According to research conducted by Christians and secular experts alike, a great number of believers are leaving churches at an alarming rate. While the reason they leave varies, not all leave their faith even if they leave the church and so the question arises, can one remain a true Christian and not go to church?
Let's talk about that.
Perceptions
With this article, I'm hoping to address the wrong perception about church attendance. Why do we attend church? Why would we want to stay away from it? Is it ok for a Christian to not want to go to church?
Being a Christian
Being a Christian simply means being a "follower of Christ." Those who profess to follow Christ are commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him (see Matthew 16:24). Moreover, there's one more sign of a follower, one that came out from the mouth of the Founder of Christianity Himself:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." – Jesus, John 13:34-35 (MEV)
With those words, the Lord Jesus gave us something to work hard at: love for each other. Jesus said the mark of a true disciple is love for one another.
Now, we have to understand that love for Christ and one another should cause us to fellowship with each other. Consider what the writer to the Hebrews tells us:
"Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
Where Christ is, we follow
Christians gather for Christ Himself, because we follow Him and are waiting for His return. It is plain common sense: those who long for Him and wait for His coming will flock together. They will long to worship God together, have fellowship with each other, grow in the faith together, and long to serve one another according to Christ's commands.
It's not normal for a Christian to want to be alone because Christianity was never meant to be a solo thing. Just as Christ's disciples constantly gathered to continue "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (see Acts 2:42), we will gather to do the same. The Book of Acts is the model template for Christians and is full of stories of Christians working together to spread the Gospel and support the fledgling church network.
It's also contrary for a Christian to simply believe church teachings contrary to or not in line with what Christ told us. Like Peter, our declaration is that we will "obey God rather than men" (see Acts 5:29). We do not seek to glorify the church and its human leaders; we seek to worship Christ and obey God's will on earth.
Moreover, we should always look out for one another and remind each other of what Christ has done and taught (see Matthew 28:19-20), especially as we wait for His return.
Desire to gather with fellow believers
Friends, I pray that you will truly love Christ more than your church (see Matthew 22:37-40). True Christians will want to be with fellow Christians who truly love God. Let's love the Lord our God more than anything, and love one another as well.
