Alex; If you believe in Jesus Christ does it matter which church?

Question

you belong to. Or is it better to not go since they are so far off base. Serve God in your own way? Or is it enough just to believe?

Answer 1

Very good questions.

No doubt there are many things done in the name of religion today that you do not think are right. Often you may hear about people who have very immoral ways of life, but who are respectable members of churches. You may even know about religious leaders who have a very bad way of life, but who are still accepted as good religious leaders in their churches. Some religious leaders have said that homosexuality and having sex relations without being married are not wrong. But you may know that the Bible does not say that. In fact, God had his people of Israel punished with death because they practiced such things. For the same reason he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. (Jude 7) Soon he will do the same to all modern-day false religion. In the Bible, such religion is represented as a prostitute because of its immoral relations with the “kings of the earth.”—Revelation 17:1, 2, 16.

WORSHIP THAT GOD APPROVES

Since God does not approve of all religions, we need to ask: ‘Am I worshiping God in the way that he approves?’ How can we know if we are? It is not any man, but God, who is the judge of what is true worship. So if our worship is to be acceptable to God, it must be firmly rooted in God’s Word of truth, the Bible. We should feel the same way as the Bible writer who said: “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.”—Romans 3:3, 4.

The first-century Pharisees did not feel that way. They set up their own beliefs and traditions and followed these rather than God’s Word. With what result? Jesus told them: “You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’” (Matthew 15:1-9; Isaiah 29:13) So if we want God’s approval, it is necessary that we make sure that what we believe is in agreement with the teachings of the Bible.

It is not enough for us to say we believe in Christ and then do what we think is right. It is absolutely necessary that we find out what God’s will is on the matter. Jesus showed this in his Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.”—Matthew 7:21.

We could even be doing what we believe to be “good deeds,” and be doing these in the name of Christ. Yet all of these would be of no value if we failed to do God’s will. We would be in the position of the ones Christ next mentions: “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:22, 23) Yes, we can be doing things that we think are good—and for which other humans may thank us and even praise us—but if we fail to do what God says is right we will be regarded by Jesus Christ as “workers of lawlessness.”

Since many religions today are not doing God’s will, we cannot simply assume that the teachings of the religious organization we are associated with are in agreement with God’s Word. The mere fact that the Bible is used by a religion does not of itself prove that all the things it teaches and practices are in the Bible. It is important that we ourselves examine whether they are or not. Persons in the city of Beroea were commended because, after the Christian apostle Paul preached to them, they checked the Scriptures to make sure that the things he was telling them were true. (Acts 17:10, 11) The religion that is approved by God must agree in every way with the Bible; it will not accept certain parts of the Bible and reject other parts.—2 Timothy 3:16.

SINCERITY ALONE NOT ENOUGH

But someone may ask: ‘If a person is sincere in his beliefs, won’t God approve of him even if his religion is wrong?’ Well, Jesus said he would not approve of “workers of lawlessness” even though they believed they were doing what was right. (Matthew 7:22, 23) So sincerity alone would not be approved by God either. Once Jesus told his followers: “The hour is coming when everyone that kills you will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God.” (John 16:2) Such killers of Christians might sincerely believe that they were thereby serving God, but clearly they were not. God does not approve of what they did.

Before he became a Christian, the apostle Paul helped in the murder of Stephen. Later, he looked for ways to kill more Christians. (Acts 8:1; 9:1, 2) Paul explained: “To the point of excess I kept on persecuting the congregation of God and devastating it, and I was making greater progress in Judaism than many of my own age in my race, as I was far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Galatians 1:13, 14) Yes, Paul was sincere, but that did not make his religion right.

At the time, Paul was a member of the Jewish religious system, which had rejected Jesus Christ, and so it, in turn, was rejected by God. (Acts 2:36, 40; Proverbs 14:12) So to gain God’s approval Paul needed to change his religion. He also wrote of others who had “a zeal for God”—who were sincere but were not approved by God because their religion was not based on accurate knowledge of God’s purposes.—Romans 10:2, 3.

The truth will not allow for all the different kinds of religious doctrine in the world. For example, either humans have a soul that survives the death of the body or they do not. Either the earth will last forever or it will not. Either God will bring wickedness to an end or he will not. These and many other beliefs are either right or wrong. There cannot be two sets of truth when one does not agree with the other. One or the other is true, but not both. Sincerely believing something, and practicing that belief, will not make it right if it really is wrong.

How should you feel if proof is given that what you believe is wrong? For example, say that you were in a car, traveling for the first time to a certain place. You have a road map, but you have not taken time to check it carefully. Someone has told you the road to take. You trust him, sincerely believing that the way he has directed you is correct. But suppose it is not. What if someone points out the error? What if he, by referring to your own map, shows that you are on the wrong road? Would pride or stubbornness prevent you from admitting that you are on the wrong road? Well, then, if you learn from an examination of your Bible that you are traveling a wrong religious road, be willing to change. Avoid the broad road to destruction; get on the narrow road to life!

DOING GOD’S WILL NECESSARY

It is important to know the truths of the Bible. Yet this knowledge is worthless if you do not worship God in truth. (John 4:24) Practicing the truth, doing God’s will, is what counts. “Faith without works is dead,” the Bible says. (James 2:26) To please God, then, your religion must not only be in full agreement with the Bible but also be applied in every activity of life.

Is belonging to an organized religion necessary?

