Recently I was engaged in a discussion with someone who is taking a course on religion in a secular college. He made the comment to me that in his research he had found that in all the religions of the world, Christianity puts the most emphasis on attending religious services, and some even go so far as to say it is mandatory. He further went on to state that most other religions do not place as much emphasis on such devotion, at best, they only encourage their followers to attend weekly. Regardless of whether his research is conclusive and completely factual, this is the observation he made. I bring this out because this is the exact representation that most denominations give about the importance of church attendance to the outside world. Even new believers are given the impression that once they are saved church attendance is essential, if not required. In this article I want to take a close look at the popular teachings about church membership and compare them with the biblical example to see if there is any mandate in the Bible that tells us that membership in a local church is required.

Some churches actually teach that church membership is necessary for salvation. Catholicism for instance teaches that “outside the church there is no salvation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)” The Catholic Church is not alone in their assumption that salvation requires a person to be a member of a church, however, this teaching is not found in Scripture. Ephesians 2:8-9 is just one of many passages that tell us it is by God’s grace through faith that we are saved. It is not by works of any kind. Any attempt at righteousness on our part could never come close to equating with the perfect state of righteousness that God requires. This can only come by accepting Christ who willingly gives us His perfect righteousness when we are saved. There is nothing a person can do to become a Christian, and that includes joining a church. There are no Scriptures that teach us that church membership is necessary for salvation nor can it can help keep, maintain, or even prove you are a Christian.

Unfortunately, local church membership and/or attendance has become the gage most people use to test the spiritual position of professing Christians. On some level I can understand this. To know the background of a person’s theological belief can be beneficial when approaching them. To know whether or not they hold to a certain denominational view point is indeed helpful. Those of us here at Guided By Truth Ministries consider ourselves Biblical Christians, but this term is often misapplied to all sorts of false religions and denominations as well. Sometimes the constraints to elaborate on our positions force us to categorize people by the organization or church they belong to. For the most part, when people associate themselves with such organizations, they are willingly accepting the majority of that organization's views. However, that is not the type of spiritual gage I am referring to. Rather than using church affiliation to determine ones theological positions, people often use it to determine a person's spiritual standing with God. The assumption is usually this; if you are not a part of a local church then you are living outside of the will of God.

As a new Christian, I remember hearing sermons on the importance of being in church on Sunday morning and was told how much God was pleased by my faithfulness to be there. To contrast that, it was often pointed out that those who were not in attendance were obviously not living within the will of God. Through a diligent study of God's word I have since been set free from this error. This teaching reminds me of the Pharisee Jesus told us about in the following passage:

Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

It was easy for me to become self righteous believing that just by going to church services on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night (along with a few other extra activities) placed me on a higher level of spirituality than those who simply chose to stay home during those times. I am not implying that this is the attitude of all Christians who attend church, but when one assumes that attending or being a member of a local church makes us more “right with God”, the outcome can be the same as the legalistic religious Pharisee.

Church membership is not a good gage to use in testing a person's spiritual condition. In fact, there are many members of local churches who are not Christians at all. They may think that they are, but they have not come to a saving knowledge of Christ's death, burial and resurrection and received from Him eternal life. Many are still trying to merit favor from God by attending church. It is obvious that gaging their spirituality simply by their affiliation with a local church would not give us an accurate understanding of whether or not they are saved.

Being a church member is not synonymous with being a Christian. The two certainly can co-exist, for there are Christian church members, but being one does not necessitate the other. Just as an unsaved person can be a church member, a person can actually be a Christian without ever entering a church building. Unfortunately, this is not what most Christians believe, including those in leadership positions. Most of them sincerely believe that joining a local congregation is the mark of a true Christian – even if that assembly is not sound in their doctrine. I have even heard people say that if a person does not regularly attend church they are not a Christian because, they claim that it is impossible for such a person to be filled with the Spirit of God since they believe He requires them to be part of a church. The Bible, however, does not teach this. Paul outlines the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Being a member of a local congregation is not a fruit of the Spirit and therefore we cannot use that measurement to determine if someone is truly Christian. Only when we see the fruits listed in these verses, can we see evidence of their genuine profession of faith. In spite of this passage, many people, like those mentioned above, do teach that church membership is the evidence of having the Holy Spirit and truly consider all non-church going Christians as lost and in need of salvation. Others will insist that while people can be saved and not attend church, they will still label such people as either "unfaithful" or call them a "backslider."

