No Lone Ranger Christians

A Christian friend tells me, "I'm not interested in organized religion. I pray. I read my Bible. I even read theological books. But church is not for me."

Another friend has attended the same church for years but has never joined. She likes to visit other churches on occasion and does not want to feel tied to any one congregation. Besides, she has found problems in every church she has attended.

Is church membership an option for the Christian? Is it okay to be a Lone Ranger Christian? What does the Bible say?

Scripture teaches that every Christian, where possible, should belong to a Bible teaching church. Consider the following:

(1) When you become a Christian, you not only come into a relationship with God, you come into a relationship with God's people, the church. The church has both a local (Romans 16:16) and a universal (Matthew 16:18) aspect. The church universal church is composed of all genuine believers: past, present and future. It is not enough for a Christian to say, "I am a part of the universal church." That is too abstract, too intangible. The Bible assumes that when you become a member of the church universal you will identify with a local branch of it. This is why Paul could speak of "the church in Jerusalem" or "the church of God in Corinth" (Acts 8:1; I Corinthians 1:2).

(2) Church membership is assumed in Hebrews 13:17: "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority." If you regularly visit a church, but never join, you are not obligated to submit to its leaders. At the same time, you are putting yourself in a position where it is impossible to obey Hebrews 13:17. When you join a church you vow to be submissive to its leaders insofar as their leadership is within the bounds of the Word of God. These leaders are under-shepherds of Jesus, the Chief Shepherd (I Peter 5:1-4). They "keep watch over you as men who must give an account" (Hebrews 13:17).

(3) To love Christ but maintain a casual relationship to his church is to fail to recognize the exalted status of the church in God's eyes. The church is called "the body of Christ" (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23), "the family of God" (I Peter 4:17) and the "bride of Christ" (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7). That frail, struggling group of believers will one day be presented before Christ "as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish" (Ephesians 5:27).

Our age is big on individualism and small on commitment. Christian, do not remove yourself from the blessings of being a part of the family of God. Do not despise that which is precious in God's eyes.

Peter Kemeny, Pastor
Good News Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 1051, Frederick, MD 21702

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