- Every member is responsible to submit to other members in general and to the elders/pastors whom God has placed among them as the under-shepherds who watch over their souls.
- Every member is responsible to pursue a holy lifestyle that communicates the gospel so as not to bring reproach to the name of Christ, and thereby bring discipline into their lives from the church.
- Every member is responsible to pursue the means of God's grace in growing toward spiritual maturity.
- Every member is responsible for an on-going lifestyle of repentance, showing humility and dependence upon God's grace.
- Every member is responsible to seek to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace among the church through a biblical peacemaking process.
- Every member is responsible to care for the needs of others, particularly those of the household of faith, but generally to all those whom God places in their path.
- Every member is responsible to speak the truth in love at all times, particularly in times when sin must be confronted among the church.
These biblical responsibilities are in no particular order nor is this an exhaustive list. These are a list of about 12 that cover the general responsibilities of all church members.
In fact, notice carefully. Many of the things on this list (last week and this week) refer to the character that the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of Christians; they are lived out within the context of a congregation or community of believers.
These responsibilities are not to be seen as rules & regulations. In fact, for the Christian, 1 John tells us that the commandments of the Lord are not burdensome; they are a joy because they are for our good and God's glory.
What does all this look like when applied to a congregation?
No comments:
Post a Comment