I suppose most readers of the Reformed Herald are active, faithful, participating members of a local church. That is a good thing! If that doesn’t describe anyone reading this, I urge you to join a Reformed church at once and get involved.
If you are not a member at all, there are many commands in the NT that you are at least hampered in obeying. There are exceptional circumstances, but people frequently allege exceptional circumstances to disguise an unwillingness to commit. Reluctance to join can also arise from a consumerist mentality towards the church, where it has to meet their idiosyncratic criteria in order to earn their participation.
If you are a member, but not faithfully serving, that is also a problem. Being on a list of members, showing up irregularly, and rarely or never helping out means you deprive yourself of a great many blessings that God conveys through the church. Theoretical membership comes with theoretical advantages, whereas active membership results in active benefits.
Read the full article at: https://rcus.org/article/editorial-may-june-2026/
