As a church member, I have responsibilities.

Do you ever think about your responsibility as a church member? Our failure to see ourselves as responsible to God for our church membership may be one of the greatest indictments of the modern church.

Have you considered how you are responsible as a member of the church?

First, you have a responsibility to God for how you serve Him through His church. God created the church, and he owns it.

The church is the body of Christ. As His body, we are responsible for being good stewards of His body.

Second, as a church member you have a responsibility to obey Christ and be his hands and feet in our world.

Your neighbors cannot see your faith, but they can see your works. Nor can your neighbors see your love for God, but they can see your good works and glorify the father who is in heaven.

We have the responsibility to obey Christ and to live obediently in all our relationships.

Third, we are called as church members to love one another. Though the “love chapter” is read at many weddings, 1 Corinthians 13 was written to the church. Love should govern all relationships within the body of Christ.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Fourth, we are called to be “all in” in our membership.

Church membership cannot be taken casually or as if it’s only one more good thing we do. Our church membership must be seen as it is. We are Christ’s ambassadors; we are Christ’s body. We represent Him.

Our membership means that we give our best and live to the fullest in order to please, honor, and glorify God. Though our neighbors cannot see God, they see us and judge God based on who we are.

Finally, our responsibility means we love the church as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. As Christ died for the church, so we must give our very best as members of His body.

May you live this week as the representative for Christ and His church.

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