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The church isn’t meant to be just another human organization. It’s meant by God to be the living spiritual Body of Christ. Every Christian is commanded by Christ and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, to regularly meet with other followers of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Romans 12:4-5 “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Even Jesus was devoted to participating in a weekly gathering of believers.

Luke 4:16 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.”Christ is the head of the spiritual church body.

Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” 

Living in local church community

While the Body of Christ is everyone who is a follower of Christ worldwide, in practical terms it needs to be lived out in a local church as active members, in a Bible teaching and following church.

Colossians 3:15-16 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

For believers Baptism

This is not to be confused with infant dedication by parents to raise their child in a Christ-centered home. Rather, it is being baptized after a personal turning from sin and confession of Christ as Lord and Savior. It is an important outward public confession of doing so, commanded by Christ himself:

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

For the Lord’s Supper, Communion

Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” While churches vary in frequency in sharing this mandate by Christ together, its importance includes personal reflection on demonstrating our devotion to Christ by forgiving others and making amends for wrongs we have done others before sharing in the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:28 “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

1 John 4:19-21 “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

To practice unity with love and patience

Read the book of Ephesians chapter 4 and think about all it says about doing life together.

Ephesians 4:2-3 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:12 “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

For sacrificial giving

Matthew 6:21,24 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Most importantly: to avoid self deception

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

How to know you’re going to Heaven 

Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 1 Peter 3:18a “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" Surrender your life to Christ by following Him.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Turning from sin

When you come to the conviction that you have sinned against God and ask him to forgive and cleanse you from your sins, he will do so. Your faith is in the power and right of Christ to do it. The Holy Spirit then lives within you, seals your salvation, and starts the sanctification (purification) of your life to make you more like Christ as you submit to Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

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