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Inspired by a previous related question I asked specifically targeting LDS, I would like to ask a generalized version of said question:

If a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and then experiences the fullness of the Holy Spirit and is led by the Holy Spirit to all truth, does any denomination believe that such a person will unequivocally be led by the Holy Spirit to join them? In other words, is there a denomination X such that it is not possible to be a Christian full of the Holy Spirit and simultaneously not be eventually led by the Spirit to join denomination X, according to denomination X?

If no such denomination X exists, would that mean that there are genuine Christians full of the Holy Spirit in multiple denominations, despite potential irreconcilable doctrinal differences?

Note for the curious reader: if interested in an enlightening and well-rounded reformed perspective on the concept of "being filled with the Spirit", I highly recommend this article by John Piper.

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There is a group of churches teaching that. They are collectively known as The International Churches of Christ (ICOC). They are part of the Restoration Movement, and were formed in 1993. They have a network of over 700 non-denominational churches in about 150 countries. However, they claim to be non-denomination, which threatens to throw a spanner in the works of your question!

The ICOC believes that anyone who is not baptized is not saved and must be “evangelized” and brought into the church. Baptism is a work that God requires before he grants salvation. Further, the ICOC teaches that the only “valid” baptism is one performed by the ICOC. No other baptism will do. Further still, the ICOC does not allow anyone to be baptized until he or she is first a “disciple” committed to the organization.

The group is exclusivist, claiming that the church is meant to be divided only by geography. Any church outside of their unified system, i.e., not under the ICOC’s leadership, is not a part of the “true church.” This is where the aspect of the Holy Spirit comes in, because if one religious group says they alone are the true church, they are saying that only they have the Holy Spirit’s operation and blessing. To be outside of them is to be devoid of the Holy Spirit’s operation and blessing.

Any church, denomination, or group of congregations that don’t claim to be a denomination but which claim to be the “one true church” and that all others are false churches is likely to fall into the category your question asks about. And there are various others, not simply the ICOC.

Sources: https://www.gotquestions.org/International-Church-of-Christ.html
https://carm.org/synopsis-international-church-christ

Anne
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  • Is this ICOC unique in this? I would have assumed that this point of view was the norm, rather than the exception. – TKoL Jul 14 '21 at 14:58
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    @TKoL It's far from the norm. Most denominations believe that Christians in other denominations are truly Christians. The might believe that they are the Christians closest to the truth, but very few believe that they are the only valid Christians. – DJClayworth Jul 14 '21 at 15:17
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    I would expect that other Restorationists, such as the Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses, also believe this. – DJClayworth Jul 14 '21 at 15:18
  • @DJClayworth the Latter Day Saints one seems complex from my perspective. They seem to largely believe that, if a person is willing to listen to the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit will always lead every person to Mormonism. But in the same breath, they also generally wouldn't say that other denominations are not 'valid Christians'. – TKoL Jul 14 '21 at 15:27
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    My experience is different. LDS certainly require re-baptism of other Christians joining them, unlike most other denominations. – DJClayworth Jul 14 '21 at 15:34
  • @DJClayworth - did you become a member of LDS at some point in your life? –  Jul 14 '21 at 15:35
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    No. But I had lots of conversations with members. – DJClayworth Jul 14 '21 at 16:03
  • @DJClayworth from a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perspective, we consider billions of other people Christians, but we do not believe they have the authority to perform ordinances that are binding in heaven (I know many dislike this stance, just wanted to clarify it) – Hold To The Rod Jul 14 '21 at 19:56
  • @DJClayworth LDS certainly require re-baptism of other Christians joining them doesn't seem to me to be mutually exclusive with they also generally wouldn't say that other denominations are not 'valid Christians'. – TKoL Jul 15 '21 at 12:30
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    It's a distinct difference from other denomination attitudes. Most denominations say that if you were baptized by another denomination then that baptism counts, because it's a 'Christian' baptism. LDS don't say that. Their baptism is the only one that counts. – DJClayworth Jul 15 '21 at 13:15
  • @DJClayworth see this answer its about authority not Christianity – depperm Jul 15 '21 at 14:45
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    Yes. LDS view other denominations as second rate believers whose churches don't have authority. They redefine the word "Christian" to mean "people who try to follow Jesus but don't really have the truth or the authority, unless LDS who are the real deal". And this means they believe anyone who is genuinely led by the Spirit to all truth must come to believe what their church believes. – DJClayworth Jul 15 '21 at 15:09