The term backslider is often used in this context, yet since the Bible teaches that there is no action that we can take to gain merit, or favor, with God, then how could we do something to lose merit and get it back again by attending church? If we cannot earn His favor initially to gain or keep salvation, then we cannot earn his merit to end up back in his good graces if we were to lose it. This concept of being in and out of God's will and moving forward and backward in our walk with God is totally foreign to Scripture. You will not find any mention of a New Testament believer being called a backslider. The word backslide is exclusively used in the Bible for the nation of Israel and usually referred to when they fell back into idolatry. To think that a person who is not attending church is going backward in their growth is erroneous. Instead of labeling non-church attending Christians we should simply look at a person's life to see if they are bearing any fruit. In his letters, John specifically teaches us that love is the measure with which we can determine if someone is in the faith.

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love . 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love : not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

As you read the writings of John, notice how often he makes reference to the new commandment given to us by Jesus, which is to love. To love one another is evidence that a person is a believer. John never makes an argument that meeting together at a local church is proof of a person's dedication to Christ. Church membership is simply not a good gage for us to use. Even so, many Christian teachers do believe that it is mandatory to be a part of a local church.

Disputing Common Arguments for Mandatory Church Membership

John MacArthur is one such leader who teaches that church membership is more than important, he tells us that this is essential. In his audio message “Is Church Membership Important? If so Why?” he begins by asserting that “church membership is mandatory.” Even though MacArthur believes that a person can be saved without works, he leaves us to believe church membership is a mandate. Think about what the word “mandatory” implies. The implication of a mandate is that there is a consequence that comes from not doing that which is necessary. If that is the case, what then, is the result of not joining a church? Are we to assume that unless a person joins a church they are not really saved? As we have already mentioned, we know that church membership is not essential for salvation and since we can not be saved by works, we also cannot sustain our salvation by those very same works. Any work that was required to either get or keep salvation would negate the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, this teaching causes much confusion and doubt for many people and they in turn begin to believe, and teach, that there are requirements for being a Christian. In reality, MacArthur is saying that if we do not attend church we need to examine our relationship with Christ, to see if we are truly saved. However, as we have already shown the Bible does not teach that the fruit of salvation will be joining a local church, in fact we have shown how using that as a gage simply does not work.

John MacArthur goes on to say that mandatory church membership is clearly taught throughout the New Testament. While the Bible certainly does speak of a local church, as well as a universal body of Christ, nowhere will we find a mandatory command to attend or become a member of a one. Hebrews 10:25 is the one passage often used to support this teaching, but as we will show later in this study, the context of the passage is not teaching a mandate to join a local church.

The next claim John MacArthur makes in support of his doctrine is that since the apostles had an "accurate count" of the people who were saved and baptized this meant that they were keeping records which is somehow supposed to imply a necessity to be a local church member. But did the apostles keep a record of the members of each local church in the way that most churches do today? Was this count accurate? Lets look at some of the Scriptures MacArthur was referring to.

Acts 2: 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand

Acts 5:14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

The Bible uses the word “about” meaning it was giving us the approximate number of people who were added to the church. The words “more and more” and “about” do not give an accurate count of the “amount” of people who were saved and added to the church. Also note that the words “added to their number” is giving no indication of a separate account taken for each individual local church. In fact, the point that was being made was that the universal body of Christ was growing, not that individual local churches were keeping accurate records.

