It seems that many Christians have bought into the western idea that being an independent “lone-ranger” is synonymous with strength. To be dependent on others is a sign of weakness and slows one down in the race of life. Naturally, those who have bought into this notion think that the independent life is better than being entangled in the “messiness” of others.
Furthermore, many Christians think that the idea of church membership is outdated, irrelevant, and even unfriendly. Aren’t all Christians members of the church by virtue of their faith in Jesus? So, why does the church create additional church membership for believers? Is this not legalistic and even elitist? Who is the church to say that some are in and some are out?
There are many answers we could give to such questions, but our primary reason is owing to our conviction that local church membership is biblical: Membership is the church’s corporate endorsement of a person’s salvation. It is more than a record of a statement it is a reflection of a living commitment to God and is a testimony to one’s membership in the universal church (Dever). We are not saying that people who have not joined a church are not Christians; we are simply saying that membership gives their claim credibility.
You see joining a local church is an outward reflection of an inward love for God and for His people. Biblical love is servant-hearted, sacrificial, and characterized by commitment. The greatest example of God’s love was found in Jesus Christ, who embodied all these things (Mk. 10:45). If Christ willingly died for the church (Eph. 5:25), should we not also love it? Should we not at least join a church and link arms with other like-minded Christians?
Contrary to secular thinking, the church is not a building, it is made up of people. The basic meaning of church (Gk. Ekklesia) is the “called-out” ones. In other words, the church is made up of people whom God has called out of the world to Himself through the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. Those people whom God calls from all the tribes, nations, and languages of the world (Rev. 5:9) are known as “saints” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2) because they are set apart for God’s purposes.
The primary purpose of the Church is to glorify God (Eph. 3:21) by building itself up in the Faith (Eph. 4:11-16) through the teaching of the Word (2 Tim. 2:2), through fellowship (Acts 2:42), by keeping the ordinances (Lk. 22:19, Acts 2:38-42), and through involvement in taking the gospel to the whole world (Matt. 28:19, Acts 1:8).
There is only one church (universal) –– built on the confession of the Lordship of Christ (Matt. 16:18) and expressed in local congregations in the world –– which is made up of all people who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour throughout all ages. Jesus is the supreme head of the church, which is His spiritual body here on earth (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).
The church was a mystery hidden in the Old Testament, and only revealed for this first time in the New Testament to the holy apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). We associate Pentecost with the birth of the church for this was when it first came into existence (Acts 2). The mystery was that Jewish and Gentile believers would co-exist together in the body of Christ as one new man (Eph. 2:15; 3:5-6).
Below are three basic points to help you to better understand what church membership is.
1. It is a gift of God
Church membership is a blood-bought gift of God’s grace that takes place at conversion when the Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the universal body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 5:30). Thom Rainer summarized this truth well, “When we receive the gift of salvation, we become part of the body of Christ…membership in the body of Christ, the church, is a gift from God…A gift we should treasure with great joy and anticipation.” So, local church membership does not save anyone any more than good works can save them, but it does reflect salvation (Dever).
2. It is the plan of God
Church membership is not only a gift of God, but it is also the plan of God to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-13) and to evangelize the world (Eph. 3:10-11). On the one hand, the church is our classroom for being trained to serve God. Without the church community we cannot effectively grow in our love for God and for others; and we certainly cannot show a lost world what Christ’s love looks like in action (Jn. 13:34-35). After studying Ephesians chapters 2-3, Mark Dever came to this unmistakable realization like so many other Christians, “The church is the center of God’s plan to display his wisdom to the heavenly beings.” So, on the other hand, the church is God’s evangelism program for winning the lost to Christ and displaying His wisdom to the demonic spiritual authorities in the heavenly places.
3. It is about giving, serving, and sacrifice
Many Christians today have a “salad bar” mentality when it comes to choosing a church to attend. At the salad bar we choose what we like, and we leave behind what we don't like, right? In the same way, many Christians treat church as an optional extra in their busy schedule. This “country-club” view of church membership assumes that being part of a church amounts to nothing more than perks and privileges. However, Thomas Rainer challenges this false understanding, “Do you how to remain a member of a country club? Pay your dues…Do you know how to remain a biblical member of a church? Give abundantly and serve without hesitation.” So, true biblical membership is about giving instead of receiving, serving instead of being served, responsibilities instead of rights, sacrificing instead of entitlement. In short, biblical membership means that believers are not pew-warmers, they actively participate in God’s work.
