He should be baptized in obedience to Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 10:48; 2:38,41) and as a public testimony of his new life in Christ (2 Cor. 5:14-17) and his identification with and in Christ (Rom. 6:3-11; Gal. 2:20). Water baptism is one of the first steps of obedience after a person gets saved. Baptism

He should stay spiritually HEALTHY (in fellowship with the Lord) and he should "go on" and "GROW UP" and mature (learning God's Word and thus practicing it—James 1:19-25) according to God's commands (Eph. 5:18; Heb. 5:11-6:3; Col. 1:28; 2 Pet. 3:18; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 14:20). The healthy believer is one who feeds upon God’s Word by reading the Bible daily (1 Pet. 2:2). The Word of God places a foundation under him so that he can find solid ground on which to think and act. The believer must continuously exercise an attitude of dependence upon God’s Word and conscious submission to His sovereign Presence in his or her daily living (1 Thess. 5:17), learning and growing (2 Pet. 3:17-18). The healthy believer also spends time before the Lord in prayer each day (Heb. 4:16; Luke 18:1; Col. 4:2). This right relationship to the living God (PRAYER) should be exercised at all times both publicly and privately, especially as the believer takes time daily in reading and studying God’s Word and petitioning God in Christ Jesus on account of persons, places, problems, pressures and so forth.  Bible Study

He should know the difference between religion and true Christianity. He should know why he is in THIS local church and not in some other church in the area. A born again believer belongs with other believers of like precious faith (2 Pet. 1:1). He does not belong in a liberal or "middle-of the road" type of church where the Bible is not taken seriously. He belongs in a church where the whole counsel of God (the whole Bible) is preached (Acts 20:20,27; Matt. 28:20) and where he can be well-fed and well-taught in the truth of God's Word (Col. 1:28; Eph.4:11-16). He should also be moving in the direction of having a good understanding of the basic and fundamental teachings of the Bible and a basic grasp of what God has said about Himself, His Son, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, the cross, sin, salvation, the security of the believer, separation, the church, the devil, spiritual gifts, baptism, the Lord's supper, the second coming of Christ, the kingdom and the destiny of the saved and the lost (see our Statement of Faith as well as the set of worksheets entitled "Basic Doctrines of the Bible").  For discernment as to what is taking place in the theological world and to help recognize false teachings, see A Clarifying Statement on Modern Trends and Positions.

He should realize and understand that the LOCAL ASSEMBLY is the very CENTER of God's work today.  The Lord Jesus Christ personally ministers there (Rev. 1:13,20; chapters 2-3). It is also the place for purposeful growth and personal development (Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:26-28; Acts 2:42). The local assembly is the place for the expression of GOD'S GLORY (the manifestation and demonstration of who God is). It is here for the purpose that people might know that there is a living God and Saviour as seen in His living body which is on the earth, even His Church. The local church is here to display the invisible God and this requires TEAMWORK! Each one must take his proper place (1 Corinthians chapter 12), with the right attitude and for the glory of God. Every single member of the body is important and must be healthy and well fed (Col. 1:28). When the members are healthy, the body will be healthy! When the body is healthy the life of Christ will be manifested and God will be glorified! This glorious and precious truth is illustrated below:

The Church is in the world to make known and to display the living God, before men and angels. This can be illustrated as follows:

Making known God to angels and to men is something that requires TEAMWORK! Each member of the Church needs to stay healthy and keep growing in the Lord (becoming more like Christ every day). The healthier the members are the healthier the body is. If believers are spiritually sick then they will not be doing a very good job at making God known (because the world will be seeing people who are very UN-CHRISTLIKE). How can a person be a healthy believer? What are some of the things that a healthy believer should do? What are some of the things that a healthy believer should not do? Are you a healthy believer? When it comes to making God known, are you HELPING or HINDERING?

See also The Local Church
 

7. Faithful Attendance

He should be faithful to God’s Word and thus God's will for his life. In order to stay healthy and to grow one must be in regular attendance at the Sunday services, prayer meeting services, special meetings, whenever possible, not whenever convenient (Heb. 10:25-39; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 4:2; 1 Pet. 4:10).   Membership in the Local Church

8. Remembering Him

He should joyfully participate and share in the communion service as it is regularly observed by the local assembly of believers. This ordinance, which was instituted by our Lord, has been called by several names:

Communion (fellowship, the sharing of a common life, participation)—1 Corinthians 10:16.