Next he tell us that letters of recommendation had to be taken to a congregation if a person moved from one place to another because the “assumption would be that that church would then take over the oversight and shepherding of the individual.” We should never assume upon the texts our theories or ideologies, we must always get out doctrine from the text. While Paul may have written what may be considered letters of recommendation for certain saints, (Romans 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8:22-24) we are never told this is the necessary or expected practice for every saint that moves. That is, as MacArthur stated, “an assumption” that can not be validated in Scripture. MacArthur also says that no Christian ever floated around form one place to another but always required an accountability to a local church. On the contrary, this seems to be exactly what the early apostles did. They traveled from one place to another spreading the gospel without being under the authority or commission of any local church or mission board.

What about this accountability issue? MacArthur's assumption that a local church must take over the “oversight and shepherding” is necessary, he says, because the book of Hebrews the tells us to submit to those who are over us in the Lord. He asks, “how can you give an account for watching over the souls of people that aren't associated officially with your ministry?” The problem with his question is his premise for the argument. He has asserted falsely that modern day church membership is mandatory based off of an inaccurate reading of the Scriptures. He has not shown one passage that demands or requires an individual to have accountability to a local church body and then assumes that this passage is speaking of that which he has not yet been able to prove.

In the early church there were no denominational church buildings at the corner of each intersection in town. Also, there were not any “official” church documents or “statements of faith” with which one must believe in order to be considered a part of an assembly. The Bible does not tell us how anyone would “officially associate” themselves with a particular “ministry” let alone any command to do so. The only distinctions made between churches was their location. There is no mention of joining a local church whether by letter of recommendation, statement of faith, water baptism or any other method. The way church membership is handled today to “officially” affiliate ourselves with a local church is never found in Scripture. Since this concept of church affiliation did not exist in the Scripture, we can not assume that passages written to the churches can be said to mandate these concepts. Here is the passage MacArthur was referring to:

Heb 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. NIV Heb 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, NASU Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves KJV Heb 13:17 Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, YLT

While the Bible tells us what characteristics are required by overseers and deacons, it never mentions any specific power or authority these positions have or what duties they must preform. Out of these translations, only the NIV actually translated this passage using the word authority. The original word, hegeomai, literally means to “lead the way” or “go before.” While the word is sometimes used to speak of leaders, chiefs, and commanders, the word itself does not necessitate that the leader has any specified authority. We must remember that there was no church hierarchy established in the Bible, in fact Jesus said that leaders should serve, not rule with authority as the Gentiles did.

Luke 22:24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.

This passage makes it clear that leaders are not to consider themselves any better than those whom they serve. A church that divides the importance of those whom hold a church “office” from those who are merely “laypeople” are doing so in conflict of the clear teaching of Scripture.

Rom 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

1 Corinthians 12 also tells us how each part of the body is just as significant as the others. No part is complete without the whole body, so no matter what function you have within the body, no one is more important than any other.

So we cannot use the passage in Hebrews as a command to have authority that Jesus told us not have. Instead we should read it in the context that it was intended. We know that elders were to be able to “teach” and an elder or someone who is more mature in the faith should be leading the way for those who are new or weaker in the faith, (which can easily be accomplished outside of a structured local church environment). Of course, no one should simply follow their elder, or teacher, blindly. In the book of Acts the Bereans were considered noble because they tested Paul's teachings against the Scripture; and we should always do the same.

Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Hebrews 13:17 is not an instruction on what powers leaders should posses nor is it a charge to all Christians to obey elders simply because they have authority. This chapter is merely an instruction on proper Christian behavior. Look at just a few of these instructions:

Heb 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers....
3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering...
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure...
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have....
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith....
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings...
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others....
17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you...

This passage does not command us to obey our leaders because that is the supposed hierarchy that God has laid out in the Scripture; it is simply a plea for people to listen to the leaders “who spoke the Word of God to you.” The only clear requirement to call someone a leader, according to this passage, is that they are someone who first shared the word of God with us. Rather than being commanded to obey certain men because they hold an “office of authority” we are told to “consider” their way of living. When we look at the lives of godly men and women we will want to imitate that life, it should be something that would be appealing to a true believer. We are told to “obey” these leaders so that their job will not become a burden. If a godly person is counseling you correctly according the Scripture you should listen, otherwise it is of no benefit to you. That is all this passage suggests. Nowhere in the context is there any command to obey or “officially” associate yourself with a local church pastor.

