The Gospel and Church Membership

“I don’t have to be a member of a church to be a Christian,” she said.  “I mean, it’s all about politics anyway!  There was no church membership in Jesus’ day.”  These are the words of a lady I talked to  not long ago about covenanting with the body God has called me to shepherd.  It is sad so many people have taken this view of church membership.  It is even sadder that churches have allowed, and at times, given shape to this thought of church membership.  Are these statements true, and if they are true; should they be true?  That is heart of this post.

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU CAN BE SAVED AND NOT BE A MEMBER OF A CHURCH?

It is true that one can experience new birth and not be a member of a church.  I do not want anyone to think I am putting forth the notion that one must be a member of a church to be saved.  However, I would be so bold as to say, church membership is an excellent way to reflect your salvation.  Let me explain.  One large aspect of salvation is the doctrine of adoption (Romans 8).  We have been taken from the orphanage of sin and have been transferred to the family of God.  Whereas, before salvation we were orphans with no parents at all; now we are called “sons” and “daughters.”  We have a new family, a spiritual family with every believer as our brothers and sisters and God as our Father.  Whether I am a member of a church or not, this can be true of me.  However, what better way to show that this has occurred than to affirm that local gathering of believers is my spiritual family.  I affirm this by becoming of member of this family and covenanting to act as a family member.  This is why a well thought through and spelled out church covenant is so important.  A group of people, part of the church universal, gathering together to form a local church by covenanting together to walk by the gospel in every area of life.  So, you do not have to be a member to be a Christian, but if you are a Christian this a great, biblically implied way to demonstrate your salvation to the world.  

IS CHURCH MEMBERSHIP MORE THAN JUST POLITICS?

So what is church membership?  It is a Christian, out of love for God and for the family God has brought together (John 13:35), covenanting to walk holy with a local body of believers and be faithful to what the Bibles says I should do in relationship to other members of the family of God.  So, as a member and pastor, I covenant with the local church to walk in faith and repentance, and encourage others to do the same.  All actions can occur outside of this covenant.  I can give, serve, and vote (in some churches) without making this covenant.  However, church membership is not about what I do, but rather about what Christ did for me and sharing that with others.  He brought me into His family and so I want to join with my brothers and sisters in Christ and covenant with them to walk holy, to walk arm in arm, and come along side the weak and wounded from the battle.  Perhaps you think that you do not have to become a member to do make such a covenant.  I can again agree with you.  My question would be why?  I would contend that all reasons we give to not join a church are founded in a misunderstanding of God’s love and ultimately the gospel.  Consider the following:

1. I HAVE HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST

I mourn over the churches and leaders who have acted sinfully and turned people away from wanting to become members.  I am frightened and prayerful for all those who lead churches, for this is a serious task for which we will be judged.  However, I would say that a bad past experience is not a reason to avoid joining a church.  First, it takes another churches fault out on the current body you are in.  I mean most people say, “I will not join because the last church I was in…”  So a person can actually punish one church for another churches actions.  Brothers and sisters, this should not be. Would we punish one child for the disobedience of the other? 

2. I DO NOT WANT TO SUBMITT TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN CHRIST, AND THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH ARE JUST SINFUL MEN

This is a great statement that just has some baggage to it.  I find that there should be no distinction in submission to the church and submission to Christ.  If the church is putting undue restraints on believers it should seek biblical mandates.  Much like we do not say, “I will only read the words of the Jesus, because all the other books were written by sinful men.”  We should not cast down church leadership because men are sinful.  So, the two points that I would make are: 1) A church should organize membership in such a way that does place undue burdens on its people; but rather makes it a joy to submit to her as in submitting to Christ Himself.  See the picture of marriage in Ephesians 5 and know that Paul is talking about the church in this passage.  2) We should not cast off leadership because they are sinful, as long as they are repentant sinners.  This brings out a good point.  All men sin.  However, all men do not repent.  All leaders sin.  However, all leaders do not repent.  Ask yourself this question: Do you struggle because church leaders sin, or because they sin and do not repent?  There is a huge difference!  Church leaders that sin, yet repent and seek the face of God for direction and grace, are a blessing to the church.  It is leaders like this that I want God to raise up in every church across the world.  Perhaps you can be one of those leaders! 

