Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– William Temple
Devotional: 4 Common Misconceptions about Christian Churches
If you approach church with the wrong assumptions, it will fail to do its job. The whole job of the Christian church is to encourage fellowship that leads to Christ. It’s a gateway to Christ, but if you have the wrong ideas what church is, it actually might lead you to disbelief and lead you astray. When you stop focusing on Jesus and start focusing on the people in his church then all sorts of problems will arise as far as your relationship with Christ is concerned. This is why it is a good idea to beware of common misconceptions people have about Christian churches. Here are the four most common ones.
Your Church Membership Saves You
This is a very common misconception among certain denominations. They think that the only way to be saved is if you are a member of a particular church. The reality is that Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody can come to the father except through me. If you read that passage and understand it, you realize that what saves is Jesus Christ. He’s the only way, not the church, not other people, but Jesus.
Simply attending Church is the Key to Salvation
Simply showing up at church will not save you. Romans, the book of Ephesians, and the whole Bible really point to this fact. God doesn’t owe you salvation. He doesn’t owe you any favors. It’s a free gift. So by simply attending church or doing all sorts of requirement doesn’t lead to salvation. It’s something else that leads to salvation. That something else of course is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
God Will Only Save People from a Particular Church
Just as church membership doesn’t save you, membership to the “right” church will not save you either. Again, it really all boils down to Jesus being the only way.
Accessing God’s Presence is Only Possible at Church
Another very common misconception about what church is thinking that it’s a sort of magical place where you need to be, to access God. This is a really slap in the face of God because the essence of God is that he is everywhere. He is powerful, all knowing, and he is everywhere. So to say that the only way to his presence is to show up in a particular location called church is really a gross misunderstanding of the nature of God.
If you don’t want your church membership or your relationship with your church to be a stumbling block in your relationship with Christ, keep the misconceptions described above in mind. They really can get in the way of not just the proper relationship between church members but also in your relationship with Christ himself.
