December 19, 1999 Volume 0 Number 4
Is
Church Membership Essential?
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
dialed Bible Call 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, how (on the day the church began) 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. Because 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 the Lord added obedient believers in Christ
to the church. 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. Because 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 teaches, "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.
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:
Love the brethren. (I Peter 1:22)
Admonish one another in song. (Col. 3:16)
Be of the same mind and judgment. (II Cor. 13:11)
Pray for one another. (Matthew 5:44)
Submit to church leadership. (Hebrew 13:17)
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.
From
the Bible Research Library
WHAT
ABOUT THOSE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH?
Sometimes people refuse to associate with the church because Christians
may seem to be less than perfect. A frequent excuse among men for not seeking
salvation through Jesus Christ is, they say, "the church is full of
hypocrites." Sadly, this charge is partly true.
This is an apology, a personal confession, and a statement of fact; after
all, Christians are still only people, and people often fail to be at their
best. The answer is, "yes, there are hypocrites in the church."
However, l' don't feel it necessary to say that the church is "filled"
with hypocrites. We should give Christians some benefit of the doubt and assume
that, although they are human, they are earnestly trying to live in accord with
their convictions. We must- recognize the vast difference between those who are
trying to live as Christians but who make mistakes and those who say they are
Christians but do not try to live better.
The church is not the only place where we find hypocrites, however. They
exist on the golf course, the highways, and in business. They are everywhere.
Although you may not attend church because of them, have you given up golf, or
driving your car, or working for a living because of them? Of course, you haven’t.
It wouldn't be practical. We overlook the hypocrisy of our golf companion when
he cheats on his score, we do not cease to drive our car because the man in the
next lane speeds, and we do not refuse our paycheck even though a fellow worker
steals and does not give a day's work for a day's pay.
Why, only when the church is involved, do we feel hypocrisy seriously
enough to withdraw from that association? If we quit church because of a
hypocritical Christian, why don't we quit work because of a hypocritical fellow
worker? It would be just as logical, yet I have never heard this excuse used for
quitting work, have you? It has been said (but not by the Bible) that the church
is a hospital for sinners. Jesus said nearly the same thing in Matthew 9:12,
"They that be need not a physician, but they that are sick".
More exactly, the church is where God places those who come to him
through Christ, See Acts 2:47. However, it is clear that, of those who come,
many do not remain faithful to the teachings of Christ. Jesus spoke of this
situation in Matthew 13:24-30 when told the parable of the wheat the tares.
Tares are a useless weed, which were in the parable, sown in a field by an enemy
of the farmer. Rather than pull out the sprouting tares, thereby destroying much
of the wheat, the farmer decided to let the wheat and the tares grow together
and then to separate them at harvest. Jesus explained His parable in Matthew
13:37-43 saying,
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the would;
the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of
the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end
of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore, the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.
The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of
His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity: and shall cast
them into a furnace of fire where there shall be wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Admittedly, there are non-Christians who are better than some who claim to be
Christians. There may also be non-Christians who are morally stronger than some
who are, indeed, Christians. If you are one of these and you are a very good
person, does that eliminate Your need for a savior? The apostle, Paul, said (in
Romans 3:23), "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God." Thus, all men need the savior
Jesus Christ, and there are none who can come to God without the savior;
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the
Father but by me." Thus, if even a good man is to be saved, it must be
through the way of Jesus Christ. Church membership is unavoidable when one obeys
the will of Christ; this obedience results in a reaction by God of adding the
obedient believer to the church. It is God who places the believer in the
church; the believer has no choice in this matter.
Salvation and eternal life are obtained only through Christ. Christians,
themselves, must live in the church with hypocrites who claim to be Christians
and whose lives are embarrassments for them and for Christ. However, those who
seek salvation must not let the Hypocrites deter them, for disobedience to the
will of Christ will result in condemnation; the existence of hypocrites in the
church will not be a valid excuse on judgment day.
From
Bible Answers
Home
Improvement & Religion
In a recent episode of "Home Improvement" the fifteen year old
son of Tim the Tool Man Taylor decides he doesn't want to go to church anymore.
This troubles Tim who thinks of going to church as sort of way to gain credit
and favor with God. So, Tim consults his contemporary club-hopping minister who
counsels him to not be so uptight about his son's attitude. He explains that
since the boy is in many respects a good boy who likes to volunteer to help
others, it really isn't all that necessary for him to be in church.
On a positive note I must say that this episode of "Home
Improvement" quite accurately reflects the predominant view of our culture
today which is that all roads lead to heaven and all religions are equally valid
and a good life will get you as far with God as any religion will ever do. It
isn't necessary to participate in organized religion at all. A private faith
minus the church will do. Probably many of you who are listening to me right now
share pretty much these same views. In any given community the number of people
who say they believe in God and even in Jesus but who have little or nothing to
do with the church probably equals or outnumbers the professing Christians who
are actively involved with a church each week.
To be honest, however, I must inform you that whoever is interested in
hearing what the Bible teaches about any of this will discover a message quite
to the contrary. For the Bible clearly teaches that, "there is no other
name under heaven by which we must be saved than the name of Jesus Christ."
(Acts 4:12) All religions are not equally valid. Jesus said, "Go preach the
gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptizes will be saved. He
that does not believe will be condemned." (Acts 16:15-16)
Furthermore, the Bible teaches that none of us will ever be good enough
to earn eternal life or justify ourselves before God. The apostle Paul says,
"There is none righteous, no not one... For all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace...God saved us, not
because of the righteous things we have done, but by his mercy." No one can
ever be good enough to deserve to go to heaven. Tim's son needs the savior just
as much as I do. That is precisely why Jesus came, and you must secure his
forgiveness the same as anyone else if you expect to gain eternal life.
Finally, the Bible also teaches the necessity of membership in the church
and active participation in the church. Jesus is the savior of the body, which
is the church. (Eph. 5:23) Jesus is going to save the church and that's all he
promises to save. Don't take my word for it. Open your Bibles and read it for
yourself. So, one must become a member of the church if he expects to be saved.
There are simply no scriptural grounds for assuming that one is saved apart from
membership in the church. In addition, membership in the church brings
responsibilities with it, one of which is that the church member is commanded to
regularly assemble and meet with the church. "Let us not give up meeting
together as some are in the habit of doing." (Hebrews 10:25) That was
written to church members, and it was written to all professing Christians in
our communities who refuse to have anything to do with the church.
You have a choice. You can believe Tim Taylor's excuse for a preacher or
you can believe the word of God. You can take your cue from the culture or you
can take your cue from God. Tim Taylor's preacher doesn't speak for God nor does
our culture. Tim needs a new preacher! He also needs to dust off his Bible and
read IT. Which might not be a bad move for some of the rest of us. To whom are
you listening, to the culture or to God?
April 4,1998 Stan Bryan
Sentence
Sermons
The
Bible does not need to be re-written, but re-read.
When it comes to spotting the faults of others, we all seem to have 20-20 vision.