Biblical Church Biblical Church MembershipMembership

Biblical Church Biblical Church MembershipMembership

Lesson 4 – Lesson 4 – QualificationQualification

-meeting the -meeting the standard of church standard of church

membership-membership-

Biblical Church Biblical Church MembershipMembershipWhat are the What are the

biblical biblical standards of standards of

church church membership?membership?

Faith in Christ

Do not be bound together with Do not be bound together with unbelievers…unbelievers…II Corinthians 6:14 II Corinthians 6:14

……the Gentiles are fellow heirs and the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow members of the body, and

fellow partakers of the promise in fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel …Christ Jesus through the gospel …

Ephesians 3:6Ephesians 3:6

Adherence to the particular Adherence to the particular standards of this churchstandards of this church

BaptismBaptism

Romans 6:3 Romans 6:3 Or do you not know Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?into His death?

Matthew 28:19 Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit….Spirit….

Some Misunderstandings Regarding Baptism….

Baptism as necessary for salvation (baptismal regeneration)

Baptism as merely a hoop to jump through or a chore to be

accomplished

1 Timothy 5:22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Observance of the Observance of the Church CovenantChurch Covenant

““The membership of this church [is] to The membership of this church [is] to be composed of persons who have be composed of persons who have publically professed faith in the Lord publically professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, have been baptized by immersion, who have been baptized by immersion, who promise to subscribe to the doctrines promise to subscribe to the doctrines and standards as set forth in the church and standards as set forth in the church covenant and these by-laws as adopted covenant and these by-laws as adopted by this church, and has [sic] been by this church, and has [sic] been accepted by vote of the church.” accepted by vote of the church.” – – Article V, Section 1, Constitution and By-lawsArticle V, Section 1, Constitution and By-laws

Active Participation Active Participation in the Life of the in the Life of the ChurchChurch

Biblical Church Biblical Church MembershipMembership

How are these How are these standards standards

applied applied practically?practically?

How are they How are they practiced?practiced?

Maintaining one’s faith

How are they How are they practiced?practiced?

Being obedient in baptism and

laboring to bring all other areas of

life into conformity.

How are they How are they practiced?practiced?

Observing the accepted terms of the local church

covenant.

How are they How are they practiced?practiced?

Actively participating in the life of the church.

How are they observed in practice?How are they observed in practice?

Observing the fruits of faithObserving the fruits of faith

How are they observed in practice?How are they observed in practice?

James 2:26 James 2:26 For just as the body For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also without the spirit is dead, so also

faith without works is dead.faith without works is dead.

Martin LutherMartin Luther

““We are saved We are saved by faith alone, by faith alone, but the faith but the faith that saves is that saves is never alone.”never alone.”

How are they observed in practice?How are they observed in practice?

Helping one another growHelping one another grow

How are they observed in practice?How are they observed in practice?

Calling upon one another to keep the Calling upon one another to keep the terms of the covenantterms of the covenant

Biblical Church Biblical Church MembershipMembership