Some people dismiss church membership because they think it means making people jump through hoops, or they think it means erecting standards of behavior for the sake of entry. However, Christianity is not about standards, it is about free grace. We must understand that the standard for church membership should be no higher or lower than the standard for being a Christian. The church’s responsibility is to affirm sheep. What are the steps that we should look at in order to bring a person into membership to the church? This must be something universal, and regardless of age or culture. It does not mean that they should have a complete knowledge of the Bible, but it does mean that a person who becomes part of a church can point to three things that will be developing in their heart and mind. Every person is at different stages in these three areas, but they must be able to demonstrate that they are willing to grow in their understanding of these three areas of thinking:1. Faith – A church is to affirm a person’s profession of faith as Jesus did with Peters affirmation in Matthew 16:16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!!” The goal is not to affirm the profession of a theologian, rather it is to affirm Christians. esus said in Matthew 18:4-5 “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” In other words, churches should tune their ears for a Spirit-given brokenness and humility before God.2. Repentance – This is the key by which we enter His kingdom, the way by which we are cleansed to be like Jesus, and the way Jesus heals a nation’s sins. Christianity doesn’t begin with fait, it begins with repentance. It is not a person’s moral perfection that qualifies them for church membership. . . It is their recognition of a lack of moral perfection coupled with a hunger for it (cf. Beatitudes in Matthew 5). What makes people acceptable to a church is not their own moral purity, but Christ’s. That repentance should lead to a change of life.3. Baptism – Baptism is to follower of Jesus Christ, what a marriage ceremony is to a couple. It is not the ceremony that makes a person married, but it is a visual testimony to the world that you have chosen to commit your life to the other person. Baptism is a visual witness of our commitment to follow Jesus Christ. The church then becomes the redemptive community that gives credence to their confession of faith. We identify ourselves with Christ, and with those He died to redeem. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32 “whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” While baptism does not save a person, it is the means for a follower of Christ to publicly identify with Him and His people. Churches do not let people into their membership because they are perfect, but because they will admit their are imperfect and need to have others to help them make the correct choices in life. It is the church that works to keep people moving forward as they serve together for the cause of Christ. May we choose to demonstrate our allegiance to Christ by aligning ourselves with what He chose to die to establish.
