The Encourager
“Added to the Church - Jeff Curtis”
Added to the Church
By Jeff Curtis
When Peter made his confession about Jesus in Matthew 16:16, Jesus promised him “the keys to the kingdom” (Matt.16:19). That is, Jesus promised that Peter would be the first to open the door of the kingdom / church and allow people to enter in. That is exactly what happened on the Day of Pentecost. Peter gave the terms of entrance into the church, and three thousand took advantage of the offer of a gracious God. When they were baptized, they were saved; when they were saved, God added them to the church.
Many important lessons can be learned from verses 41 and 47. First, we have a simple, but profound, definition of the church. The church is the body of the saved – those who have been saved by the blood of Christ. People sometimes speak of church membership and salvation as two different things. Those who do so generally have in mind denominations. One can be saved and not be a part of a denomination, but one cannot be saved and not be a part of the Lord’s church. According to the two verses under consideration, church membership and salvation are one in the same.
Next, these verses teach that we do not “join” the church; rather, the Lord “adds” us to the church. Is this merely a question of semantics? No, a vital biblical principle is at stake. Whenever an individual “joins” an organization, he does it. By fulfilling certain requirements, he earns the right to be part of that organization, he does it. By fulfilling certain requirements, her earns the right to be part of that organization. But an individual cannot earn the right to be a part of the Lord’s church. The church is the body of the saved. Since an individual cannot save himself, he cannot make himself a member of that body. A distinction must be made here between the universal church and local congregations. After the Lord adds us to the universal church, we need to “join ourselves to” a faithful congregation of God’s people. God adds; we welcome.
Other truths could be deduced from verses 41 and 47, but it should be emphasized that when we are scripturally baptized, we become part of a spiritual fellowship called “the church.” God didn’t intend that we should be spiritual loners. Sooner or later, all of us need others to help and strengthen us. In establishing the church, God provided a built-in support group, a spiritual network.
Regarding salvation, all of us must deal with the past, the present and the future. We have sins of the past with their oppressive guilt, we wonder whether or not we will have strength for the future, we have present spiritual challenges that threaten to overwhelm us. God has foreseen our every need. When we are baptized as penitent believers, God helps us to take care of the past by forgiving us of every sin (Acts 2:38), God helps take care of the future by giving us His Spirit to strengthen us and help us (v.38), and He helps to take care of the present by making us part of a family that loves us, called the church (vv.41 and 47). These are not the only ways God has foreseen and provided for our spiritual needs, but these are three important ways God provides for us, all found in Acts chapter 2.
Meditate on these things:
Proverbs 19:14
Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