To teach that it is necessary to be under the authority of church leadership is actually rather dangerous. It gives believers the impression that they are not wise enough to study the Scriptures on their own and could cause them to rely more on the authority of the church rather than on the Lord and His Word. To think that we need to be monitored or taught on a regular weekly basis by the same shepherd is not a Biblical concept.

2 Tim 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible has all that we need in order to grow, to learn and to be corrected. To be taught by and learn from others is a good thing, but we are warned over and over again to beware of false teachers. Therefore, it is vital that we already know what the Bible says in order to be able to identify them. In the New Testament, the believers met everyday, not just once a week, and the reason they did so was to hear the teaching of the apostles. Today we have something they did not, we have the apostle's teachings written and handed down to us in the form of the Holy Bible. We do not have to have a shepherd explain it to us, though it can be beneficial. The Word of God is now complete and available to us all and we should submit to is as the final authority on all matters of faith.

While the early believers met to hear the teaching of the early apostles, we know that they also met to fellowship, break bread, and edify one another. I have heard it argued that the need for fellowship is yet another reason we have to be in church. Fellowship is indeed important and beneficial, but is church the only place in which a person can do that? To answer that we should look at what the word fellowship actually means. Fellowship means to “participate” or “partnership.” When we fellowship with other believers it means we are participating or acting as partners in a common mission or goal. That goal should be to share the gospel and disciple those who believe it. That can certainly be accomplished outside of the modern day local church. In fact, what most churches call “fellowship” is usually nothing like what the early church did.

While the New Testament church did sometimes meet to break bread, there is no mention of having potluck dinners. Even when they did meet, they met to hear the apostles teaching, not talk about sports, school, or work. There were no basketball games, camp outs, canoe trips, concerts, or trips to Disney Land. Those things, while in and of themselves are not wrong, are not an example of true biblical fellowship. Paul fellowshipped with the Philippians while he was in jail. They were sharing in the same ministry and each played a vital part. They took care of each others needs, both spiritually and physically. While we are admonished to edify and serve one another we are never told that this can and must be done once a week at a local church or by attending the “fun” events that the church plans.

I want to take a moment to clarify what I am NOT saying. I am not saying that belonging to a local church is wrong or bad. If the church is teaching the Bible correctly then it can be beneficial to become a member of that church. While the Bible does not mandate any set procedures for such a structure it also does not prohibit them. A person can attend and benefit from joining such an organization, but they must remain vigilant to test what the church is teaching against what the Scriptures say. The Bible should always take precedence.

Fellowshipping in the church is also beneficial. We understand that in our fast paced and growing society it is often hard to get to know your next door neighbor let alone other people in your community. Going to a church to find like minded believers can also be a good thing. There is nothing wrong if people in the church want to coordinate a trip to the zoo with its members, and its great if you want to go. Just remember though, while it may be fun, that is not all there is to “fellowship.” While these events can help members have a chance to get personally acquainted with one another, the goal should be to really get involved in the lives of the believers around you. Get to know them on a personal level. Help them, encourage them, and give them spiritual advice when they need it. Work together to spread the gospel and disciple others. While there is nothing wrong with any of these things, there is also nothing less spiritual about members who do not want to participate in this type of event. The important thing is to keep fellowship in the proper Biblical perspective.

We must also remember that since the local church is more visible to the outside world it is of the utmost importance that they use the Bible as their doctrinal foundation. Churches that call themselves “Christian” are willingly taking on the responsibility of being ambassadors for Christ. They are professing to speak the truth in His name and should be expected to do so. This is not something that should be taken lightly. Churches that teach false doctrines are lying to the world and slandering the name of the One whom they claim to represent. We must hold every church to the highest of standards and membership within them should always be carefully and cautiously considered.

