Introduction:The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We are living in a time when many denominations are going through great doctrinal and spiritual upheavals. For instance, the Anglican and Episcopal churches are dealing with the sin of an openly gay man who has been endorsed to be a bishop in New Hampshire. This man is living in open sin since the Word of God says such a lifestyle is evil and God hates it. How could these people in this denomination in America do what they are doing? I know my answer is a simple answer but it cuts through all the flowery speeches, so-called intellectualism, and the trend to be accepting of other people’s lifestyles. My answer is to why this is happening is exactly what the Word of God says - there are unsaved people in those churches, leading those churches, and making decisions in those churches. As unsaved people they do not have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them and they are unwilling to obey what the Word of God says. Why don’t they obey the Word of God? Many years ago most of them came to the conclusion that the Bible is not really all the Word of God. Unsaved people are still in the clutches of Satan or Belial. Unsaved people are not righteous in God’s eyes and are incapable of living a spiritual life before God. Why? Because they are still dead spiritually. Simply put - they need to be saved. From the leaders in those churches right down to those in the pews!

God knew what he was talking about when He said that believers are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers! We often use this verse, and rightfully so, to warn believers of the danger of marrying a person who does not know the Lord as their Saviour. In the context of 2 Corinthians 6, I believe Paul had in mind the need for believers in a church to be totally separated from those who are unsaved. This does not mean that a person who is unsaved is not welcome at the church. They must be welcomed and they must hear the gospel. But that is not what Paul is dealing with here. He is concerned that the believers in Corinth were allowing people who were unsaved to become a part of that church and begin having positions of leadership in that church. Paul told them to stop doing that.

In contrast to what many denominations and individual churches are doing today and have done in the past, Baptists have steadfastly held to the concept of a saved (regenerate) church membership. It is the distinctive practice of Baptists to require that a person must profess personal faith in Jesus Christ (be regenerated) before he or she can be a candidate for baptism and church membership. Based upon what I have shared in this introduction to this message, such a distinctive is very, very important.

I. How this concept is declared by Baptists

1. The Baptist distinctive of a regenerate church membership is part of the concept Baptists have of the New Testament church. In the Doctrinal Statement of North Eulalia Baptist Church under the heading of Church it says this: We believe that a New Testament Church is an organized body of born-again believers, baptized by immersion, associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, practicing Scriptural ordinances and engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission.

2. In his book, The Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches, Edward Hiscox explains the Baptist requirement that a person be a believer before becoming a member of the church in these words,

"If our churches are to fulfill their mission, remain true to their traditions, and honor their apostolic pretensions, they must insist, with unabated vigor, on a regenerate membership. Nor must they insist on it in theory only, but take every precaution to maintain it in practice."

II. How this concept is derived by Baptists
When considering the subject of church membership, as in other matters concerning the church, Baptists look to the New Testament as their final authority. A study of the New Testament reveals clear statements as to who was added to the membership of the church and gives several examples as well. Also, several symbols and analogies indicate that only believers were qualified for membership in the New Testament church.

A. New Testament declarations
1. Acts 2:47 speaks of those who became part of the church at Jerusalem, "... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." A. T. Robertson explains this statement from the original Greek as describing a continuous revival where those who were being saved were added to the church.

2. Paul describes persons and gifts God places in the church,"... first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues," (1 Corinthians 12:28). It is impossible to conceive of such gifted people as unbelievers. Even Judas, though inwardly unregenerate, gave outward assent to faith and was accepted as an Apostle.

3. Paul also declares that the New Testament church is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.(1 Corinthians 3:16-17). For that to be true, those who make up such an assembly must be believers in Christ.

B. New Testament demonstrations
1. Throughout the New Testament, those added to the membership of the churches first became believers before baptism and membership.
Acts 2:41 says, "Then they that gladly received his word [believed] were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Acts 5:14 says, "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women."
Acts 6:1 says, "And in those days, when the number of the disciples believers] was multiplied ..."
Acts 8:12 says, "But when they believed they were baptized both men and women."
Acts 10:47 records Peter's words concerning those who believed, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?"

2. When Paul greeted the New Testament churches in his epistles, his salutation left no doubt that he was addressing a membership made up totally of believers or professed believers.
Those of the church at Rome he called, "... beloved of God, called to be saints;" (Romans 1:7).
Those in the church at Corinth he called,"... sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1 Corinthians 1:2).
Those in the churches at Ephesus, Phillipi and Colosse he called, "saints" (Ephesus 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:2).
Those in the church at Thessalonica he described as "... in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ ..." (1 Thesslonians 1:1).

