Q. I don't understand why someone who stays away from church would care at all if he were removed from membership. Is merely having a name on a congregational membership list going to save anyone?

A. It's not uncommon for people to look upon church membership as a type of "insurance policy" designed to provide a "death benefit" of sorts. Some people truly are convinced that if they are members of a visible congregation on earth, then they must—for that reason—also be members of the invisible church of all believers. Like the Jews of Jesus' time, they look back into their family tree or their own personal past and say: "We are Abraham's descendants" (John 8:33) and truly believe that some outward connection, such as a family heritage or past activity in the church, will guarantee them a place in heaven for eternity.

It's important to remember a reply Jesus gave to someone else with a similar outlook: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). In other words, outwardly "churchy" and "religious" activities in one’s life are no guarantee that someone is actually a Christian. In fact, our Lord adds a question to this warning, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) In Jesus mind, it is meaningless to claim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior if church members will not do those things that our Lord expects of His people. The New Testament clearly teaches that Christ wants His people to continue meeting together for worship, prayer, hearing Scripture, and encouraging one another. If someone refuses to follow this will and desire of Christ, they can hardly be serious about saying that Christ is their Lord. The action of such a person's life completely contradicts the verbal claim of his words.

The writer of this question also indicated that his congregation has a section in its constitution that defines a member of the church as someone who attends worship regularly. Someone who does not meet that standard is no longer considered a member in that congregation. Such a standard might be helpful to a degree for the congregation in question in the February article. Having such a clause in the constitution would possibly make it seem a little more "usual and customary" to remove members who give no evidence of Christian faith by not attending worship services.

But the writer of this question also notes something that must be remembered if congregations have such a constitutional clause, or some other prescribed means of identifying and dealing with inactive members. A clause such as the above is not a substitute for the care of souls. The pastor and elders (deacons) of a congregation still need to make personal contact with the inactive members, if at all possible, and show them the spiritual danger of ignoring the will and Word of Christ. Such a constitutional clause serves as a reminder that when care and love is to be extended toward some inactive member, the congregation is dealing with that member in the way that God wants this to be done. He wants the loving church members and officers to lead the sinner back to repentance, so that Christ’s forgiveness for the sin is not left unused for lack of faith. For always, the goal of pointing out sin is to lead the sinner to repentance, so that Christ's forgiveness for the sin is not left unused for lack of faith.

Paul Zager is pastor of Holton Lutheran Church in Holton, Michigan and a member of the ELS Doctrine Committee.

Send your questions to: Pastor Paul Zager , P.O. Box 181, Twin Lakes, MI 49457.