Understanding the role of the church member
There are two aspects of membership that we must analyze
1. Spiritual Membership
A person should not join the Church of Christ as if it were a club. In the primitive church, members were added to the Lord’s church. Acts 5:14
The candidate who wishes to be baptized must know that the sole reason for entering the water has no significance if in his inner self he hasn’t experienced giving his whole heart to Christ.
We must first be added to Jesus spiritually so that we can fully experience the change through the water baptism.
2. Practical Membership
There must also be a visible and practical expression of membership in the church as seen in the book of Acts. This can be witnessed when you truly belong to the local church. Acts 2:41 & 47.
The standards for membership in the New Testament church are established in Acts 2:37-38. These have never changed in the eyes of God. One cannot expect to receive all the blessings and benefits of the church unless he/she is willing to take on the responsibilities of membership.
As we commonly say, members are a very important part of our congregation.
