Many people have truly come to know Christ personally as their Savior, but some have come to believe only after having already been sincere, religious ‘church members’ of some independent organized church or denomination. Though having been faithful supporters of some earthly church organization, some had never really experienced the reality and joy of new life in union with Christ.

“If any man be in Christ he is a new creation.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

Actually, it was the above verse that captured my own heart that day in November, 1968 when I first heard it and first believed, at age 23. Receiving the hope of those ‘words’ changed my heart, which has never been the same since that day when the light of His words burst upon my needy soul.

So it’s possible to have been a member in good standing of some church organization for years, even a church board member, and yet be outside of the ‘one true church,’ The church of which the Bible speaks is not a manmade organization at all. In fact you can’t ‘join it’ through any good works, rituals or rites.

This is because the true Bible Church for this age of the pure grace of God… is a living organism, it’s an invisible spiritual body, with a living Head (which is Christ) and living members of His body, which we automatically become the very moment we… simply trust in Christ as our personal Savior.

Paul, by divine inspiration, calls this church, “the Body of Christ.” Paul wrote these words in his epistles.

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Romans 12:5)

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30)

How do we become members of this true church of the Bible, called “the Body of Christ”?

For most of us, we first come to recognize our need of relationship with the Lord. We’ve not had such a relationship with Him because our own independent sinful ways have kept us separated from Him. But God says that’s no problem, because He has made a ‘way’ for us to be forgiven of our sins and to come to relationship with Him as our loving Father.

When we genuinely believe to receive Christ as our Savior… we soon become aware of peace with Him… and we find the special peace of God with rest in our hearts.

Though all of us have been estranged from God, He took care of that when He reconciled us to Himself.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life.” (Romans 5:10 (AMP)

Thus Paul relates how Christ died for us that He might “reconcile” us to Himself “in one Body,” that is in Christ’s physical body when He died to pay for our all our sins at the cross. Thus, when we sincerely believe we are reconciled to God by faith in Christ… we then become regenerated, given a new beginning and a new life by His “Spirit of life” that gives us this peace and rest in our hearts.

 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

Simultaneously, by the Spirit, we are baptized (or put) into the one true invisible church called “the Church, which is the His Body.”

 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized (placed) into one body (of Christ)” (I Cor. 12:13).

This is the one true baptism for Christians; it is a waterless baptism since we were place into Christ’s body – not water.

Every person should ask themselves: ‘Have I been baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ?’ If not, trust Christ as your Savior and become a member of the one true Bible Church. Then the Lord will lead you to associate yourself with some local believers where Christ is honored and the Bible is taught. As you learn you will begin to see all that actually occurred in your heart in that moment… when you first believed.