Layman’s Corner

Q: Can a Christian be saved and find favor with God by living biblically while not going to church?

A: First, it is important to note that there will be many people in heaven who were not affiliated with a church, either because they did not have that opportunity or another reason that prevents them from that privilege. One example is the thief on the cross who accepted Jesus as the Messiah and as his Saviour. He had no chance to go to the churches of his day. But one of the most important principles of Christianity is that we are saved into the body of Christ, which is another name for the church. In Acts 2, the Bible says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” When you are baptized, you become part of Christ’s body and enter into the church.

   I would also ask this question in return: Why would a person say they love God and His truth, but not wish to fellowship in love with His people? That is one of the reasons God wants us in church, we can fellowship with people who share a similar faith and beliefs that we do. It helps bolster our faith and makes us accountable to one another. It is also an excellent environment to increase our capacity to love one another. People learn their most important lessons of love in the context of their biological families, and church families follow the same dynamic especially when it comes to new believers. It is certainly a part of God’s plan.

   If a person says, “I believe in God and the Bible and I want to be save and baptized, but I don’t want to go to church,” it sounds to me like a man saying to his bride, “I love you, I want to marry you but I don’t want to live with you.” It is like saying you want the benefits of marriage, but not the relationship that goes with it. Part of the Christian experience is having a relationship with the church the fellowship of believers.

  When you live a life of solitude away from society, you tend to become eccentric. Isolating oneself from society and lacking social contact can begin to affect your mind and your brain sort of atrophies. You become socially inept. In the same way, it is important for Christians to be social with fellow believers in corporate worship and gatherings to avoid becoming spiritually eccentric and inept. Because Christian fellowship is part of God’s gift, I encourage each Christian to find a biblical church in which they can grow into mature members of God’s family.

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