Feb 10, 2011 Members By Mercy
Originally posted on May 25, 2007
“We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:5
Members By Mercy
The same mercy that saves us from sin and reconciles us to God also connects us to other believers in the body of Christ. It is clear from the book of Acts that the body of Christ referred to in Romans 12:5 is visible in the world in the form of local churches. In Acts, the believers in Christ were added to local churches based on their faith in Christ and the profession of that faith by baptism (Acts 2:41). These believers understood that they were members of the church by the mercy of God.
Mercy Motivated Membership
Here at Grace Community Church, it is God’s mercy that moves us to make a covenant with one another through church membership. We define church membership as the intentional connection and contribution of a Christian to a local gathering of believers, which forms a covenant relation between them. Following the model in Scripture of the first century church in Jerusalem, we receive as members of Grace those who believe the gospel message, publicly profess their faith in Christ by being baptized, and enter a covenant with the church after attending a membership class. It is our conviction that joining a church provides the best opportunity for a Christian to grow in faith and bring glory to God.
God’s mercy toward us also moves us to remain loyal to Christ and to the church. We realize that our salvation and our membership in the church are gifts to us that we do not deserve. Mercy moves us to renew our love for Christ each day, and to regularly evaluate our commitment to the church to insure that we are living in covenant with each other.
Meditating on Romans 12:5 leads me to realize that being a member with you in the body of Christ is a mercy of God that calls for real investment of my life in Grace Community Church. I encourage you, in view of God’s mercies, to invest your life as a member with me.
You can find out more by visiting the church membership page of our website.
Pastor Scott