Going To Church Will Not Save You

By Angie Lewis

Christianity is more than “going to church” on Sunday and Wednesday. In fact, salvation has more to do with your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not about what you do for others, it is about what you do for you! Do you have a one-on-one relationship with the Lord? What does salvation mean to you?

The Christian life is not about what the eyes can see but about what the heart can feel. It is about living our lives for God. The kingdom of heaven is the Christians spiritual place of refuge. I wonder how many believers have taken refuge within the spiritual walls of God’s kingdom. Though we live in the world the Christian is not a part of the world. The Christian is a part of God’s kingdom that has been prepared especially for Him.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
Matthew 25:34

But some of us do not know that God has already left us a kingdom because we have been influenced by the ways of society and allowing the culture to invade our spiritual lives – we have lost the understanding of “what it means” to live by the Holy Spirit and live in God’s spiritual kingdom, right now – today! Could it be we think Jesus is not with us? Are we still waiting for Jesus to come back? Jesus is with us in Spirit through the Holy Spirit!

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth (Christ’ Spirit). The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 14:15,16

Sadly, when Christians conduct themselves by the standards of the world they are doing something wrong. Where have Christians missed the mark? If I only had one word to describe what Christians are doing wrong it would be “unfaithfulness”. I say this because it takes faith to live the Christian life. It takes faith to apply the power of the Holy Spirit into our lives.

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:14

I believe that because of lack of faith Christians are losing their place with God. They are slowly moving their spiritual lives into the culture of society and not relying on the Power of the Holy Spirit to go to work in their lives. Our natural tendency is to think of living our life away from God but He is our Source! God is EVERYTHING for the Christian. Pride, intellect, rationalizations, and excuses keep many folks from ever discovering the Power of God in their lives.

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Ephesians 4:18-19

The first thing to understand about being a Christian is that our place is in His spiritual kingdom that He left us, where we live our lives faithfully in Jesus Christ. Many Christians think that by “going to church” and doing good deeds they are saved. But the bible adamantly contradicts this Christian thinking and it has deceived many wonderful people.

For one thing, if God’s church is made up of His people, then how can “the church” be a building? I’m not saying that church is a bad thing because going to church is a great place to hear the message of Jesus Christ and to meet other Christians and witness for Christ. But you can do that anywhere! God’s church is within us because it is spiritual.

Salvation is an ongoing part of the Christian life. That means the Christian continues to grow and learn, love and forgive. Christians are supposed to be examples of Christ by applying scripture into their own way of life. How can the Christian do that if they do not have faith? How can they do that when they are behaving just like the unbeliever?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ live in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

So, then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6,7