Membership in the church is something people pursue for various reasons. Some, because they want to belong to something. Some, because they think that Church Membership guarantees entrance into Heaven. Some view the church as a club in which society admires membership. Some think it is good for business, and some want to join because of pressure from family or friends.
Membership in the true Church of God, the Body of Believers, really comes in only one way, and it is a result of becoming a Christian rather than the goal. A person may have his name on the records of a local church and think he is a member of that church, but if he has not submitted to Jesus as Lord and Master, he is a member in name only. The only acceptable reason for anyone to join a church is so that he can better learn of, and serve, our Lord. Such membership should be the natural progression when someone commits his life to Jesus.
We will study, first, The Way of Salvation, because there is only one way to Jesus, and that way saves us from the eternal consequences of our sinful human nature. God has made this way to be, at the same time, extremely simple, yet very difficult.
The way of Salvation: (Church membership does not guarantee salvation)
Questions and Answers:
Q: Are you a Sinner?
A: Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Yes. I am part of the "all" who have sinned.
Q: What is the consequence of sin?
A: Romans 6:23 "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Death. That is, eternal separation from God. Everything good comes from God. Think of any good thing, and imagine what it would be to not have it. Things like; air to breathe, absence of pain, warmth, love of a parent or child or spouse, or friend. coordination of your muscles, sight, hearing... Notice that the word sin is not plural. Only one sin is enough for me to deserve death.
Q: Since I have sinned, and since I am now deserving of everlasting separation from God and the complete absence of anything good, in a word, Hell, is there any hope for me?
A: John 3:3 "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
No. Under my own strength, there is nothing I can do to escape the consequences of my sin. But, just as it would take a miracle for me to be born again and become a new person, so God can work a miracle and renew my spirit, and make me a new person whom God views as sinless.
Q: How can this happen to me?
A: John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." And Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
God has provided a substitute who has paid the penalty for my sins. That substitute is Jesus. God became a man and lived a perfect life, which did not deserve death. Then he allowed us and our representatives to kill him so that his death could take the place of my death. Then Jesus won over death and came back to life to show that he has power, even over death, and so can remove the penalty for my sins.
Q: Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
A: Romans 10:9-11 "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart the you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." If you believe, then say it out loud.
Q: Are you willing to surrender yourself to Jesus?
A: Notice, that verse 11 from Romans Chapter 10 says, "Anyone who trusts in Him. . ." Trust implies more than just head-knowledge. It is a commitment, a surrender.
Q: Are you ready to invite Jesus into your heart and into your life?
A: Rev 3:20 "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."
Jesus will not force himself on anyone. He is standing there waiting for an invitation. If I don't invite him to be Lord of my life, he won't take the job, but then I won't get the benefits either.
That is The Way of Salvation. It's so simple. I must understand that I am a sinner, and therefore am destined for eternal separation from God. I must accept that fact and confess it. Then believe that Jesus paid the penalty in my place, and ask him to take over my life and run it the way he wants it to run.
That's all there is to it! Nothing more. It's done.
If I understand, accept, confess, and believe, then I have already become a member of the true Church of God. It is my duty to let others know this, and as soon as other members of the Church of God realize that I too, am a part of God's church, they have the duty to accept me as part of the visible, earthly church, the local congregation.
What comes next?
Did you notice? The Way of Salvation didn't say anything about being good, or going to church, or not telling lies, or not swearing, or not drinking, or not smoking, or about giving to the church, or being nice. Those are sins. We all sin. By ourselves, we cannot stop sinning. That's why people look at church members and call them hippocrites. That's why they say "If that's what a Christian is, I'm just as good. I don't need that". The church is made up entirely of sinners. There is not a perfect one in the bunch. The difference is that now God looks at me and sees that all the stains on my record have been removed. Now I begin to understand what a tremendous debt I owe. Rent for forever in Heaven! If someone gave you a big gift, wouldn't you try to do something nice for that person? The larger the gift, the more grateful you would be. Wouldn't you look for ways to honor or please that giver? It is the same way in the church. We are all forgiven sinners trying to please the one who forgave us; Trying to live in a way that would honor the giver; trying to let others know what a wonderful gift has come our way. Unfortunately, we keep failing.
God has given us several helps to aid our efforts to show him our gratitude.
One help is the other people in the church. We call that Fellowship.
One help is the guide book that gives us examples and advice. We call it The Bible.
Another help is His actual working in us to encourage, strengthen, remind, and motivate us. We recognize in that, His Holy Spirit.
As we progress in the Christian life, we can expect to start out slowly, just as a child starts life slowly. First, we learn the basics, just as a baby starts by drinking only milk. As we grow and learn, we take on more difficult or involved tasks, just as a toddler learns to walk. A young child goes to school to learn what he needs to be successful in society, and so should the young believer. School for Christians is Church and Sunday School, Bible study, and other meetings where we can study what we need to learn and observe other Christians as they try to practice what they have learned. Just as a child fails from time to time, so do young Christians fail sometimes. That doesn't mean they are no longer Christians. It just means they need more practice, discipline, or guidance. Just as we try to train a child in the direction we think he should go, so must we try to train the new believer in the way he should go. If we were totally successful in the training and education of our children, and if each child was truly thankful for what we were trying to do for him, our children would grow up to be shining examples of human perfection. So, too, if the young believer was truly thankful for God's gifts and if we, as his teachers and coaches, did a perfect job of educating and training him, he would grow to be a shining example of what a Christian should be.