Sure questions are essential to the Christian religion: How does somebody turn out to be a Christian? What do Christians imagine? How ought to Christians behave? The Bible supplies clear solutions to every. However there’s one other query, typically ignored, that’s equally essential and to which the Bible provides certain steerage. It’s this: The place does a Christian belong? The query raises the difficulty of church membership.
Many well-meaning Christians attend a church with out ever becoming a member of that church in membership. For a lot of, this sample most likely finds its genesis within the expressive individualism rampant in our tradition. However the notion {that a} native church is merely a gathering to attend quite than a physique to hitch is overseas to the New Testomony. It signifies a biblically insufficient view of the church.
An Necessary Distinction
After we learn our Bibles, we distinguish between the invisible church and the seen church. Those that train religion in Christ are admitted into the invisible church—the huge firm of people all through time and throughout house that exists in good, non secular unity. The previous hymn describes this group because the “elect from each nation, but one o’er all of the earth.”
Those that are born once more by religion in Christ are born right into a household, the family of religion. We’re residing stones and a holy nation along with all God’s individuals (1 Peter 2:5, 9). If we’re in Christ, then we’re members of His invisible physique.
However it doesn’t cease there. Biblically talking, the invisible church finds expression within the seen communities of God’s individuals—those that determine themselves with an area congregation. Think about the New Testomony letters. Nearly all of them are written to native congregations, to particular church buildings particularly cities. Or take into consideration the varied metaphors employed to consult with the church in Scripture: a flock, a physique, a family, and many others. These solely work once we assume when it comes to a significant and shut relationship with different Christians.
Though we come to Christ individually, we don’t dwell in Christ solitarily. We’re meant to be members of Christ and of each other.
The Native Church: God’s Particular Provision
We lament once we hear of the numerous orphans in our world. Tragically, many treasured youngsters develop up unattached, unloved, neglected, and fending for themselves. In an analogous means, these born once more in Christ ought to not be non secular orphans, rising up indifferent from a church household.
Though we come to Christ individually, we don’t dwell in Christ solitarily.
God’s function is that we might be born into bodily households after which born once more into non secular households. The native church is a particular provision for God’s youngsters, supplying these issues essential for urgent on within the Christian life.
A Provision for Fellowship
Membership in an area church supplies fellowship. The phrase for such fellowship in Greek is koinonia, a time period as soon as used to explain a enterprise relationship. If two events agreed to share within the danger and within the earnings of a enterprise enterprise, they might be in fellowship within the classical sense. It might additionally describe marriage, the place a husband and spouse would share the whole lot with one another, changing into one.
The church in Acts got here alongside and requested, “What’s the absolute best phrase we might use to elucidate what’s happening in our native communities?” And so they mentioned, “How about koinonia, ‘fellowship’?” (See Acts 2:42.) In selecting this phrase, they decided to be a individuals of beneficiant sharing quite than of egocentric getting.
Certainly, Christian fellowship is worried primarily with giving quite than with receiving. We ask not what our church buildings can do for us however as an alternative what we will do for our church buildings.
A Provision for Instruction
Within the church physique, we deal not solely with fellowship but additionally with instruction. Jesus despatched His disciples out, charging them to “educate” what He had taught them (Matt. 28:18–19). He then gave presents to the church towards that finish, a kind of presents being “pastors and academics” (Eph. 4:11 NIV). These are males set aside to labor within the Phrase and in doctrine for the sake of their church buildings. Along with their fellow elders, they watch over the flock as males who will give an account (Rom. 14:12).
Christian fellowship is worried primarily with giving quite than with receiving.
Pastor-teachers are there for the “build up” of the church (Eph. 4:12). By way of their cautious instruction and encouragement, they equip all of the saints for ministry. God has purposed that Christian instruction come primarily by the native church.
A Provision for Self-discipline
Self-discipline is a key ingredient in any family. The place there’s no self-discipline, chaos ensues. Few issues are extra embarrassing than spending time in an undisciplined household—no desk manners, no respect for Mother and Dad, no persistence, kindness, goodness, and many others. We surprise, “Why doesn’t Dad do one thing right here? Why doesn’t somebody train restraint or care to intervene?” And so it’s with the church.
When Jesus, outlining the method of self-discipline within the church, says that if the individual below self-discipline “refuses to pay attention even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matt. 18:17), He’s urging us to deal with the unrepentant individual as we might an individual who doesn’t profess religion. The purpose is to sound an alarm, so to talk, hoping that God’s kindness would restore that individual again to proper relationship with Christ and with the church.
It’s a priceless reward to have Christian brothers and sisters in our lives—fellow members of each other—who aren’t afraid to name us again to Christ once we stray. Self-discipline within the church is formative. It’s meant for our good and for the physique’s well being.
A Provision for Service
Membership in a church additionally means joyful service. The native church is the place God intends for us to find our non secular presents, discerning with the church household’s assist the place our time and expertise are finest used for the physique.
Maybe one of the best image of that is in 1 Corinthians 12, the place Paul likens the church to a physique with varied members, every member taking part in a vital position within the well-being of the entire (vv. 12–31). Not everyone agrees about the whole lot relating to non secular presents, however we will agree on the primary and plain issues: non secular presents are different, are given for the widespread good of the church household, and are to be evaluated to the diploma that they’re used to edify the church.
The native church is the place God intends for us to find our non secular presents.
A Provision for Reward
Lastly, the native church is God’s provision for reward. After we collect on the Lord’s Day, we accomplish that for the aim of worship, stirring each other as much as good works (Heb. 10:24–25). The Bible speaks of worship when it comes to the totality of our lives. Our work, studying, recreation, and company reward are all to deliver glory to God (Rom. 12:1).
There’s a way wherein Sunday by Sunday, as God provides these presents to the church, He’s getting ready us for the good convocation of reward in eternity future. Our gatherings are a microcosm of what sooner or later will probably be: the entire firm of the redeemed declaring in reward, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10).
Take Motion!
If we’re meant to be part of quite than merely attend an area church, and if becoming a member of yields the blessings described above, then the appliance is obvious: We must take motion and be part of a church in membership. However what are we to search for in an area church? Right here’s a very good place to start.
First, discover a church that teaches the Bible not in a means that’s gibberish, legalistic, or complicated however in a transparent and devoted method—one wherein those that are educating the Bible are additionally themselves submitting to the Bible.
Second, search for the place there may be prayer happening and, additional, the place there may be true worship occurring—the worship of labor effectively carried out, of consecration of the individuals’s lives to Christ and to at least one one other.
Lastly, discover a church that’s involved with seeing unbelieving individuals turn out to be dedicated followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Merely put: God’s need is to see His youngsters connected to Christ by religion after which to devoted native church buildings in membership.
This text was tailored from the sermons “Belonging — Half One” and “Half Two” by Alistair Begg.
