In James 1:1-12 we read how if we persevere under trials and tribulations that we will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those that love Him. In Hebrews we read that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Yes, it takes a special person, one that really believes in God to be faithful under all circumstances of life. James tells us in verse 2 to “consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials.” Why joy? Because when our faith is tested it produces endurance. If we overcome today’s trial, then tomorrow’s trial will be easier to overcome and our faith will get stronger day by day!
We read also that if we are lacking wisdom, then we need to ask God for it because “God gives to all men generously and without reproach” (verse 5). But, we must ask in total faith without wavering because if we waiver or doubt that God will give us what we ask for then he will not. “For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (verses 7-8). We are also told that the “brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away” (verses 9-10). The humble will be blessed and the rich will fade away, he and his beauty! Our faith is tested each and every day and the one that perseveres under these tests or trials will receive the crown of life promised by God. Keep on pressing on day by day for the prize that awaits us!
When asked, "Is church membership essential to salvation?", men usually reply that saved persons may join the church of their choice, or they say that there is no need to join a church unless one wishes to do so. Are one of these two alternatives correct, or could it be that God presents another alternative through His word, the Bible? The Bible tells, us in Acts, Chapters 1 and 2, about how (on the day of the beginning of the church) Peter spoke to the multitudes in Jerusalem. He explained to them that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the Christ and was arisen. Upon believing this, the crowd was exceedingly sorry for their treatment of Jesus, and being convinced that Jesus was the Christ, asked Peter, "What shall we do?".
Peter answered them, saying ". . . repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). As a result of these teachings, Acts 2:41 records, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls". Acts 2:47 amplifies and clarifies this last verse saying, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved".
The Bible is quite clear that obedient believers in Christ were added to the church by the Lord. The addition of the one being saved to the church is done by the Lord, not by the believer, nor by any other person, nor by any other group of persons. As a result of his repentant, obedient faith in Jesus, the believer becomes a member of the Lord's body, which is the Lord's church (see Ephesians 1:22-23). We can consider this membership a divine, dependable reaction to the believer's obedience. Therefore, all Christians are members of the Lord's church, and there are no Christians who are not members of His church. Remember, it is the Lord and only the Lord who decides on the membership of His church (Read Acts 4:12).
We must be clear, the church does not save one. Christ does that and only Christ. One must be in Christ to be saved and no one can be saved outside of Christ. The New Testament teaches that, "being in Christ", "being in the church", and "being in the Lord's body", equally describe one's condition, that of being saved or that of being a Christian (See Galatians 3: 27; Ephesians 1:22,23; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Although unsaved persons may meet with the earthly worship of the body of Christ, their presence in the worship does not infer that Christ has accepted them or added them to the church. Faith in Christ and obedience to His will is the only route into the church. Does this membership in the Lord's church commit the believer to meet with an earthly body, to carry out responsibilities to others, and to perform Christian duties which cannot be done alone? To answer this question, we observe that Acts 2:42 records that the very first Christians continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine. The teachings, or doctrines, of the apostles are found in the pages of the New Testament: They have been recorded and transmitted to us so that we, also, can live toward God as did the early Christians. To answer this last question, let us search the scriptures to see if there are things taught by command or example which cannot be done alone, or which must be done in a group.
Our search first reveals a command given by the Apostle Paul, as recorded in Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much more as you see the day approaching". We see here a command directing an earthly meeting together (an assembly) for the purpose of exhorting each other to love and to good works.
A further search of the Bible reveals that the early church, the body of Christ, which worshiped under the direct supervision of the inspired apostles, met together regularly. A few of their activities are listed below; each of which cannot be done alone, that is, they must be done in an earthly assembly or an earthly association of Christians:
• Love the brethren. (1 Peter 1:22)
• Admonish one another in song. (Colossians 3:16)
• Be of the same mind and judgment. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
• Pray for one another. (Matthew 5:44)
• Submit to church leadership. (Hebrew 13:17)
It is obvious that God both intended and directed his followers to meet together in an earthly assembly. Membership in the local church confers both rights and duties: The right is salvation if, we remain faithful members until death. The duties are those previously mentioned, and others. Some of these other duties are: To obey civil government (Romans 13:1-4); bring forth fruit unto God (John 15:7-8); love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44-48). worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24); remain unspotted by worldly things (James 1:27); glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); and, be faithful until death (Revelation 2:10). These things and others are required.
The Bible answer to the question, "Is church membership essential to salvation?", is "Yes!". Membership in the Lord's church is, for Christians, unavoidable and necessary. Jesus is the Savior of the Body (Ephesians 5:23).
