Membership that Counts

...to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23)

I had a discussion recently about church membership. I have wondered over the years why so much importance is put on this idea. I suppose there are many various reasons that people would come up with but so far none of them have proven to be very compelling to me.

On the other hand I know of some very serious potential liabilities that could occur due to having one's name inscribed on a church roll here on earth. It has been revealed that since a church is made up not only of its elected officers and designated volunteers but also of all the members listed as officially belonging to that organization, then any lawsuits levied at the church could potentially involve the personal assets of everyone thus listed. That is quite a sobering thought and a surprise for some. This is primarily due to the fact that most churches have submitted themselves to the control and authority of political and government entities that dictate what they can or cannot do as a church.

Beyond that the only other practical reason I have observed for having one's name listed as a member of a local church is much more political (locally) in nature. It is quite often the case that only members of a local congregation are considered fit or qualified to participate in any significant way in the operations or ministry of that church. Basically membership is used as a tool of discrimination to force people to either officially join the club or be considered an outsider, only a visitor and somehow not a legitimate part of the recognized body. This often takes precedence over the spiritual qualifications of the individual. By subtle extension, especially by those who tend to be rather prejudiced in their views, a person is sort of considered outside the body of Christ until they are willing to come under the influence and domination of the local church authorities.

Having just been exposed to a group of people who have carried that notion to its extreme, it makes me very nervous to endorse such a belief that appears to me to look an awful like like bigotry and sometimes even tyranny. It seems to me like if the truth were to be exposed that more often than not the real agenda for membership is control over other people's lives more than anything else. This also fosters the atmosphere for pride and maneuvering for position and advantage and all sorts of fruits that are not from the true Spirit of God. The club mentality becomes more important than the truth and it is not long before a personal relationship with God and a personal pursuit of truth is required to take second place to a submission to the beliefs of the group and surrender of freedom. This can lead to thinking that salvation can only be received through membership in some particular organization. And how many groups do you know of out there (or in here) that claim to be the only repositories of truth and even salvation?

With that background I find real encouragement in the words of this verse about the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. I believe that our first priority above all else is to embrace the salvation that comes from our Savior and have our names registered in the records of heaven. Having our names on some church roll on earth is generally not much of a feat. And I simply don't buy into the notion that just because some group or church lays claim to exclusivity when it comes to being saved that that claim is validated in heaven despite any proof texts offered up to support that claim. The God who reads every heart has a much broader view and very different criteria for registering a name in the Book of Life than our political, biased agenda here on earth. When the final day of revealing finally comes I believe that everyone is going to be shocked and amazed at the difference between God's choices and the narrow, bigoted ideas about who or who is not a Christian here on earth.

This verse is part of a whole section of very insightful criteria from heaven's view for what constitutes real membership in the true body of Christ. As I mentioned previously the words general assembly really means universal companionship. This church of the firstborn (Jesus) is the reconnecting of the fellowship of all the universe lost when Satan started his rebellion in heaven. God is the only real judge to determine what is really in the heart of each individual and whether or not they are safe to be part of this enormous fellowship. To judge simply means to reveal what is true and real. It has nothing to do with imposing condemnation or guilt or punishment but has everything to do with exposing what has been concealed or obfuscated. This verse combines all of these elements and more in revealing who the true children of God really are.

The spirits of the righteous made perfect is a very compelling phrase to me. I have been learning for some time that the spirit of a person is far more important than the facts that they endorse or cling to as truth. Absolutely no one has complete knowledge of factual truth, not even the angels of heaven. Only God is the perfection of knowledge and so anyone who attempts to be saved by accumulating enough knowledge is chasing down the wrong path. We know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1 NRSV) While knowledge and beliefs about facts or doctrines can certainly have an affect on the condition of our spirit, it is our spirit that qualifies or separates us from the true body of Christ that is enrolled in heaven.

Hebrews is saying here that the true religion, the real church in heaven's eyes involves the element of spirits who have been perfected which also can be expressed as matured. Because there is such confusion swirling around the word perfection and a lot of legalistic connotations associated with it I prefer to use the more accurate word mature which is born out in the original language. This also highlights the necessity of living in community in the true body of Christ, His believers made up of people at all levels of maturity helping each other grow and mature and move closer to the complete maturity demonstrated in the perfect life of Jesus, the preeminent one who grew and matured to completion through the things that He suffered. He is the first of many sons who are being cultivated under His leadership and mentorship to become elders so that they can nurture the rest of the believers on their journey to full maturity.

Notice here also that it is the spirit that is matured or perfected, not the intellect. Jesus spoke one of the most important truths to a non-Jewish woman who was more open to perceive His concepts than nearly anyone in all of Israel. He revealed to her the importance that God places on the spirit in the realm of true spirituality. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23 NIV)

Father, I want to be that kind of worshiper. I want to worship with real spirit, with a maturing spirit that is under the guidance and influence of Your sweet Spirit. I want to be one of those You are seeking for and that will bring pleasure and satisfaction to Your heart. I praise You for writing my name in the Book of Life in heaven and I want to be an active part of Your true body here on earth. Integrate me into the universal companionship of those who are also enrolled in heaven's real church. Mature and perfect my spirit with Your cleansing grace and the power of Your transforming love. I submit to Your authority in my life as the supreme authority and trust You fully to continue to completion the process You have started in me.

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