3. I WILL NOT BECOME A MEMBER BECAUSE THE CHURCH MIGHT DO SOMETHING I DON’T LIKE.

We must check our hearts on this issue.  My concern with this argument is the lack of love it shows to the other members of Christ’s body.  In other words, I recognize that this church could go down the wrong road if God does not stay at the center.  However, I am not willing to help keep God at the center by uniting myself to and living a holy life in front of, this body.  Membership is like becoming a member of a family.  One thing is for sure; if we do not become a member, there is nothing we can do to stop a church from going down the wrong road because we have kept ourselves at a distance. 

CHURCH DISCIPLINE MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN WORLD WHEN WE USE THE FAMILY ANALOGY

Doesn’t church discipline make so much more sense when we use this thought process?  Just like there is discipline in our earthly families, we have it in our spiritual families as well.  The difference is, when we become a member of a church we are saying that we have been adopted by Christ.  So, church discipline is all about bringing people to a place where they realize that their behavior is not consistent with one who has been adopted.  So I confront gossip because sons and daughters of God do not gossip.  I encourage faith, because sons and daughters of God have faith.  I demonstrate and encourage love, because the sons and daughters of God actively love. 

You do not have to be a member of a church to be a Christian, but you will never be all God intends you to be apart from a local church.  It is God’s divine means through which to make His people ready for the day of worship when there will be a multitude from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  May we all press on to the day when we worship our Father as a family for all eternity!  Seek God in His Word while He may be found. 

God tells Israel to Destroy the Amalekites 1 Samuel 15:1-3

There are many who struggle with this passage, and understandably so.  It is a view of God in Western American culture that makes us quite uncomfortable.  As a Christian who finds total joy in the nature and character of God, I find joy and comfort in this passage for several reasons. 

1. God is actually bringing justice upon the wickedness of these people, and He has given them about 430 years to repent of their sin.  In Genesis 15:13-16 we find God telling Abraham that He is waiting until these people fill up the cup of their condemnation.  He tells Abraham that these people will persecute the nation of Israel for 400 years before He enacts justice upon them.  We read of the Amalekites treatment of Israel in Exodus 17:8 and Deuteronomy 25:17-18.  This went on for a long time! 

People struggle here because God is actually ordering the death of an entire group of people.  Why do we struggle with this idea?  If a person molested and killed several people, we would ask for his death as payment for what he did.  If a person brutally kills another person, we would call out for his death as well.  We embrace the “eye for an eye” thought process, and that is what we see here. 

2. God uses human and sinful people to enact justice.  I am so thankful that God has granted to us wise people who are set above us to determine what is right. Even though you might point out the flaws in the system, I would put our system up against any in the world as the best and most just system.  None is perfect, but some do a really good job. 

3. I also take sympathy with the innocent Amalekites.  Although I find great joy in the justice of God, my heart goes out to the women and children who were victims of the sin of their fathers.  Certainly, there were those who had never killed a Jewish person.  There were those who had never assaulted one of God’s people.  However, we know from life and Exodus 34:7-8 that the sin of our fathers greatly impacts us.  When generation after generation of sin goes on, it has a great impact on every part of that nation.  Look at our own nation!  The longer certain sins go on the more it will impact our children and their children.  This is a law in life and ought not to be our source of struggle. 

4. Finally, here is a picture of why I need Christ.  I am an Amalekite!  I have rebelled, I have sinned against God and the verdict and judgment are upon me as well.  God is going to enact justice for me sin and rebellion.  I am so thankful that God sent His Son to take the justice of God in my place.  If Christ did not take the punishment for my sin, death; I could not have life with God in heaven.  So just remember, as you read this passage, you should not struggle too much, for in it is the rationale for why Christ came and took your place.  You may just be arguing against the basis for your own salvation!

