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)