Most religious organizations have produced bad fruitage. It is not the fact that groups are organized that is bad. But many have promoted forms of worship that are based on false teachings and are largely ritualistic instead of providing genuine spiritual guidance; they have been misused to control the lives of people for selfish objectives; they have been overly concerned with money collections and ornate houses of worship instead of spiritual values; their members are often hypocritical. Obviously no one who loves righteousness would want to belong to such an organization. But true religion is a refreshing contrast to all of that. Nevertheless, to fulfill the Bible’s requirements, it must be organized.

Heb. 10:24, 25: “Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (To carry out this Scriptural command, there must be Christian meetings that we can attend on a consistent basis. Such an arrangement encourages us to express love toward others, not only concern about self.)

1 Cor. 1:10: “Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (Such unity would never be achieved if the individuals did not meet together, benefit from the same spiritual feeding program, and respect the agency through which such instruction was provided. See also John 17:20, 21.)

1 Pet. 2:17: “Have love for the whole association of brothers.” (Does that include only those who may meet together for worship in a particular private home? Not at all; it is an international brotherhood, as shown by Galatians 2:8, 9 and 1 Corinthians 16:19.)

Matt. 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (For all nations to be given the opportunity to hear that good news, the preaching must be carried out in an orderly way, with suitable oversight. Love for God and for one’s fellowman has caused people around the earth to unite their efforts to do this work.)

So it is a matter of finding which is the true christian religion and associating with them, not just serving god in our own way.

I hope this help, Frax.

Answer 2

It indeed matters. You are right- Some churches are off base. Thats why it is important to find one that is on base. You can serve God in your own way and you can even simply believe HOWEVER in order to get the most out of christianity you need to be part of a church.

Answer 3

The word says not to forsake yourself of the assembly. It can be in regular mainstream church or a home church or small group. What is important is that you are called there by God. Ask him where He would have you serve and learn and grow. It is not enough to just believe. Being with a group of people gives you accountability, and edification.
Try and find a good bible based church with balance. I am not personally into the "mega" churches, since they are so anonymous, it is hard to have steady relationships in them, but they do offer quite a bit for all different age people.

Answer 4

The nestinar (fire-dancing Christians from south-west Bulgaria)two-cycle calendar is based on the personification of the Son, but that is not Jesus Christ. It is "The Svetok" (St. Constantine). The Son and his Great Goddess Mother are deeply revered. The nestinar icons bear the names and represent the images of St. Constantine, St. Helena and St.Constantine's Mother. The female image has two hypostases - of "The Svetok's" Wife/Sister and "The Svetok's" Mother.Special attention should be paid to the so-called Enyo's Day commemorating the birth of St. John the Baptist; the Great Teacher who initiates one into the sacrament of baptism. Enyo's Day coincides with the Summer solstice and has the longest daylight time. The rituals, performed by the population of Strandzha Mountain, are among the oldest ones. They are initialized and feminized but they also express reverence for the Sun. It is believed that the Sun stole the virgin St.Marina who was gifted with the chaste conception. This is still the day on which curative herbs are picked up.

Answer 5

Yes the church matters.As there are so many denominations cropping up one must be very careful.You cannot serve God in your own way.Just believing is also not enough.Choose a church that believes in the Holy Spirit.
By the way who is Alex?

Answer 6

It does matter, because you need to believe in the full teachings of Jesus...not just the ones you happen to agree with and/or like. Jesus founded His church, first headed by the Apostle Peter. Today, this is called the Roman Catholic Church. Other churches have split from this, always adding or subtracting something from God's message. Stay whole.

Answer 7

If there are many churches, then ask this question: Which Christ do you serve? Answer: There is but ONE Christ, just as there is ONE God. How do we know there is only ONE? Ephesians 4:1-6
1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

That sure is a lot of "ones" but you do see the seriousness of this doctrine. If it is serious that there is only ONE God, as this passage says, then it is just as serious about all those other ONES as well. One Lord, One Spirit, One God, One Hope of heaven, On faith or belief, One body (one bride of Christ which is the Church), One baptism into that One body.

Is it enough to just believe? How do you define "believe?" Is it just a good idea between your ears or does it require some ACTIONS on your part. Faith and belief are the same thing. Faith without works is DEAD, so belief without actions is not really belief at all. It is just mental assent. You agree in mind, but not in heart or principle. YOU DO what you believe. You fail to do when you do not believe. If you know your Dad will tan your hide for sure for doing xxxxx, you got two choices, if you believe him or if you choose to not believe him. Then you act upon what you believe or do not believe. You may go on and do it. But you will hide it from HIM. WHY? because you believe he will punish you. Or you don't believe him at all, and do it right in front of his face...he yells and stammers about, but does nothing. You acted on your belief.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Yes, it does better find one that sticks to the Bible as the sole authority of all things! Sorry I'm not Alex! But I'll take the 10 points anyways.
I'll give you the address of a local church near you that sticks to the Bible as the only sole authority of all things!

Answer 9

Actually as long as you read the bible and study Gods word it doesn't matter if you are in a church or not. If you remember, Jesus used to have teachings outside on a rock, not in a church. I have bible study at home.

Answer 10

There is the true church.
There is the external church.

I think it matters.
Others do not.

I don't belong to an external church.
I am a member of the internal church.

Where does it say you have to join a church?
It doesn't.

Answer 11

I'm not Alex but I'll answer anyway. I don't think it matters what church...some people think other churches are just plain wrong!! But I think God accepts you as long as you accept His Son, JC. God Bless!