In Genesis 2, we see in the creation of man, that God said in verse 18, that the Lord said, “It is not good for man to be alone” By creating woman and brining her to the man, God established the importance or relationships, and the establishment of the family. This is a significant statement, especially when we remember that sin had not yet entered the world. Since, that was a true statement before sin, how much more is relationships needed now that sin has entered the world. During His incarnation, Jesus, recognized that because of sin, family and relationships will be hindered by the barriers of relationship with God. As a result, God established the church to be the family unit, to provide relationships in a sin cursed world. The enablement of that relationship was established by the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. We must remember that church is not an event, it is a organism provided to the believer for hope and help in this sin cursed environment. One of the reasons for the church, is to provide the accountability we need to live a life that is honoring and pleasing to the Lord. The Local church then is a living testimony of the grace and forgiveness of God, and as a follower of Christ we need to identify with that organism. We do this by joining the church. Membership in the church is not like joining a club or organization, membership in a local church demonstrates our identification with Christ, and becomes our “passport” that I am a follower of Christ. We become apart of a family that is willing to come alongside of us, and love us in all our faults as we attempt to navigate through this sin cursed world. Churches are not perfect, but are full of imperfect people who desire to serve and love the Lord and each other. It is where we meet together to worship God and follow Him. Consider this, as you prepare to worship the Lord this week.
