purchased, not only our salvation, but He also purchased the local church when He died on the cross. He not only died to save us from our sins, but also so that we could have an organization to feed and mature us in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25

The word sanctify means to set apart. The local church is not the bride of Christ, but it is set apart to become the bride of Christ. In Bible days, an engagement was stricter than it is now. It was a legal and binding contract, and could not be broken.

I will be His bride, but nothing can allow the contract to be broken. Neither party can break the contract.

We sing, "A glorious church without a spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb" I am not against singing this, but it is not yet true. The church has spots, and it has wrinkles, otherwise Jesus would not need to keep on washing it. At the rapture we will be a glorious church. The word glorious means perfect. We will be a glorified church when all the believers are caught up in the air. Our bodies will be changed, we will be like Him, and we will be without spot or wrinkle. Then we also will be His bride. We are not yet fit to be His bride. He wants a glorious bride without a spot or wrinkle.

When the rapture takes place and all of us are caught up in the air, the church, the body, and the bride will all be the same. We will not be the bride until we get to the wedding, but we are already sanctified or set apart.

The church is the only institution in this world that was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is His unit of battle. It is His dining hall where we are fed. It is His arsenal where we get our weapons.

The Bible gives no evidence that all Christians are a church. The word church is the ekklesia, meaning called-out assembly. When did all believers ever assemble? They did not. In Acts 7, the Israelites were called a church, but they were not called a church in Egypt because they were not assembled in Egypt. It talks about the church in the wilderness. They became a church when they were called out of Egypt and assembled in the wilderness.

On the Passover night, they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt and were called out into the wilderness where they assembled around the tabernacle. A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night guided them. There they assembled and were called a church because they were a called-out assembly. There was no church in the Old Testament, except when God's people assembled in the wilderness.

Likewise, God's people will not be a church until we are out of this heathen land and are caught up to assemble in the sky. Then we become the church, and then we will be married to Christ at the marriage of the Lamb. We are already members of the family of God. We are going to Heaven when we die, and we are going to form a group at the rapture that will be His bride. Until then, the church and the body are the same because the church is the called-out assembly and that called-out assembly is the body of Christ.

Maybe this worries you a little. All of your life you have been taught that we are the bride of Christ. What I have explained in this chapter is exactly what Baptists were taught historically. Too much of our theology has come from those who came from Protestant backgrounds, like the inter-denominational colleges. We must go back to the truth of the Bible and teach our people the truth concerning the church and its importance to the work of Christ.

TABLE OF CONTENTS