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Some claim that there is no need to join a particular church to achieve holiness and that what man needs to do only is to strive to be righteous and holy in the sight of God.
THERE ARE PEOPLE who claim that they are able to do righteous deeds regardless of their religious affiliation, or even if they have no religious affiliation at all. Some even claim that there is no need to join a particular church to achieve holiness and that what man needs to do only is to strive to be righteous and holy in the sight of God. But can man be holy and righteous on his own?
Except for our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:68‒69) Who committed no sin (I Pet. 2:22) and was sanctified or made holy by the Father in heaven (John 10:36), the Bible tells us that none—not even one—is righteous:
“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one’.” (Rom. 3:10‒12 New King James Version)
If there are people who think that on their own terms they can be holy or righteous, regretfully they are wrong. This is because the Bible testifies that man cannot become holy by his own efforts:
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” (Jer. 13:23 New International Version)
While it is true that man can do good deeds, it is also true that he also commits sins and for this he is not holy in God’s sight.
Apostle Paul further proved that man cannot be holy by himself:
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Rom. 7:18‒20 niv)
Because man is inherently weak (Matt. 26:41), he often finds himself not doing the good that he wants to do and doing the evil that he does not really want to do. Thus, he is confronted with the sad consequence of not being accepted by God because, according to the Bible, without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). This means that such people will have no hope of being with God in the Holy City or in His kingdom.
In order for man who is weak and prone to committing sin to serve God in a worthy manner, for whom does He intend all men? Apostle Paul enlightened us, thus:
“For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]— … In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor.” (Eph. 1:5, 7 Amplified Bible)
God foreordained all people to be adopted as His own children through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This God will do through redemption with the blood of Christ.
What great blessing comes with redemption? The remission or forgiveness of sin—an incomparable treasure. Hence, those who have been redeemed and forgiven are justified or put right before our Lord God (Rom. 3:24‒25). And because there can be no forgiveness without the shedding of Christ’s blood (Heb. 9:22), the only way for man to be considered by our Lord God righteous and holy before Him is to be redeemed by Christ with His blood.
The Bible identifies the one redeemed by Christ with His blood:
“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 in the Church Of Christ where one can attain true holiness and where his services will be acceptable to God. Thus, it is in the Church Of Christ where one can attain true holiness and where his services will be acceptable to God. If we want to be certain of seeing the Lord, that is, dwelling with Him in the Holy City, we must enter the true Church Of Christ.
While joining the Church Of Christ is imperative to achieving holiness, Church members are always reminded to bear fruits of righteousness to give glory and praise to God (Phil. 1:11). That is why Church Of Christ members strive to remain in the Church by actively participating in all Church activities. They understand very well that man cannot bear fruits of righteousness if they are separate from Christ or if they are apart from the Church:
“Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.” (John 15:4‒6 Good News Bible)
According to Christ, the branch that is separate from the vine cannot bear fruit. The branches are the members of the Church headed by our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the vine (Rom. 12:4‒5; Col. 1:18, Acts 20:28 Lamsa).
Hence, anyone who is separate from the Church Of Christ or does not remain in Christ cannot be considered righteous or holy before our Lord God because such a person cannot bear fruits of righteousness. Instead, what will happen to those who are separate from Christ or do not remain in Him? Like branches that are thrown away, they will dry up, be gathered, and then thrown into the fire to be burned. In other words, they will be punished eternally in the lake of fire.
Through our faithful service to God inside the Church Of Christ, we remain holy and righteous in His sight and, thus, become truly worthy of the salvation through Christ, which He promised. Hence, we need to make sure that such services that we render to Him are genuine and pleasing to Him. Such service to God that redounds to one’s holiness and salvation cannot be done in just any religion. It can be done only through Christ, which in turn is by means of His Church—the Church Of Christ.
Unless one becomes and remains united to Christ as a member of His Church, he cannot become holy in God’s sight nor will he be able to please Him. Therefore, people do need to become members of the true Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) and remain therein until the end, in order to abound in works of holiness and receive the reward of everlasting life.
