God’s will that must be done

Man ought to examine the way he worships and serves God. He needs to make sure that what he does is based on God's will and not on men's conventions.

By ARNEL M. ARMENIA

THERE ARE THOSE who balk at the invitation to join the Church Of Christ or the Iglesia Ni Cristo. They do so thinking that joining this Church is not vital for salvation. To that, the Bible says otherwise. Recorded in the Bible is God’s command for everyone to join the Church Of Christ and its members are merely repeating such truth.

Not traditions, opinions, or hearsay

In the Christian era, God commands people to listen to His Son, thus:

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” (Matt. 17:5 New International Version)

We need to listen to Christ because God commanded so and what Christ teaches comes from God (John 12:49 niv).

This is why man should listen to what Christ teaches to discern God’s will. Those who do not listen to Him will be destroyed:

“Times of spiritual strength will come from the Lord, and he will send Jesus, who is the Messiah he has already chosen for you. … Anyone who does not obey that prophet shall be separated from God’s people and destroyed.” (Acts 3:20, 23 Good News Bible)

We don’t want that for ourselves. We want salvation. We want eternal life. One who truly is intent in being saved will listen to Christ—not to anyone else. Clearly, it is unwise for anyone to listen to or heed someone else’s words other than those of Christ. But if one listens to Christ then he will surely inherit eternal life because He made a promise, thus:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28 niv)

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”

Matthew 17:5

New International Version

Obey God or perish

Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest messenger of God, teaches that the will of the Father in heaven should be done or obeyed (Matt. 6:9–10 niv). Obedience to God’s will is a must. God has this to say concerning those who worship Him based on man-made principles or teachings:

“And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:9 New King James Version)

This is why man ought to examine the way he worships and serves God. He needs to make sure that what he does is based on God’s will and not on men’s conventions. This, all men should do to avoid the terrible fate that awaits those who do not listen to what Christ teaches, thus:

“Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil’.” (Matt. 7:21–23 Living Bible)

Man owes it to himself then to determine if his way of serving God is indeed what He demands. Even if he worships God but it is not done according to His will, he will suffer for such grievous mistake.

Gather together in Christ

In his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul, an apostle of Christ and messenger of God, pointed out the divine will:

“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Eph. 1:9–10 nkjv)

We should take note that for all men to be gathered in Christ isn’t a man-made doctrine. It is the will of God. Since it is God’s will, all men ought to fulfill this or else risk being declared unfit for the promised salvation. God has decreed for all men to be gathered in Christ because redemption is in Him (Christ), thus:

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7 nkjv)

Without being among those gathered in Christ, man cannot receive redemption. If one isn’t among those whom Christ redeemed then he has to pay the wages for his own sins—the second death or the eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14).

This is why all men should ask themselves: “Based on the Bible, am I among those who are of Christ?”

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

New King James Version

Become members of Christ’s body

Regarding God’s will for all men to be gathered in Christ, Apostle Paul expounded this by declaring, thus:

“… as He told us the hidden meaning of His will. It was His kindly purpose in Christ to manage everything in heaven and on earth in such a way that when the right time would come it would all be organized under Christ as its Head.” (Eph. 1:9–10 Beck)

Those who are gathered in Christ are organized under Him as Head. They are inside the Church, which is His body:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.” (Eph. 5:23–25 gnb)

There is but a single body—a single Church—headed by Christ. There is but one Church that has been redeemed. This is the Church where people should be gathered as required by God. Being members of this Church is necessary in order to be saved because God’s master plan for salvation is for the Church:

“Now glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the church through Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 3:20–21 lb)

The Church headed by Christ and redeemed with His blood is none other than 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)

It is God’s will, then, that all men become members of the Church Of Christ. All services rendered outside the Church is worthless before God. Hence, the command for all men to be gathered together in the one Church—the body of Christ. Thus, the Church Of Christ or the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the place for all those who want to truly worship God, no matter what their nationality is. It is the only true religion wherein man can receive salvation.

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