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Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ
R. C. Oliver
In a previous article several invalid reasons for one's being a member of the church were introduced and discussed. In this article it will be my purpose to present some valid, efficient, biblical reasons why I am and why I could wish that everyone else might be a member of the church of Christ.
Christ Is the Builder and Founder
When speaking of the church, Jesus said: "Upon this rock I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18.) In that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, the phrase, "my church," in the above quotation becomes significant in view of the following statement: "To express possession the unemphatic forms of the personal pronouns should be used, and the English phrases my word and the like should be turned around into the form, the word of me, before they are translated into Greek." (New Testament Greek for Beginners, by J. Gresham Machen, p. 49.) Now, suppose we turn "my church" around, as this Greek scholar suggests, what do we have? We have the church of me. But to what referent does the pronoun rae in this passage refer? Why, it refers to Christ, for he was the speaker; therefore, Christ here, in essence, says: "Upon this rock I will build my church, more literally the church of me, which is to say the church of Christ." It is for this reason that I am a member of the church of Christ today; Jesus Christ is its builder and founder. Who is the builder and founder of the church with which you are identified?
The Church Is the Body of Christ
The Bible declares: "There is one body." (Eph. 4:4.) It also affirms there is "but one body." (1 Cor. 12:20.) The same writer writes: "He is the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18.) In reading this Colossian passage, it should be observed that Paul places the phrase "the church" in apposition with the phrase "the body." A word is placed in apposition to explain the other word. Therefore, Paul explains "the body" to mean "the church." And in that there is "but one body," it logically follows that there is but one church. Furthermore, it is this church, this body, that Christ saves. (Eph. 5:23.) This is another Bible reason why I am a member of the body of Christ, the church of Christ, for it is in this body alone that I can have hope of salvation.
The Church Is the Family of God
When writing to Timothy, Paul assured him that he wanted to come to him soon; however, in the event he should be delayed, he wrote some things so "that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God." (1 Tim. 3:15.) Paul here identifies the house of God as being the church of God. But the word house is used here as a figure, as it is used in Hebrews 11:7 and elsewhere, and it means family. So, the church is God's family. Now, can one be saved outside God's family? Can he be saved without being a child of God? Certainly not. Neither can he be saved outside the church, for the church is declared to be God's house, God's family. For this reason I am a member of the church of Christ today; I desire to be in God's family, I desire to be one of his children.
The Church of Christ Is Perfect
A fourth reason for being a member of the church of Christ is because the church of Christ is perfect! I speak not of the human side, but I speak of the divine side. The church has both a human side and a divine side. It is not likely that the human side will ever be perfect in this life. The human side was not perfect during the apostolic period, read for example the letters to the church at Corinth, and it is not perfect today. There is no church on earth that can successfully claim a perfect human side, and the church of Christ is unique in that it is the only church on earth that can successfully claim a divine side! Therefore, the church of Christ is the only church on earth that can successfully claim perfection as one of its characteristics. Let us therefore observe some of these areas of perfection that characterize the church of Christ.
Some Areas of Perfection
Its builder and founder is perfect. As was pointed out in the very beginning of this study, Jesus Christ is its builder and founder; therefore, its builder and founder is perfect. Its head is perfect. As elsewhere seen in this article, Christ is the head of his own body, the church; therefore, the head of the church of Christ is perfect.
Its source of authority is perfect. We are indebted to God for the Bible, which is the only rule of faith and practice recognized by the church of Christ; however, the Bible is perfect; therefore, the only source of authority recognized by the church of Christ is perfect. Its plan of organization is perfect. The plan of organization recognized by the church of Christ requires each congregation to be autonomous, with elders to oversee and deacons to serve. This is the Bible plan for church organization; therefore, the plan of church organization recognized by the church of Christ is perfect.
Its plan of redemption is perfect. The church of Christ teaches men and women that they must be saved in exactly the same manner that men and women were saved during the apostolic period. Men and women are still required to believe and be baptized for the remission of their sins. (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:36-41.) This was a perfect plan when taught by the apostles, and it is a perfect plan today.
Its plan of worship is perfect. The church of Christ teaches that one must worship God "in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24.) The acts that God requires one to perform when worshiping him must be accompanied by the spirit or heart of the worshiper. This is a God-ordained plan; therefore, this is a perfect plan.
Its plan of work is perfect. The work of the church is and always has been twofold: educational and benevolent. It teaches men what they must do to be saved, and it teaches them what they must do to remain saved. This is God's plan (Matt. 28:16-20); therefore, the plan of work recognized by the church of Christ is a perfect plan.
Summary
In summary, though other reasons could be given, it has been shown that the church of Christ has but one builder and founder, who is Christ. It is his body, it is God's family, and it is perfect insofar as the divine side is concerned. It can therefore stand the severest scrutiny. You should therefore investigate the church of Christ for yourself, for your own salvation is conditioned upon your being a member of it. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:17.)