One response was "You have to work to eat! Going to church doesn’t assure you of salvation!" and another supported that: "That’s very true and I believe that it’s scripture."
Let's examine my point of asking the question. (1) People have good work attendance, (2) the same people have poor if any church attendance, and (3) they confess Jesus as Lord of their lives.
Now let's look at the response: (1) It's necessary to work to eat, and (2) Going to church does not assure you of salvation.
Both the latter are good points: Indeed they are both Scriptural. The consequence of the first sin (Adam's) is that mankind will have to work to survive: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Gen 3:19). The responder (to my point) is correct on that point - to survive people must work, notwithstanding that sinners often find a way to eat without working under socialism, but that is not my point. In fact, working is noble, and God encourages hard work. People work so that they will not physically die. Sick people who go to work are to be admired. I've done that hundreds of times myself. Most go to work regularly so as to nourish themselves and their families!
Now, let's examine the responders second notion: Going to church does not assure of salvation. That too is a valid point, but the question at hand had nothing to do with anyone obtaining salvation nor assuring salvation at church. However, the desire to attend church is re-assuring that regeneration was effectual. Is "salvation" essential for eternal life? You're about to say yes, aren't you? Salvation is eternal life! Salvation is saved from what? Eternal death. It is imperative to obtain salvation. However, there is only one place to be "saved" and that is in the transition from life to physical death.
Nowhere does Scripture say, "You must be saved," or even, "You must have a salvation experience. There is only one "must" in the entire Bible, mentioned in three places, and that was Jesus's saying, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). "Born again" for what reason? To live forever! The requirement to eat food provides temporal life, but the requirement to eat spiritual "food" provides eternal life. Humans eat food as the animals do in order to exist. Unlike the animals, however, mankind, to live forever, requires spiritual food. Jesus explained the difference between what we think of as "bread" and what spiritual bread is:
Jesus is speaking of a "bread" which comes from Heaven. That particular "bread" is "eaten" so as not to die! Then Jesus explains that he is the living bread. Jesus explained that his "bread" is his flesh, and that his blood is drink. Then he adds, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him." What Jesus described is Holy Communion which is partaking his Body and Blood symbolically by drinking the grape and eating the wafer. Why are Christians to do that? In remembrance of Jesus. (Luke 22:19).
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:50-58)
We take the elements - Christ's body and blood - in a church ritual. Why did Jesus say we need to do that? It's proof that you love and remember him, and is essential to dwell in him and he dwell in you. If someone does not commune in God's house, according to Jesus, neither do you have interest in him, and for that reason, don't expect that he will maintain you. Church is necessary to maintain a relationship with Christ. Failure to do that is dangerous and may lead to apostasy. Not eating of Christ's "bread" has more consequences than not eating of your daily bread.
Holy Communion is work. You must do something as a demonstration that you love Jesus for his grace. Communion with God is not to be saved. Communion and it's ritual - the church - is for Christians. Christians are not those who are "saved" but are born again. That is called regeneration, which is returning to mankind's origins, or a re-genesis. That was the Garden Paradise wherein our forbears daily communed with God.
Of course, the church is not the Kingdom of God, as was Paradise. The Church is an invisible Kingdom where Christians are citizens and love their kingdom! Christians should want to be in God's sanctuary from evil.
The tabernacles of the invisible Church are the church buildings. They are the sanctuary, or should be, from Satan. Because they are sanctuaries, the sanctified - those who willingly want to be safe from harm, should desire to be there. Enforced attendance to attend church is trying to obtain mercy out of fear of reprisal from God. God wants His people in Church because they want to be there! Except for children, for which you are accountable, no one should be forced to go to church. On the other hand, if they love the Lord as they claim, they should want to be in His sanctuary.
The responder made the point that one need to work to provide food to live. Jesus made the point that to live forever, all Christians must have spiritual food. The former is obtained by hard physical and mental work, and the latter (spiritual food) is obtained simply by spending time with God. Some say they can worship God anywhere. That is true, but do they? Likely not!
