Correct.

According to scripture, we cannot be saved without the blood of Jesus Christ being shed on our behalf. Jesus tells us how we come in contact with His blood to receive forgiveness of sins:

"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Mark 16:16 (NAS)

The apostle Paul explains how baptism gets us in contact in a spiritual sense with the death of Christ...where Jesus' blood was shed:

"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 (NAS)

The apostle Paul explains how this salvation that comes through being buried with Christ is due to God's work, not our work:

"Colossians 2:12 -- "having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (NAS)

Why Is the Church Important?

Christ died for His church.  Acts 20:28 says that Christ "purchased the church with His own blood."  In holding fast to the teachings in the Bible and through the fellowship that we have in Jesus' church, we draw closer to Christ...and into a greater fellowship of love and caring with other brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is through this fellowship that the love that God poured into our hearts begins to be shared with those around us.

Why would a person say that he or she loves Jesus...and then refuse to be a part of His body...the church.  As we conclude this lesson, let's look more deeply at the relationship between Christ and His church by examining the following word pictures given in the Bible.

Word Pictures of the Lord's Kingdom

The scriptures provide various word pictures to help us visualize what the church is and how it is organized.  The Lord's church is described in many ways in scripture, including the:

• Body of Christ
• Flock
• Kingdom
• Priesthood
• House of God
• Bride of Christ

We also take a brief look at the roles that Christians have in Jesus' church.