Mohler-rific!

I doubt that there is anybody in the world who could listen to Dr. Albert Mohler speak and not think, “He is WAY smarter than me!”  The guy is brilliant, and has practically read every book known to man- which probably go hand-in-hand. 

Dr. Mohler spoke Wednesday morning on the status of the SBC.  In a nutshell, he used two great analogies that should be cause for concern in the Southern Baptist Convention.  General Motors and indoor, enclosed shopping malls.  The analogies were great, not just because they were brilliant and creative, but mainly because they were fitting.  You can watch and listen to Dr. Mohler’s address here.

At one point in the message, Dr. Mohler mentioned regenerate church membership (only those who have been “born again” [John 3], a.k.a. “regenerated” by the Holy Spirit, can become church members).

I think that regenerate church membership is a very significant issue in the SBC. In my experience, regenerate church membership was neither understood nor practiced.  I think that SBC church membership is far too often make-a-decision, walk-the-aisle, say-the-prayer, and get baptized church membership instead of regenerate church membership. 
 
I personally made the decision, walked the aisle, said the prayer, and got baptized when I was six; although I was unregenerate until I was 23.  My name was written in the membership roll at an SBC church long before it was written in heaven (temporally, not theologically).  I know several Christians who were baptized more than once because they were in the same situation.  More importantly, I know several who call themselves Christians, but find the assurance of their salvation in who they are and what they have done (members of such-and-such church; made their decision, walked the aisle, said the prayer, and got baptized on such-and-such date) instead of finding their assurance in who Christ is and what He has done.

One priority in the SBC, I think, should be getting rid of “ghost members”- people who do not actively attend, have moved away, or even died; yet are still on the membership roll.  Another- which is easier said than done, but nonetheless necessary- should be better understanding and applying regenerate church membership.  These go hand-in-hand, I think.

We try to make sure that a person bears the fruit of regeneration before admitting him or her into the church as members, and if a member does not appear to be regenerate (he does not actively attend, for example), we treat him or her like an unregenerate person and remove him or her from the membership roll.

At the end of the day, we should desire to see people’s names written in heaven more than we desire to see their name written in our membership roll.  If a person is unregenerate, his name is not written in heaven (John 3:3).  Therefore, his name should not be written in our membership roll.  We are only hurting him, and hurting our church (and the SBC), by allowing him to be an unregenerate church member.

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