Membership

Baptism makes me a member of Christianity.  This comes with the water pouring.  The 7 gifts and 12 fruits of the Spirit that I get with Baptism are the tools to actually act as a Christian.  Christian is a verb and not a noun.  Baptism is rather free.  Most of us were baby baptized.  We asked for nothing.  We got the tools.  We were saved.  Now what?  Now we have to live it out.  "Saved" is step one.  It is free.  Some people tell me that they are saved.  But they still act like jerks.  We don't change without effort.  The instruction book is the bible.  Mistakes are inevitable.  We just discipline ourselves to keep struggling along. Community support can help.  God loves us, but we won't enjoy it much unless we change.  The instruction book tells us how to let go of, or be relieved of our character defects or fleshly disorders.  It is not easy to change.  Admitting we need help to get beyond membership level is a first step.

In AA someone can easily become a member.  Just show up and say you want to get sober.  Stay at this level and you will get drunk again, and again.  Sobriety is a verb.  You have to do stuff.  Daily.