Anyone can attend a church gathering. Anyone. So what should set Christians apart from unbelievers? If unbelievers can attend every Sunday Service, Sunday School class, Wednesday prayer time, special services, and other activities, then what should set the true believer from the rest? Quite simply: membership. I believe membership demonstrates the love and care for each other that is commanded in Scripture.
A part of the demonstration of this love and care is church discipline. If you have not submitted yourself to the leadership of your church through membership (hereby displaying a selfless act of sacrifice), then you have dismissed yourself from the love and care demonstrated via church discipline, if indeed, the need arises for church discipline.
But church membership allows for a deeper relationship experience with others of like mindedness (other members). Membership affords the privilege of getting into each other’s lives, regardless of how messy it can possibly be. It affords the opportunity to come along side each other more intimately and help teach, reproof, correct, and train in righteousness.
Membership demonstrates the ultimate selfless act you can do simply because you say, “I am committed to you. I will love you as Christ has loved you. As the Gospel is the ultimate display of selfless and reckless ambition, I will demonstrate this same Gospel to you by my committing to you in membership.”
How else can you demonstrate your love for God’s people? Let the Gospel not only reign true in your life, but let it reign as your reality- the reality demonstrated in membership.