A New Relationship Christ

Following Christ is the most important decision a person can make. Salvation is not accomplished by following a set of rules or living a good life; rather, it is the mental and heart acknowledgement that you can never be “good enough” to earn your way to heaven and your admission that you need a Savior to rescue you from sin and hell. Why Jesus? Jesus came to the Earth by way of God, the Father. Jesus lived thirty-three sinless years, displaying the power and authority of God. He died an undeserved death on a cross, taking the weight of the world’s sin and shame. In His willing decision to become sin, He took the sin from your life that separates you from God.

The Bible teaches in Romans 3:23 that all of us have sinned and have fallen short of God’s glorious standard. No one, other than Jesus, is perfect. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of our sin is death. The word “wages” is an economic term meaning: a payment for services rendered. The deserved “wages” for the sin in our hearts is death. If the daily payment we deserve is death, then we have no life apart from Christ, Who took those sins upon Him on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross was not His end; He arose from death and ascended into heaven to be with His Father, sending His Holy Spirit as our seal and the deposit in our hearts guaranteeing all He has promised those who believe in Him.

Jesus made a way for us to have a relationship with the Father that we were incapable of on our own.  We encourage you to do what Romans 10:9 tells us: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Salvation is, simply put, the saving of your soul from sin and its consequences of eternal separation from God. Acknowledging God as Lord of your life and putting your hope and faith in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross is the beginning of a personal, eternal relationship with our Savior.

Being Baptized

Water baptism is an outward display of an inward decision. After giving your life to Christ and making the personal decision to follow Him as your Lord and Savior, Scripture encourages us to make a public profession of that faith. Acts 8:26-40 tells a story of a man in Ethiopia who was reading out of the book of Isaiah on how Christ would be crucified for our sins. The Treasurer was so moved by this story he wanted to accept Christ as his Savior. As the Treasurer walked down a road he saw a body of water and said, “I need to be baptized!”

This is the reaction from those in Scripture who accept Christ. They want to take their faith public for the world to see. We hope this is the reaction all Christ followers will have. As a person is immersed in water and brought out of the water, it creates a picture of old life being washed away (under the water) and being raised to new life (coming out of the water) in Christ Jesus. The Scripture, 2 Corinthians 5:17, gives words to this when it says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Baptism is not a means of salvation. Salvation is only found in Christ Jesus, but baptism is an opportunity to make it known that you have chosen to follow Jesus; what an exciting moment of celebration!

If you have made a decision to become a Christ follower or have the desire to be baptized, please contact us. We would consider it an honor to celebrate this decision with you and answer any questions you have about where to go from here.

Considering Church Membership?

Even a casual reading of Scripture reveals that the commitment of believers to one another is anything but casual. In both descriptive and prescriptive language, the Bible attests to the formal and profound relationship that exists among those who have been reconciled to God and each other.

The Scriptures call us to love one another, outdo one another in showing honor, live in harmony with one another, instruct, greet, comfort, serve, bear the burdens of, forgive, encourage, always seek to do good to, exhort, stir up to love and good works, confess your sins to, pray for and show hospitality to one another.

But how can this be pursued without a deep and real commitment to the good of others?

Believers may pursue these obligations to each other through many avenues, but the primary way in which we are to fulfill them is within the fold of this beautiful reality called the local church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul draws on the imagery of a body as a metaphor for the local church. Far from commending self-sufficiency and independence, the apostle upholds a radically countercultural vision of interdependence marked by love, service, humility, sacrifice and sympathy.

And, as participants in the body are called “members,” so this participation in the local church body is called membership.

Membership is not about privilege or prestige. It is not some elevated level of access with secret insider benefits. It is not a legal document or means of control.

Membership recognizes and responds to the call of discipleship in the context of gospel-centered community. It is an affirmation and agreement to contribute to the good of the body rather than just consume from it. It is an obligation to sacrificially seek the good of others in the body of Christ by taking the general call toward service and incarnating it within a particular people.

It's a covenant.

When the Bible speaks of these formal relationships, it uses the concept of a covenant. Some of these are between people (1 Sam.18:3, 20:16; 2 Sam. 5:3) while others are between God and man (Gen. 6:18, 9;16, 15:18; Luke 22:20;Heb. 8:6-7). In some covenants, one party binds him or herself to fulfill the obligations of both sides. In others, the parties are reciprocally bound to adhere to the obligations.

Though types of covenants vary, the concept itself saturates the biblical text. What better way to evidence the formal relationship into which we have been called than through covenantal promise?

Covenants also include some sort of visible representation. All cultures have symbols to signify comprehension and consent. At times those agreements include cutting animals in two and walking between the pieces (Gen. 15), placing a hand under a thigh (2 Sam. 24), removing and exchanging a sandal (Ruth 4) or instituting and enjoying a ceremonial dinner (Matt. 26:17-29). While the symbol may change, the abiding call to covenant is clear.

Christians commit themselves to each other in the context of the local church in countless cultural ways. At Denair MBC, the current process for membership involves a new-member class and meeting with our pastor. Far from mere formality, these expressions are important representations of the formal commitment.

Wrapping it up.

God calls His people into covenant, not only to Himself but also to each other. He calls us to a life of sacrifice, generosity, service and radical commitment to the good of the body. And this happy obligation is most readily pursued within the context of a His local church.

So, if you are considering joining our local church, what is holding you back? If you have more questions, just let us know - we would me more than happy to dig deeper with you as you consider this next step of church membership.

There are many opportunities to serve at Denair MBC. We want you to find the one that best suits your passion, personality, and availability. If you have already joined Denair MBC and are ready to serve, select one of the ministries below to get started.

Are you ready to return to God?

“For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion .. for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.” – 2 Chronicles 30:9

Have you done things you regret in life? Have you committed sins so evil that you cannot even speak to others about them? Welcome to humanity. We all have. And the good news is that …no matter how low we have sunk in our sinful behavior, no matter what wrongs we have done in life, God, who is gracious and merciful will forgive us. But notice the verse says “IF” you turn again to The Lord. The forgiveness comes when we make the decision in our hearts to confess our sins to The Lord and commit ourselves to returning to Godly living. This is repentance. Jesus Christ, who earned forgiveness for us by taking God’s wrath for our sins on the cross, has made God’s grace in our lives a reality, and through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, we are saved.

So do not think that your actions have made you a lost cause in God’s eyes or that the Lord is through with you because you are just “too evil.” The Bible says that wherever sin exists, God’s grace (meaning His free forgiveness) is greater. No one has sinned so much that they are no longer eligible for Heaven. The question is whether you want to acknowledge those evil deeds to The Lord and receive His mercy.  If you are a Christian who has fallen into sin, repent. If you are not a born again believer, know that no one is beyond redemption. God’s love surpasses human understanding and when we humble ourselves, confess our sins to Him, choose to leave it in our past and live according to God’s commands, Our Loving Father in Heaven is ready to forgive us.  Do not keep Him waiting.