Do I Have To Go To Church If I Am A Christian?
I don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian!
I believe in Jesus but I do not like going to church.
I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, do I?
Whenever I hear this statement, I usually just hand the Bible to those who made such a declaration and ask them to find the place in Scripture where it says it is ok to not go to church if you are a Christian. I have yet to discover anyone who can find a passage that supports their statement.
Many have heard the statement, “Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than being in a barn makes you a horse.” Certainly the act of going to church does not make anyone a Christian because, “It is not by works of righteous that we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us.” (Titus 3:3-5) For our answer we need to turn to Ephesians 5:25-33:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Eph 5:25-33 (NIV)
In the very first verse of this passage, we see that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” To say that we love Christ but do not love His church would be to place us in a very difficult position. Truly loving Christ requires us to value what He values.
Let’s say you would like to have a relationship with me and you come up to me and say the following, “Phil, I really like you and think you are a great guy and I would like to be your friend. Could we be friends?” Because I am such a great guy, I would say certainly we can be friends. Then you said that you really were glad we could be friends but there is just one thing more you needed to ask. You said the following, “I am glad we can be friends. I really think you are a great guy but I have one thing to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it is your wife. I think she stinks and is rather ugly. We can be friends if you will keep your wife away from me. I don’t like her and frankly don’t see why you do. Do you mind if I don’t want to be around her at all?”
How do you think I would respond to your statement? Remember now that I have already demonstrated my love for my wife by sacrificing everything for her. My response would be something like the following, “If you want a relationship with me, you will need to love my wife, too. If you are not willing to love my wife, we cannot have a relationship. I am sorry, but I love my wife and will not tolerate anyone who does not.”
We are commanded by God to meet together with others who are committed to His Word.
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:24-25 (NIV)
One of the best evidences for the presence of Jesus is found in the following passage "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 (NIV)
You are commanded by God to make disciples of every nation. Since you cannot get to every nation by yourself, it is evident that you will need to work together with many others who can pool their resources together. Together, you can accomplish the task given in the great commission in the following passage:
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)
There is one more passage we need to look at before we complete this section. When you committed your life to Christ, you were entrusted with a spiritual gift that would be used by God to help build up the church. Look carefully at the following passage:
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NASB)
Here we see that when you trusted Christ you received a spiritual gift for the benefit of others in the body of Christ. If you are not connected to local church where you can use your gifts to build up the body, then you are not following what God desires. Certainly there will be those in the church who are difficult to love. If you will just take a quick trip to the mirror and look closely at your own life, you will find another person that is also very difficult to love.
Without the local church you cannot fulfill God’s plan for your life. Now, go find a church and use the gifts that God has given you to build it up. See you in Church!
Small Group Discussion Questions:
What was the first church you ever joined? Why did you join it?
Are you currently a member of a local church? Why? Why not?
What are the characteristics of a local church?
Based on the discussion and the passages used what guidelines should you use for selecting a church to join?
What gifts has God given you to build up the church? Are you using them right now in your local church? Why? Why not?