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I Checked None
“I CHECKED NONE!”
There seems to be a current trend among many Americans in which they mark “None” or “None of the Above” when expressing a religious preference. Over the last several years, many “so-called Christians” have developed the idea of “I can follow Jesus Christ without the church.” Many feel that they don’t want to be a part of an organization that requires attendance at services. They don’t want to give their money to support preaching of the Gospel. They feel that people in the church are hypocritical and judgmental. They reason that all they need to do is love Jesus, accept God’s grace, have a personal relationship with Him, and have no strings attached.
Several years ago, there was a You Tube video about this topic of loving Jesus but hating religion. That video received 30 million views. Many people have latched onto this false teaching about serving Jesus but never attending church. Perhaps many of these people have had bad experiences with other Christians. Maybe, they have been treated harshly or ignored by those in the church when they needed help. Perhaps the idea of “Jesus Yes, Church No” comes from ignorance of what the Bible actually says about the church. A recent survey found out that only 3 out of 10 believing Americans attend at least one church service a week. That is about 80 million people who say they believe in Jesus but make no attempt to worship Him.
Jesus Christ purchased the church with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) He is the Savior of the body, the church. (Ephesians 5:23) Any attempt to separate Jesus Christ and His church promotes false teaching. It dilutes the fact that Jesus died for the church. It creates a false sense of security for those believing all they need is Jesus without the church. Pick up your Bible and read about the true relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. When Jesus said, “I will build My Church,” shouldn’t we attend and worship Him in that church?
Written by Larry Schneider
