In response to divisions in the church...

It's quite obvious throughout scripture that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). I agree with you that the creation of denominations has divided the body of Christ. Even David had stated "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!...for there the LORD commanded the blessing-life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1,3). How can our faith in Jesus Christ possibly ever be divisive? He Himself said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Maybe this is the reason for the dying of the evangelical church in America today. We're so caught up in the add-ons of faith, that I am sure if Jesus were to step down from heaven back onto earth He would have a talk with the leaders of the churches. Now I'm not saying at all that what they are teaching is not good, but what is needed?The name escapes me, but there was a preacher in the United Kingdom several decades (and possibly centuries, forgive me I'm not sure), who, every Sunday would preach the gospel message. Every Sunday. There was a woman who came up to him and asked him when he was going to move on to other things. He replied saying something to the effect that once everyone understood it, then he would move on. He never did. Why? Because he, like Paul, chose to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.Complete belief, from the heart, mind, and soul that God sent His precious Son Jesus Christ (who is also God) to the world to stand in our place for judgment against our sins and pay the penalty on the cross, and that He died, was buried, and rose again in victory, signaling God's acceptance of that payment is the one and only way to Heaven. There is nothing that needs to be added like you said. Baptism is an outward symbol of that faith, or trust and belief in Him, but it is NOT required for salvation. Communion is a good way to remind ourselves of the payment of Christ's body and blood for us, but it also is no way that we can be saved. In fact we are commanded to not take part of it if there is any unforgiveness or issues still within our heart at the time.So yes, when we accept Christ as the Lord of our life, which means that He is now the one we live for, we have put off the old man and put on Christ, and "for me to live is Christ..." (Philippians 1:21), we are completely forgiven. We may still fall and screw up. Why? Because we are still human! So when churches look at each other and say "Oh well they have such and such wrong" they need to take that plank out of their eyes and realize that sure, they may be wrong, but what is their purpose for judging? Is it to edify the body of Christ? I hate to say it, but I highly doubt it. It's somewhat a source of pride to say that we are a bit more correct than another church.I like to think of it this way...church wise and for ourselves. The Holy Spirit, whom we receive as a seal of our salvation the moment we receive Christ as our Savior, works on us one piece at a time. It's like the refining process of gold. Each time it is put through the fire, a few more impurities arise and can be skimmed off, and more and more come out as the temperature rises. In the same way as God puts us through a refining process, He works on us one issue at a time, because He knows we wouldn't be able to go through it all right away. So in my case, let's say He worked on my ability to forgive my parents for mistakes they had made, and allowed me to see them in a different light. Once we worked on that (and it comes up every once in a while again) then He's moved me on to truly surrendering my life and my plans and my future to Him. It's no longer a list that I've created where I ask Him to sign the line for my plans, it's a blank sheet of paper that He hands to me and asks me to sign it. I need to sign it and know that whatever He puts on that paper after I sign it will be to His glory, and what greater joy can I have but to be able to bring my Savior and my God glory? Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”How willing are we to surrender the control to the One who knows exactly what is going to happen and knows us better than we even know ourselves?So back to my point, and it is that God works on different areas of a church at different times. So what if a church has something in its doctrine a bit different than the one someone else is a part of? As long as they do not distort the truth of the gospel and that being the only way to salvation, then they are forgiven. If they start preaching that new believers need to add on this and that, then I would like to say “Have you read Galatians?” If you don’t understand it after that, then why is it that you believe what you believe? Can you truly say that Christ coming down to earth and dying was not enough? We need to stop focusing on all the add-ons, and center our eyes on the doctrine of Jesus Christ, of true salvation. I do not identify myself with any particular denomination, because I feel that there is no need. I agree with you Angelina, my life is no longer my own, but I am living it for Christ Jesus. So after I have written an extremely long post I would like to close with this passage from Ephesians 4. (my emphasis added)“I…beseech you to walk worth of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. …And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the UNITY of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to measure the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with EVERY wind of doctrine, by the TRICKERY of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the TRUTH in LOVE, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-CHRIST.”