What Does it Means to Belong to a Church, Part 2, Believing Together

What does it mean to belong to a church? What is the difference between being a church member and just going to church. The difference is a matter of commitment and community. 

 

Last week we saw this difference expressed in the example of the early church. When we look at the picture painted in Acts 2, we see believers who are spiritually transformed people and who give themselves to Christ and to one another. The result was a church family that 1) pursued the scriptures, 2) sacrificed greatly in order to care for one another, and 3) saw God add to their numbers daily. These people did not just go to church, rather they gathered as a community of believers, loved one another deeply, and fulfilled commitments to one another. 

What kind of commitments? First and foremost, we know that they were committed to a common faith. As a community of believers, they shared the belief that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord (Acts 2:36). We know they held together the conviction that people must repent and be forgiven of sin (vs. 38). We know they held that believers receive the Holy Spirit upon conversion to Christ (vs. 38, 39). They believed baptism was for believers and that it was by immersion (vs. 41). We also know that they shared the belief that the apostles taught with the authority of Christ and, therefore, they devoted themselves to the apostles teachings (vs. 42, a.k.a. the New Testament).  

At the heart of the early church's community and commitment was their belief in the authority of the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without these commonly held convictions, there would have been no early church in Acts. 

The same is true in our church. Our existence revolves around our shared belief in the authority of God's Word and the gospel of Christ. Therefore, when people go from just attending our church, to becoming members, it is necessary that they hold to our common faith about the Bible. As members, we hold together our central beliefs about God's Word. 

Our church family believes the Bible is God’s Holy Word. God gave it to godly men by the Holy Spirit who wrote it down for us to have. Given that the Bible is from the heart of God, we hold that it is true and without any mixture of error. It is the authority for what to believe and how to act as God’s people. For this reason, we devote ourselves to learning what it says and living it out in our lives.

Our church holds that the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 is an excellent summary of the teachings of Scripture. We use this confession as a statement of faith to articulate our interpretation of Scripture. It is a helpful tool to bring consistency to our church's teaching and preaching.

As we watch our country, friends, and family members move further away from a biblical worldview, it is refreshing to spend time with a church family that treasures the teachings of scripture in the same way. My prayer for us is that we will delight in the Word of God together and build each other up in our shared belief in Christ.