Chapter IV: Some Important Conclusions

One can believe all truth and obey every commandment of God without belonging to any denomination. Can you think of an exception to this statement? Can you think of any truth which you cannot believe or any commandment that you cannot obey without joining a denomination? I don’t believe you can. Can you think of any truth which you cannot accept or any commandment which you cannot obey while being just a Christian?

Isn’t it sufficient to be just a Christian? Isn’t it wrong to be something different from or more than a Christian? Since one can be a Christian without joining any denomination, then why join one? Would it not be wrong to join one, since denominationalism is division and division is wrong? Let me emphasize the statement that I can believe all truth either in the Bible or out of the Bible and obey every commandment of the Lord without joining any denomination.

This being true, what then does it take to make one a member of a denomination? Believing truth will not make one a member of a denomination, because he can believe all truth on the outside. Obeying God will not make one a member of a denomination, because he can obey God on the outside. If believing truth and obeying God will not make one a member of a denomination, then what will do so?

To become a member of a denomination, it is obvious that one must believe something besides the truth or do something besides obey God. Since believing all truth and obeying all God’s commands will not put one in a denomination, then he must believe something different from the truth and do something which God has not commanded or leave off something which He has commanded, in order to become a member of a denomination. It seems to me that these conclusions are inevitable and unanswerable.

But it may be that some of my hearers are already in some denomination; hence, I raise this question: “What must you do to get out of a denomination?” The answer is, retrace the steps which you took in going into it. Some seem to think that in order to give up denominationalism and to be just Christians that they will have to forsake all that they have ever held as dear and precious in the field of religion. This is a mistake. Believing truth did not put you into a denomination. In order to come out of it, you will not have to forsake any truth. It will only be necessary for you to reject the error which you accepted in becoming a member of a denomination.

In order to come out of a denomination, you will not have to cease obeying God upon any point. It will only be necessary for you to change your conduct on those points where you have been disobeying Him. Since believing truth did not put you in, you will not have to forsake truth in coming out. Merely give up the error that you accepted, believe the truth revealed in the Bible and obey God; then you will be a Christian, not a denominationalist.

In order to come out of a denomination, you will not have to quit believing that God is, that the Bible is His word, that Jesus is His Son and the Savior of the world. You will not have to quit believing in, and teaching, and practicing, faith, repentance, confession and baptism as the conditions of salvation. You will not have to forsake any of the five items of worship outlined in the Bible. You will not have to forsake any scriptural service to your fellow-man.

Again I repeat, one can believe all truth, obey every command of God, be a Christian, live the Christian life, die in the Lord and be saved forever without belonging to any denomination. Since it is unnecessary to be a member of a denomination, it is wrong to be so. Any non-essential which causes division is wrong. “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch no unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:17). “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Pet. 4:16). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).