Now that we have addressed some of the major arguments for the need to attend church, let us look at Hebrews 10:25 and address the issue of why the Bible tells us not to avoid the “forsaking our own assembling together.”

Hebrews 10:25

Heb 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. NASB

To have a clear understanding of this passage we need to look at the context. Before we do that, I think it is important to consider the purpose for which the book of Hebrews was written and to whom it was written to. Here is an introduction to the book of Hebrews from the Scofield Study Bible III:

The occasion of the Epistle was the need for special exhortation to Hebrew readers who had professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, but were now wavering in that faith. Hence, the exhortation is to “hold on” (3:6) and to “go on to maturity” (6:1). Purpose and Key Concept The purpose of the book then, was       (1) to confirm Jewish Christians by showing them that the Old Testament Judaism had come to an end through Christ’s fulfillment of the whole purpose of the law;      (2) to warn some who had identified themselves as Christians against (a) falling back into Judaism or (b) pausing short of true faith in Christ; and      (3) to bring to the attention of Christians everywhere the preeminence of Jesus Christ. The Key concept throughout the book is superiority (1:4; 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24). Hebrews contains a series of contrast between the good things of Judaism and the better things of Christ. Christ is better than angels, that Moses, than Joshua, than Aaron; and the New Covenant (8:7-13) is better that than the Mosaic Covenant (see Exodus 19:5, note)   More fully than any New Testament writing, Hebrews reveals the present high-priestly ministry of the Man in the glory, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is merely a brief summery of the book of Hebrews, but it does a very good job to give us an overall view of the purpose of this letter. This book was written to Hebrew Christians who were under persecution by Judaizers for breaking away from the Jewish laws that Christ had set them free from. Many were wavering in their faith and began to revert back to some of the old Judaic customs because they feared greater persecution. I believe that part of the reason they were being persecuted was because Christian Jews were associating with Gentile believers. In the Old Testament the Gentile nations were considered unclean but the New Testament teaches that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles and that together they are both heirs making up the one body of Christ (Romans 10:12; Eph. 3:6). This epistle teaches about the superiority of Christ's sacrifice over the old way of the law. This encouraged these Jewish Christian converts to a greater faith in Jesus and offered them the freedom to break free from their old way of life. With this in mind take a closer look at the context of Hebrews chapter 10.

Heb 10:1For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. NASB

The Law of Moses was abolished through Christ (Eph 2:15). It was only a picture, a shadow, of the one who would come. Jesus, who fulfilled the Law, is far superior to the Law. The sacrifices that were offered over and over, year after year could never make us perfect. If they could, the need for them would have ceased to exist. Instead, they serve as a reminder of our sin. When the time of sacrifices drew near, each person would be conscience of their sin and would be reminded over and over again that the sacrifice itself was powerless to take the sin completely away. Therefore, they were never free of from the guilt their sin had caused.

Heb 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. 7 "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" 8 After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time,SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onwardUNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. NASB

Christ is the perfect sacrifice. He was not only perfect in that He is sinless, He was also obedient to the will of the Father. The animal sacrifice was performed on an unwilling creature. Christ, however, was willing. Because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ, we have been sanctified once for all, and therefore we no longer have a need for a continual sacrifice. The priest stands daily, offering time and time and time again sacrifices which could not take away sin. In contrast, by just ONE sacrifice for sin for all time, Jesus was able to sit down at the right hand of God. His work is finished forever. All sin is taken away, never to be brought up again. He paid the price in full.

Heb 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, 17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. NASB

God not only took away our sins, He said that He would not even remember them. Please notice this point, if God takes away our sin forever then there is no need to keep seeking forgiveness or in their case, to keep up with the animal sacrifices. If God no longer remembers our sin then neither should we. Not only is the sin gone, but so is the guilt associated with it. This is illustrated when we see that Christ's sacrifice was a one time payment replacing the need for recurring sacrifices to continue relieving our conscience of anymore guilt for that sin.

