Is “Church Membership” Necessary?

I have been asked on many occasions if one must be a member of the church to be saved. The Bible says Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) We also find that one must come to Jesus to be saved. He says in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me … and I will give you rest.” Acts 4:12 says, “There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” And Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus is “the author of salvation to those who obey Him.”

The Bible also points out in Ephesians 5:23 that Jesus is the savior of the Body. If one would be saved, he or she would naturally want to be a part of that which is being saved by Christ. Therefore, we must study to find out what the body is, of which Christ is the savior.

Colossians 1:18 says Jesus is the “head of the body, the church.” And Ephesians 1:22, 23 states that Jesus “is the head over all things to the church, which is His body.” Not only here, but also in other passages we find this dual usage of the church and body. The body is that which Christ will save and the body is the church. If one will be saved, he or she must be a part of that which is being saved.

Acts 2:47 says that the Lord was adding to the church daily those who were being saved. This tells us two things. First, Jesus adds people to His church. Man cannot add by vote or any other method. Second, Jesus added those to the church who were being saved. It is automatic. When one obeyed the gospel, he or she became a part of the church. The same gospel is to be obeyed today and the same pattern should therefore be followed.

Remember - Jesus died to establish His church according to Matthew 16:18 and Acts 20:28. Being a member of Christ’s body means being a member of His church. He is the savior of the church, which is His body. If being a part of that church is not necessary, Jesus died in vain!

See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.

Love, Tony