Often asked, but not often allowed to answer is the question; “do you people think you are the only ones going to Heaven”? This is obviously a question that engenders emotions, but often the questionnaire is not really looking for the answer, they are looking for a heated argument!! Interestingly, what causes this question to be asked is anger. Someone has made someone insecure with their religion!! They are looking for someone to unload on and you get chosen.
As already discussed, the Bible teaches the church is the body of Christ. This may not mean a lot to some but it does to those who are honestly seeking salvation. Notice the word “body” is singular. The good Book NEVER tells us the church is made up of several bodies!! The church is the bride of Christ. Notice again please, this is again singular! Yes, the Lord is married to the church and she is His bride, wife AND He only has one bride!! Ephesians 5:23-25 NO, NO, the denominations DO NOT MAKE UP THE ONE BRIDE! How do I know? Paul writes: “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24 NO DENOMINATION is subject to Christ in much of anything!! They have their own rules, creeds, manuals, church covenants, and catechisms. These are written by their “clergy”, not the apostles of Jesus Christ!! These writings start off with “We believe”. Notice: they do not start off with “The Bible teaches”. You cannot have but ONE captain on the ship of Zion; if you do all you have is confusion11
The church is the “house of Christ”, Hebrews 3:6, being His, it wears His name-hence the Church of Christ/Church of God, Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2:1, Acts 20:28 (Some get confused with the use of the two names when they really are one. Christ is/was the only one who was God that ever had a body; therefore, He is the God that purchased His Church!!) All these names: bride, church, wife, mother, pillar and ground of the Truth, Kingdom, family, and others ALL represent certain facets of the relationship Christ has with the Church. Example: my wife is a woman, wife, mother, best-friend, encourager, support, Postal carrier, grand-mother, and other things. Like the church, she is ONE but all these descriptions of her tell the functions she has and the jobs she performs, yet there is only ONE of her Does it offend you that I have only ONE wife, my children have only ONE mother, my grandson has only ONE grandmother on the father’s side of the family? Don’t let that be a hindrance to you in learning the truth about the Bride of Christ!! IF THERE IS ONLY ONE, the church being the body, wife, bride, support, family of Christ-He has only ONE!! Oh yes, my wife lives in only one house, has only one husband, answers only to one man in her life, and wears my last name: does that offend you? Neither should it offend you about the Bride of Christ, HE HAS ONLY ONE AND BUT ONE!!!
Now, back to the question: do we think the Church of Christ will be the only Church that will go to Heaven? Can I answer a question with a question, with your permission? How many women do you think I take home to my house every night? No, I am not God, not even close, but, He established the pattern for me to follow!! You see, we have a covenant together established by the state of Tennessee that we have with no other human being. We swore allegiance to this covenant and have no other such covenant with any other. Does this offend you that I have provided only ONE house for my ONE wife and we live on ONE street? Why then, feel hard at the Lord’s children??