GOSPEL NUGGET # 52

Ac 2:47 "...And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." NKJV

Many believe that in order to be saved a sinner must join himself to a local church. For them, the church is the way to salvation. Whereas, this verse tells us the complete opposite.

Who are added to the church? "...those who were being saved." In other words, they were first saved, and since that is the case, they were then added to the Church. It's the other way around. Be saved first by trusting in the Savior. And the Savior Himself will add you to His church.

Church membership is not the way to salvation. Rather, salvation adds you to the church. 


The expression "the Lord added" is significant. Actually, no one joins himself to the church. Rather, one is joined to the church by the Lord. The very moment a sinner trusts in Christ for salvation, he is immediately joined to His body--the church.

It is not the arm that crawls its way to the body. No, it is the Lord who picks up the arm and joins it to His body. One can be a member of a local church while all the time remaining an outcast from the spiritual church of God which is composed of sinners who have genuinely trusted in Christ for salvation.