You Can't Go To Heaven In A Denomination!

Bible Studies by Dan Billingsly Page 1

You Can’t Go To Heaven In A Denomination!By Dan Billingsly

It grieves me deeply at the misunderstanding of the Bible in the denomination world! But in biblical factand New Testament doctrine, Christ teaches that no person can go to heaven on the basis of membership in anydenominational church or faith in any sectarian doctrine such as found in a denomination. This New Testamenttruth would apply to any, all and every Roman Catholic, Protestant or independent religious group.

10 Reasons Why Is There No Salvation In Or Through A Denomination

1. No mention or prophecy ever of a denomination by Old Testament prophets in Israel, neither John the baptizerof Israel, Jesus the promised Messiah sent only to Israel or anyone else in the Old Testament.

2. No mention of a denominational church by Christ, any New Testament apostle or any gospel preacher in Acts2 through Revelation 22. No mention of any denominational doctrine, “gospel,” organization or religiouspractice in the New Testament.

3. Every use of the word “church” or “kingdom of God” in the New Testament refers only to the New Testament“church of Christ” - not a denominational group. In fact, while the New Testament “church of Christ” ismentioned more than ninety (90) times in the New Testament - denominational churches are not mentionedone time!

4. John the Baptist was an Old Testament “prophet” - not a New Testament “evangelist.” John’s Old Testamentmission to Israel was to prepare them for the arrival of the Messiah Jesus Christ (Matthew 3); John the Baptizerof Old Testament Israel never spoke of building his own denomination.

5. While the Old Testament law of Moses was still in force, after John was dead and buried (Matthew 14) - Jesusdeclared that he would build his New Testament church in the then - immediate future as described in Acts 2.(Matthew 16:18). The New Testament church was first established on earth in Acts 2.

6. After Christ’s crucifixion, his Jewish disciples were still waiting for the “coming” of Christ’s NewTestament “kingdom” or “building” of Christ’s New Testament “church” (Mark 15:42-47; Luke 24:36-53).

7. Millions of people in denominations have been misled and thus misunderstood the Bible by the RomanCatholic Church, because in 1486 they moved the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the Old tothe New Testament. By mixing the Old Testament with the New Testament, this convolutes and confuses thedifference between the Old and New Testaments and obliterates the meaning of the New Testament for mostpeople. No denomination understands or teaches the critical historical act of 1486!

8. History reveals that denominations did not originate or begin until the 16th ccntury. The Baptist church beganin 1611, when preachers of the Church of England in a dispute over “infant baptism,” moved onto the Europeancontinent with John Smythe in the lead. And he established the first congregation of the new Baptist Church inAmsterdam, Holland. They taught that “baptism” was for believers only - not infants.

9. While this point is true, the Baptist church has gone on to erroneously teach today – contrary to the NewTestament – that baptism is not necessary for “the remission of sins” or salvation. Therefore, Baptists do not teachChrist’s New Testament plan of salvation. Therefore, there are no New Testament “Christians” in the morethan sixteen (16) different Baptist denominations. (Check it out! See Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:20-21.)

10. There is simply no spritual blessing, promise of God or salvation offered by Christ, the Holy Spirit or NewCovenant apostles to anyone, any denomination or religion outside true New Testament doctrine and church.

You Can't Go To Heaven In A Denomination!

Bible Studies by Dan Billingsly Page 2

No “Christians” Or New Testament “Church” Before The Cross

The single greatest help in understanding the Bible is learning that the Bible is made-up and composed ofa series of different covenants between God and mankind. The single greatest hindrance in understanding theBible is the failure to “rightly divide between the Old and New Testaments. The Bible simply cannot beunderstood without understanding when the different covenants and covenant ages “began” and “ended” – whichbooks, chapters and verses belong to and describe each different covenant – and which covenant is in force today.

When one understands the different covenants of the Bible, and which covenant is in force today (onlythe New Covenant of Jesus Christ) – the Bible becomes a book of perfect harmony – and understanding.Misunderstanding results when one attempts to mix the teaching of all the covenants in the Bible.

The Three Different Covenant Ages Described In The Bible

The different covenants of the Bible were made with different individuals, families and the New Covenantchurch during different historical periods. Here is the way the Scriptures describe the different Old and NewCovenant ages and when each covenant was in force.

q The Patriarchal Age is contained in Genesis 1 through Exodus 19.q The Mosaical Age is describe between Exodus 20 through Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 and John 19.

The 50 Days Between the “end” of the Old Testament and the “beginning” of the New Testament-Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 21 and Acts 1.

q The New Testament Age is fully revealed and the New Covenant completely revealed in Acts 2 throughRevelation 22.

The only way to understand the Bible is to use the cross and death of Christ as the scriptural “dividingline” between the Old and New Testaments. We must understand that everything taught in the Bible -- “beforethe cross” -- belonged to the Old Testament; everything taught in the Bible -- “after the cross” – beginning inActs 2 -- belongs to the New Testament.

We should believe every word and truth of the Old Testament, however, because the Old Testamentapplied only to the people who lived in those old covenant ages and with whom God made the covenants, todaywe must believe, obey, practice and apply only New Testament teaching to this present New Testament age.

