What Does God Expect of Me as a Member of the Church?

Al Felder
17 hours ago
5 min read

By Al Felder

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ… to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:8–10).

The church is not an afterthought in God's mind. Before the world was made, God had already purposed redemption in Christ, and the church stands at the center of that revealed purpose. If that is true—and it is—then membership in the church cannot be treated casually. It carries responsibility, calling, and expectation.

So the question is not merely, Am I a member? The deeper question is: Am I the kind of member God expects me to be?

Start with honest inventory

Before we talk about service, we need honesty.

Sometimes we tell ourselves we are too old, too young, too busy, too tired, too unqualified, or too overlooked to do much in the body of Christ. Others hide behind reluctance, convenience, or habit—showing up without engagement, observing without serving, listening without growing.

A healthy church requires more than spectators. God calls for members who are present in heart, not just present in body—members who can be depended on, members who seek to help, and members who take initiative in love.

A good first question is: Is anything hindering me from wholehearted service? If the answer is yes, that hindrance must be brought before God and removed.

Remember what happened at conversion

Faithful membership begins with remembering what conversion truly means.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A Christian is not just a person with improved habits; he is a person with a new identity. The direction of life changes. The inner compass changes. The standard changes.

Scripture also says, “Ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). That means a change of ownership has taken place. We no longer belong to ourselves. Christ has purchased us with His blood. So our time, speech, choices, priorities, and conduct are no longer self-governed. We live under the Lordship of Jesus.

When ownership changes, priorities change too: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). The world is temporary. The kingdom is eternal. A faithful member learns to invest more deeply in what lasts.

Understand your relationships have changed

In Christ, every key relationship is transformed.

We are now children of God by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26–27).
Jesus is now Lord, not merely an admired teacher (1 Corinthians 8:6).
Fellow Christians are now family—brothers and sisters in the household of faith (1 Peter 2:17).
And the world now sees us as a light-bearing people (Matthew 5:14).

That means church membership is never private religion. It is shared life. We are joined to God and joined to one another. If we neglect the body, we are neglecting relationships Christ Himself established.

Examine your love for God

Scripture says, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3). Love is proven through obedience, not sentiment.

A faithful member does not pick commandments based on convenience. We cannot claim devotion to Christ while resisting His will. God expects surrendered discipleship—where His authority outranks our preferences.

“If a man therefore purge himself… he shall be a vessel unto honour… prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). The useful vessel is the cleansed vessel. God’s expectation is not perfection without growth, but holiness with repentance, humility, and progress.

Remember your calling: you are set apart

“To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). A saint is one set apart for God’s purpose.

That purpose is not hidden: “that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Church membership is not passive identity. It is an active witness. God expects His people to proclaim His excellence by both word and life.

So we should ask ourselves:

Does my life make God’s goodness visible?
Do my speech and conduct adorn the gospel?
Do people around me see Christ more clearly because of the way I live?

Know why we assemble

Many Christians correctly say, “We assemble to worship God.” That is true—but not complete.

Scripture also teaches that assembly is for edification (1 Corinthians 14:26), and for stirring one another up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24–25). In other words, we gather not only to give worship upward, but also to give encouragement outward.

That changes how we approach assembly:

Not “What did I get out of it?”
But “Whom did I strengthen?”
Not “Was I entertained?”
But “Was I engaged in worship and encouragement?”

Faithful members do not forsake assembling, and when they assemble, they come prepared to build up others.

Understand the nature of the church: it is a place of work

The church is described in many ways: a body, a kingdom, a priesthood, a household, a vineyard. None of those images supports spiritual idleness.

Jesus compared the kingdom to a householder hiring laborers for his vineyard (Matthew 20:1). That imagery is unmistakable: the church is not a lounge for spectators; it is a field for workers.

So membership means labor—prayer labor, teaching labor, encouragement labor, generosity labor, evangelistic labor, and burden-bearing labor. Every member has a role in the work.

Serve with discipline and living faith

Paul said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Service requires self-control. Without discipline, good intentions fade.

Faithful members cultivate habits that sustain service:

daily prayer
Scripture study
intentional encouragement
consistent attendance
practical help for others

Growth is not automatic. “Add to your faith…” (2 Peter 1:5). A working faith is a growing faith. God expects members to mature, not stagnate.

The mindset God expects

Philippians 2:1–5 provides the heart posture that makes everything else possible:

Be like-minded in Christ
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory
In humility, esteem others better than yourself
Look on the things of others
Let the mind of Christ shape your life

That is the opposite of consumer Christianity. It is servant Christianity.

In the end, faithful membership is not about being seen. It is about being useful. Not about getting your way. It is about reflecting Christ. Not about comfort. It is about calling.

Practicing what is taught

Do a weekly inventory: Ask, “How did I serve the body this week?”
Replace excuses with one concrete action: one call, one visit, one act of encouragement, one study, one act of generosity.
Prepare for assembly intentionally: come prayed up, Bible open, heart ready to worship and strengthen others.
Pursue purity and discipline: remove habits that weaken your usefulness.
Choose one ministry lane now: teaching, encouragement, visitation, benevolence, evangelism—then commit to it.