- This is biblical. Jesus founded a local church, and all the apostles carried out their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is a life in the church. Christians today should expect and strive for the same.
- The church is its members. To be «the church» in the New Testament means to be a member of it (read the book of Acts). You want to be part of the church because that is what Jesus came for—to save and reconcile people to Himself.
- This is a prerequisite for receiving the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is an important moment for the assembled church, that is, for its members (see 1 Cor. 11:20, 33). You want to participate in this, because it is the «shirt» of the team that makes the church visible to the nations.
- It is a way of officially representing Jesus. Membership is the church’s confirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s Kingdom and therefore an official Representative of Jesus to the people.
- It is a way to declare your highest commitment. Your membership in the team, which becomes visible when you wear the «t-shirt,» is a public testimony that Jesus Christ is your highest value. Trials and persecutions may come, but your only words will be, «I am with Jesus.».
- It is a way to embody and experience biblical imagery. It is within the accountability structures of the local church that Christians embody what it means to be «the body of Christ,» «the temple of the Holy Spirit,» «the family of God,» and other biblical metaphors (see 1 Cor. 12). And you want to experience the interconnectedness of His body, the spiritual fullness of His temple, the security, closeness, and shared identity of His family.
- It is a way to serve other Christians. Membership helps you understand which Christians on Earth you should love, whom you should serve, whom you should warn and encourage. It gives you the opportunity to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to the body of Christ (e.g., see Eph. 4:11-16; 25-32).
- It is a way to follow Christian leaders. Membership helps you understand which Christian leaders you should listen to and follow. This allows you to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to them (see Heb. 13:7; 17).
- This helps Christian leaders lead. Membership allows church leaders to know who they will be responsible for (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2).
- This allows for church discipline. It gives you a biblically designated place for responsible, wise, and loving participation in church discipline (1 Cor. 5).
- It gives structure to the Christian life. It calls you to «listen» to and «follow» Jesus in the real environment of the church, where spiritual authority is truly exercised over you (see John 14:15; 1 John 2:19; 4:20-21).
- It builds testimony and invites people. Membership in a local church demonstrates Christ’s alternative rule to the entire world (see Matt. 5:13; John 13:34-35; Eph. 3:10; 1 Pet. 2:9-12). The very boundaries that define membership create a community that invites others to a better life.
About Марк Девер
Doctor of Divinity (Cambridge University), senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., author of numerous books and articles, and honorary president of the 9Marks organization.
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