Can you be a christian without church?

Farfromperfectclose2truth · Sep 29, 2014

Can you be a christian without going to church..... Ever?

Your thoughts please guys!

Willie T · Sep 29, 2014

Yeah. But you probably won't ever be doing too much to further the kingdom.

Farfromperfectclose2truth · Sep 29, 2014

Hey Willie, thanks for answering, what do you mean?

CryOfALion · Sep 29, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
Can you be a christian without going to church..... Ever?

Your thoughts please guys!

Where two or more are gathered in His name, He is in their presence.

Doesn't say anything about a building, or a congregation of hundreds or thousands of people. Just two believers in spirit fellowship.

So, yes.

Farfromperfectclose2truth · Sep 29, 2014

How about if the person doesn't know any other christians :-/

Willie T · Sep 29, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
Hey Willie, thanks for answering, what do you mean?

Well, did Jesus come to be a Monk on a mountaintop? Or to build a swanky building where He and a few friends would meet?

Or did He eat, travel, talk and sleep right in the midst of a bunch of irritating, arguing disciples (His "church"), and spend most of His time ministering to and associating with crowds of people?

Willie T · Sep 29, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
How about if the person doesn't know any other christians :-/

Ya think you might find some hanging around a church building?

Willie T · Sep 29, 2014

Find a group that really only uses their building as a central "headquarters" from which they get in their autos, and go out to find people needing to hear about Jesus.

CryOfALion · Sep 29, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
How about if the person doesn't know any other christians :-/

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Being a Christian is way more than church; it mainly 8th olives live, discipline and obedience under the Most High, and the acknowledgement of Christ as messiah, and His works, through the faith. You can go to church all day and hate the Most High; people do it all the time. Church is supplemental to your walk in life as a Christian. Your relationship with God is more important than your attendance at church, or whether or not you find other Christians to qualify your Christianity.

In reality, as the planet becomes more evil, and falls toward man-made teachings under the guise of God, it will be harder and harder to find believers, let alone a collection of them gathered in one place for worship. Would it matter if you were at an air-conditioned edifice with a pastor in front of a congregation of many, or if you were one of a few religious asylum seekers talking about God while in hiding somewhere? There are both sets of examples going on daily right now. Some are even alone, with no other people, let alone believers, around them. That is when the holy spirit becomes your fellowship.

Willie T · Sep 29, 2014

Please don't let yourself fall into the trap of believing just "you and Jesus" is fine. It is not.

His Spirit lives in you, and His Spirit is Him... and He came to seek out lost people. He did not come to make you or me feel all warm and fuzzy, staying to ourselves. He came into us so that we would take Him out to keep on finding lost souls.

CryOfALion · Sep 29, 2014

Willie T said:
Please don't let yourself fall into the trap of believing just "you and Jesus" is fine. It is not.

His Spirit lives in you, and His Spirit is Him... and He came to seek out lost people. He did not come to make you or me feel all warm and fuzzy, staying to ourselves. He came into us so that we would take Him out to keep on finding lost souls.

It isn't a trap; "you, Christian and God" a should be the fundamental denomination of "fine." No amount of ministry with, love for, or acts for others will save you if you and Christmas aren't right. For some people, that may include some serious reflecting with Him alone. What people think of as Church is actually fellowship; a building is not necessary. It is for this reason Christmas refers to the lot of believers as the body of Christ, and not a particular organization . And, it is for this reason that "church" is when two or more are gathered in His name.

Church, the building, is a great way to fellowship and worship with fellow believers. But, you are right that feelings matter not. Singing, dancing, eating, drinking, and so on all can be fun activities at Church, but many people go to church for the wrong reasons, and therefore the fellowship of Church entities does not produce certainty of homogeneity in faith. There are also many other things one can do to have Godly fellowship with others in the world, in order to be a light in the world of darkness. The fruits of the spirits are one way, especially patience, mercy and love.

Church is an allusion to what the Kingdom will look like. Corruption, evil and hypocrisy in the church cannot be ignored, and for this reason and many of the reason already listed, one has to be very discerning with which one is involved. Going to church thinking that you have to because that is what Christians are supposed to do is horribly misleading.

Albion · Sep 29, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
Can you be a christian without going to church..... Ever?

Your thoughts please guys!

It's a fair question, and one that's been debated here more than once. I'd say that yes, it's possible to be a Christian and not go to church. But you can't be a very serious one or a very committed one. It would be more like technically qualifying as a Christian but not a whole Christian.

The reason for that is that to follow the Christ means to adhere to the faith of the Bible and it calls for us, as Christians, to do certain things that cannot be done while exempting oneself from all contact with a congregation.

