Do I Have to Go to Church to Be a Christian?

Taking Church Membership Seriously - Part 1 of 3

“I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” If I had a dollar for every time I have heard that sentence, I would be closer to my life goal of being a gazillionaire philanthropist.

At face value, the statement is patently false. If one means they can be an effective, obedient, Christ-honoring believer without church participation, then they at best sadly deceived.

Being Versus Becoming

The opening statement reveals a couple of false premises that reveal a misunderstanding concerning church membership and participation.

One false premise we see in that statement is the disconnect between becoming a Christian and being a Christian. We live in an “identity” culture these days. Every individual thinks he or she has the right to simply “declare” their identity how they choose. We see that applied to gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and a number of other ways.

Many people exercise the same practice when it comes to their faith. They believe they because they declare, “I am a Christian,” that they are in fact a Christian. Identity declaration is myth. Much like the expensive “suit” the emperor wore in the children’s book The Emperor’s New Clothes, saying it is so doesn’t make it so. The statement usually reveals a heart that wants to avoid hell in eternity but not commit to following Jesus in the now.

One can hear, believe, and receive the good new of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross without a “church” and become a Christian. But one will not and cannot grow in faith and live the life of discipleship Jesus demands (Luke 9:23-27) outside of fellowship in a local gathering of believers.

Building versus Body

A second false premise revealed by our opening statement is that church is a place you go. Sometimes, when I meet new people who find out I am a pastor, they ask me “where is your church?” Not wanting to be “that guy,” I usually give the address where we gather for Sunday worship.

But the more biblically accurate answer would be “they are scattered all over middle Georgia at the moment.” (And honestly, I don’t know where some of my church are. I haven’t seen nor heard from them in ages.)

But there was a “church” in the Bible before there ever was a church “building.” They didn’t see themselves as going to church. They were the church going into the community.

When someone says they don’t need to go to church to be a Christian, they refer to the church as a location. If something were to happen to our church building that rendered it unusable, we would still be our church. We are not defined by our location; we are defined by our identity as a called out collection of followers Jesus assembled together.

One day, while preparing to grill some steaks, I used a chimney starter to get the charcoal going. As I dumped the coals from the starter to the grill, one of the coals fell out unnoticed. Later, while grilling the steaks, I discovered the coal on the ground. The individual briquette had completed cooled. I could pick it up with my hand. I put it on the grill with the rest of the charcoal and soon it glowed red hot again.

That is the picture of “being” a Christian without going to church. You will soon find your faith has cooled when not regularly stoked by corporate worship, collective Bible study, and corrective accountability.

Rephrasing the Premise

Let me restate the premise is more accurate terms. You don’t have to go to church to become a Christian, but you will not be a Christian apart from the church. We have a saying among our church: Don’t just go to church; be the church.

One of the saddest things I see in today’s church life is a failure to take church membership seriously. So, what about you? Do you belong to a local assembly of believers? Do you participate? Are you fed, encouraged, and challenged by other believers together in a church community?

Many of my older readers will remember fondly watching “The Lone Ranger.” The mysterious figure and his sidekick Tonto were heroes to many youngsters. But The Lone Ranger was a fictional character. He wasn’t real. Similarly, a “Lone Ranger” Christian is a myth.

Let me encourage you to pray about your church participation. Ask God to reveal your reality and lead you to His ideal for your walk of faith.

Look for Part 2 next week: Is Church Membership in the Bible?

As usual fell, free to hit the comment button and interact.