The Bible teaches so

I have an officemate, Atty. Robert Samson, who keeps on inquiring about the Iglesia ni Cristo's doctrines. I gave him a copy of Pasugo. The other day, I saw a note on my deskfrom him. Please allow me to state the content verbatim:

"Aniway,

"I started reading the PASUGO (although I am still in p.5 as of writing). There was a letter to the Editor which alleges that the INC members claim to be the only ones to be saved. Is this true? If yes, how about the persons who lived before 1914? How about the over 6 billion people who are not INC members, will they not be saved? TY. I am just clarifying. No offense meant.

"Sir Obet."

Please answer him for me. Thank you very much.

Editor's reply:

The teaching that the members of the Church of Christ will be saved on the day of Judgment is not an empty claim but one that the Bible supports. Christ, the Savior, commanded those who want to be saved to "enter the flock," which is the Church redeemed through His blood (Jn. 10:9,16; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). This Church--and not just any church--is the one that Christ will save:

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." (Eph. 5:23, New International Version)

Clearly, Crist is the Savior of the Church He founded (Mt. 16:18).

Now, salvation is not to be granted on the basis of a religious group's preponderance in number of adherents. In fact, when God destroyed the ancient people through the great deluge, only eight people were saved--the family of Noah (II Pt. 2:5).

If people want to be saved on Judgment Day, then they must comply with what the Savior commands, that is, to enter or join His Church. The Bible teaches that those who refuse to enter the Church will not be saved, for "God will judge those outside" (I Cor. 5:12-13, NIV).

Those who lived prior to the emergence of the Iglesia ni Cristo in 1914 together with those who will not have been reached by the gospel will be judged not according to the law written in the Scriptures, but according to the law written in their hearts. Apostle Paul taught:

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and who will sin under the law will be judged by the law.

"(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)" (Rom. 2:12,14-15, Ibid.)

The people who lived and died before the reemergence of the Church of Christ have their idea of morality because of the law written in their hearts. It is through such law that they will be judged by God.

However, those people who were reached by the gospel have the responsability to fulfill what God requires of them in order to be saved. Moreover, the Bible teaches that people must "seek the law," because on the day of judgment, they will be judged according to the gospel (Mal. 2:7, New King James Version; Rom. 2:16).

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