"Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Spiritual blessings are things that pertain to our soul salvation. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (I John 5:11). "In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14, Eph. 1:7). "...that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus..." (II Tim. 2:10).
Note carefully please. There are no spiritual blessings outside of Christ. There is no eternal life outside of Christ. There is no forgiveness of sins outside of Christ. There is no salvation outside of Christ.
What does it mean to be in Christ? To be in Christ is to be in his body. "And he is the head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18). "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body..." (Eph. 1:22-23). There can be no doubt, when one is in Christ, he is in the church. Therefore, there can be no spiritual blessings, no eternal life, no forgiveness, and no salvation outside the church.
Then we read; "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...”(Eph. 4:4-6a) Note that there are the same number of bodies as there are Lords.
Eph. 5:23 says that "...Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body." Paul told the elders "...to feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). Suppose I purchase a candy bar for one dollar. In order for me to receive any benefits from my dollar, I must get it from what it purchased. Paul said that Christ purchased the church with his blood. In order for one to receive any benefits from Christ’s blood, he must get it from what was purchased. Therefore, in order to receive any of the benefits of his blood we must be in that which was purchased.
How does one get into the church? Note what Paul said. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). (To be in Christ is to be in the church) "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death" (Rom. 6:3). "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).
The only way the Bible gives to get into the one body, the church, where salvation is, is to be "baptized into Christ...", "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature..." (I Cor.5:17). Christ's blood was shed in his death, and we are "...buried with him by baptism into death...even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). When we are baptized with him into death, his blood cleanses us, then we are raised a new creature in Christ.
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
For questions or comments about this article, email Don H. Noblin. If you decide to email me, please include the title of the article. Thank you.