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Will People Of Other Denominations Burn In Hell?
If you were to state the above question in a different way - “Must a person be a member of the Church of Christ to be saved?” or “Are there Christians in other Denominations?” or “Will everyone with religious zeal and good morals be saved?” - you would still anger some of your dearest friends and neighbors.
One thing we would agree upon is Romans 10:2,3: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” That passage explains why there are so many different religious bodies in the first place. People fail to respect and obey God’s righteousness and prefer to develop their own way to be right with God. Folks must understand that there are not two right ways. One way is right and the other is wrong.
Consider this question from Jesus’ point of view in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by Thy name, and by Thy name cast out demons, and by Thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Jesus plainly rebukes and condemns those who believe their sincerity and their own way of righteousness will be acceptable to God.
Notice also in Matthew 16:18 that Jesus promised to build one church of which He is the head and of which there is only one (Ephesians 1:22,23; 4:4). It was Jesus who rebuked the Pharisees who were holding to the traditions of men rather than the righteousness of God. He told the multitude, “Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:13,14). Jesus does not give acceptance or approval to another righteousness or church which He had no part in establishing. The seed, the gospel, the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16,17), if planted in the heart of man will produce nothing more, nothing less than what God intended - a Christian. The seed produces after its kind. And only those who maintain their faithfulness to God, who are born of that seed, will live forever (1 Peter 1:23-25).
God has given us a standard of righteousness to follow, and “Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son” (3 John 9). The worst position in the world is outside the fellowship of God. What God has given every man is the freedom to choose His righteousness or their own. Seeking His righteousness pleases and is rewarded by God. To avoid burning in hell, choose to follow God’s righteousness.