Heb 10:19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. NASB

Therefore, in light of the truths we have just discussed, we can have confidence to enter the Holy place by the sacrifice of Jesus. In the temple, there was a curtain that surrounded the Holy of Holies which was used as a barrier to keep people from entering the presence of God. The only one who was allowed to enter this sacred place was the high priest, and he was only allowed access into it when the Lord commanded or else he would be killed (Lev 16:2). In order to enter inside, careful instructions had to be followed precisely and only after these conditions were met was the priest able to enter in to make the atonement. Once a year the high priest would enter that place to sprinkle the blood of bulls and goats upon the Ark of the Covenant to make an atonement for the sins of the people. This needed to be repeated year after year because the blood of bulls and goats could not take the sin away. Now, however, access to God is obtainable by anyone through the blood of Jesus Christ. What was impossible for us to attain by following the law was accomplished by Christ who fulfilled the Law by living in perfect, willful obedience to it. He become our sacrifice. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was ripped in two (Mark 15:38) and now, Jesus is the veil through which we can receive access to God. He is our great high Priest, and through Him alone can we freely and confidently enter into His presence. We can now draw near to God with a sincere heart full of assurance.

The writer then exhorts the reader to hold fast to the confession of their hope without wavering. Because of our sinful nature the law was powerless to make us righteous. However, what the law could not do for us, Christ was able to accomplish once for all time. He is the fulfillment of the Law, which was merely a shadow of His coming. He took away our sin. There was absolutely no reason for these Hebrew Christians to go back to their old way of life. These Christians were living under a brand New Covenant that was ushered in by the blood of Christ. Because of what Christ did, they were now able to live their lives without fear of those who persecuted them and told them that in order to obtain favor with God they HAD to continue the sacrifices and keep following the Law. The author of Hebrews states adamantly that this is not true. Christ is far superior to the sacrificial system that never took away sin. The Hebrews could now live their lives in freedom from the Law, free from sin, and free from the guilt of sin. They were told not to waver in their faith or revert back to living under a system of fear and guilt. Instead, they should simply consider how to stimulate each other to love and good deeds.

In this passage they are also told not forsake assembling together, that is, they were not to break away from the Gentile Christians by reverting back to the former system that required a perfection that they could not obtain. They were set free in Christ. Reverting back to the law would only put them into bondage. This apparently was happening to some of them because we are told that they were wavering in their faith. They were going back to the way of the Judaizers who kept them in fear and were forsaking the non Hebrew Christians. It is important to understand the meanings of the words “forsake” and “assembling” in the original languages. The Greek word for forsake is egkataleipo. This has a strong meaning. The Complete Word Study Dictionary defines it this way:

Here is the definition by The Complete Word Study Dictionary for the Greek word “to assemble.”

Episunagoge;, gen. episunagoges, fem. Noun fro episuago (1996), to gather together. The act of gathering or assembling together (2 Thess. 2:1 [cf. 1 Thess 4:17]), Hebrews 10:25 does not merely denote the assembling for corporate worship as a solitary or occasional act, but as a customary conduct. The prep. Epi (1909), to, must refer to Christ Himself as the one to whom this assembly was attached. Thus it would have the meaning of not betraying one’s attachment to Jesus Christ and other believers, not avoiding one’s own personal responsibility as part of the body of Christ.

These Hebrews were being exhorted to not forsake, leave in a lurch, desert, or abandon something. This is speaking of something beyond our understanding of forsaking to assemble at a local church. If the Hebrews reverted back to the law, they would be forsaking, not merely meeting with other believers, but rather the one in whom they believed. As Spiros Zodhiates pointed out, this was addressing their “customary conduct” not simply their assembly for corporate worship. Going back to the rudiments of the old sacrificial system was contrary to the sacrifice Christ had already accomplished. It is my belief that this passage carries with it the idea that these believers were wavering in their faith, forsaking (as some were) the body of Christ to participate in these elementary ways (Hebrews 5-6) and that is what they were being reprimanded for. It was not that they were forsaking assembling together for a worship service, but that they were forsaking, not only the body, but Christ himself by not accepting the completeness of the sacrifice He had made for them. In doing this they deserted the other believers and left them to suffer persecution alone. Instead, they should have been stimulating each other to love.

