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     LET us take for our text in this chapter the somewhat familiar language of our Lord, Mark xvi. 16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."

     There is a somewhat popular tendency just now toward the accumulation of names on the Church records rather than a real travailing for souls. There is a sort of popular aspiration to large accessions to the Church; and amid the zeal to realize such aspirations, the real object of the Church and her ministry, in a measure at least, recedes to the background. The real object of the Church is clearly set forth in our Lord's terse expression of his own mission: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke xix. 10. This is the mission of the Church. And her motto should not be "The world for the Church," but "The world for Christ." But with the tendency to enlarge the Church roll as the chief motive

rather than "to add to the Church such as shall be saved," the natural consequence is an increased nominal Church membership, with a tendency toward a correspondingly decreased spiritual life and power. The result is more faulty--more weak and sickly--Church members on the one hand, and on the other a growing tendency, with a certain class without the Church, toward the modern Pharisaism which claims, "we are as good as those in the Church." And hence for their special benefit we raise the question of this chapter, " Is there salvation outside of the Church?"

     This question has perplexed the minds of some both within and without the Church. But the difficulty, it seems to us, is clearly solved in our text. It draws the line of distinction clearly between the saved and the unsaved. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." This language is unmistakably clear. Nevertheless, a proper solution of the question will depend somewhat upon

     Paul defines the Church as "the body of Christ" (1 Cor. xii. 27). But this definition will

be more clearly understood as we note the two-fold state of the Church--the visible and the invisible. The visible Church consists of all those who, in a public profession of faith and by the ordinance of baptism, have been inducted into her visible organization. It has been very properly defined as "a body of believers in Christ, to whom the word is preached and the sacraments are properly administered." The invisible Church, on the other hand, consists of all who are savingly united with Christ, its spiritual and invisible Head. It is invisible in that its service, the communion of saints, the work of grace and the fellowship and operations of the Holy Ghost, are all spiritual and invisible in their nature. Hence we have a Church within a Church. Not indeed by way of complication so as to form two Churches, but by way of distinction between the true constituents of the Church and its merely nominal adherents. For, on the one hand, we count those only whose treatment of the offered grace is what it should be--we count those only who have been born of water and the Spirit, those only whose names have been written in the Lamb's book of life--as members of the invisible Church. But, on the other hand, we count all those who are connected with the ex-

ternal or visible organization of God's kingdom as members of the visible Church. But we would impress upon the reader's mind again the fact that these are not two, but one Church. The one is within the other, as the holy of holies--the Shekinah--was within the temple. And the members of the invisible Church ordinarily are all members of the visible Church. It is highly important therefore that we note this distinction, and that we do not transfer the promises given to the one to the other. Our text includes the membership of the visible Church, but is not limited to it. Our Lord here plainly presents the way of access to the visible Church, but does not limit himself to it. And it will be observed also that the requirements for accession to the visible Church are all that is necessary for membership in the invisible Church, and for salvation, if its requirements are fully complied with, and its offered means properly appropriated. For its requirements are

     1. Repentance. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you  *  *  *  for the remission of sins'' (Acts ii. 38). Repentance is God's first requirement from the sinner--it is the first step toward God and his kingdom. But this is not enough. He who would stop here

would fail to realize the promises of eternal life.  Hence John (1 Epis. i. 9) said: "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Repentance and confession are handmaidens, therefore, in the gospel, and both are prerequisites to access to the Church. The first requisites for accession to the Church, therefore, are also the first steps toward God and his kingdom. But God's word requires

     2. Faith. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." And the Apostle to the Hebrews (xi. 6) declares, "But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Here faith is set forth as a plain and evident requirement of the gospel--it is a condition both of access to the Church and salvation. A confession of faith is necessary in each case.

