Master the Bible: How to Get and Keep the Big Picture of the Bible's Story

Chapter 3: New Beg i nn i ngs i n Chr i s t , Ser i es 1 63

and fulfilled in Christ. Now by faith in him we are assured of eternal life, and become members of his family. We are to be baptized and become members of the body of Christ. We are called to walk with God, grow in sound doctrine, and to walk in the Spirit, becoming more like Christ. God will give us opportunity to share our new life with others through our lives and our witness.

Case Studies

“Can you be a “Revolutionary Christian” and ignore membership in the church?” More and more people are defining being a Christian without attending or being a member of a local church. Some are suggesting it is not even necessary at all. “The United States is home to an increasing number of Revolutionaries. These people are devout followers of Jesus worshiping and interacting with God, and whose lives are centered on their belief in Christ. Some of them are aligned with a congregational church, but many of them are not. The key to understanding Revolutionaries is not what church they attend, or even if they attend [italics mine]. Instead, it’s their complete dedication to being thoroughly Christian by viewing every moment of life through a spiritual lens and making every decision in light of biblical prin ciples” (Barna, Revolution , p. 8). Is this true? Does it matter whether or not we attend a church, as long as we seek God by ourselves? Explain. “I just don’t feel like I’m being good enough.” A young Christian has struggled for a long time with depression and discouragement. He feels that, in spite of trying to serve the Lord and attending church, he has done nothing but fail and backslide into sin. He recently was so discouraged with his endless cycle of sinning-repenting-sinning again-repenting again that he decided that he would give up going to church altogether. He reasoned that, at least he wouldn’t be a hypocrite and a failure if he just gave up. What would be your advice to him, if he asked you what his next step should be? “After all this time, I still don’t know the pastor, and I don’t have any friends!” Many Christians complain that they are lost in their local church. It is so big that they have only said a passing “Hi!” or “Goodbye!” to the pastor at various times, and really don’t know any leader in the