The Old Testament teaching of the law of Moses by Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- “beforethe cross” (MMLJB/BC) -- was in force during the last 33 years of the Old Covenant age of the law of Moses.However, because the Mosaical age and law “ended” at the death and cross of Christ -- it is not in force or viabledoctrine for faith and the practice of religion -- “after the cross” -- in this present New Testament age. Christ wasborn under the law of Moses, he lived and taught the law all of his adult life and he died under the law.

1. The life of Christ in MMLJ/BC is not the New Testament “gospel” of Christ. When he performed miraclesto prove to the Jews that he was the promised Messiah, when he fed the hungry, healed the sick, made the blindto see, this was not the New Testament “gospel.” The life of Christ under the Old Testament law of Moses anddescribed in MMLJ/BC was not and has never been the New Testament “gospel”!

Until the actual death, burial and resurrection of Christ, there was no New Covenant basis, irrefutableevidence or proof that Christ was – in fact – the resurrected Son of God and Savior of the world. Before thecross – there was no divine evidence on which to base the New Covenant “gospel” for all men of “all nations.”

You Can't Go To Heaven In A Denomination!

Bible Studies by Dan Billingsly Page 3

The life of Christ in MMLJ/BC is not the New Testament “gospel” of Christ. When Christ performedmiracles to prove to the Jews that he was the promised Messiah, when he fed the hungry, healed the sick, madethe blind to see, this was not the New Testament “gospel.” The life of Christ under the Old Testament law ofMoses and described in MMLJ/BC was not and has never been the New Testament “gospel”!

Until the actual death, burial and resurrection of Christ, there was no New Covenant basis, irrefutableevidence or proof that Christ was – in fact – the resurrected Son of God and Savior of the world. Before thecross – there was no divine evidence on which to base the New Covenant “gospel” for all men of “all nations.”

2. No New Covenant “Plan of Salvation” – Before The Cross: Without the death of Christ, the New Covenantwas not “in force;” therefore there could not be the preaching of the New Covenant “plan of salvation” to savealien sinners – before the cross. While the Old Testament law of Moses was “in force” during the time ofMatthew, Mark, Luke and John – before the cross, and while the Old Covenant “gospel” for the restoration ofunfaithful Jews (Mk. 1:1) was being preached to Israel by the Old Testament disciples of John and Jesus theMessiah (MMLJ/BC), there was, scripturally speaking, no New Testament “gospel” being preached or NewCovenant “plan of salvation” in force at the same time during MMLJ/BC.

“What about the thief on the cross in Luke 23, can’t men be saved today like the thief?” No! In fact,the thief was not saved as an alien sinner! As an Old Testament Jew, he was already an Old Covenant child ofGod, and as Christ fulfilled his mission in Israel to “save the lost sheep of the house of Israel” the thief wasspiritually restored back to God (Matt 10:5-6; Lk. 19:9-10), During the time of Matthew, Mark, Luke andJohn – before the cross – God’s Old Covenant plan of “restoring” Old Covenant Jews was always “in force.”

During the time of Israel’s nineteen (19) Old Covenant “prophets” – from Moses to Christ – (rememberJohn was the next-to-last “prophet” with Christ being the last Old Covenant “prophet”) – God’s message tounfaithful Jews in Israel was “restoration” of unfaithful Jewish children of God – not salvation of aliensinners.(For a complete study on the “thief on the cross address your email to danbillingsly@att.net.)

3. No New Testament “Christians” - “Church” – Before The Cross: While Old Testament Israel was still God’sOld Covenant “kingdom” during the time of MMLJ/BC, the New Covenant “kingdom” of Christ had not beenestablished on earth. During the time of MMLJ/BC, Christ as the last Old Covenant “prophet” prophesied of thesoon-to-come New Covenant “church,” but he did not build his church on earth until after his death, burial andresurrection (Acts 2). There was no Old Covenant “kingdom of God” or New Testament “kingdom of Christ”“in force” or on earth at the same time. There was no New Testament salvation in the Old Testament age ofMMLJ/BC.

Scripturally, doctrinally and historically speaking, there were no New Covenant “Christians” on earthduring the time of MMLJ/BC – only Old Covenant “Israelites.” All of the Jews in Israel were “Israelites,” Johnthe baptizer of only Israel and his Old Covenant disciples in MMLJ/BC were all“Israelites.” Jesus and all his OldCovenant disciples (Matt. 10:1-6) described in MMLJ/BC were all “Israelites” – none were Gentiles – none were“Christians.”

The life of Christ in MMLJ/BC is not the New Testament “gospel” of Christ. When he performed miraclesto prove to the Jews that he was the promised Messiah, when he fed the hungry, healed the sick, made the blindto see, this was not the New Testament “gospel.” The life of Christ under the Old Testament law of Moses anddescribed in MMLJ/BC was not and has never been the New Testament “gospel”!

Until the actual death, burial and resurrection of Christ, there was no New Covenant basis, irrefutableevidence or proof that Christ was – in fact – the resurrected Son of God and Savior of the world. Before thecross – there was no divine evidence on which to base the New Covenant “gospel” for all men of “all nations.”