To Be or Not To Be… A Member?
1 Timothy 4:11–15 (NIV84)
11 Command and teach these things.
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV84)
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Church Membership today is not highly valued among many believers. In fact, I’ve personally had dozens, if not hundreds, of believers declare that they are opposed to church membership for a variety of reasons, none of which have been biblically compelling or persuasive. It’s not commanded in the New Testament is a common objective. Jesus never became a church member nor did he endorse it is another reason given. I belong to every church is yet another reason give for anti-membership.
While church membership has a negative ring to it among many believers, biblically speaking becoming a church member is to formally and publically commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes. These purposes include receiving instruction from God’s Word (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2), serving and edifying one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 1 Pet. 4:10-11), participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt. 28:18- 20). In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly.
Perhaps it’s true that theological objection to church membership is relatively low while objection to commitment is high. Being a church member commits one to the local church. I believe that this is the issue for most people. Committing to consistent and constant attendance and involvement scares a lot of people away. Even more bluntly, many of the people who have issues with church membership want an open door to leave a church whenever they please.
Not committing to a church deprives a believer of great joy, growth and spiritual vitality. Churches meet to instruct each other in the Word of God 1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:2). By refusing to commit to a local body of Christ, a believer is ensuring that their growth is stunted. A sermon here and there is a poor diet. And they loose out on the joy of spiritual growth and maturity.
Churches also gather to serve and edify one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). Those who refuse to commit to a particular church lose the joy and blessing of service. They simply cannot use their spiritual gifts to edify the body if they flip from church to church to church.
As we can easily figure out, the same applies for celebrating church sacraments / ordinances and sharing the gospel with non believers. Being a church member has so many benefits that one wonders why anyone would disagree with it?
· Share your views on church membership?
· Share your biblical reasoning for your view on membership.
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