     3. Baptism is another requisite. Our Lord plainly declares "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Hence baptism is a prerequisite alike for accession to the Church and for salvation. Hence the way of access to the Church must be the way of salvation. And our
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Lord's declaration comprehends all the essentials for both. But let us not forget the fact that a mere nominal compliance with these requirements is no insurance of membership in the invisible Church, nor of salvation. For in Matt. vii. 21, we read: "Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Hence membership in the visible Church does not necessarily insure salvation. The visible Church does offer the means of salvation, but "per se" is not a guarantee to it. But the invisible Church, and that only, contains the true membership of God's kingdom. Without membership in God's invisible Church there is therefore no salvation.

     Let us then definitely understand what we mean by the Church. In the common acceptation of the term we mean the visible organization of God's believing people, to whom the word is preached and the sacraments are administered. With this definition in view the subject of this chapter is presented. And in the light of the deductions just made, it would naturally and logically follow that as the Church does not necessarily insure salvation, so neither on the other hand does it follow that there is absolutely no salvation outside of the Church.

     But let us here introduce another inquiry:

     What are the absolute essentials to salvation?

     Generally speaking, the external ordinance of baptism and the means of grace are regarded as essential to salvation. But no one of the orthodox churches teaches that either of these is absolutely essential to salvation; that is, that without them salvation is absolutely impossible. But there are some means which are absolutely essential to salvation. The distinction therefore between those means 'which are essential and those which are absolutely essential to salvation is as marked as between the visible and the invisible Church. The point then of special importance just here is what are those means which are absolutely essential to salvation, in contradistinction to those which are regarded as essential in the ordinary sense.

     It will at once be admitted by all, that our Lord's language comprehends all that is required and offered in both the visible and the invisible Church, and must therefore comprehend all that is absolutely essential to salvation. For we have

     1. True or saving faith.--" He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." In this our Lord did not set forth merely a profession of faith as made in the visible Church--not merely an induction into

a nominal Christian life--but vastly more: He would have his subjects reach beyond, and by the operations and exercise of a living faith appropriate the atoning blood of Christ. The promise of salvation is to those only who exercise such faith. It is not a difficult matter to distinguish between such a faith and a mere nominal or historical faith. The latter accepts the facts in the case as such--as mere historical truths--but little if anything more. But the former cleaves unto the divine--it accepts and appropriates the intrinsic worth or merit in his saving power. Therefore the apostle to the Hebrews (xi. 6) said: "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him." That is, we are not simply to accept in a passive way the fact that there is a God, but to accept and apply the saving efficacy of Christ as our personal Saviour. This is the meaning of our Saviour's words; "Believe and be baptized and thou shalt be saved." Without the exercise of such faith salvation is absolutely impossible.

     And then we have

     2. The True Baptism. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." This is comprehended in the ordinance of baptism, but is not

limited to it. The external application of water in the ordinance of baptism does not of itself work salvation. But in the exercise of the "true faith" in the ordinance of baptism, the true baptism--that of the Holy Ghost--is secured. Thus the believer realizes within what is signified without. The former is the means, the latter the end. Our Lord, in the text, looked through the water to the true, the Holy Ghost baptism. And without this baptism there is absolutely no salvation. Christ's language on this subject is unmistakable. (John iii. 5) "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This is the positive language of the world's Redeemer. Hence the baptism of the Holy Ghost must be absolutely essential to salvation. Likewise Paul in his letter to Titus (iii. 5) emphasizes the same truth: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." If saved at all, we are saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Hence we have the ordinance of the visible Church signifying the reality of the invisible. We have the oral confession of faith signify-

ing the real operations of the heart; and the external application of water signifying and procuring for us the operations of the Holy Ghost within. As therefore the invisible Church is comprehended within the visible, so the absolute essentials to salvation are signified by and comprehended in the external ordinances. True faith and true baptism are therefore absolutely essential to salvation.

     Hence we return to the original inquiry,

     This is a grave question, and can be answered best by answering both affirmatively and negatively with some modifications.

