Part of the Family?

“Saved by His power divine, saved to new life sublime, life now is sweet, and my joy is complete, for I’m saved, saved, saved!”

To know the truth of salvation found in Jesus, who alone can save us from sin, and to have placed our faith in His finished work for our sin that was paid in full upon the cross, brings a freedom from guilt and death unto life, peace, and joy! This great salvation makes us children of God, and brothers and sisters in a family with all other believers (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:19). This family of saved individuals is called the church of God (1 Corinthians 1:2). It is the household of faith (Galatians 6:10)! Each family member is blood-bought and Spirit-indwelt which allows us to call God our Father in vital union with Christ (Romans 8:9, 14-16). All of this relational connection happened at the moment of salvation, resulting involuntarily in an inseparable bond to one another as the saved having been adopted into a spiritual forever family!

That wonderful inward work of salvation based upon our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, now finds a beautiful outward expression in publicly obeying our Lord’s command to submit to water baptism (Matthew 28:19). Through the waters of baptism there is a clear symbolism of our identification with our Lord in His cross, in being buried in the grave, and in the newness of life we share in His being risen from the dead and alive forevermore (Romans 6:3-5)! This symbolism is preserved through single immersion.  

After having been baptized in front of a local assembly of believers upon the profession of one’s faith in Christ, it is a joy to join others of like- precious faith within the context of a local church. Just as no one can be forced to enter into the waters of baptism after one’s salvation, nor can one be made to become a member or a part of the visible church after being baptized. Having said thus, it follows naturally that one who has become a blood-bought child of God would gladly obey their Savior’s instructions, not only in going down into the waters of baptism, but in lovingly uniting with other born-again sons and daughters of God in a place within one’s community. This voluntary union is based upon common beliefs and practices with a recognition that believers need one another, and need a place for expressing their faith while growing in it (Matthew 28:20; Acts 2:41-42).
 
*Salvation is a prerequisite to Baptism and
Baptism is a prerequisite to Local Church Membership!*
No Membership without first being Baptized
No Baptism without first being Saved
No Salvation - No Connection with Christ or His Church