# does holy by spouse imply external communicate



## rembrandt (Feb 15, 2004)

I am like a kindergarden student when it comes to CT. I have been skimming around lately without any serious research. Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction.

Practical question: if someone (wife) is a member of a church. She has not really made a true profession of faith, only passively agreeing with her husband in becoming a member. She has not ever confessed Christ as Lord and savior, not said anything positive of the kingdom of God. But doesn't necessarily disagree, unless one pries into her beliefs. 

Could we rightfully say she is a member of the external community? I mean, she is participatory in church, only never speaks of Christ in a good way. 

I know she is considered &quot;holy&quot; because of the husband. But I do not think that would make her a member of the covenant community- since she is of age and does not even value Christ.

Doesn't the &quot;external community&quot; idea only partain to (speaking of adults here) people who at least have made some kind of profession of faith?


----------



## Puritan Sailor (Feb 16, 2004)

If she wasn't a believer then she is not a member of the church. She can only become a member once she professes faith and has evident fruit of conversion. She does not become a member because her husband is a member.


----------



## wsw201 (Feb 16, 2004)

[quote:21964698b7]
Practical question: if someone (wife) is a member of a church. She has not really made a true profession of faith, only passively agreeing with her husband in becoming a member. She has not ever confessed Christ as Lord and savior, not said anything positive of the kingdom of God. But doesn't necessarily disagree, unless one pries into her beliefs. 
[/quote:21964698b7]

If she is a member of the church she had to have made a &quot;credible profession of faith&quot;. Therefore she is a member of the visible church.


----------



## rembrandt (Feb 16, 2004)

[quote:f81b2a1d75]If she is a member of the church she had to have made a &quot;credible profession of faith&quot;. Therefore she is a member of the visible church.[/quote:f81b2a1d75]

In this case, she never made a &quot;biblical&quot; confession of faith. Only said &quot;yes&quot; or whatever while I guess the husband gave the testimony of his own conversion etc. 

Do you think the visible church idea extends that far?


----------



## wsw201 (Feb 16, 2004)

Rembrandt,

If the session of her Church accepted her based on her agreeing with what her husband said (BTW, that session should have specifically asked her about her own faith) then she is a member of the visible church. In virtually all churches a person takes membership vows. If they answer in the affirmative then they are accepted. Remember, it is not the role of the Church to judge the heart but accept what a person says as if it does come from the heart.


----------



## Preach (Feb 17, 2004)

It would be interesting to hear the webmaster's opinion of this. If the entire household is to be baptized, then are not all the baptized people in that household (regardless of age) noncommunicant members of that local church?


----------

