Salvation, justice, and the Church

Published in Pasugo, Apr 2002

God's justice is evidently expressed in His laws.

MANY PROFESSING CHRISTIANS criticize the teaching that God's salvation through Christ is granted to only one specific group of people or Church. To them, such teaching suggests that God is unjust. Furthermore, they argue that God will not reward salvation to only one Christian group because others also serve Him and believe in His Son, and that He is not lacking in mercy or grace as to forget their faith and good deeds.

The Bible teaches, however, that God's granting salvation to only one religious organization or Church is in perfect harmony with His nature as a just and righteous God.

The righteousness of God
God is righteous and just (Ps. 119:137; Gen. 18:25). His justice is evidently expressed in His laws, one of which is on the passing of judgment to the one guilty. In Deuteronomy 24:16, this is written:

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin." (New King James Version)

This law demonstrates divine justice and righteousness. It forbids the act of punishing an innnocent person on account of another's guilt. On the basis of this law, all men are condemned to die the second death in the lake of fire because all have sinned (Rev. 21:8; Rom. 6:23; 5:12).

But, the salvation for sinners, through His Son, does not violate His own righteousness. Jesus Christ, the Savior, acted according to that law: The Lord Jesus said:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Mt. 5:17, NKJV)

Jesus came to save men in such a way that He fulfilled what the law of God concerning sinners requires - that each man shall die for his own sins. The apostles testify that the salvation Christ carried out is based on the righteousness of God:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
"For in the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'." (Rom. 1:16-17, Ibid.)

The gospel is the power of God to salvation through His Son. In it is revealed His righteousness, which Christ took into full account in affecting salvation for sinners.

Salvation for sinners
Christ is sinless; He is the only man who has not committed any sin (I Pt. 2:21-22) and, therefore, does not deserve death having not even a single sin to account for. Why did he die then? His death is in behalf of the sinners. Indeed it was, according to Apostle Peter:

"For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually." (I Pt. 3:18, Today's English Version)

Christ did not violate God's righteousness when He died for other men's sins because He came to fulfill not only the Law but also the prophecies about His having to endure being despised, rejected, afflicted, stricken, and bruised for the sake of those whom He will save, that they may have peace with God(Is. 53:3-5, NKJV).

Christ's act of taking upon Himself the guilt of men by dying in their behalf is the very act of salvation. It is the act of setting them free from condemnation.


One new man
Why is it that Christ's suffering and death did not at all violate the rigtheousness of God? Apostle Paul explains:

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (II Cor. 5:21, Ibid.)

It is the Father's will that the sinless Christ had to die in behalf of sinners. Although Christ is without sin, His act of taking the burden of their sins through His death is in accordance with, divine justice.

Since Christ fully met the demands of God's justice in carrying out salvation, the people whose sins He died for could not be distinct or be separated from Him. They and Christ are one in the eyes of God.

The group of people Apostle Paul referred to as "us" in II Corinthians 5:21 is a new creation in Christ. In verse 17, the apostle says:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (Ibid.)

In Ephesians 2:15, he explains how those who are in Christ became a new creation:

"Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace." (Ibid.)

According to Apostle Paul, Christ created in Himself one new man from the two, namely, Himself as head and the Church as His body:

"And He is the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18, Ibid.)

By means of His Church, the salvation for sinners that Christ carried out meets the conditions of God's righteousness. According to God's law, Christ is not allowed to pay or die for the sins of another. So, He had to make Himself and those He will save as one man. He did this by gathering them together as parts of His body, the Church, He being its head.

In the sight of God, Christ and the members of His Church are not distinct or separate from one another, but are joined together as one new man. In taking the blame for the guilt of those included in His body or His Church, He did not defy God's justice because He did not die for the sins of another. As the head of the Church, He died for the sins of His own body.

The salvation Christ provided in accordance with divine justice benefited only one body or group of people - the Church of Christ:

"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood." (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation)

Granting salvation to a single, unified group of people - the Church of Christ - by no means makes God unjust or unfair. What would be unjust and unrighteous is for Him to allow His Son to save churches, which are not Christ's bodies or to save individuals who are not part of that one body or Church, because that would mean that Christ died for the sins of other men.


Enter the Church, says Christ
What further proves that Christ commands anyone who wants to be saved to enter or join the Church of Christ? Christ said:

"I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe." (Jn 10:9, Revised English Bible)

Entering in Christ means entering in the fold or flock, which is the Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation).

Having faith in Christ is absolutely necessary, but it is not enough for one to attain salvation. Faith must go with membership in the Church of Christ, which the Savior requires anyone who wishes to be saved to join. The Church of Christ, therefore, is indispensable to man's salvation because it is the one the Lord Jesus Christ will save.

While salvation is God's mercy or grace, it must be based on His justice and righteousness. The Church of Christ is the way in which salvation through Christ can be attained. This is in accordance with God's justice and righteousness.