Which Church Saves?

"Must we become Protestants?"

"Not at all. I wouldn't waste my time trying to convert you to Protestantism in order to be saved."

but you do not believe that either the Roman or Greek Catholic Church can save, do you?

"Certainly not."

"Well, then, I am a Roman Catholic and my friend here is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, neither of which you say can save."

"Well?"

"and you, you are a Protestant. Do you not want us also to turn Protestant?"

"I do not. I have never asked any Catholic, Greek or Roman, to turn Protestant."

"You haven't! I don't understand. Do you not believe that Protestantism can save?"

"No, I do not."

"You don't! I am amazed. What then?"

"Protestantism has no more power to save than has Catholicism, my friends."

"What then? How can a man be saved? There are only three great Christian churchs, are there not?"

"No Church can save, but - Jesus Christ can."

"JESUS!"

"Yes, my friends, you are saved, not by the Church, either Catholic or Protestant, but through a Person, and that Person the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son."

"Can it be possible? And to think we never heard this before?"

"So you see it would do you no good to become Protestants, for there are thousands of Protestants who are not saved, thousands who have embraced Christianity who have never accepted the Christ of Christianity."

"Is this why we have not found peace? Is there no peace in Catholicism?"

"No, friend and none in Protestantism either. Peace is found only in Jesus. Religion canot save; Christ. can."

"But are you sure of this Sir?"

"Let's read what God's Word says. 'Neither is there salvation in any other' (Protestant or Catholic), 'for there is none other name (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic,, or Protestant) under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.'" (Acts 4:12)

"God, have mercy!"

"Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He (not the Catholic priest nor the Protestant minister, but Me - Jesus Christ) shall save His people from their sins.'" (Matthew 1:21).

"What, then, must we do?"

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,' for 'as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.'" (Acts 16:31 and John 1:12).

"And will He receive us?"

"'Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out,'" (John 6:37). "He loves you, Yea, He died for you. Your sins He bore as He hung on Calvery. then come, accept Him, trust His atoning death. Take Him now as your Saviour, for He will have mercy and 'abundantly pardon.'"

"Oh, Sir, that we will right gladly. We thought we were saved becase we were good Catholics. But you have opened our eyes, and we know that Jesus is the only Saviour, and the only one who can forgive sins."

"And you accept Him as your Saviour?"

"We do! Yes, we do! Oh, thank God! Thank God!"

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. . . . Unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. . . . By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God." (Romans 4:5, 6; Ephesians 2:8,9).

- Oswald J. Smith