On Tuesday, December 20, 2016, Carrol R. Sutton was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the age of 84. He preached the gospel of Christ for over 50 years with the East Albertville church of Christ in Albertville, Alabama. He will be greatly missed by those of his immediate family along with many, many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who loved him so much. Brother Sutton lived his life devoted to Christ, living each day striving to be with Him in eternity. He published so many great articles over the years and I have chosen to borrow this one that was recently posted by the brethren at the New Georgia church of Christ in Rogersville, Alabama this past week. My blog is called "Walking in the Light" and these 13 points truly show us how we should walk in the ways of God.
How We Should Walk
Carrol R. Sutton
As we travel the journey from time to eternity, we have access to the Scriptures in which we have directions provided for us (in the Scriptures) as to how we should walk that we may be saved eternally. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:25; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:6: Romans 10:17; 2 John 9-11; James 2:12).
WE SHOULD WALK:
BY FAITH! In 2 Corinthians 5:7 Paul said: "(For we walk by faith, not by sight.)" One cannot walk by faith unless he listens to and learns the Word of God because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). One cannot walk by faith unless he walks according to the teaching of God's word.
IN THE LIGHT. John said: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). To walk in the light is to walk according to God's Word. (See Psalms 119:105, 130; Acts 26:18; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
IN TRUTH. John said: "I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father." (2 John 4). Since God's Word is truth, to walk in truth is to walk according to God's Word, (see John 17:17)
AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS. John said: "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it" (2 John 2). To walk after them, one must know them. Study to learn them.
WALK AFTER THE SPIRIT. We learn from Romans 8:1-6 that "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit...who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." In Galatians 5:16 Paul said: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." To walk after the Spirit is to walk according to the revelation of the Holy Spirit as written in the Scriptures. When one engages in the works of the flesh, he is walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit. When a person follows the teaching of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Scriptures, he is walking after the Spirit and not the flesh.
BY THE SAME RULE. Since we are following the same God, we should be walking by the same standard or rule of authority. Jesus Christ is our Lord and His Word should be our rule of faith and practice. Most denominational churches have their own rule of faith and practice. All who are a part of them are expected to accept and follow them. The apostle Paul said: "...let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." (Philippians 3:16). As Christians we must all follow the same standard and rule of faith and practice if we expect to please God.
IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. We learn from Romans 6:1-5 that one must die to sin in repentance and be buried with Christ by baptism and be raised to "walk in newness of life". We must "put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit" of our mind and "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24). As new creatures we must live lives of "newness". (See 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).
IN GOOD WORKS. Paul says: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10). We are "to be ready to every good work" and "always abounding in the work of the Lord" because we know our labour is not in vain in the Lord." Faith without works is dead. (See James 2:14-26).
CIRCUMSPECTLY. Paul said: "See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16). The word circumspectly means carefully.
HONESTLY. "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." (Romans 13:13). (See Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21)
TO WALK IN CHRIST AND TO WALK AS HE WALKED. John said: "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:6). Paul said: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him..." (Colossians 2:6). Also see Colossians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 4:1; Colossians 1:10; Ephesians 5:8; Romans 4:12).
IN LOVE. Paul said: "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us..." (Ephesians 5:2) 2 John 2:6 says: "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments..." To walk in love, we must agree with God. Amos 3:3 says: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
IN THE LIGHT. According to Paul in Colossians 1:13 and Ephesians 6:12 the world is in darkness. Darkness represents wickedness. Colossians 3:5-7 teaches that we live in wickedness as we walk in it. Instead of walking in darkness, we should walk in the light. (See John 12:35; 8:12; I John 1:6-7; 2:11).
To walk acceptably in the sight of God it is essential that we give diligence to learn His will, believe and obey it from the heart! Are you walking with God? Is He pleased with your walk? Is your walk a good influence on others? It should be.
Everyone wants a life that is filled with joy and happiness. While some manage to find this kind of life, most people don’t. One of the major reasons people fail to find the happiness they seek is because they try to find it through social approval. They are dedicated servants of humanity, working tirelessly day and night for others while neglecting God and their own families. They work furiously on some project and appear to be the epitome of human dedication.
Could it be they are doing this to compensate for a personal insecurity they’re feeling? Or, is it a sense of something missing in their life? Businessmen frequently work day and night to amass a fortune while neglecting God and their families. Are they trying to find happiness through power, prestige and social approval?
Don't get me wrong. The approval of society is acceptable to a certain extent. However, it can never bring lasting happiness, and should never be placed ahead of one's relationship with God and family.
Where can we find happiness? Psalms 128:1-2 tells us, “Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” Again, Psalms 146:5 says, “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God...”
How about you? Do you fear God? Are you happy because God is your hope and salvation? Living for God in all aspects of life will bring the greatest happiness of all!
