The late brother T. Pierce Brown once wrote the following profound and biblically accurate statement: “Church membership is the byproduct of salvation.” Some folks in their minds divorce church membership from salvation, but in reality, there is an inseparable, biblical link between them. One cannot enjoy salvation without church membership, and one cannot have actual church membership without first having been saved from his or her past sins. Despite what individuals might imagine, church membership and salvation are permanently tied together.
The very process by which one enters into salvation is the identical process by which one enters into church membership. The New King James Version reads, “…the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Other translations, referring to church membership, read, “…the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 English Standard Version).
That process leading to salvation and church membership culminates at immersion (Romans 6:3-5) or baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 41). Contrary to what general denominational dogma stipulates, water baptism does save from sin (1 Peter 3:20-21). Jesus summarized the divine plan for human redemption in Mark 16:16 as faith plus baptism equals salvation.
Corresponding to the physical act of baptism, at baptism, the Holy Spirit places the saved into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), which is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18) of Christ (Romans 16:16). Hence, salvation and church membership are the same activity. Therefore, to decry church membership is to denounce one’s own salvation. Furthermore, to falter in the obligations of one’s church membership (Hebrews 10:25) jeopardizes one’s salvation, too (Hebrews 10:26-31).
A Christian’s salvation is only as healthy as his or her church membership. The degree of activity with which one engages his or her church membership is an indicator of one’s spiritual health or salvation. Nevertheless, numerous New Testament passages encourage Christians to act like Christians! “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8 NKJV). The Lord’s church needs to act like the body of the saved—as individual Christians and collectively as congregations.
