What happens if I join a church expecting it to be part of my salvation?
Joining a church while expecting that membership to be part of salvation immediately cancels the work of the cross. Such an attempt profits nothing, and God says He will have nothing to do with it. Scripture calls this a rejection of the simplicity of the Gospel.
Les explains that if a person says, “I’m going to go join a church,” and expects that to somehow be part of salvation, then immediately he cancels the work of the cross. The Book says this, not Les’s idea. He uses baptism in the same way: if you tell God you have to be baptized in order to be saved, God says, “Sorry, I’ll have nothing to do with you,” and it profits you nothing. Les admits this is strong language, but insists it is what the Book is talking about. He wishes he could tell people to join a church and make it, but he cannot. He recalls an old neighbor whose local pastor told him that if he joined his church and gave five dollars a year, he would go to heaven when he died; the neighbor knew better. The world is full of crazy ideas, but they reject the simplicity of the Gospel.