Some might ask “Why should I pray?” A Christian knows that talking to God is important in drawing them closer to God. God listens to the saints (His children), and when we understand that, then it gives us a closeness to our Father. We need God and we need to ask God to intervene on our behalf. When we pray, we recognize that God is in charge and we need His help to direct our steps in life (Jeremiah 10:23).
A Fundamental Point
In James 1:5-7 it says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” We need to understand that when we are lacking in something, in this case wisdom, then we should pray to God and ask for it. But when we ask, make sure that we are asking in faith, fully expecting God to make the change in our life. A prayer without faith is a prayer offered in vain. A Christian that prays constantly to God is a Christian devoted on serving God. Are you praying to God in faith, fully expecting Him to change your life? Many times our lives are made miserable because we do not take the time to pray to God and allow Him to intervene and help us. How frustrating it must be to God to know that we need His help, but simply refuse to ask!
Consistency is the Key
Please take a moment and read the following scriptures in your Bible: Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 18:1-8; 11:5-8. What do you see in these verses? In each case, what is the one clear message that we can learn about persistency in praying? We must pray to God knowing that He WILL provide for us IF we ask in faith, and if we ask in a persistent manner, expecting Him to deliver. That is what Jesus was trying to teach concerning an individual’s prayer life. When our children want something, don’t they usually ask us for it? And if they REALLY want it, don’t they ask over and over -- even to the point of “wearing us out?” We need faith, a faith that knows God is listening and He will provide for our needs, we’ve just got to ask Him and be consistent about it. Sometimes we just need to stop and look around at life itself. Life is teaching us something whether we recognize it or not. Life says, I need help. God says, “ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7).
Learning From The Old
The context of James 5:13-16 is prayer. Then in verses 17-18 it says: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” Here we have a message about Elijah. Sometimes the praying of Old Testament characters are put in front of us in the New Testament to teach us lessons concerning our prayer life. What lesson do you understand James to be teaching here about prayer? First of all we should pray at all times, whether sick or glad. An effective prayer life can heal wounds, forgive others, and gladden our hearts beyond comprehension! We can also learn that God will listen to the prayers of the righteous and answer them. All we need to do is ask God to help us and He will. Elijah was a man of faith and the example before us is that he was sincere and “prayed earnestly.” Again, we are sometimes our own worst enemy because we don’t take the time to pray to God and allow Him to direct our steps. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” Why? Because when we have an active prayer life, communicating with God, then our lives will be enriched with all the spiritual blessings. Are you happy? Pray. Are you sad? Pray. Are you thankful? Pray. Pray all the time!
Jesus, as a child of twelve years, was rebuked by Mary for remaining in Jerusalem after His family and acquaintances had left. He replied, "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). Our Father's business should take priority over everything else in this world.
Jesus knew and understood the importance of obeying God. Our Father's business should be attended with wisdom and care. If some of those who call themselves Christians operated their own affairs in the sloppy way that they attend to the Lord's work, they would soon go bankrupt. The children of this world are storing up material goods to be used tomorrow, whereas the child of God should be storing up treasures in heaven.
Our Father's business calls for devotion, dedication, and duty. All work is done on a voluntary basis. In secular work, some do only what the boss absolutely requires. In our Father's work, we need to do all that we can. Jesus said, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" (Luke 17:10).
Our Father's business demands a positive, loving attitude. A critical, judgmental, harsh, negative tone is not characteristic of God's children.
Let us make sure that we are going about our Father's business.
The New Birth is a very important doctrine of the Bible. Long before Jesus walked on earth God's prophets pointed to it (I Peter 1:10-12). It was the theme of Christ's preaching. He said to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). That should settle the importance of the subject. What, then is involved in the new birth?
First, there is a cleansing from sin. Paul wrote, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). The word "regeneration" means "new birth" (Vine, P.267). This cleansing occurs when a penitent believer is immersed in water, as may be seen in Paul's own conversion. The instruction he received was, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins....” (Acts 22:16).
A clear example of the new birth is seen in the conversions which occurred on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Spirit-filled men preached a Spirit-given message. Believers were told to "repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissions of sins....” (Acts 2:38). Eager listeners responded by being baptized and "the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). Remember how Jesus had promised that those who were born again would enter the kingdom? With these first converts on Pentecost that promise was fulfilled.
The Spirit's work in conversion is not in stimulating a feeling of ecstasy, but in providing men a knowledge of the truth. The Bible says, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth....” (James 1:18). And Peter declared, “Being born again, not of corruptible, by the word of God . . . And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" (1 Peter 1:23, 25).
If you have not believed in Christ, repented of your sins, confessed your faith in Christ before men, and been buried with the Lord in baptism for the remission of sins, then you need to also be born in to His family today.