Jesus asked that we come to him. Jesus is always in Church. He may be silent if you are not in his Spirit, but he is there regardless. His Kingdom, much as the temple, is in the church building because there is so much evil outside the temple.
Paul has something to say about church attendance:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24-25)Church is not the place necessarily to be what people refer to as saved. I would gamble that most people are born again many different places. It makes sense, though, that in God's sanctuary that they are more likely to be born again because they are hearing the Word which is the "bread" to which Jesus was referring. Although people are born again anywhere, those who are effectually regenerated should want to commune with God. Church is mostly the place for Christians to gather. Let's look at another saying of Jesus:
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Mat 18:20).The world - that place outside God's presence - is Satan's realm. He is "Prince of the Air". Where Christians gather in Jesus's Name is Church where Jesus said, "I am in the midst of them." Church is essential because when people gather in the church, Jesus is there with them. Not only must they be gathered but gathered in His Name! People must have church, or commune with Jesus since he is there. What is it that Jesus wants? Communion in his tabernacle. Church isn't only for us, it is for Him!
Christians go to Church because they are Christians. The purpose of church is to be with God, and He be with us! It's likely that if you are home with no desire to commune with your Christian family that you just may not be part of the "family". Ask yourself the questions: (1) Would it please your employer if you miss work" and (2) Does it please God if you skip church? Only a fool would say yes to either question, but just who is more important to you?
Actually, if you skip either work or church, you surely won't die. On the other hand, if you skip work and not eat, you will begin to die. If you skip church, you begin to die spiritually because you aren't doing what is expected of you. The Lord's Supper is one expectation of God. Another, and more important expectation is that you love Him. That is the Greatest Commandment.
Attending church is one step toward loving Him, remembering that when people gather in Jesus's Name he is there with them. He is not likely on your recliner watching you be entertained, or on the lake where life is no more than you and the creation:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. (Rom 1:25)"The creature" is Satan and the creation is claimed by him. By claiming communion with the earth, is worshiping what was created. The Creator demands worship on His terms, with Him in His House.
Church is for loving God. Christians are the "lively stones" of the Church (1 Pet 2:5). There is no Church without the "stones". Christians, you are the stones. Rather than sitting at home much like a stone, that liveliness is being in Church. The sanctuary building is indeed the place where Jesus comes to meet those who desire to commune with him. If there is no desire to meet with Jesus, then those who don't attend God's house should ask, "Am I truly a Christian?" because they are hardly lively stones!
The reader should notice that I use God's Word for my arguments. Scripture is to be used for testing all things, "by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2). Just by believing as the responder's supporter said, does not make it so. If anyone believes something in the Bible, they should test what they believe! While it is true that attending church is not efficacious, it is true that if regeneration was efficacious, that is where the Christian would want to be. Someone who is not sure of God's Word cannot admonish, reprove, or correct those who fail to understand God's Word rightly.
First off, my point was not that church is saving nor does it offer the assurance of salvation. One's response should be to the argument, not changing the argument. Furthermore, the "assurance of salvation" is willingness to do God's will without coercion. No one should make a Christian go to church. If they are indeed Christians, they should have the desire to be with those who they are commanded to love. That's why people gathering is so important, so as to love one another. Staying away from Christians does not demonstrate love of God nor others. Christians should want to be with Jesus and their Christian brothers. If they do not, then something is wrong with the "bread" they ate! Who produced their bread?
Faith entails trusting God in all things. Jesus said that even he had no place to lay his head, so why worry?
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. (Luke 9:58-59)We worry too much about what we have. Jesus had nothing, not even a place to sleep.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (Mat 6:25)Sure, working is necessary. On the other hand, people worry to much about themselves notwithstanding that God will take care of them. The Abrahamic Covenant was a deal between God and faithful people: Be faithful and I will take care of you! When they were, God took care of them as He promised. When they didn't, God didn't. That was the deal and it was for perpetuity! It still applies today.
Going to work sick depends on yourself and your employer for your well-being. That in itself is all right. However, being faithful to God is more important. The former nourishes this temporal life and the latter eternal life! To validate that foolishness is folly.
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