My non-Christian friend asked: If being a Christian is all about trusting in Jesus Christ, why do I need the church?
My non-Christian friend asked: If being a Christian is all about trusting in Jesus Christ, why do I need the church?
One of my friends who is considering Christianity at the moment asked this thoughtful question. It's thoughtful because we're saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection AND joining a church. So if joining a church is not necessary for being justified and becoming a Christian, why should one join a church?
How would you respond to a non-Christian with this question? You can't be technical and overly theological because he is new to thinking about biblical truths and concepts. Here was my simple answer.
God made us to be with others. When God made Adam and he named all of the animals in pairs he noticed he didn't have a pair. Something was missing for him. God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." So God made Eve.
Solitary confinement scares us because we fear isolation. We fear being alone. We sense something is wrong. We were not meant for loneliness.
Jesus Christ saved his people from their sins to be a people. He saves us individually and personally but at the same time as part of a group. Jesus calls us to follow him with his people because he designed for us to keep our church family from being alone. He means for them to keep us from being alone. We were made to serve one another, to help each other follow and enjoy Jesus, and to serve our world. We weren't meant to be alone. We aren't meant to love God alone. And we aren't sent to serve this world alone. He gave us the church not merely as an obligation but as a privilege and gift.
How would you explain to a non-Christian the need for Christians to commit to a church if they became Christian? Please let me know in a comment below.
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