I Joined the Church

I joined the church because I was incited to join by the group who prayed me through to a Christian experience.  They were one of the few Christian groups that I had met up to that time.  I felt unworthy to be placed on an equal footing with such a godly group as they seemed to be, but we had a common bond among us – a testimony to salvation through faith in Christ.

I joined the church for fellowship.  I like that local group and was made to feel that the attraction was mutual. I wished to live as they lived and to work for the promotion of the church as they worked.  I wanted to be with them, as they were so much more desirable than the sinful, self-centered group that I had formally counted as my friends.  The contrast between the two classes of people – my sinful former friends and the church group - left no doubt in my mind.  One would, and did lead me down; the other group had helped me up and would continue to do so.

I joined the church to be identified with it.  I wanted to become a part of the great group of which I judged the local church to be a good cross section.  I began immediately to study the theology of the church which had brought about my conversion.  If that church’s theology could produce that fine local group of Christians, then that theology would be acceptable to me, for I judged the church by what it had produced.  I had a lot to learn, the road appeared to be so far ahead to Christian maturity.  As I look back on that happy occasion, I realize that those folks took quite a chance in allowing me to become one of them.  The past life of sin had fastened many bad habits upon me and looking at the outward appearance, my future was quite uncertain.  Knowing that fact laid upon me a great responsibility.  Now that I was a part of the church, my acquaintances would accept or reject the church in the same way in which they accepted or rejected me.  I simply had to live clean; the church trusted me to do it.  I liked the church so much that I dare not disappoint them.

I joined the church as a pattern for life.  To me it was not a mere temporary experiment to be dropped if it did not prove satisfactory to me.  I was determined to live a Christian life according to the gospel and the standards of the church as long as I lived.  I still think, as I thought then, that for me to live for Christ for any less than that length of time would be to fail.

I joined the church to co-operate with it – to carry out the great commission of my Master.  I liked its gospel and wanted others to hear it.  I had been lifted out of sin by its ministry, and I wished to spread its ministry around the world so that many others might be helped with, and in , the church.  I learned from its laity, its ministry, and its schools.  I still have much to learn, but I am glad that I joined the church when I did and started to learn to be one of the “workers together with him.”  My desire is to help extend the kingdom of God and to help gather in a harvest of souls – redeemed by the blood of the lamb, and the gospel of His Church.

Louis McCurdy