In an age of individualism, many people ask, “Why should I join a church?” Some believe they can follow Jesus without belonging to a local congregation. Others see church as optional—perhaps a helpful supplement to faith but not essential. However, Scripture teaches that to be a Christian is to be “in Christ,” and to be “in Christ” is to be part of His body—the Church.
Being a member of the local church is not a matter of personal preference but of spiritual necessity. It is not just about attending services or finding a community that suits our needs. It is about being joined to Christ Himself and, through Him, to His people. To belong to Christ is to belong to His body, and to reject the body is to reject Him.
1. To Be “In Christ” Is to Be in His Church
Throughout the New Testament, believers are repeatedly described as being “in Christ.” This phrase signifies more than just personal belief—it denotes union with Jesus in His death, resurrection, and eternal life.
- Romans 12:5 – “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 – “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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
- Ephesians 1:22-23 – “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
There is no biblical category for a person who is “in Christ” yet detached from His body. A Christian is not merely an isolated believer but a member of the Church—the visible community of faith where Christ is present and working.
To be joined to Christ is to be joined to His people. Just as a hand cannot exist apart from the body, no Christian can thrive—or even survive—apart from the Church.
2. The Church Is Essential to Salvation
Many today treat church membership as an optional religious activity, yet Scripture presents it as essential to salvation. This does not mean that church attendance alone saves, but rather that salvation brings us into the Church. Christ did not come to save disconnected individuals; He came to redeem a people for Himself (Titus 2:14).
Jesus established the Church as the place where salvation is lived out. Consider these biblical truths:
- Christ died for the Church – “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
- The Church is where believers are nourished and discipled – “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” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- The Church is the family of faith – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).
When Christ calls a person to Himself, He calls them into the family of faith. The Church is not an accessory to the Christian life—it is the Christian life lived in community.
3. Salvation Is Both Vertical and Horizontal
Being a Christian means more than just being reconciled to God—it also means being reconciled to others. Christ came to restore not only our relationship with the Father but also our relationship with one another.
- Ephesians 2:14-16 – “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility … that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.”
- 1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
To reject the body of Christ is to reject the very relationships that Jesus came to heal. Christian faith is communal, not merely individual.
Jesus Himself redefined family saying, “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Matt. 12:49–50)
In Christ, our true family is not just our biological relatives but the Church—the household of faith.
4. The Role of the Sacraments: The Outward Witness of Saving Faith
One of the most tangible reasons to join the Church is that the sacraments—baptism and the Eucharist—are essential means of grace. These are not optional religious rituals; they are Christ-ordained signs of belonging to Him and His people.
Baptism: The Entrance into the Family of Faith
Romans 6:3-4 says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
With this, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
Baptism symbolizes new birth into the family of God. One cannot have Christ as Savior and reject the family He gives us.
The Eucharist: The Shared Meal of the Body of Christ
The Eucharist is the public witness of one’s saving faith. It is not merely a personal act of devotion but a shared mealthat testifies to our unity with Christ and with His people.
As Luke records it, “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.’” (Lk. 22:19–20)
This is reinforced in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 where Paul says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
To refuse to take part in the sacraments is to reject the means that Christ Himself instituted to declare and sustain our faith!
The Church Is Where We Live Out Salvation
Christianity is not a solo journey. To be in Christ is to be joined to His body—the Church. This is where we experience fellowship, receive the sacraments, grow in discipleship, and live out our faith.
Can a Christian reject the Church and still be saved? Scripture gives a sobering answer:
- “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (1 John 2:19).
- “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Proverbs 18:1).
To follow Christ is to belong to His people. To reject the Church is to reject Christ’s body. If we truly love Jesus, we will love His Church—His Bride.
So why should you join a church? Because Jesus has made it clear that the Church is where salvation is lived out. It is where we belong.
Are you ready to fully embrace the calling of being part of Christ’s body? Find a local church, commit, and take your place in God’s family today.
