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Recently, due to school which made me change my environment, there was a need for me to attend another church. The first church I attended in school did not feel like home to me, so I decided to attend another one and I felt at home, so I told myself that there is no need to change church again. My first day was accompanied by various instructions and I wanted to be a part of the church as I found peace in my mind.
We all have a church that we are a member of and we feel at home every time we are there. In this blog post, we will delve into the intricates of church membership and how individuals can be a part of the church.
WHAT IS A CHURCH?
This was the first question that I was asked after I showed my interest to become a part of the church I finally decided to attend while in school. It is not a strange thing to our ears, but most times, we mistake the church for a large cathedral or a small building that we gather to fellowship every Sunday or midweek.
It is not all buildings that have the inscription church that is a church. There are indicators that we must see that makes us believe that this place is a church.
Let's take a look at what the scriptures meant by the church.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
Here, we will discover the word the company of believers. That is what a church is- a company of believers who come together to share, inspire, love, embrace, help, encourage, advice, worship, fellowship, commune and join hands together to promote the gospel of Christ. That is what the church is. The church is not just a large cathedral or a small building, rather the church is you and I. Though the building is required due to the fact that we need a place to put our heads from sun and rain, but the essential part of a church is the head- Christ and the body- you and I.
Now that we have established what a church is, let's proceed to what membership means. According to Merriam Webster, membership means the people who belong to an organization. So as a Christians, we are members of the church because we belong there. You can't be a member of a place if you do not belong there, until your membership is confirmed, you can't be called a part.
Now, what is CHURCH MEMBERSHIP?
It is a company of believers who belong to the organization of Christ. So as a member of that church that you are, you are not just a member because you are attending there, but you are a member because you belong there.
Now you might be wondering, how then will I be sure that I am a member of a church?
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1. Salvation.
This is the first level to being a part of a church. This is your identity card that shows that you are a member. Every organization has their means of identifying their workers. For example, my school mode of identification is the school ID that shows that you are a member of the school. You can't claim to be a student if you don't have an ID. If you like, live in the school for a year, attend classes, when it is time for assessment, you will not be allowed to write the exams because you don't have what makes you a member. The same way it is with believers, until you have your ID (salvation), you can't claim to be a member even if you are the most fervent person.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
2. Baptism
The next level to being a part of a church is baptism. Baptism shows that you have died, and now you are living with Christ.
Rom.6.4 - We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in the newness of life.
Our baptism shows that we have been inclined with Christ.
3. Sharing.
This is the third thing that shows our membership. It is our slogan as believers. We share together in sorrow, in death, in love, in gifts and even in gifts. We share burdens, enlighten each other and this makes us different from others.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
4. Truth and Love
Trust is one of the identity as a part of a church. Our credibility as a member is shown by the trust we have, by the truth we share and by how much love we have.
Being a member of a church is not just attending the midweek services or Sunday services alone, but it is sharing, saving and being baptized in the love of God who died for us.
"Remember, the church is not just the building, but it is you and I."
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Thanks bro
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Wow! This is beautiful!
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