“How Do I Join Your Church?”

(How Do I Join Your Church?) Bible Question.

Question:

“I have been attending a church of Christ and love the people and the simple style of worship. I want to get involved with the church. But I am told I must be a member first. How do I join your church?”

Answer:

I am thrilled that you are considering this decision.

First, it is not my church. The church belongs to the One who “purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28; New American Standard Bible). To be part of the body of Christ is to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. When you do that, the Lord will add you to the church, just as He did in Acts 2:47.

The steps to claiming the blood of Jesus are simple. . .

You must have faith in God and in His Son, the Christ. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

You must repent of your sins and turn away from the call of the world. “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

As both these verses also state, you must be washed in the blood of the Lamb by being baptized. “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21)

Having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus to be made a child of God, you must live your life as a confession of your faith, reflecting Jesus in all you say and do. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17).

These steps are simple, but life-changing. It is not difficult to become a part the great family of God. But it is a lifetime investment in serving the God of heaven. I again encourage you to become part of God’s family.

Related Posts On This Blog:

How Does One Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

New Testament Conversions

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Baptizing Households?

(Baptizing Households?) Bible Question

Question:

“In our monthly men’s prayer meetings some questions have come up. We agree that each person is responsible for his own salvation. But several verses of Scriptures speaks of one being baptized, and their households (Acts 16:31), seemingly without their households having to do anything to receive salvation. Please explain.”

Answer:

First, look at the Scripture and context. Paul and Silas were in prison. An earthquake opened the prison and they were freed. The jailer brought them out and. . .

“he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”

– Acts 16:30 – 34 (New American Standard Bible)

Notice some points in this reading. This man wanted to be saved. So “they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house”. Who did they teach? The jailer and his household. Who was baptized? The jailer and his household. Who believed? Again, it was the jailer and his household.

All those who were baptized first heard the gospel, believed and then were baptized. This passage definitely says that. If other passages are considered (with other baptisms), they will show the exact same thing.

Jesus said, “. . . preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved. . .” (Mark 16: 15, 16). That has not changed, and it will not change. To assume that some were saved without having to make any response to the Lord’s teaching is to ignore and oppose the plain statements of Scripture. Thanks for your question.

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Repentance For Lost or Saved?

(Repentance For Lost or Saved?) Bible Question

Question:

“Is repentance only for those who are not saved, or does it apply to those who are already Christians?”

Answer:

Repentance applies to every person who sins, whether saved or not. To devout Jews who had traveled far and wide to come to Jerusalem, the apostle Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; New International Version). These people stood guilty of the sin of crucifying the Messiah (Acts 2:3). They needed to repent and be forgiven of their sins.

But later the apostle John writes to the church in Ephesus in the book of Revelation, telling them to repent. “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:5). Notice it is Christ who is speaking. This church (a body of saved people) had wandered from the right path and needed to change by repenting and turning around.

So, repentance is for everyone who has sinned. Christians still struggle with sin and still commit sin. . .

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8 – 10

John tells us we never escape the problem of sin. In this life we will come up short. If we think we no longer sin, we are lying to ourselves and we are not being honest with God’s message. Christians will always have the need to repent. If we think we don’t need repentance, we must think we no longer sin.

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