Can you be a Christian and not go to Church?

I have heard dozens either ask if you can be a christian and not go to church, or simply state it as fact. Lets dissect the question because there are two ways to view this question and most people are asking the second question.

The first is “do I need to go to church in order to become a christian?” or “do you have to go to church to go to heaven?”.

While the second question is “can I be considered to be active in my Christian faith (or a ‘good’ christian) without actively going to church?”.

Do you have to go to church to go to heaven?

This is a definite no. You need to be saved and a born-again believer to become a Christian. That is it.

It does not matter what your past is, or what you have done. It does not matter what you currently do, how you sin, if you’ve been baptized, if your family are all pastors, deacons, or elders, or even how ‘bad’ or ‘good’ of a person you think you are.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

Salvation is God’s gift to us and the greatest decision anyone will ever make in life is the decision to be saved. It is a personal choice to have a personal relationship with God.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 KJV

The only way to heaven and spending eternity with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ is through salvation. Many people or churches will add restrictions to this, but that is not biblical.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

John 14:6 KJV

So YES! You absolutely can be a Christian and not go to church, in that sense. The very definition of Christian is simply “a follower of Christ”. Choosing to get saved is choosing to follow Christ.

Do you have to go church to have a relationship with God?

Will you still actively believe in Jesus Christ as your savior? I’m sure, but will you grow as a Christian the way the Lord wants you to? No.

If all you are looking for is a ticket into heaven, then you already have that through salvation. And if that is all you want, then that is all you will get.

To be honest, though, if that is all you were looking for to begin with, then I’d encourage you to dig deep and reflect on your salvation. Do you want Jesus himself, or just what Jesus can give you? The condition of your heart is what defines whether or not you actually got saved.

On the other hand, if you are looking for the blessings of the Lord in your life and having Him show you just how real, powerful, and able He is, surrounding yourself with other genuinely devoted Christians is a must.

When you choose Jesus Christ as your savior, he adopts you into His kingdom. You are now part of God’s church; One of many brothers and sisters in Christ.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free … For the body is not one member, but many.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 KJV

Christianity is having a personal relationship with God, but He never intended for us to live the Christian life alone. He has equipped you with a unique gift that He wants to use to advance his Kingdom and share the gospel to others so they may also receive his blessing, grace, and mercy.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man …”

Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV

A christian without church is like a…

A christian without church is like a wife refusing to live with her husband because *insert excuse here*.

• He will judge me for not having a perfectly tidy home
• He can’t take care of my every need, every time i’m with Him
• I ask for help and he doesn’t help immediately
• He is kind of a hypocrite
• He doesn’t agree with me when I overspend buying something ON SALE

The Bible does not support, or promote individual spirituality. Part of becoming a Christian means becoming part of God’s church body.

We are the church body. The church body is the bride of the Christ. We cannot be in a constant relationship with the Lord without being connected to the body.

So, truth be told, you can have a marriage where you are living apart due to unique circumstances (like an illness). However, a true healthy marriage includes being in constant relationship with one another.

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

1 Corinthians 12: 26-27 KJV

Can I be active in my faith without actively going to church?

This is the question everyone wants the answer to because, let’s be honest, it can be exhausting. Dealing with people in any setting can be emotionally draining (even more so for introverts).

Going to a place to seek refuge, help, healing, saving, or comfort is hardly the place where you want to go to encounter people. It may sound harsh, but I am just being honest about the realities of walking with Christ. I am not here to make things sound elegant and blissful when many times they aren’t.

You can be active in your faith by reading your Bible, praying, and wholeheartedly seeking God everyday of your life. Over time, however, if you truly put God first in your life, the Lord will put the desire in you to look for a church home and connect to the body. This shows spiritual maturity and growing in Christ.

So though you can actively seek Christ without attending church, it will only take you so far. Surround yourself with other mature Christians that God will use to help guide and teach you how to navigate this life.

I understand that the last thing anyone wants to do in the midst of depression, brokenness, hurt, and feeling lost or lonely is to put a smile on your face to greet other people. However, this is exactly what we are called to do.

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Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

Why? All of those other people are broken too. This is why sin still abides within the church. The church is made up of people and sin still abides within people even after salvation.

Going to church expecting people not to sin is like going to a hospital expecting no one to be sick. If you are not perfect and make mistakes, they aren’t perfect either and also make mistakes. They are learning and growing just like you.

Hebrews 10:25 acknowledges that some may not gather, but says we should be connecting and coming together even more as we see the world turning further away from the Lord.

So can you be a christian without going to church? Yes and no. Ultimately, though, soon after salvation, putting God first in your life will lead you to realize that it is a requirement to be connected to the body in order to be obedient and maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord.

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