Church membership part 2

What does church membership mean?
First, we must say that it carries great meaning for the Christian and is the primary place envisaged in the Bible for Christian service (Ephesians 4: 11-13).


It is for all Christians
Church membership is for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour in word and deed. We do not believe that salvation is accomplished through anything we do or belong to. Membership of a local church is part of the fruit of that salvation and is a source of support in our walk with God as an aid to our pursuit of holiness.


It is based on a Covenant
Church membership is designed to produce strong Christians living spiritually fruitful lives for the glory of God. This is best and most consistently achieved through the accountability, encouragement and challenge of fellow Christians. This can only be effectively conducted within a context of church membership. It is about investing ourselves in God’s best for one another and with one another. It is covenant because it is the local church saying we will stand with you, and you saying to the local church I will do the same with you.


It provides Clarity
The church you belong to will quickly become the major influence upon what you believe about God. Considering church membership by necessity encourages you to think through what you believe and whether it is in keeping with that church’s stated beliefs. Avoiding that process means that you deprive yourself of an opportunity to really think through a) what you believe and b) whether you agree with the key teachings of the church that you go to. Your belonging to the local church should equip you to know what you believe, to explain that to others, to have confidence in God’s Word and from that to have boldness with the Gospel.


It regulates Conduct
Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 11-16
Our constitution states that

In cases of open back-sliding, inconsistency or doctrinal error, it is the duty of the church to exercise discipline- 2 Thess. 3: 6, 14,15; Titus 3: 10-11. All such matters are to be regarded by the members as strictly private.

Church membership ultimately only means something if a person can be removed (as a final and sad end). Church discipline is not often practised in churches because there often seems a fear of what is involved. The true nature and basis of Biblical church discipline must always be love. It comes from an attitude that says if we love you we want God’s best for you- the way you are living is not God’s best for you so we want to humbly intervene in order to set you back on the path of grace. We all need Biblical church discipline in our lives so that we can be corrected and trained in righteousness for the glory of God.

We must prize the reputation of the church, not because it reflects on our standing and status but because it is designed to exist for the praise of God’s glory- therefore church discipline is a necessity. Conduct that legitimately causes accusations of ungodliness, hypocrisy and the like should and must be challenged in all of us out of a desire first and above all for God’s glory then the good of the individual.