First of all, you can't be damned to hell for something you do or don't do if you have invited Jesus to come into your life and received Him as Lord and Savior. It's his work, not yours, that saves.
You have been saved from hell, from paying the penalty for your sins, not because of what you do or don't do but because of what *Christ did* for you. Only Jesus can save you. You can't save yourself. "There was only one way for us to be saved: Jesus Christ—who was perfect and sinless—took our sins upon Himself, and He died in our place. We deserve to die for our sins, but He took upon Himself our death and our Hell. He did it out of love." ~Billy Graham. You can't get into heaven by your own efforts. "Salvation arrives as a free gift." (Eph. 2:10, Ro. 10:9, Ro. 4:16, Gal.2:16, 2:21, 3:26, 5:6, Ro. 4:5, 25, Co. 2: 11, 13-14--and many other verses). "Saving is his work, all you do is trust him enough to let Him do it. You neither make nor save yourself. God does both the making and the saving." (Ephesians 2:10) "You're not 'doing' anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation." (Romans 10:9)
You can't enter into a relationship with God by rule-keeping: "If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily." (Galatians 2:21). "By faith in Christ [we] are in a direct relationship with God." (Galatians 3:26). You aren't set right before God by "rule-keeping", or by "trying to be good." Only through "the sacrificed Jesus [who] made you fit for God, set you right with God." (Galatians 2:16, Romans 4:25) You can't by any works of your own, gain acceptance by God. Only through the free gift of Jesus, through God's grace. (Romans 3:19-31). You can't make yourself righteous by observing all the rules and laws--or by any means. Only Christ makes you righteous before God, when you trust in what He did (not what you do). (Romans 3:20-14, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 5:6, Romans 3:27-31, Romans 3:27,Hebrews 10:10, Colossians 1:22...). You can't please God by working your head off or improving yourself: "No human being can please God by self-improvement" (Galatians 2:16) or by "working [their] head off". (Galatians 2:16; 3:3)
It "was against us and stood opposed to us." It "hindered more than it helped." It was "old, bankrupt", "cursed", "constricting." It "crushed" the people. It was a "government of death" and "condemnation." A "constricting legalism." A "curse", a "self-defeating cursed life." (Col. 2:14, Eph. 2:15, 2 Co. 3:15, Ga. 3:13, 2 Co. 3:17, Ac. 15:20, 2 Co. 3:7, 3:9). What was it that the Bible was talking about? The Law.
When Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, "the Law", the "system of commandments", the "rule dominated way of living", the "rule-keeping system" was "cancelled", "thrown out", and "nailed to the cross." The law was "makeshift" and "temporary." (Ro. 6:6, 7:4, Heb. 7:18, Ga. 2:16, 5:2, 2 Co. 3:11, Co. 2:17, etc...). As Galatians 3:21 says, the the purpose of the law was to make it obvious that we are out of right relationship with God. And to show the uselessness of making some religious system for getting a relationship with God by our own efforts. Not by "rule-keeping" but "by faith in Christ [we] are in a direct relationship with God." (Galatians 3:26)
The new way of living is not trying to keep rules. A list of do's and dont's. It's not "strenuous moral striving" (Ga. 3:5). It's not "trying to be good" (Ga.2:18). It's not working your head off to please God (it won't work)(Gal. 2:18-19). It's not redoubling your own efforts (Ro. 8:4). It's not trying to live by your own effort (we are "doomed to failure")(Ga. 3:3,10). It's not trying to use the law to live right before God ("it's not so easy")(Ro. 10:5, Ga. 2:16). It's not trying to improve yourself and work your head off to please God (we can't please God that way: Galatians 2:16; 3:3). It's not obsessing with yourself in these matters (Ro. 8:6).
The new way of living is focusing on God (Romans 8:6,7 9:32). It's being led by the Spirit. By that something deep with you that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. It's embracing what the Spirit is doing in you (Romans 8:4). It's trusting God to "shape the right living in you", making you like His son (Ro. 10:6) That's your new, free life in Christ.
But back to the idea of going to church. Yes, Jesus commanded us to go to church. Keep in mind, God laid down certain rules to live by for us so that we can have the best of life, and complete happiness and fulfillment. And of course, we are not the only ones who benefit from church: it brings God pleasure when we worship Him.
