Why go to church?

Why go to church?

Recently, many people live in their own private little religious space. They think that faith is something one holds for oneself, lives out alone and nourishes based on the already established traditions.

However, in the Bible we find that God calls us into fellowship with himself and with each other. Yes, the Christian faith is something personal, but nothing to keep private. God is calling every one of us to faith in Jesus Christ. Each one of us has to accept him individually. But, when we have done that, we are also called by Christ into a fellowship with each other.

He chose twelve disciples. He spoke about wanting to build a church. The word for church in the Bible is one that denotes fellowship. The New Testament talks about the church as a family, a house that consists of many living stones, an army or a body with several parts. Throughout the New Testament we see the church as a fellowship, where the individuality of each member is not wiped away, but rather a place where both men and women can feel at home and be part of an organic unity.

It is for this reason that we find the expression "each other" or "one another" so often in the Bible. We see that we are to teach each other, pray for one another, serve each other, carry each other's brdens, love one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, admonish one another etc. These exhortations are quite plain. We are obviously called to live our Christian life together, since it is a vital part of God's plan for our lives!

So then, every Christian faces the challenge of finding his/her place in a living church, which proclaims Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. You will not find your place here on earth until you have become a disciple of Jesus Christ and a vital part of a local church.