The Lord’s Table—1 Corinthians 10:21.

3) The Lord’s Supper (actually the bread and the cup were instituted by the Lord after they had supper, that is, after the meal; see Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25)—1 Cor. 11:20.

4) Eucharist (from a Greek word meaning "giving of thanks")—Matt.26:27; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24.

5) The Breaking of Bread--Matt. 26:26; Acts 2:42.

The significance of the communion service involves a fourfold "looking" on the part of the believer:

1) A BACKWARD LOOK—looking back to the cross to see and to remember what the Lord Jesus has done for me by the offering up of His sinless body and the shedding of His precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19; 2:24; 3:18; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph. 1: 7; Matt. 26:28).

2) AN UPWARD LOOK—looking unto Jesus who is presently doing a work for me as my Intercessor (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34) and Advocate (1 John 2:1-2), having sat down at the right hand of the Father (Heb.1:3; 8:1).

3) A FORWARD LOOK—looking for Jesus (Tit. 2:13) and expecting and waiting (1 Cor.1:7-8) for what He will do as He comes again to complete the great work of salvation which He began in me the day I was saved (1 Cor.11:26; Phil. 1:6; 3:20-21).

4) AN INWARD LOOK—looking at what Jesus is doing in me (1 Cor.11:27-32). The believer must "examine himself"(1 Cor.11:28) and "judge himself" (1 Cor. 11:31) and confess all sins (l John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13) lest he should partake of the Lord's table in an unworthy manner (1 Cor. 11:27). The healthy believer is thankful to God for Christ’s blood which keeps on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:7-10). We can confess and acknowledge anything in our life that we know to be out of harmony with our Saviour’s will and word, all the while thanking Him for His forgiveness which cares for our sinful nature. God graciously convicts us so that we might face and fix that which would hinder our good progress: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).   Communion

He should be a willing and cheerful SHARER and SUPPORTER in God's work, committing his life, his time, his talents, his activities and his money to the Lord and to the Lord’s assembly. "God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7), one who gives with joy and satisfaction. Christ Jesus invests HIS LIFE in the believer, and the believer in turn invests the life of Christ which he possesses into the local body of believers, and finally the corporate life of Christ in the body is invested into the believer. As the LIFE OF CHRIST is thus shared in the body (common participation in the life of God, hence "FELLOWSHIP"), all of the members are mutually affected by joy, sorrow, success, failure, etc. (1 Cor. 12:20-27; Eph. 4:16).

The believer can joyfully enter into the greatest investment program that there is, namely God’s PROGRAM which is centered in the local assembly of believers. TITHING involves the thankful giving of one-tenth of one’s income: $1.00 out of $10.00; $10.00 out of $100.00; etc. Though not directly mentioned in the letters of New Testament, tithing is a good STARTING POINT in one’s stewardship. Notice the following:

Today the believer is to be motivated in his giving by the GRACE OF GOD and by the LOVE OF CHRIST. We gladly give BECAUSE HE FIRST GAVE TO US (2 Cor. 9:15). We gladly give, not just our money, but ourselves (see 2 Cor. 8:5).  Being a Faithful Steward

10. Personal Separation Unto Christ

He should live in a manner befitting someone who is SEPARATED unto Christ. He is in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-19; Phil. 2:15). As a believer grows his life is brought into adjustment with the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:5; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Peter 1:13-19). There must be a change in his attitudes, his thoughts and his ways in order that he might be brought into harmony with God’s ways and God’s thoughts (cf. Isa. 55:8-9). The process of growth involves learning, re-learning and even un-learning! The believer is separated the moment he is saved and he does not need to pray about being separated unto Christ (because he already is!) but he needs to practice separation because of the standing and position that he already enjoys in Christ (Eph. 4:1; John 15:18-21; 1 John 2:15-17; 4:4-6; James 4:4; 2 Tim. 2:19; 2 Cor. 6:11-7:1; 1 Thess. 5:22). The Biblical Doctrine of Separation

REMEMBER that every born again believer belongs to the Holy Spirit of God, and this includes his body, soul and spirit (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 1 Thess. 5:23). The local assembly also belongs to Him (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Every believer is commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) by fulfilling the following conditions: