Church joining is not an ancient doctrine but is a passing phase which has come in the last three hundred years. It could never have become so common, except for a false idea of what the church is. And with a false concept of what the church is has come a second false idea on how to become a member of the church.
Why can't I join the church? There are fraternal organizations I can join and be recognized as a full-fledged member. There are religious organizations of which I can become a member by joining, but that does not make me a member of the church.
Some preacher made the statement that a person could join every church denomination in the town and still be as big a sinner as before. A sinner hearing that decided to try to see if it were true. There were four churches in his small town and he joined all four of them and found he was as big a sinner as he was before. He was a member of each denomination represented in the town, but he was still an unregenerated man and a member of Satan's crowd. There is no question about it, you cannot join God's church.
You see, the church came from above. Many people have the idea that the church originated on earth and will finally end up in heaven. Leslie Weatherhead has put it right when he reminds us that John saw the Holy City "coming down out of heaven from God." The Scriptures bear this out over and over. "We are his workmanship." The church came into existence, not because man became Godlike but because God visited man through Christ and the Spirit. We were taught to pray, "Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." The church appearing on earth was the translation of the divine community which existed eternally in heaven.
Do not misunderstand me. The church is on earth, but it is a heavenly community which originated above. You can't join it. There is only one way you can become a member of it, and that is to be born into it. The church, being a heavenly community here on earth, is a fellowship of spiritual beings made so by a spiritual experience of being born of the Spirit of God. Man, earthly, has been elevated to spiritual life.
He "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). It has been said that the only way mineral life can be elevated to a higher order is for the higher order to do the elevating. The plant sends its roots down into the soil that is made up of mineral, and it lifts these elements, assimilates them, and they become plant life. In the same way plant life can never become animal life in itself. The animal which is a higher life has the power to pluck that plant, and it becomes assimilated and through the animal metabolism becomes an integral part of animal life, Always it is the life from above lifting the life below to its level.
Earthly man is born from above and lifted to a spiritual plane. He is born into the family of God, the church. You can't join the church; you are born into it.
You say, "What about me? I joined the church." You joined an organization. Any church you can join is not God's church. God's people may be found in that organization, and you may be a part of the organization, but unless you have been born from above you are not a member of God's church. You are only associated with the people of God. You are not a part of them. You cannot join the church.
You can approach Christ, confess your sin to him, repent, forsake sin, receive forgiveness, and then a new life will begin in you. A new spirit will be born in your life, and you will be changed. When that happens you are born, a new creature, into God's family and are a member of his church.
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