Membership Matters

Because God loves us and because He is honored when we make godly commitments, the Bible is clear that membership to a local church is the normal practice for a Christian.  Scripture speaks of Christians being committed to a specific church leadership (Hebrews 13:17), to intentional meetings with each other (Hebrews 10:25; I Corinthians 11:17-18; Romans 16:5), to mutual accountability (Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5:1-13), and to being known as a serving member of a church (Romans 16:1; 16:3-16).

Clearly a commitment to a specific group of Christians (how we define membership) is expected and the normal practice in the New Testament and too many verses in Scripture could not be obeyed without a membership commitment. But are there other reasons for committed membership? Here are four:

1-Membership defines the team, enabling the team to be organized, efficient, and effective in fulfilling its mission. This makes sense in sports, the military, businesses, and even in our families.  It also makes sense in the local church. There is a reason why banks want to see the "membership" of a church before giving churches loans -- they are assessing the strength of organized and declared commitment.


2-Membership helps the elders protect the church from false teachings and unhealthy influences. (see Titus 1:9)
We require background checks for all volunteers that work with children and youth and rightfully so. Protecting them is extremely important.  The Bible also mandates that the church be protected from false and incorrect teachings.  Membership helps the elders ensure that the church body and those who teach it (children's workers, small group leaders, etc.) adhere to sound biblical teaching. Unhealthy spiritual influences can wreck havoc on a person and in a church.

3-Membership defines the protective scope of the church. I don't discipline my neighbors kids. I don't feed them or clothe them either and they don't sleep in my house.  Why? Because they are not my kids.  Christians need discipline, care, and at times provision.  Membership defines where these things most readily and naturally occur. Membership is us giving permission for our church family to provide discipline, accountability, and care.
For example, there are certain sins and sinful tendencies that are part of my life story.  Only in an environment of love, trust, and commitment can these sins be addressed and biblical accountability provided.  This protects me from sin and its consequences as well as the witness of our church. The church by definition and by practice exists in part to protect one another from sin while protecting the overall "salt and light" witness of the church before the world.  Membership defines the protective (and at times corrective) reach of the church.

4-The work of the universal, and eternal church will be advanced further and faster through committed members of healthy local churches. If every community had multiple healthy, biblical, Christ-centered churches and if every church had committed members, then more people would be saved and discipled, more money would be available to reach the world for Christ, and the church's 'light' of hope would be brighter.  When Christians act as if church were optional, hop from church-to-church, or withhold their full commitment, then the Body of Christ is weaker and the cause of Christ suffers.

Ask yourself:  If every church had members as committed as you are, what would the future of Christianity be?