Being a Christian is More Than Just Going to Church

I recently received an email from a reader asking a question about going to church and whether or not that affected their salvation. This reader basically wanted to know whether or not they would go to hell if they didn’t attend church. This week I thought I would share my response with you since others out there may have the same or similar questions.

Email from reader

I have a job working at a restaurant on the weekends, and I work almost every Saturday and Sunday. I know it says in the Bible to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Also, I know some people say the Sabbath is Saturday and not Sunday and that some Christians have been confused by this. Will I be going to hell, in your opinion, for not keeping the Sabbath since I work a lot on the weekends?

My response (headings added for easier reading)

It is not my place to say if you will be going to hell because I am not God, and I do not know your heart as He does. However, my initial reaction is that, no, God will not send people to hell if they do not go to church on Sunday (or Saturday). People who say this are operating in what’s called “legalism” (rule-keeping). Jesus, and later Paul through his writings, firmly corrected people in the New Testament for legalistic attitudes and behaviors. Keeping the rules isn’t enough to make us holy or wipe our sins clean. Only Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection can do that.

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (ESV)

“Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:16 (NLT)

Salvation is about your relationship with God, not going to church

Your salvation, and going to heaven, are about your relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. It’s about truly knowing Him and being known by Him. It’s about making HIM your number one priority over all other things, making Him Lord. This means surrendering and submitting to Him as your “master” as your… leader, ruler, guide, boss, etc. Basically, He needs to be the ultimate authority in your life where you trust and obey him completely. Jesus can’t just be your savior—He needs to be your Lord. You need to have a genuine relationship with Him, and this involves more than just going to church.

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3 (NLT)

True disciples

Jesus talked about his “true disciples” (those that are genuine followers of Him):

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) [emphasis mine]

“And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” Isaiah 29:13 (NLT) *See also Matthew 15:8-9 and Mark 7:6-9

He’s basically saying that relationship with Him has got to be more than lip service (more than mere talk or verbal confession of Him or saying you’re a Christian) and more than just following rules and doing the “Christian” things (spiritual works). This also means more than just going to church. It’s a heart issue. He’s saying it’s about knowing Him, not just knowing about him.

Also, I don’t mean a going-through-the-motions kind of relationship. I mean a real, genuine, personal relationship where you truly know each other (like a good friend).  Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian.  It’s like I’ve heard Joyce Meyer say: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car!”

It’s about relationship NOT religion.

Knowing vs. knowing about

Having a genuine relationship with someone is more than surface-level stuff.  To really have relationship with someone (and with God) is to know them and spend consistent time with them.  Many people say they know God when really they just know about Him.  An analogy I sometimes give is this…I may have been an academic advisor at the same university where Carrie Underwood went to school, and I may have even met her once or twice.  I might even know a lot about her because I watched American Idol, listened to her music, read some things about her, followed her on social media, or talked to people she knows.  However, that doesn’t mean I really know her because there’s no relationship there.  I can’t truly claim a connection there or reap any benefits from a relationship like that because it’s not really even a relationship at all.

To have a close, personal relationship with God means making Him more than just an acquaintance to you, more than just somebody you see on occasion (like only at church for a couple of hours on the weekend or not even that).  To have a relationship with God requires spending regular, consistent time with Him. This is more important than going to church on Sunday (or whatever day you choose…some people I know even go on Monday nights or Wednesdays).

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2:14 (NLT)

It’s still important to attend church

All that being said, it’s still important to find a church and attend (even if you won’t go to hell if you don’t). Not only are we told in Exodus 20:8 to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” as you mentioned, but in the New Testament we are instructed to meet together for worship and instruction (and there are so many benefits for us and others by going to church that I don’t have time to get into here)…

“not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (AMP)

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NLT)

Additionally, because Jesus is our Lord, we need to obey Him and God’s Word.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15 (ESV)

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him” 1 John 2:3-5 (NIV)

Here’s a link to other Scriptures Encouraging Us to Obey God

A decision about going to church

If you are feeling convicted about not attending church due to your work schedule, there might be a couple of things you could do.

1. Try to find a church that meets on a weeknight. OR…
2. Spend some time praying to see if God might be asking you to go to church on the weekend and trust Him to help you find a different job with a schedule that will not require you to miss church (I know many people who have done this). This will take some faith on your part, but that is also part of growing in your faith and growing in your relationship with God.

Take Some Practical Steps to Understand That Being a Christian is More Than Just Going to Church:

• First, accept that your salvation is not contingent upon going to church.

Your salvation rests in receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord (master, boss) and Savior not in following certain rules. It’s about your relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. *See scriptures above.

• Next, your focus should be on truly knowing God and being known by Him.

It’s not enough to know about God. You need to make efforts to establish a real, genuine, personal relationship with him. To have a relationship with God involves spending regular, consistent time with Him. This will require time and effort above and beyond going to church. *See this page here for posts on growing in spiritual disciplines and in your relationship with God.

• Then, recognize that church is still important and beneficial.

It’s still important to obey God’s directive to meet with other believers for worship and instruction, in addition to serving and using your God-given gifts. Find a church where you can worship and are being taught the Word of God to grow spiritually, where you can have community and do life with other Christians (the “one another’s”), and where you can serve (and not just be a consumer).

• Finally, it’s important to remember not to just go to church but to BE the church!

As you attend church and receive instruction and examples of what this looks like practically speaking and as you grow in your personal relationship with God, you will be able to accomplish this in your everyday life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

How have you come to the realization that being a Christian is more than just going to church? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

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