THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

WHAT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP MEANS

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a member of the Body of which He is the Head.– “And He put all things under His feet,

and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” {Ephesians 1:22,23}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a member of the Body of which He is the Head.– “And He is the head of the body, the

church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” {Colossians 1:18}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a member of the Body of which He is the Head.– “For as the body is one and has many

members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” {1 Corinthians 12:12,13}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a worker in the Lord’s vineyard.– “For the kingdom of heaven is like a

landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” {Matthew 20:1}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a living stone in the Spiritual Temple of God.– “You also, as living stones, are being

built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” {1 Peter 2:5}

– “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” {1 Corinthians 3:16}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be married to Christ.– “For the husband is head of the wife, as

also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body… that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” {Ephesians 5:23,26,27}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a citizen in Christ’s kingdom.– “Giving thanks to the Father who has

qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” {Colossians 1:12,13}

TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LORD MEANS:

• To be a child in God’s family.– “For you are all sons of God through

faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” {Galatians 3:26,27}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Fatherly watch-care and protection.– “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” {1 Peter 3:12}

– “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” {1 Corinthians 10:12,13}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Fatherly provisions for all needful things.– “But seek first the kingdom of God and

His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” {Matthew 6:33}

– “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.” {Psalm 84:11}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Fatherly correction and chastisement.– “And you have forgotten the exhortation

which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;… Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” {Hebrews 12:5,11}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Fatherly correction and chastisement.– “My brethren, count it all joy when you

fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience… Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” {James 1:2,3,12}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Right to appeal to God as Father.– “For the eyes of the LORD are on the

righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” {1 Peter 3:12}

– “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”{Matthew 6:9}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Fellowship with the saints.– “Nevertheless you have done well that you

shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.” {Philippians 4:14,15}

– “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” {Romans 12:10}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Hope of eternal inheritance.– “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”{1 Peter 1:3-5}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS THE ENJOYMENT OF RICH

PROVISIONS OF GOD’S GRACE:

• Hope of eternal inheritance.– “The Spirit Himself bears witness with

our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”{Romans 8:16,17}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS A LIFE OF HOLINESS,

SANCTIFICATION AND JUSTIFICATION

• Washed, Sanctified, and Justified.– “And such were some of you. But you

were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”{1 Corinthians 6:11}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS A LIFE OF HOLINESS,

SANCTIFICATION AND JUSTIFICATION

• Called to Be Saints.– “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to

those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” {1 Corinthians 1:2}

• A Holy Calling.– “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,

beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”{Ephesians 4:1}

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH MEANS A LIFE OF HOLINESS,

SANCTIFICATION AND JUSTIFICATION

• To Depart from Unrighteousness.– “Nevertheless the solid foundation of

God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” {2 Timothy 2:19}