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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Church membership...a requirement? | Bible general Archive 4 | DocTrinsograce | 209387 | ||
Dear Being, I can understand why people would be hesitant about really making a commitment to other believers and submitting to the authority of those who Christ placed over us. It takes time, energy, and effort. It isn't convenient or comfortable. It creates all kinds of obligations. Remaining uncommitted gives us the freedom to flit over to some other congregation if someone should offend us or pressure us in any way. After all, the Biblical pictures of being built together into a temple, knit together into a single body, joined together into a holy nation, and adopted into a the divine family are probably just old fashioned ideas promulgated by our grandparents. Furthermore, all those lost folk out there might think we were strange if we drew together into some sort of local, loving unity. Given enough time, certainly the Lord will provide us with just the right feelings about joining a church, so we needn't search the Scriptures on the subject. In Him, Doc PS The above is tongue-in-cheek... but I hope it helps you think more seriously about the question. "If the church is a building, then we must be bricks in it; if the church is a body, then we are its members; if the church is the household of faith, it presumes we are part of that household. Sheep are in a flock and branches are on a vine. Biblically, if one is a Christian, he must be a member of a church. Leaving aside the concrete particulars for a moment -- whether membership lists are kept on white cards or on computer disks -- we must not forsake our regular assembling (Hebrews 10:25). This membership is not simply the record of a statement we once made or of affection toward a familiar place. It must be a reflection of a living commitment or it is worthless, and worse than worthless, it is dangerous. Uninvolved members confuse both real members and non-Christians about what it means to be a Christian. And active members do the voluntarily inactive members no service when they allow them to remain members of the church, for membership is the church’s corporate endorsement of a person’s salvation. Again, this must be clearly understood: membership in a church is that church’s corporate testimony to the individual member’s salvation." --Dr. Mark Dever |
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2 | Church membership...a requirement? | Bible general Archive 4 | Hank | 209409 | ||
Good, sound post, Doc. I've been a follower of Christ, i.e., a Christian for well over 50 years and never been quite able to understand the thinking of anyone who claims to be a Christian but refuses to tie himself to the church, the body of Christ. My analogy may be corny and simplistic, but for me to say that I am a Christian and refuse to affiliate myself to the church, for whose life the Lord gave His, is unthinkable. It's like saying that I am a citizen of the United States but refusing to obey its laws, to pledge allegiance to its flag or to honor the Constitution upon which it was founded and according to which it is governed. ..... Speaking of the very early days of the church, Scripture says, "And the LORD ADDED to the CHURCH daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:27, emphasis mine). Salvation is God's sovereign work. God Himself adds the regenerate to the church, the body of Christ. Scripture does not teach that church membership is an option for God's elect. It is thus quite impossible to be among Christ's redeemed without being a member of His body, the church, since Scripture plainly states that it is God who adds to the church those who are being saved. --Hank | ||||||
3 | Church membership...a requirement? | Bible general Archive 4 | Miranda Rose | 209410 | ||
My husband and I have been members of church until recently. Many churches today exhibit the very thing Jesus preached against - traditions. Traditions are man made -- not based on Jesus' teachings. In many churches the deacons make the decisions based on traditions - not the Word of God. The church is not a building. I believe church membership offers fellowship with other Christians, however we can have church in our home, in the nursing homes, with the homeless, etc. The Church is where we put "in action" our faith in God. Mark 7: 8-13 and Col 2:8 :) Miranda Rose |
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