There are many denominations out in the world today. Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran are just a few examples of the different types of churches we have in the modern day.
Since there are so many different churches that we can choose from, does it matter to God which one we choose to go to? While there are many different opinions on this issue, it is best to turn to the Bible.
There will be many people who oppose other people's ideas when it comes to this topic; however, as Christians, the best thing we can do is to consult the Bible and obey God rather than man.
We should all strive for unity no matter what church we attend, but this will not be possible if Christians judge other Christians for what church they choose to go to. In all things, we need to seek to glorify God in what we do, and this includes the matter of the topic at hand.
What Does God Say?
Nowhere in the Bible are we told exactly what church we should be going to. During the New Testament times, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and all other denominations did not exist yet.
They were established much later; therefore, they did not have their genesis at the time of the New Testament. Rather, in the New Testament, we see that the church is the body of believers.
They met in various homes and various places. They did not have a physical church building. Instead of having an established physical church building, wherever the body of believers would gather would be where the church was.
This is because the church is made up of the body of believers. Within the Bible, the church is referred to as those who have placed faith in Jesus and belong to His family.
With this being said, we can come to the knowledge that God never tells us which church to go to. However, we can know from the Bible that God wants us to go to churches that teach the right doctrine.
If we go to a church that teaches incorrect doctrines, we will only be hurting ourselves and impairing our relationship with God. If we neglect going to a Bible-believing church, we will be doing ourselves a great disservice.
Instead of going to just any church, we need to choose a church that teaches the right doctrine, is in alignment with the Bible, and is a place where we feel safe.
Different Denominations
Many individuals grow up in different denominations, and they fear that God would be upset with them if they switched to a different denomination. God will not be upset with you if you switch denominations because, in God's eyes, it doesn't matter which denomination you are a part of.
What matters to God is if you have placed faith in His Son, you are living in accordance with the teachings of the Bible, and you are glorifying Him in all you do. It doesn't really matter what denomination you choose to go to — what matters is your own personal relationship with Jesus.
God cares about your growth in Him; therefore, He does not want you to just go to any church. Instead, He wants you to go to one that will help you grow in Him, cultivate your knowledge of the Bible, and one that will help you build strong connections with other believers.
In this way, we can see that God cares about the church we go to. As long as they are teaching in accordance with the Bible, God approves of the church.
We should never go to a church that teaches falsehood, nor should we go to a church that downplays the reality of sin in our lives.
Instead of going to a church that will never challenge us or help us grow in Christ, we need to go to a church that will help us learn more about theology, God, and the Bible.
There are many cults that disguise themselves as "churches" when they are just cults. A few examples are the Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Despite these two cults claiming to be churches, they really are not. As believers, we need to stay away from these belief systems because they are not true. Whenever you are at a church, and they start teaching things that are not in accordance with the Bible, it is time to go.
There is no point in staying with a church if it is only going to impair your relationship with the Lord. Instead of settling for a bad church, choose to take time and look for a true, biblical church near your home.
Choosing Your Church
Since God does care about the church we go to, we need to choose our church carefully. This can take many months for some people. It is okay to take your time as you choose your church because you will need time to pray over the situation.
Before you even start going to a church to test the waters, ask the Lord to give you guidance as to what churches you should go to.
If you have many friends who already go to a church and you know they have a deep theological knowledge, try to attend their church also. It could be this church will help you grow immensely for Christ this year.
If you are in a new area and don't know anybody around you, try to do some research ahead of time. Search online for a few churches in your area, look at their website, and take plenty of time to read over their beliefs.
If their stated doctrines are too vague, try to look into another church. In the same way, if you are struggling to find any church in your area with the right doctrine, try to attend an online church.
There are many great pastors you can watch online, such as David Platt, Dr. Charles Stanley, and Francis Chan.
Many people look down on joining a church virtually, but there shouldn't be any shame in it. God would rather have you go to a virtual church than go to a church in person that is teaching the wrong doctrine. God cares about your growth and spiritual maturity.
What this means is that God doesn't care if you attend a church in person or virtually — He cares if you are growing in Him. As believers, we need the church because the church is the body of believers.
We need other Christians to help point us back to Christ and to be a source of encouragement to us. From the moment of salvation, we have been part of the universal church; however, it is also important that we are part of a church in order to grow in our knowledge of Christ.
It is best not to neglect the beautiful gift of belonging to the family of God. By connecting with other believers, they will be able to be with us through the good times as well as the bad times.
God did not create us to do life alone. This is why He cares about what church we go to. He knows we need to have other believers in our lives who will support us.
We will also be able to help other believers at church by being a source of support for them, too. At the end of the day, God loves us, and He wants the best for us. This can be seen in the way that He desires for us to attend a godly, biblical-believing church.
For further reading:
Is the Church Still the Church?
7 Pieces of Advice for New Christians Looking for a Church
5 Reminders for the Modern Church and the Body of Christ
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