     1. Affirmatively. There is salvation outside of the visible Church. For we have just observed that the ordinances of the visible Church are essential, but not absolutely essential to salvation. Hence there must be a possibility of salvation outside of the visible Church. This conclusion is confirmed by the promise to the thief on the cross. To him Christ said: "This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." Being on the cross he could not then and there be inducted into the visible Church by its external ordinance; but, having publicly confessed Christ, he complied with the

external conditions of salvation so far as it was possible for him to do. He believed and publicly confessed his faith; but as he could not then be baptized with water, God blessed him with the true--the Holy Ghost--baptism, and he was saved outside of the visible Church. In the language of another, "It is the contempt for the sacrament, and not the want of it, that condemns. Though God binds us to the means, he does not bind his own mercy by them."

     But a few observations may give us a clearer conception of our conclusion. Let the reader observe

     1. That fit subjects for the kingdom of God will intuitively yearn for the gates of Zion, and hence seek an entrance into God's visible Church. If truly concerned about the salvation of their souls, men will go where the means of salvation are set forth and offered to all. If born of God, men will seek a place among the people of God.

     2. That any indifference on this subject is prima facie evidence of unfitness for heaven. Those who are indifferent about their church relation and its proffered means of grace cannot be seriously concerned about their souls, and hence their unfitness for the kingdom of God.

     3. To reject the means of grace offered to the world through the Church is to reject the salvation offered by Christ, the Head of the Church. And hence salvation outside of the Church is a bare possibility, and to those only with whom church membership at the time of their conversion, or prior to death, is a practical impossibility, as in the case of the thief on the cross.

     But one says: "I believe and have been baptized; can I not live as well outside of the Church as in it? To this there can be but one answer--it is emphatically, No! As well attempt to maintain physical strength without the necessary food regularly administered, as to attempt living a real Christian life without all of the means of grace regularly appropriated.

     But to the original question we answer

     2. Negatively--that there is no salvation outside of the invisible Church. For as we have just observed, the essentials for membership in the invisible Church are essential to salvation. Without the true faith and the true baptism no one can be saved. "Except a man be born again he can not see the kingdom of God;" and "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdom of God." "Ye must be born again" John iii.

3, 5, 7. And the Psalmist (xxiv. 3-5) propounded and answered this grave question thus: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. *  *  *  *  He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." He that truly believes and has been truly baptized shall be saved all others will be lost.

     And now, with these conclusions in mind, let it be carefully noted,

     1. That though there be a possibility of salvation outside of the visible Church, that it is a bare possibility, and nothing more. Death-bed repentances are usually very unsatisfactory at the best, and a very small proportion of such cases give very clear evidences of acceptance with God. One has well said, "True repentance is never too late, but late repentance is seldom true." In all the Bible with its multitude of promises and examples we have but one person who in a dying hour had the promise of acceptance with God--of salvation outside of the visible Church, viz., the thief on the cross. And even he in a sense came within her folds. He confessed his sins, and his faith in Christ, and sought the mercy and pardon of his Lord. He did

all that could have been done under the circumstances. And it may be God gave us this one example to teach us the bare possibility of salvation outside of the visible Church. Another has said of this case, "There is one, man need not despair; there is only one, man dare not presume." But be assured, dear reader, that God gave us the Church militant with all its means of grace to prepare us for the Church triumphant; and that those who neglect the proffered grace of the one can not hope to enjoy the "perfect love" of the other.

     2. That there will be no probation after death. Our state at death will determine our state in eternity. The doctrine of a purgatory as a state of probation after death is without any scriptural foundation and is ridiculously absurd. Our Lord's promises of salvation are all limited to the opportunities of this world. "He that believeth and is baptized' '--not shall believe and be baptized in purgatory--"shall be saved" was the promise of our Lord, not to those in purgatory but to those on the earth. Dearly beloved, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the

flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." "I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom. xii. 1.

© 2003 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller.