I do pray and believe 100% in God but I dont go to church. Is he holding that against me or do I have to go to church for God to know that I love him and that I believe in him?
2007-12-10 05:56:49 · 15 answers · asked by americangurl92 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God already knows how you feel and whatever else is on your mind. Many of the responders have already stated the truth: no, there is no absolute need to attend church but really, you'll be better off if you do. Suppose you had found something in the Bible you never saw before (it's happened many times). Who could you share that with? In church, there is usually a time of sharing and you could make someone's day a lot brighter just by sharing what you found, or even by just being there.
Try a few Sundays at a Bible-preaching, Bible-believing church. Ask a friend which church he or she goes to, and ask some specific questions about it (size, worship style, etc.). If you look sincerely, you'll find THE place to connect and use your talents for the Lord. How blessed you and that church will be. I don't know the reason why you don't attend--none of my business--but please consider going.
A blessed and Merry Christmas to you and all of yours.
2007-12-10 08:32:03 · answer #1 · answered by Brother Jonathan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say yes and no. Keep holy the Sabbath is a commandment and not through words alone but actions is there salvation, so I think going to church is a showing of commitment and effort. And you may find new points of view or new value in what you believe. But at the same time, I don't think there is a tally being kept for every time a person goes to church and how close that makes them to God. Since your faith is so personal, how you feel is extremely significant. But how you present it to the world and God is something you should think about. Is one hour a week really that much of an effort? Faith may be personal, but it is also about the community.
2007-12-10 14:02:43 · answer #2 · answered by sweetbearsg2003 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
american...no...you do NOT have to go to Church to be close to God!
I am witness and testimony of that fact, lol, for I have rarely been in a church :)
You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many Believers whom were close to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were no longer in a Church and are some of the strongest Christians I know of!!! :)
The Bible states we are to "fellowship" with other believers...it does not say we have to go to a church building or belong to any other church besides the church which is the BODY OF CHRIST to do so. :)
In fact, are we not FELLOWSHIPPING right here in R&S? We ask help of each other all the time, prayers and comfort and discuss the Lord, etc.,. :)
You are welcome to visit my MySpace page and read my Testimony and Witness there...as well as the blogs, however, be warned, the Blogs are not professionally written, lol :)
I have my myspace url on my profile here in Y&A...be my guest! :)
2007-12-10 14:06:52 · answer #3 · answered by ForeverSet 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do not have to go to church to be close to God. You might need to go to church for other reasons, like to learn more about Him and how to get even closer to Him, to be around people who believe as you do and draw strength from them, to partake of the sacrament, just to name a few. There are many reasons to go to church that are equally important, but you don't HAVE to.
2007-12-10 14:08:26 · answer #4 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God wants us to be in His house and to fellowship with other believers. It is good for us and very up-lifting. Get involved in a local church, work in the church, you won't regret it and God will bless you for your efforts!
2007-12-10 14:01:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer to this question is no. The bible does say to not forsake the assembling of one another. So you should be in community with other Christians. Its hard to be a lone ranger Christian with all the trials we face. Its good to have a community of believers that will support you. If you don't have a community of believers to support you then life can be difficult as a Christian. Its important to point out that we as Christians have been given spiritual gifts. They are meant to be used with other Christians with spiritual gifts. So if you have the gift of teaching that wouldn't do you much good unless you had someone to teach. On the other hand if you have the gift of mercy who would you show mercy to if you didn't belong to a community of Christians? Thats my perspective.
2007-12-10 14:03:19 · answer #6 · answered by christianity20com 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not hold it against you. He loves you no matter what but...
The purpose of church is to "fellowship" with others who are also Christians. "Fellowship" means to make friends have fun, hang out, worship together with others who believe the same as you. One reason it is important is because it is a sort of support system.
2007-12-10 14:02:28 · answer #7 · answered by Hello 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is your judge, not anyone here. But we are called to be the Body of Christ. That requires more than one. It takes a community. A good Church community can be something amazing. Each person bring something integral, even you. Without that, something will always be missing.
2007-12-10 14:00:42 · answer #8 · answered by Tasha 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You don't have to go to church, but you might find that you will enjoy it and it will help you in your faith if you find a church that suits you. As long as you have made a commitment to God and you know for sure that when you die you will go to heaven
2007-12-10 14:10:32 · answer #9 · answered by Cat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you love God and believe in him he already knows this, however attending church is part of Gods plan for his children as it helps us grow in our faith and creates for us a spiritual family who supports us through good and bad times. Hope this helps!
2007-12-10 14:02:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