No, you & I don't need to go to church [meaning not a building but a fellowship of believers] if we want to be saved and get to heaven. Only Jesus (as the Head of His Church and member of the Trinity) is the Way, the Truth, and the Life [John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12]; and only the Word from His mouth...and not from the mouth of fallen men...remains perfect [1 Peter 1:23-25, Acts 17:10-11].
But, you & I do NEED TO GO to be sanctified [meaning to be made better, to grow] and equipped IF WE WANT TO GET THROUGH LIFE. [Ephesians 4:11-16, Romans 12:3-13] Meeting regularly with a fellowship of God's followers will help you & I avoid both the mentality of PRIDE: That our life is all the world [Proverbs 18:1], and the mentality of DESPAIR: That all the world is on our life. [1 Kings 19:1-18]
To meet with redeemed sinners is a powerful mirror designed and intended by God to reflect the reminders of truth to our ever forgetful and ever gravitating-to-self hearts: First, that we have fallen-selfish natures (like our neighbor) in constant need of forgiveness and instruction; and second, that God's Spirit, love, joy are manifest, alive, and active as a merciful, enduring blessing for us today (just as they were all in one in the Person of Jesus Christ; who has united us into Him).
To completely deny and reject the "corporate" Body of Christ is to withhold yourself from both giving blessing to others and receiving blessing from others.
If you haven't found that Biblical Body of Christ to fellowship with yet, keep looking BUT ask God to help you to not be too picky. God worked with the confused and sensual Corinthians of Paul's day. You, my soul, should be willing to go and do likewise.
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*To clarify, the use of 'guardrail' is not like that which keeps people from falling off a cliff and into the pit of hell, but rather that which keeps people directed on the path through life's tangled woods and jungles. People can try and walk properly outside those guardrails yet will end up stumbling through the brush and thorns of life and taking unecessary detours. God's path is not crooked (Proverbs 8:8, Isaiah 40:3, Hebrews 12:13) yet He knows how to make crooked paths straight. (Isaiah 40:4, 42:16, 45:2 & Luke 13:10-13)
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Different Things God is teaching Me
SpiritualWhen God shows His love, mercy, forgiveness, longsuffering, and grace towards you...it shouldn't stop with you. You are destined to pass it on to others and reflect faithfulness and devotion back to Him as the Divine Spouse. Cover Art by Maria Oosth...
