Every meeting at Baskets of Life, there is an opportunity to ask any questions about God, Jesus,the Bible, or about other Christian beliefs. This month, we received several related questions:
- Does it matter if you attend church without being a member?
- How important is having a church membership?
- Should you attend only one church?
- Is it okay to be members of more than one church?
- I am confused about all the different denominations.
Before we answer these questions, let's understand the differences between being a Christian and church, between spirit and religion. Being a Christian means inviting Jesus into your heart and confessing with your mouth that you want Jesus to be Lord over your life. It is having a personal spiritual relationship with Jesus. When you do that, Holy Spirit is deposited in your heart to dwell within you, giving you wisdom and guidance on how to live a godly life on this earth. We also have the Bible, especially the first four books of the New Testaments (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) where you can read the actual words Jesus spoke, how and with whom He interacted. We get to learn how to live a life in tune with His beliefs. He is our example.
He tells us that although we live in this world, we are not of this world. This means that we don't "follow the crowd" and live the way most people do...which is living only to meet their own desires without regard for what pleases God. Jesus recommends that we "fellowship" with other believers, who will help each other in speaking and acting according to God's word. A common way to do that is by attending church, since most people who attend are Christians. There are many different denominations because some groups of people like to emphasize a particular type of ceremony based on their interpretation of the scriptures.
Churches are a man-made institution, which means it is made up of people, and as humans, we are each imperfect. So, don't be discouraged if they let you down. Our focus needs to be on Jesus and not on the people. As people, churches like to make up their own "rules" which sometimes reflect God's Word, but sometimes they do not. That is why it is important for each of us to read the Bible for ourselves so we can tell if a church is in error in what they require. No where in the Bible does it say that you must attend or be a member of a church.
What matters is that you love Jesus in your heart,and pray often to our Heavenly Father with gratitude and awe for His grace and mercy. Read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is what it means to be a Christian...a follower of Christ in heart, mind and deeds.
May God's Peace and Love be with you,
Christine and Jeff