Hebrews 10:25 declares: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" or in the Message version "not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." As you will see in the points below, Jesus himself attended "church" or the "synagogue." "During the earthly life of Jesus Christ, He faithfully attended the synagogue, which was the place of public worship for the Jews. They would gather to read the law, and have one of the teachers expound the truths of the Old Testament. Luke 4:16 states: 'And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.'" ~Tim Ross "1 John 2:6 declares: "He that saith he abideth in him ought to himself also so to walk, even as he walked." ~Tim Ross
Here are 12 reasons that reveal the importance of going to church.:
1) "God wants you to have fellowship with other believers, and you will be weakened spiritually if you don't have active contact with His people." ~Billy Graham
2) You will grow closer to Christ. "Go because you know you need to grow closer to Christ, and one way this happens is through our fellowship with other believers. The Bible says, 'Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation' (1 Peter 2:2)." ~Billy Graham
3) "You need spiritual encouragement and help, and one of the most important ways you can receive these is through fellowship with God's people in a church where Christ is taught and lived." ~Billy Graham
4) In a gathering of believers, you can obey the New Testament's "one another" commands: We are to comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins ot one another (James 5:16), pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more.
5) You meet with other Christians so that they can use their spiritual gifts to strengthen you. (We were all given spiritual gifts to minister to and help other people). "Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of the other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. 1 Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: 'The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you.' Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today." ~Dr. John Bechtle
6) As Billy Graham says, God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus. In church, you learn from the Bible as it is taught. And you also learn from other believers who can help and encourage you.:
"...once we come to Christ, we become part of a family—the family of God. Think of it: You are no longer just an individual, but you are now part of a group—a spiritual 'family' that includes every person on earth who truly believes in Jesus Christ. Everyone who believes in Christ is now your spiritual brother or sister! This family of believers is what the Bible calls the Church, the body of Christ: 'Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it' (1 Corinthians 12:27).
"Why is it important to be part of a local fellowship of believers? Let me ask you a question: What does God want to do in your life? The answer is this: He wants to make you more like Jesus. But this won't happen if you are isolated from other Christians. You need them—and they need you. The Bible says, 'Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds' (Hebrews 10:24).
"It's possible to be a Christian without going to church—but you will be missing out on an important part of what God wants to do in your life. Just as we need a balanced diet to be strong physically, so we need a balanced 'diet' to be strong spiritually—and part of that 'diet' is the Church.
"Let me explain. What you have done by accepting Christ into your life is very important—in fact, it's the most important decision you will ever make. But becoming a Christian is only the beginning—the beginning of a whole new life with Christ. Now God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus.
"One of the ways we grow spiritually is through our fellowship and worship with other believers—in other words, through a church where Christ is honored. Not only do we learn from the Bible as it is taught, but we also learn from other believers who can help and encourage us. The Bible says, 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another' (Hebrews 10:25)....
7) It is an act of obedience. Hebrews 10:25 declares: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" or in the Message version "not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."
8) You are engaging in public worship. Worship brings pleasure to God. And public worship revives your spirit and encourages your heart. "In worship, we are expressing our love and gratitude to God for who he is and what He has done in our lives. When we engage in public worship we are manifesting to other believers as well as the lost world at large that our Lord is worthy of our highest praise and dedication." ~Tim Ross of Landmark Independent Baptist Church
9) You are following the example of Christ. "During the earthly life of Jesus Christ, He faithfully attended the synagogue, which was the place of public worship for the Jews. They would gather to read the law, and have one of the teachers expound the truths of the Old Testament. Luke 4:16 states: 'And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.'" ~Tim Ross "1 John 2:6 declares: "He that saith he abideth in him ought to himself also so to walk, even as he walked." ~Tim Ross
10) You are hearing God's word preached which causes you to grow as a Christian as well as nourishes and strengthens your faith. "There will be little or no growth in the Christian life if a person fails to recieve a steady diet of Scriptural preaching. 1 Peter 2:2-3 declares: 'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.'" ~Tim Ross "Not only is Christian growth a result of hearing the Word, your faith will also be nourished and strengthened through hearing God's Word. Romans 10:17 states: 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' The best place for any person, whether lost or saved, is to be consistently in attendance upon the preaching of God's Word." ~Tim Ross
11) You then apply and practice God's truth in your daily life. "As God's people come to hear the Word of the Lord, and be fed and nourished by it, they are to go forth applying and practicing the truth in their daily lives. If you do not faithfully attend church to hear God's message on a consistent basis it is highly unlikely that you will practice the principles of Christianity in your daily life. Hearing and doing God's Word are intricately linked together." ~Tim Ross
12) You fellowship with Christ: "Jesus Christ is the Head and Lawgiver of His churches, and as such He is in attendance every time the church assembles. He walks in the midst of His churches. He has deposited His glory in His church according to Ephesians 3:21 which states: 'Unto him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus through all ages, world without end. Amen.' If Christ's glory and presence is found in His churches then should we not make every effort to be faithful to assemble in His name and enjoy His blessed fellowship? Matthew 18:20 declares: 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." ~Tim Ross
Comments
that's the Lutheran / Protestant position
by purplecows on May 30th, 2011