Pastor George H. Heiland

Regeneration

and Church Membership

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20; 16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

A. The Distinction Between Israel and the Church

God promised Abraham a Nation and a Home Land.

Genesis 12:1,2 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you And I will make you a great nation, . . .” The Land— the Nation; that is Jewish.

Genesis 12:3b “ . . .And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The Redemptive Blessing; that is universal in the sense that everyone who has any relationship to God must come through the Messianic “Promise to Abraham”. In that sense, as Paul says, we are “the Israel of God.” Galatians 6:15,16 “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” The church is “Isrealiteish” in the sense of her redemption, but distinct and separate in the sense of her substance or entity. She was a mystery unknown in the old economy of Israel.

B. The Mystery of the Church Ephesians 3:3-6 “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, . . . the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; . . . that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”  That mystery was unfolded to the Apostles as the "body of Christ" or "the church which is His body."

A. Seen in the Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20 (see “Scripture.”)

These passages are known as “The Great Commission” of our Lord. They are the marching orders of the local churches. For our purposes today, we see that those who were eligible for church membership were first discipled and afterward baptized into the local church. Discipleship, (to bring under the disciplines of Christ), presupposes that one is regenerate and living a new life in Christ. Dr. Good notes that “Regeneration is an act of God by which those who are dead in trespasses and sin are spiritually resurrected to new life. This is entirely an inward and invisible accomplishment. However, this life will be evidenced externally. The thorough change which takes place in those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit may be accurately called ‘conversion.’” God’s Blueprint for a Church by Dr. Kenneth H. Good, pg. 53 This is of vital importance when we consider the transition from Judaism to Christianity.

B. Seen in the Name

The Greek word for church is “eklesia” and means “called-out ones.” The church is a regenerate people, called out and separated unto God.

C. Seen in Practice Acts 2:39,41 & 42

39 “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Notice, it was those who received His word that were baptized and added to the church.  It was based upon their testimony of faith in Christ which presupposes regeneration.

1st Corinthians 1:1-3; 1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is writing to a local church in in Corinth and speaks of the congregation as sanctified, saints by calling, and as ones who have called upon the name of Christ.  Certainly a regenerate people is in view here.

Galatians 1:1-5; 1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Again the Apostle writes to the churches and addresses the people as believers who are a regenerate people.  It is evident that those brought into the fellowship of the early churches were people who understood and believed the Gospel.  This would be impossible to claim apart from the fact that they were a regenerate people.  Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”       1st Peter 1:23 “ . . for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.”

Have you been born again?

God has provided the means -- He gave His Son to intercede; all we have to do is confess our sin, ask for His forgiveness and call upon Him to save us from the guilt and penalty of sin.

2nd Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

If you have never entrusted your life to Him, why not come to Him today for Salvation.  That's the first order of business.

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."   Acts 4:12

Please contact us if you sense your need to come to Him.  We can help. (Just click on "contact us.")