WE ARE ONE BODY, MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER
Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. So, think of church membership not so much as “membership in a club” and more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the gospel.
In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Justin Hernandez, Elikai Madrigal and Luke Augustin, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday. Be encouraged by what new member, Luke, had to share with us during their new member testimony:
I grew up in a Lutheran church in Yorba Linda where I regularly attended Sunday school and eventually went to services with my family until I was 14 years old. It was then, in 2016, that we moved to the new non-denominational church just down the street from our home in Anaheim Hills. Upon moving to this church, my attendance rapidly decreased until I only attended holiday services every few months, if that. I was hardly in the Word, I was not praying often, and I was serving two masters throughout highschool and for a majority of my time in college.
But, three months ago, to this day, it was by God’s grace and divine providence that I found Cross of Grace through a simple Google search. From day one, I knew this was exactly where the Lord wanted me because I truly met Him here that day. I met him through brothers and sisters like yourselves who exemplified what it looks like to follow Christ, to be conformed to His image, and to be sanctified by the truth of His Word. The Lord also met me here through the blessing of the fine preaching of our three pastors. Your words serve as a guide for me to a deeper understanding of the Scripture, and they teach me how to properly apply God’s knowledge to my life. That’s something that must be appreciated because it’s truly a gift from the Holy Spirit. Also, small groups at the Erkelens’ home and men’s meetings at Hopper & Burr can’t be discounted. They’ve both had a profound impact in fighting the spiritual battles that often seem to ramp up midway through the week. If you haven’t been to one of these meetings before, I encourage you to do so.
As I take this next step into membership here, a primary goal of mine is to serve the
church and community of Santa Ana as often as the opportunities present themselves. In
Philippians 2, the Lord commands us to count others more significant than ourselves with all
humility, not looking only at our interests but also at the interests of others. Thank you.
We look forward to joining our new members in spreading the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana!
