See No Need To Become A Member? Pt. 1

I’ve been noticing that some professing Christians don’t see a need to become a member of a local church. I will be blogging on this issue going forward. Part of this problem is defiance of authority, a.k.a. rebellion.

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Believers who are not under spiritual authority are in rebellion (defiance of authority). Why? Because a member of the Body of Christ (a born-again Christian) cannot be apart from a local church-body and not under someone’s leadership, authority, and accountability and think they’re walking in obedience with God according to Scripture (Heb. 10:23-24; 13:17, 1Thess. 5:12, Titus 1&2, 1Pet. 5:1-6, 2Thess. 3:1-15). If they think that this is ok, they’re lying to themselves and bucking the system—i.e. rebelling against Scripture. Their flesh is conning them into following its desires and not the Spirit’s. 

What about Christians who can’t go to church? If you cannot be submitted to a biblically sound local church because of persecution or things beyond your control that hinder you, God understands. He’s allowed it. And the fact that there is a sincere desire/conviction to be submitted and connected shows that person is not acting in rebellion. But if a person is in a position to be submitted and connected to a biblically sound local church and its authority and willfully and continually chooses not to, they are acting in rebellion to God’s Word; and it really is to their loss—lack of growth, lack of accountability, lack of maturity, lack of humility, lack of the fruit of the Spirit, etc.

So does this mean a professing Christian is not actually saved if they do this? No. You can be sincerely saved and still fall into temporary rebellion. But a true born again, regenerated believer will want to follow the desires of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:5-14), and will want to be connected and submitted to God’s local Body. However, there are those who have no conviction to do so, and that must be questioned because they may not be sincerely born-again or there could be some underlying issue or they are simply being willfully defiant.

How to get out of the mindset of not submitting or connecting to a local church-body? First, recognize that God says in Scripture being connected and submitted to a local church-body and its leadership, authority, and accountability is necessary (scripture references above). Second, see the need for it (1Cor. 12:12-26). Our bodies work as a whole. If a part of our body is separated from the body, its chances for survival, growth, and functionality are slim to none. So it is with a member of the Body of Christ being separate from His local Body; it is to our own harm if we aren't. And third, understand that obedience to God precedes any and all personal preferences (Rom. 12:1-2). If you are in a position to be submitted and connected to a biblically sound local church and its authority but aren’t, your only excuse is simple and plain rebellion (defiance of authority).

*Note: I am not talking about those who are looking for a local church home, but haven't found one yet. But I will say this blog would address the Christian who has been looking for a local church home for several months (or longer) and still hasn't committed themselves yet.

9/31/11

Exodus: Depart From Your "Egypt" Or Remain In Bondage

Exodus is not just the second book in the Bible. Exodus is the title of the historical event of the Hebrew people leaving Egypt on the strength of God’s coming out party. God was about to add onto His earthly resume with this historical and supernatural event. The exodus from Egypt for the children of Israel is a parallel for everyone God rescues from sin and bondage, or in other words everyone God rescues from “their Egypt”. The reason I entitled this EXODUS: DEPART FROM YOUR "EGYPT" OR REMAIN IN BONDAGE is, as we will see when we go through the Word, that God wanted the Israelite’s obedience to flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage—–Egypt. Thus, God kept reminding them of their exodus. And the same is true for us. We have to daily remind ourselves that God delivered us from our Egypt and calls us to not be conformed again to the way we lived and thought in our old life, but be transformed and become holy as He is holy; or remain in bondage—–which is the very thing we cried out for Him to rescue us from—–and then die in the wilderness, not the promise land, but die in the wilderness ungrateful and deceived.

Let’s look at some passages that explain this for us:
Ex. 1:13-14—While sin presents itself as fun and something not to be missed, truthfully, sin is just like the Egyptians in this passage. Sin makes us serve its desires with harshness, and makes our emotional, psychological, and physical lives bitter with hard bondage.
Ex. 2:23—We are the same. We cry out to God to rescue, save, and deliver us because of our bondage, whatever that bondage may be.
Ex. 6:5-7—This is our salvation. This is exactly what God does for us through Jesus Christ, He brings us out from under the burden of sin and bondage.
Ex. 19:3-6—As I said, God kept reminding them of their exodus so that their obedience would flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage. This is also true for us.
Ex. 20:1-2—Again, God kept reminding them of their exodus so that their obedience would flow from the gratitude and thankfulness of His rescuing them from their place of bondage. I keep repeating this because it's the sole purpose for me sharing this.

Remember what your bondage to sin was like. Remember how cruel and deceitful sin is. Remember how you groaned in your private time for someone to save you. Remember that God was the only One who saw and heard your groanings and responded with His Son’s death on a cross to pay for your eternal punishment for your sin and your deliverance from your present Egypt. I cried out to God from a jail cell. He heard my cry and saved me in jail. Remember yours.

Does your life show God how grateful and thankful you are for what He’s done for you? Because if not, you’re telling God, like the children of Israel did, “I rather go back to Egypt and die in the bondage I cried out for You to deliver me from.” And if you continue to live like this, God will do you just like He did the children of Israel: you will die in the wilderness and not enter His promise land.

I’ll close with this passage:
"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2Cor. 5:14-15, NIV)

Live your life no longer for yourself or sin; but live your life for Him who died for you, delivered you, and conquered the grave for you! Either depart from your Egypt (by following God's way) or remain in bondage (by following your own desires, rules, understanding, etc). Your choice! Choose wisely people.