The phrase “until you see the day approaching” has been interpreted in various ways. Some people claim that this is Sunday and means we should exhort one another every day until “church” day comes. I reject this argument, however, because it is not supported by the context of the passage or the whole of Scripture. Others think this is referring to the second coming of Christ and I believe that this is a plausible explanation. Another view, explained by Dwight J. Pentecost in his book “A Faith That Endures” states that this phrase refers to the destruction of Jerusalem that was prophesied by Christ as a judgment upon the generation that rejected Him. This would be consistent with the context in Hebrews which goes on to speak about the judgment that befalls anyone who continued to follow the old sacrificial system that Christ had made obsolete. While I am not certain of the exact meaning of this phrase, I do know that the recipients of this epistle knew what the author was referring to.

In light of the meaning of the context of Hebrews 10:25, we can see that this passage does not have any application to the modern day church assemblies as we know them today. Instead, it is instructing us to not abandon the grace of God by living by sets of rules and regulations that have no power to save us. To teach that this passage means church membership is mandatory would be in conflict with the entire context of the book of Hebrews. Just as teaching that that the sacrificial system is necessary contradicts the gospel of grace, teaching mandatory church membership would also be in conflict with the grace offered by God. This passage has nothing to do with attending church on Sunday.

We know that church membership is not a requirement for salvation for that would negate the grace of God. It is also not the correct way to measure whether or not a person is saved. Church membership is never listed as a fruit of the spirit or mentioned in anyway that suggests going to church is how we know a person is saved. The mission of the early church was to exhort one another, teach sound doctrine, rebuke false teachings, spread the gospel, and grow in the knowledge of the Lord. This is what we are encouraged to do. When, where, and how a person chooses to do that is up to them. If they decide to do so in the confines of a local church organization, then that is acceptable. However, if a person manages to do this without attaching themselves to a church then that is just as commendable.

Since we know church membership can be beneficial but is definitely not required we cannot make a rash judgment about a person's spiritual condition based upon whether or not they attend church. We can, however, certainly analyze a person's motivation for choosing not to do so. There are some people who refuse to go to church because of trivial issues such as their social status (of course others choose to go for that very same reason). However, I do believe that there are valid reasons for not becoming involved with a local church. Concerns over theology and doctrine are not only important reasons to refrain from attending church, they are also admirable ones. It is not beneficial to be a part of a church that teaches false doctrine, in fact it can be detrimental. There is no spiritual benefit that comes from attending and serving in a church that teaches incorrectly. While some people would agree, they still demand that a person should search out and find a church that does teach correctly. What people do not realize is that those churches are hard to find. Unfortunately a majority of our churches teach and expound false doctrine. The ecumenical movement is on the rise, and with that the church has begun to tolerate bad doctrine. Since there is no mandate in the Bible to attend a church at all, we do not need to drive from town to town “searching out” a church home. We can, instead, be actively doing the Lord's work in our home and our own social circle.

I personally know people who do not attend church that are more knowledgeable about the Bible than many preachers. Their lives serve as an incredible example of what a Christian should be like. They exhibit the love of Christ, witness to those around them, disciple new converts, help those in need, care about the things of God, have a true desire to study God's Word, and can answer tough Biblical questions. They are not isolated from anyone, but rather are engaged in a lost world. Some have even started ministries of their own and give tremendously to the work of Christ. These people are just as “right with God” as anyone who is sitting in a pew on Sunday morning. The only thing that matters is that they must have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Christ does not care about the “place” where we worship. We can worship God outside of a church building or structure.

John 4:21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Worshiping God in TRUTH is vital. This is something that many local churches fail to do. Going to church or being a member of a church is not the high calling of a Christian. Neither is serving God by works or even evangelism, as important as that is. Our purpose is clear:

Matt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."