MEMBERSHIP
Are you born again of the Spirit of God? (John 3:3; Eph. 1:13-14). Can you make claim of 2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ."
If this be true of your life, then this is true as well, and you can boldly proclaim Gal. 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ , it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." John 15:5, Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing." Matt, 7:16, "You shall know them by their fruits." Are these not then the fruits of your life in Christ, Gal. 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
These are high standards that God calls us to, but it is only by being in Him by faith alone that these things are possible in our lives, and makes you a true member of the body of Christ and of Berean Fellowship.
And as the apostle Paul said in Rom. 1:16-17, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." This is the faith then that makes one a member of the body of Christ and a member of any born again church of the Holy Spirit, of which we profess to be. But by our fruits, I pray that we as members of Berean Fellowship, we are living up to them. All who profess live these out in their lives are welcome, and we welcome those who are searching. "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you says the LORD" (Jer. 29:13-14).
The second standard that the Holy Spirit commands of believers is found in Heb. 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."
Your presence is an encouragement to the rest of the body and the pastor. As the word says, "let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works."
And the third thing that God commands of us is that we give of our resources, for the works of the body. In the O.T. they were to give 10% plus offering. But these directives are not found in the N.T., but yet many adhere to this standard of God. The N.T. says God loves a cheerful giver. Here is the standard by which we now are to give. 2 Cor. 9:6-8, "But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."