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Ownership Some of you noticed that I have been driving a different vehicle lately. It’s not mine, I am just using it. The owner is in a different country at the present time and is allowing me to use it. To be more precise, Preston, the owner is in Iraq. He married Elizabeth, one of my nieces and I performed the ceremony. Although I am currently in possession of said car, I realize that there are limitations to my use of it. For instance I cannot sell it or get it painted a new color. He is allowing me to use it but only for a limited time. Originally he was not expected back until after the first of the year but they have moved up his return date and he may be back before Christmas. At that time I will have to return the car to its owner and start driving my blue van again. I think most people would agree with what they just read. The owner is the one who paid for the vehicle. As the owner he has the right to determine who can and cannot drive the car. He can stipulate how it is to be driven, where it can be driven, what can or cannot be done with the car. The owner has the right to take back possession of the item whenever he wants. Now let us apply this to the church. Jesus paid for the church with His blood, Acts 20.28. “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19.34). Therefore the church belongs to Christ. In other passages we see that He is the head of His church, Colossians 1.18; and He is the foundation of the church, 1 Corinthians 3.11. As the Head of the church He has all authority over it. The church does not belong to you or me. As the Head, Jesus determines the means of entrance into the church. We may be members of the body but the body is Christ’s. Therefore, only those who comply with what He says is necessary to enter His body are actually a part of His body. Reading through the Book of Acts we see that when people heard the Gospel, believed, repented of their sins, confessed Jesus as the Son of God, and were baptized they were added to His body, Acts 2.42. No one just prayed their way into His church. I cannot find one single person who was added to the church before they did all of the things listed above. No one was baptized into a denomination and no one was baptized as a sign of already being saved. How do I know this? Because no denomination existed during the time of the Book of Acts, therefore, they could not have been baptized into one. Because Paul was baptized in order to wash away his sins, Acts 22.16. Because baptism is what places a person into Christ, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3.27, see also Romans 6.3-4, emphasis mine, D.T.) Since one is baptized into Christ, before baptism one is outside of Him. Since the church belongs to Christ, He also dictates what we are to be doing as the church. Just as Preston can tell me where I can and cannot go, so Christ can tell us where we can and cannot go as His church. We must respect His authority and His words. Finally, Christ can come back and claim His church whenever the Father says. Jesus said that it is not for us to know when the end of this age will come, Acts 1.7. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13.32). We do not know if God has already determined a date on the calendar and is just waiting for that day to come or if He is waiting for the world to get so sinful that man will quit listening to the Gospel. But we do know that it is coming. When Christ returns He will claim His people. We need to be ready for that day. – Dennis Tucker |