“Is there just one way to the Pearly Gate?” Part 2

From the Lighthouse of Iowa

Know our Father in Heaven

Let’s pause here. And let’s dismiss the austerity and exclusiveness that “one true church” seems to portray to some. Is God not “a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” ?

And concerning sinners, did not this same God say, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” ~ Hebrews 8:12

The writer of Hebrews was quoting Jeremiah 31, when God was telling Israel of the “New Covenant” that was to come through Jesus Christ. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. ~ Hebrews 8:16-17

Jesus portrayed a mirror image of the Father. His actions are the actions of God. And when the Apostles James and John wanted to “call fire down from heaven” upon a town that did not want to hear Jesus, His response was the same response they would have heard from God Himself: But Jesus turned, and rebuked them, and said, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them”. And they went to another village. ~ Luke 9:55-56

And with our Father, every day is a new beginning— regardless of our failures the day before or even the years before. With God, I can always have a clean start. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:21-23

Noah and the “one true Church”

The Church can be understood as the New Testament equivalent to Noah’s Ark in many ways:

All mankind is invited—but very few accept the invitation. ~ 2 Peter 2:5 / John 3:19
Noah and his family were “saved by water”— Today “baptism doth also now save us”. ~ 1 Peter 3:20-21
They went in the Ark and God shut them in. Today, the Lord adds to the Church “such as should be saved.” ~ Gen 7:16 / Acts 2:47
As God’s word came to Noah as the only Authority and Guide to save mankind, so is the Bible in our day. There was only one Ark to save mankind, and today there is only one Church for the same purpose.
. . . once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us ~ 1 Peter 3:20-21

Whether with the Ark of Noah or the Church of Christ we see in both cases that unless you’re in it— your eternity is dark.

Attempting to find God and salvation outside of the Scriptures is like one in Noah’s day trying to survive the Flood outside the Ark. It is vain to seek the Lord outside of the Scriptures.

One Body, One Church

See below how the Scriptures define the Church as the ‘Body of Christ’. Not a foreign statement to the ears of anyone who has heard of Christianity.

And [God] hath put all things under [Christ’s] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his Body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Colossians 1:24

And then see how the Apostle states plainly . . . There is ONE body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6

How beautiful it is

It is so good and pleasant when brethren dwell together in unity doing God’s will. How beautiful it is when we yield our will to our merciful and gracious, forgiving and patient Father in Heaven.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that

ye all speak the same thing, and that
there be no divisions among you; but that
ye be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and
in the same judgment.