Body: | Is Church Membership Essential to my salvation?
When asked, "Is church membership essential to salvation?", men usually
reply that saved persons may join the church of their choice, or they say
that there is no need to join a church unless one so wishes. Since you have
visited this website, you want to know the Bible answer to this question;
you want to know which of the forgoing alternatives is correct, or if God
presents another alternative through His word, the Bible. The Bible tells,
us in Acts, Chapters I and 2, about how (on the day of the beginning of the
church) Peter spoke to the multitudes in Jerusalem. He explained to them
that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the Christ and was arisen. Upon
believing this, the crowd was exceedingly sorry for their treatment of
Jesus, and being convinced that Jesus was the Christ, asked Peter, "What
shall we do?".
Peter answered them, saying ". . . repent and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" Acts 2:38. As a result of these
teachings, Acts 2:41 records, "Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls". Acts 2:47 amplifies and clarifies this last verse saying, And the
Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved".
The Bible is quite clear that obedient believers in Christ were added to
the church by the Lord. The addition of the one being saved to the church
is done by the Lord, not by the believer, nor by any other person, nor by
any other group of persons. As a result of his repentant, obedient faith in
Jesus, the believer becomes a member of the Lord's body, which is the
Lord's church (see Eph. 1:22-23). We can consider this membership a divine,
dependable reaction to the believer's obedience. Thus, all Christians are
members of the Lord's church, and there are no Christians who are not
members of His church. Remember, it is the Lord and only the Lord who
decides on the membership of His church. (Read Acts 4:12)
We must be crystal clear here; the church does not save. Christ does that
and only Christ. One must be in Christ to be saved and no one can be saved
outside of Christ. Thus, the New Testament terms, "being in Christ", "being
in the church", and "being in the Lord's body", equally describe one
condition, that of being saved or that of being a Christian (Refer to Gal.
3: 27; Eph. 1:22,23; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Although unsaved persons may meet with the earthly worship of the body of
Christ, their presence in the worship does not infer that Christ has
accepted them or added them to the church. Faith in Christ and obedience to
His will is the only route into the church. Study Bible Research Library
message, "The New Testament Church - It's Terms of Entrance".
As discussed earlier, membership in the church results as the believer
obeys God's will: Thus we must ask, "But does this membership in the Lord's
church commit the believer to meet with an earthly body, to carry out
responsibilities to others, and to perform Christian duties which cannot be
done alone?". To answer this question, we observe that Acts 2:42 records
that the very first Christians continued steadfastly in the apostle's
doctrine. The teachings, or doctrines, of the apostles are found in the
Pages of the New Testament: They have been recorded and transmitted to us
so that we, also, can live toward God as did the early Christians. To
answer this last question, let us search the scriptures to see if there are
things taught by command or example which cannot be done alone, or which
must be done in a group.
The search first reveals a command given by the Apostle Paul, as recorded
in Hebrews 10: 24,25, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much more as you
see the day approaching". Thus, here is a command directing an earthly
meeting together (an assembly) for the purpose of exhorting each other to
love and to good works.
Further search reveals that the early church, that body of Christ, which
worshipped under the direct supervision of the inspired apostles, met
together regularly. A few of their activities are listed below; each of
which cannot be done alone, that is, they must be done in an earthly
assembly or an earthly association of Christians:
1. Love the brethren. (I Peter 1:22) 2. Admonish one another in song. (Col.
3:16) 3. Be of the same mind and judgement. (II Cor. 13:11) 4. Pray for one
another. (Matthew 5:44) 5. Submit to church leadership. (Hebrew 13:17)
(Study also the message, "The Government of the New Testament Church.")
It is obvious that God both intended and directed his followers to meet
together in earthly assembly. If one believes in Christ and is obedient
unto salvation he becomes, mandatory, a member of the Lord's church. This
membership confers both rights and duties: The right is salvation if, we
remain faithful members until death. The duties are those previously
mentioned, and others. Some of these other duties are: Obey civil
government (Rom. 13:1-4); bring forth fruit unto God (John 15:7-8); love
and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44-48). worship in Spirit and in Truth
(John 4:23,24); remain unspotted by worldly things (Jas. 1:27); glorify God
(I Cor. 6:19,20); and, be faithful until death (Rev. 2:10). These things
and others are required.
Thus, the Bible answer to the question, "Is church membership essential to
salvation?", is "Yes!". Indeed, membership in the Lord's church is, for
Christians, unavoidable.
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