RileyG · Sep 29, 2014

What makes one a Christian? Baptism. Baptism. Baptism.

Of course, that would leave an indelible mark on their soul, regardless if they practice or not. In that case, i would say yes.

Jesusisgood · Sep 30, 2014

When I first became a real Christian when I was twelve my family stopped attending church and I am still the only Christian in my household. God miraculously sustained me with just Him,worship songs on my radio and by everyday faithful reading of His word. I had a great love for God but I also had allot of confusion and areas of maturity. I had a really bad ocd breakdown when I was 17 but if I had gone to church and had a body of strong believers to help me and build my trust I wouldnt have made a fool of myself.I was able to go to church with a friend in my sophomore year of High School but I wasn't tied into anything other than sunday service. Now I realize the importance of why I should attend a Bibical Church(body of believers) am at a different church and am involved in my church. So the reason I gave you that story was to say sometimes in life we are in situations like mine where I physically couldn't go to church BUT staying close to God by spending time with Him in His word was what I held onto for dear life. Every believer should go to church and find a Bibical one, and be tied in with the everyday lives of fellowship with other believers. God said in genesis that it is not good for a man to be alone when he was about to make eve for adam, likewise we need both God and people in our daily lives. The enemy is able to attack us easier when we are weak and alone like what happened to me. SO attend a Church with faithful brothers and sisters for we aren't meant to work it alone.

Jesusisgood · Sep 30, 2014

Though its good and needed to have a set time alone with God we still also need time with fellow Christians.

Jesusisgood · Sep 30, 2014

RileyG said:
What makes one a Christian? Baptism. Baptism. Baptism.

Of course, that would leave an indelible mark on their soul, regardless if they practice or not. In that case, i would say yes.

Baptism isn't what saves you but it is an outward example of an inward change. Christians should get baptized because it shows others that we are His, but we are saved when we believe Jesus is who he says He is, the son of God and Lord ( and if you believe He is God and Lord your life and behavior will show it, repent (turn away from our sins), and live a life pleasing to God( not a works but living in obedience to God because we love Him).

Albion · Sep 30, 2014

Jesusisgood said:
Baptism isn't what saves you but it is an outward example of an inward change.

In fairness to Riley and this discussion, however, that isn't what he said.

He said Baptism marks you as a Christian, not that it automatically saves you (which is an idea that almost no one believes in). So...we have to say that you can be a Christian and not attend church, even though we think doing that leaves out a lot that is important.

ConfuseddotCom · Sep 30, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
Can you be a christian without going to church..... Ever?

Your thoughts please guys!

Yes!!!

Galilee63 · Oct 5, 2014

"Do this in Remembrance of Me" and "Repent and believe in the Good News" which is receiving Jesus' Flesh and Blood - His Holy Eucharist/Host and repenting sins from our hearts to Jesus regularly of which one of Jesus/God's Universal Churches are required in order to receive Jesus' Blessed Holy Sacraments of Love (Jesus refers to His Holy Eucharist/Host in His Divine Mercy Holy messages to mankind through Saint Sister Faustina and many of the Saints).

Therefore, attending one of Jesus' Christian Churches and God's Universal Church is necessary to receive Jesus' Blessed Host of which Jesus is present in His Holy Tabernacle and at the Altar waiting for hearts to receive Him in His Blessed Holy Eucharist.

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

South Bound · Oct 5, 2014

Farfromperfectclose2truth said:
Can you be a christian without going to church..... Ever?

Your thoughts please guys!

In theory, yes.

But the question isn't, "can you be a Christian without church". Rather, it is "what kind of Christian can you hope to be without church" and, more importantly, "why would a born again child of God want to deliberately and willfully forsake the Body of Christ"?

In our family, we like to have campfires in our back yard. A log will burn brightly with the other logs. But take it out of the fire, and it will go out and cool down immediately.

I've seen this play out in real life. I've never seen one who claims to be a Christian who continually forsakes the Body of Christ who wasn't involved in some ongoing sin or heresy.

Not saying that's you, just pointing out that it's a danger.

The Bible says that the purpose of the local assembly is the corporate preaching and teaching of the Word, corporate worship, the celebration of the two ordinances (baptism and the Lord's Supper), accountability, and the mutual edification of the Body.

How do you do that without church?

I guess my final question to the Christian who forsakes the Church is, if you don't want to be a part of the Church now, then why would they want to be a part of the Church when Jesus returns for her.

((NOTE TO MODERATORS: Please note that I did NOT say that the OP or anyone else is not a Christian.))

Can you be a christian without church?

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