There is only one way to become a member of the body of Christ.

Jesus explained this to Nicodemus in John's Gospel chapter 3: verse 3,"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God".

To become a member of the Body of Christ one must realize several things.

1. That you are a sinner. Romans 5:10 "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God". John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil".

You and I my dear friend are sinners, we were born in sin. Romans 5:12 "Where for by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon ALL men, for that All have sinned".

Romans 5:19 "For as by one mans (Adam) disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) many shall be made righteous".

You can become a member of the Body of Christ, by repenting of your sins and asking the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart (innermost being) and be the Savior and Lord of your life.

Romans 10:9,10,14 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart (innermost being) that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For who so ever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved".

A church is not a building, it's people who have repented of sin and turned their lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We born again people are the Church of the Living God, not stone, wood, brick or mortar.

You hear people speak of going to the church when they go to a building. This is wrong termonology. When you or I go to worship God, we people are the church going to the assembling place to worship the Living God.

Little Johnny told his pastor that Jimmy was chewing gum in the church. The pastor said to Johnny "No Johnny the church is chewing gum in the sanctuary".

You don't join a church, you are born into it by the New Birth, you can join with and worship God with any congregation who make up the Body of Christ.

I belong to the Church of the Living God, because in 1954 in Seagoville Texas I was born again. Since then I have affiliated with 30 some odd congregations across the United States of America.

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,and not the Spirit of God dwelleth in you'?

Paul again in I Corinthians 12:27 "Now ye are the Body of Christ, and member in particular".

Buildings are beautiful and we need them as gathering places to worship and to disciple those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. It would be hard to "Not forsake the assembling of ourselves together". Hebrews 10:25 So we need a place for God's Saints to meet and to train and help young ones to grow up in the Lord.

So, buildings are very important, but that is not where God dwells. He dwells within the heart (innermost being) of the believer. Each individual believer is a building block in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So dear friends, when people see you confess Christ, they are looking at the church. So be careful how you conduct yourself in this world. The only Bible some will ever read is you. (Paul taught that we are living epistles) So walk with God and keep the Royal Law, so that others will see Jesus in you and they will be influenced by your life and want to come to Him. May God have mercy on the soul of the one who says he belongs to God, but lives like Satan is his master.

If you talk the Gospel, walk in the Gospel.

Please remember that church members not only gather to worship God collectively but help others grow in grace and to carry our the great commission. - Matthew 28:19,20

Please read Psalm 126:5,6