Church membership may sound like a meaningless formality or even the stuff of man-made religion. However, membership is important since the church exists in order to display the glory of God in this world. In the church's membership the world should be able to see a reflection of the God who is Holy, graciously willing to save and powerfully able to transform His people.
WHERE DO WE SEE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN SCRIPTURE?
The first biblical underpinnings for church membership are seen in the Old Testament where God makes a clear distinction between his people and the rest of the world (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:3; Deuteronomy 7:3).
Christ said that entrance to the kingdom of God means being bound to the church on earth (Matthew 16:16-19; 18:17-19).
The New Testament clearly refers to some people being inside the church and some people being outside (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
When we read the phrase "one another" throughout the New Testament this is almost always in the context of an exhortation to the local church. These instructions should therefore help us understand how the life of a church member should be lived.
When a person becomes a member of a local church they are publicly declaring their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and their submission, by God's Grace, to His Lordship over their life. It is a statement to the world that something definite has taken place and changed in the person's life. Whereas once they lived with little or no regard for God and His glory, they have come to see that they are a sinner saved by His Grace alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone.
In the bible, the church is often presented to us as being symbolic of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ: He is the Head; His people are the body. When someone joins a local church, then, they are publicly declaring their commitment to serving Christ, by serving His body. In practical terms this means making a personal commitment to giving a fitting proportion of our time, abilities and money for the church's use.
Because the church exists to glorify God and because membership of a church signifies a person having been brought from darkness to light, how we live as church members is of fundamental importance. God has therefore entrusted Elders to the church in order that they might act as His "under-shepherds", providing pastoral care, teaching and leadership to the members ("the flock"). When we become a member of the local church we are therefore agreeing to submit to the spiritual authority and discipline of the church's leadership.
At Knox Church, we hold several membership classes throughout the year, at which those wishing to join can be refreshed in the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and the meaning of church membership. Each new member is then invited to meet with the Elders to be officially welcomed into the fellowship.