Can A Christian Not Go To Church
It’s a common question: Can a Christian not go to church? I’ve seen it asked on many websites and forums over the years. And, as a pastor, I’m often asked this question in person by people who are new in town or by visitors from other countries. It’s an important question for Christians to consider because it deals with our relationship with God and other Christians—and it’s a matter of life or death!
Can a Christian not go to church?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. There are many Christians who do not attend church regularly. It is important to note that just because someone does not go to church does not mean that they are not a Christian or even an atheist, but it does mean that they probably have some strong convictions about their beliefs as well as their theology. If a person believes in God and Jesus Christ but chooses not to attend a specific church service, then we must ask why? Is this person simply tired of going to church? Does he or she simply prefer home worship? Or perhaps there is something else at play here that makes attending Sunday morning services undesirable for this individual?
One way of looking at the issue could be through considering whether or not Jesus Himself would have attended church if He were alive today (assuming He had access). In Matthew 26:20-26 we find an account where Peter had wanted Jesus’ followers with him so he could pray privately with them before he faced his impending death by crucifixion. In response Jesus told Peter “Get up now! Let’s go back into Judea.” (Matthew 26:31) Although we are told nothing about what happens next (i.e., whether or not He went back into Judea), it seems unlikely that if Jesus was able to make time for prayer with His disciples then certainly He would also have made time for them every Sunday morning!
Yes, but …
People who don’t go to church are still Christians.
In fact, there’s nothing in the Bible that says you have to go to church every Sunday in order to be a Christian or claim your faith as your own. However, there are some reasons why it might not be the best decision for you:
- It’s dangerous: People who do not go to church often fall away from their faith or stray from its teachings and teachings of Christ. This is because they do not have anyone telling them what it means and how it should look like so they may follow other things that seem good at the time but actually aren’t.
- You can still be a Christian without going to church: If you want all of this information about being a Christian then yes, there are other ways besides going physically every week (or more often than once). One way would be through reading books on Christianity or listening online through podcasts which will give insight into what it means being part of this religion by sharing opinions based on research done by experts in those fields (e., pastors).
True religion involves reaching out to others in love.
True religion involves reaching out to others in love. The apostle Paul made this point clear when he said, “Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10)
True religion means helping others to love God and serve him. True religion also means helping others find the truth about God’s Word and his Son, Jesus Christ. In fact, true religion is defined by what it does—it brings joy to other people by helping them understand their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Without others to help, we won’t grow spiritually.
It is important to have other Christians around us, because they can help us grow spiritually. We need others to help us make good decisions and see our own flaws. We also need them to see where we have been wrong or right so that we can learn from it and do better next time.
If you don’t have any other Christian friends or family members, then your next best option is going out into the world and finding some. I would suggest trying to find someone who has the same interests as you do; this will be easier once you start going out more often!
Without others to help, we may be at risk of error and deception.
Without others to help, we may be at risk of error and deception. We need to be in community to grow spiritually. Without others, we can easily be deceived into thinking that a certain way is right when it is actually wrong.
In order for us not only to avoid error and deception but also grow in our knowledge of God, we need other believers around us who are committed to the same mission as ourselves. In short, church isn’t just about receiving blessings from God; it’s about being part of something bigger than yourself—and using your gifts for His glory by building up His kingdom on earth!
Make sure you are connected with a godly community of believers.
You also need to make sure that you are part of a godly community of believers. I cannot stress this enough. Having a godly community can help you stay on track with your spiritual growth, as well as keep you accountable and motivated. When we are away from home and our regular church environment, it’s easy to fall into patterns that are not helpful for our spiritual growth.
When I was in college I had the opportunity to go out of town on weekends for work for 4-5 days at a time, which meant that I was gone from Friday night until Tuesday morning or so. During these times away from my church family, I had no accountability whatsoever – except for myself! And if there is anything that will keep me from growing spiritually (and sometimes physically), it’s being too busy doing other things such as fun activities or even just getting caught up in all the regular responsibilities of daily life like laundry and dishes!
You can be a Christian without going to church, but it’s dangerous and not recommended.
But can you be a Christian without going to church?
Absolutely. You can be a Christian without attending any kind of service, or even reading the Bible. But it’s dangerous and not recommended.
The Bible is clear that we need a connection with God’s people and with God himself, which means that if you don’t go to church, there’s no way for us to know if you’re still connected at all—and this makes it very hard for us to invite you into our life-giving community (1 Corinthians 12:12). If we cannot see Christ in your life, then how do we know that he is real? How do we know what he looks like? And how do we know what he is teaching his followers today?
We have hope for you and your family, even if you don’t go to church. You may not be saved at all if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are not baptized by immersion into his death and resurrection. But we can pray that God will open your eyes to the truth of his word and lead you to a place where true worship is practiced in spirit and in truth.”