26.2 All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.
26.6 The members of these churches are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing (in and by their profession and walking) their obedience unto that call of Christ; and do willingly consent to walk together, according to the appointment of Christ; giving up themselves to the Lord, and one to another, by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel.
27.2 Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things according to their several abilities, and necessities; which communion, according to the rule of the gospel, though especially to be exercised by them, in the relation wherein they stand, whether in families, or churches, yet, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended to all the household of faith, even all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus; nevertheless their communion one with another as saints, doth not take away or infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions.
Regenerate church membership speaks of the true church of Christ; the invisible church. Regenerate church membership is actually presumed regenerate church membership. 26.3 of the 1689 LBC articulates that even the purest church is a mixture of truth and error. Acknowledging the limitations of finite man in knowing the exact spiritual condition of each professed member, we trust that a credible profession of faith is indicative of that spiritual condition. The fact that there are impostors - goats among the sheep (1 JN 2:19; Jude 4) - is proof of our fallibility in ascertaining the hidden things of the heart. It does not, however, change the fact that the body of Christ, the invisible church, is made up only of those who have been born again.
In the spirit of Rev. 2:2, the church is to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). Questionable teachings are to be tested (Acts 17:11), and sin confronted (Matt. 18:15-20). The church must proceed guided by the truth of the Word and the power of the Spirit, knowing that hell itself cannot overcome it (Matt. 16:18). But hell will try, both outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly through the attacks of the wicked who make no pretense of worshipping our God. Inwardly through ravenous wolves who seek to destroy the body by subterfuge, or through the ungodly ignorant who would stifle the body and make it impotent. For these reasons and more the true church is to remain vigilant and jealous for God's holiness. Better for the house of God to judge itself than to be judged because it considered His church not to be worth the effort (Rev. 2:4, 16, 22; 3:19).
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