All of these references establish the fact that the churches of the New Testament were composed of people who professed faith in Jesus Christ, a regenerate church membership. It should also be noted that there is not a single reference in the New Testament to any infants being baptized.

C. New Testament descriptions
1. Those terms used to describe persons who constitute the New Testament church are consistent with the concept of a regenerate church membership.

2. The terms "sheep," "shepherd" and "flock" are used in various ways to describe the New Testament church (John 10:11, 26-28, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-4). The sheep of Christ's flock are described as believers who follow Him. This figure supports the Baptist concept of a regenerate church membership.

3. Another figure portrays the New Testament church as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Could such a house be built with unsaved people as stones? The unspiritual or natural cannot be substituted for the spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:14). This figure also supports the concept of a regenerate church membership.

III. How this concept differs from what others practice
The Baptist distinctive requiring a regenerate church membership differs from that of Catholics and most Protestants. This difference becomes clear when the matter of infant baptism and the claiming of membership for those unable to profess personal faith in Jesus Christ are considered.

A. Catholics believe church membership brings regeneration
Baptists and Catholics differ on the matter of regeneration. Baptists understand that faith in Christ alone saves the soul (Ephesians 2:8-9) and is required for church membership. Catholics teach that regeneration is the result of baptism and membership in their church. Consider these statements from the Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, a Catholic catechism,

"All are obliged to belong to the Catholic Church in order to be saved... Baptism is the sacrament that gives our souls the new life of sanctifying grace by which we become children of God and heirs of heaven ... Baptism takes away original sin; and also actual sin and all the punishment due to them, if the person baptized be guilty of any actual sins and truly sorry for them ... The effects of the character imprinted on the soul by Baptism are that we become members of the Church, subject to its laws, and capable of receiving other sacraments ... Children should be baptized as soon as possible after birth Catholic parents who put off for a long time, or entirely neglect, the Baptism of their children, commit mortal sin."

The statements above clearly show that persons may become members of the Catholic Church without professing personal faith of any kind. This is especially true of children, who become members of the Catholic Church before they are able to speak, talk, walk or stand, much less profess personal faith in Christ. This practice Baptists have opposed throughout history.

B. Many Protestant denominations practice infant baptism
1. In a manner somewhat like the Catholics, many Protestants receive children into church membership through infant baptism without a profession of faith. Thus, although professing agreement with the idea that all members of the church should be believers, in practice they reject the concept.

2. They perform infant baptism with explanations different from the Catholics. Here is an example of the practice of the Presbyterian church. The Westminster Confession of Faith regarding the church and membership, reads,

"The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel ..., consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation."

3. An explanation of infant baptism as viewed by the Presbyterians admits that it does not confer salvation or regeneration but, "It is the rite of initiation into the Christian Church, and as there is no provision made for getting out of the Church when once in, so there is no provision made for coming in more than once." These views and practices are clearly different from the Baptist distinctive of a saved church membership.

IV. How This Is Implemented In Baptist Churches

Since we believe that the Word of God clearly teaches that a local church should be composed of saved members, how can this be implemented?

A. The applicant for membership in a local church should be able to give a clear statement of faith in Jesus Christ.
This means that the person who wishes to join a local Baptist church should be able to give a clear statement of the gospel and any appropriate Scripture references.

B. The applicant for membership in a local Baptist church should give their testimony of their own New Birth.
I believe this should be done before the congregation, especially those who will be voting to accept this person into membership. There should be no shame in sharing with others how one was saved from their sins.

C. The applicant for membership in a local Baptist church should give evidence of their walk with the Lord.

Conclusion: Does all this mean that every one who joins a Baptist church is saved? Definitely not! A person can profess Christ and yet still be unsaved. They may say the right things in order to be accepted by the church, but time will reveal whether there is any spiritual life in that person. If a person really knows the Lord as their Saviour, there will be growth; there will be a desire to obey the Lord; there will be maturity in the things of the Lord.

Are you here today, and maybe even a member of this church, but know down deep in your heart that you are not saved? Being a member of this church or any church is not going to give you a place in Heaven! Salvation is given through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Are you here today, and you know beyond all doubt that you are saved, but you are in a state of unattachment to any local church. Let me encourage you to obey the Scriptures and make the step of joining this local church. Your faithful coming reveals that you agree with what this church believes doctrinally, but until you make the step of committing yourself to the other members of this local body, your abilities and gifts that the Lord gave to you at salvation will not be used as effectively as they could be in and through this local church. Being a member of this church is not an position of eliteness above others. It is a commitment to one particular local church; to the Lord and people of that local church. If you are saved, then you should commit yourself to a local church and serve the Lord there.