 

May Grace and Peace be with you this day! 

Marriage and the Gospel

"While remaining the foundational divine institution for humanity, which should be nurtured, cared for, and protected, marriage should not be viewed as an end in itself, but should be subordinated to God's larger salvation purposes." Andreas J. Kostenberger

As I read the book God, Marriage, and Family I was struck by this statement.  It brings out three very important things for us to remember in relationship to marriage.  The first of which is an easy thing, the last two much harder.

Marriage is a good thing!

God instituted marriage back as far as the Garden when He said that it was not “good for man to be alone, I will make him a helper fit for him” Genesis 2:18.  Marriage is a relationship with divine origins.  We all know that it is good and should be nurtured, cared for and protected.  We should make time for our spouses, care for our spouses, and protect our relationship with our spouses for God has brought them to us and has made them “fit for us.”  God has given you your spouse, flaws and all  for a reason.

Marriage is not an end in itself!

This is a little harder for us to grasp.  Unlike what most of culture tells us, marriage is not an end in itself.  We do not marry for the sake of marrying.  There is a divine purpose and reason that God gave us the institution of marriage.

Too often marriage is entered into for it’s benefits, even by Christian people.  It is entered into for the physical relationship.  It is entered into for the support, for the fulfilling of the dream of kids.  For every reason, not all of them bad, under the sun that makes marriage the end in itself.

The real issue here becomes when those benefits no longer seem real to us, then the marriage becomes a burden.  Leading to a host of sin and problems.  So what is the real purpose to marriage?

Marriage is to further God salvation purposes!

The divine reason that God gave us marriage is for His salvation purposes.  This occurs in at least three ways:

1. It occurs in the relationship itself: when we enter into a relationship like marriage we are immediately confronted with our sin.  We at least see our selfishness and our complete inability to naturally place another’s desires above our own.  We also find a helper in the battle against sin.  Not only does the relationship reveal our sin, but it also gives us a person to help us in the battle.  Someone to walk side by side with through this battle that is the Christian life.  When marriage is an end in itself, this becomes “nagging” and “…not letting me live my own life.”

2. It occurs in our kids: those who have kids have the tremendous opportunity to share the gospel with them.  The command to be fruitful and multiply relates to our desire to not only have kids, but to see our kids experience new birth and spread the gospel themselves.  However, when marriage and kids are an end in themselves, the marriage and parenting become more about fulfilling a dream, getting a good career and teaching our kids to be polite; rather than about expanding the kingdom of God (not that the former are bad things to strive towards). 

3. It occurs in a dual effort to share the gospel: every couple has different strengths.  In a marriage relationship, there is a great partnership is sharing the gospel.  Partnering together to have people over for meals, coffee, and just to hang out.  It opens a whole new world of opportunities that we can use to access people who do not know and trust Christ atonement on their behalf.  Marriage gives us a partnership for seeking out these people and sharing the truth of God’s love with them.  When marriage is an end in itself, these avenues are too inconvenient and not desirable. 

This is a great quote and thought that deserves out thoughts and attention.  Whether you are single or married, think through this idea and pray that God would guide and direct you as you seek His face.  Look to God’s Word and behold the face of the Sovereign One! 

It's been a while

It has been over a year since my last post. However, God has reminded me of the importance of putting my thoughts down in writing. One, for people to read and comment on; two, for my own thoughts to be challenged by those who disagree; and three, to help think through and articulate my thoughts more clearly. I realize, that I do not always communicate clearly. The act of writing, I am told, assists in the growth of this skill. So, moving on to the thought I would like to communicate.

There is a growing hunger in me to glorify God with my every thought, word, and deed. I want everything I do to reflect the truth of the gospel. No matter if someone cuts me off in traffic, verbally abuses me, or compliments me on something good I have done; I want my thoughts, words and actions to reflect the gospel especially in the midst of suffering. May God grant us all the ability to allow our theology to impact our behavior. Sola Deo Gloria!