Central in God’s scheme for the redemption of mankind was the sending of His Son to earth to live as a man and die on the cross for the sins of all people. A major part Jesus’ mission while on earth was to prepare people for His kingdom which would be established following His death. Repeatedly during His personal ministry, He gave the same message to His audiences, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). He continually emphasized the kingdom in His teaching, especially in the parables, because of its key role in God’s eternal purpose.

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Preparation for and Purpose of the Kingdom

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The importance of that kingdom is seen in the fact that throughout the time which preceded it, God tried to prepare men for its coming. Even hundreds of years before the earthly ministry of Jesus, prophets such as Daniel (Daniel 2:44), Isaiah (Isaiah 2:2-4), and Micah (Micah 4:1-2) prophesied of its establishment. John the Baptist, the one who was to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus, spoke of it and how near it was to being a reality upon the earth (Matthew 3:2).

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God’s purpose for the kingdom was made plain when Jesus said, “...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18; cf. Ephesians 3:10-11). Jesus was to rule over a universal church composed of people from all nations of the earth who would submit to Him and His rule over them (Mark 16:15).

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Less than one year after He promised to build His church, Jesus was betrayed, condemned, crucified, and entombed. But three days later He was raised from the dead (Luke 24:1-35). He was raised “the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). By His resurrection, He claimed victory over death and sin and proclaimed the beginning of His reign.

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The Reality of the Kingdom and the Church

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In the city of Jerusalem on the Jewish festival day of Pentecost after His death, Jesus’ apostles preached, for the first time, the wonderful news “...that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Jews from every nation under heaven were present. They had been guilty of putting Jesus to death. Therefore, “...when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37-38).

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On that Pentecost day, those who were obedient to the commands of God given through Peter and the other apostles were given salvation. Having been saved, they were added together (Acts 2:41) to the church (Acts 2:47). We can therefore conclude that the church is the body of saved people.

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Those who were added to the church were, at the same time, made citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Having been purchased and sanctified by His blood (Ephesians 5:25-30), they were placed under His rule. Such passages as Mark 9:1; Luke 24:49; and Acts 2:1-4 show that when the church of the Lord was established (Acts 2), His kingdom became a reality.

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In Mark 9:1, Jesus said that there were some who stood before Him that day who would see the kingdom come with power before they died. In Luke 24:49, He commanded His apostles to remain in the city of Jerusalem where they would be clothed with power from on high when the Holy Spirit came upon them. In Acts 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit came and the power came, therefore, the kingdom came with power.

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The Church: A Present Reality

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Under His rule, Christ’s church continues to exist because He continually adds the saved to it. This means that if one is going to have salvation, he must be a part of that church. One becomes a member of it by giving obedience to the conditions given in the Gospel for the salvation of one’s soul. For, you see, the very means by which one receives forgiveness of sins is the same means by which he is made a member of the Lord’s church. For example, Scripture tells us that baptism “saves us” (1 Peter 3:21). But the New Testament also says that it adds one to the body, the church (I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18,24). Therefore, it is impossible for one to be saved and not be in the church that belongs to Christ (cf. Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:38).

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The idea that many have that one is saved and then later joins the “church of his choice” is not true. According to the New Testament, there is “one body” (Ephesians 4:4) and that body is the church to which the Lord adds the saved (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:24).

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Even though men may hold forth over 400 denominations which they claim belong to Christ, He built just one church (Matthew 16:18), purchased just one with His blood (Acts 20:28), and will save just one in the final day (Ephesians 5:23). Jesus has never promised to save any person who has not done those things that put him into Christ and His one body.

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Identifying Christ’s Church

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How can one be sure, though, that he is a member of that church? Again, the word of God supplies the answer because it gives the identifying characteristics of the church of Christ.

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Builder and Founder. Jesus (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Any religious body whose founder is not Jesus Christ is not His church.

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Head. Jesus (Ephesians 1:22-23). He has all authority (Matthew 28:18-20) and everything is to be done in His name, i.e., by His authority (Colossians 3:17).

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Name. Members of His church are called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). If one belongs to a church whose members wear another name, is he a member of the Lord’s church?

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Creed. Christ and His word (Matthew 28:18- 20; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 John 9). If one is a member of a church that has formulated its own creed, is he a part of the Lord’s body?

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Terms of Admission. Those things which grant salvation to the individual. Any religious group having any other terms of admission has substituted its own terms for those of the Lord. Such denies His headship, rule, and authority.

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Worship. New Testament Christians met upon the first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; Acts 20:7), to give as they had prospered (I Corinthians 16:1-2), to sing (Ephesians 5:19), to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and to give and receive instruction in the word of God (Hebrews 10:24-25). If one’s worship today is going to be acceptable to God, it must be in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) and include only these things. If one is a part of a religious group that either omits any of these or adds others, can he be offering acceptable worship to God?

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Conclusion

The church of the Lord is the one He will save in the final day. One must be a member of it if he is going to have eternal life.