What is a healthy church member?

“Ignorance of God, of both His ways and the practice of communion with Him, lies at the root of the church’s weakness today.” This is what J.I. Packer said in his classic work, Knowing God, in1973.  Have things improved over the last three decades?

As we continue to answer the question, “what is a healthy church member” as discussed by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, we turn to the second point he makes, “a healthy church member is a biblical theologian.”  By this, Pastor Anyabwile says two things about biblical theology:

1. it is knowing God for who He is, as revealed in His word, not when we say, “I think God is this…”
2. it is knowing God’s big-picture story of redemption, seeing a holy and just God work from Genesis through Revelation in a unified way to create, redeem a people for Himself, and bring more glory and honor to His name

Knowing biblical theology can help a church member grow in the following ways:

1. to grow in our reverence for God
2. to teach us correct ideas about God and protect us from false ideas
3. to fulfill the Great Commission by “making disciples and teaching all that He has commanded”
4. to deepen our understanding of the Gospel throughout the Old and New Testaments

So how can church members become better biblical theologians?

1. read a book on biblical theology (pastor has a few suggestions)
2. read the New Testament in light of what the Old Testament said about it; likewise, study the Old Testament with the New Testament in view
3. study the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament – it is here we get a very clear picture of Jesus and His atoning work on the cross on our behalf
4. know and support our church’s statement of faith, seeing how our doctrines, beliefs, and practices line up with biblical theology and “the big picture” of the Bible

Being good biblical theologians will make us healthy church members, and this will lead to His church being healthy.  I encourage you to know God and His character, as a disciple and child of His.  I encourage you to give yourself to Him in a fresh way today because of who He is and what He has done for you and to you.  May God bless you richly today and in the weeks and months and years ahead.