Christian or Churchgoer -- Posted 07/05/2007


There are two types of people very common in today’s churches.

Christians…

and churchgoers.

Which group do you fall into?

The Apostle Paul wrote the following in II Timothy 3:1-7:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly
women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.”  (emphasis mine)

You may ask the question, “What is the difference between a Christian and a churchgoer?”

Many would say, “Nothing.”

But my friend, that is a lie. Many churchgoers will fall short of the requirements of God, and
be lost for all eternity.

Going to church is great. It is something you should do. Going to church is required by God’s
Word in Hebrews 10:25:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (emphasis mine)

As you can plainly see, church attendance is a “must-do” for all Christians.

BUT, GOING TO CHURCH WILL NOT GET YOU INTO HEAVEN!!!

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

That’s right, going to church does not make you a Christian.

This may very well be the most thought provoking thing you have heard in a long time. All the
preconceived notions about church blown away in one short sentence.

Many will argue with this message. Some will scoff. A few will simply click the “red X” and
close the window.

BUT, IT WILL STILL BE TRUE.

Paul said plainly in the text, that there will be men in the last days who will, “…have a form of
godliness, but deny the power thereof…”

Simply put, many will seem like they are “righteous” but it will be a front. These same people
will take the credit for their own “status” in the church-world.

Only God can make a person “godly”. Any area of your life that is “godly” or “holy” is that
way because of God’s grace and care for your soul.

You can’t save yourself. I can’t save myself. No one can.

Salvation is a gift from God Almighty that must be consciously accepted by those longing to
become a Christian.

Ephesians 2:8&9 tells you that very fact.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast.”

You absolutely CANNOT earn yourself anything from God.

Going to church, reading your Bible, praying, fasting, being baptized, becoming a member of
an organization, living holy, or claiming to have a relationship with Christ will not make you a
Christian.

All those aforementioned things are great, but they alone can do nothing for the condition of
your sin-ridden soul.

Jesus Christ, through the provision of Salvation that He supplied by dying on the cross of
Calvary is the only way to guarantee you a place in Heaven. That provision must be
accepted through faith. You must believe without doubting the ability of Christ to forgive all
your sins.

THEN, you do all those other things associated with being a Christian.

Like going to church. Like reading your Bible. Like praying. Like fasting. Like being baptized.
Like living a holy life. And like letting others know that you are a child of God.

Christian…or churchgoer?

So many are deceived. I pray that you are not one of the deceived.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that many believe they will go to
Heaven because they have always thought of themselves as a Christian, but they have
never accepted Christ as Saviour.

Just because the family has always been known as “good people”, that’s not a free ticket
through the pearly gates.  I’ve met multitudes that would fall into that category.

Granny was a Christian, Aunt Lu Lu was a Christian, so that automatically makes me one
right?

WRONG!

God does not accept second hand relationships. Humans can sometimes be “friends”
through a second party, but God does not operate that way.

God is a “personal saviour”. He is a jealous God. God is longing for you to receive the gift of
His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the redemption for your sins.

You may say, “What sins? I’m a good person. Why label me like that?”

The Bible explicitly states in Romans 3:23:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

And again in I John 1:8:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Everyone is a sinner until Salvation through Christ.

The greatest people from all of history were sinners unless they accepted Jesus Christ as
the atonement for their sins.

George Washington. Abraham Lincoln. Christopher Columbus. Albert Einstein. Sigmund
Freud. The Pope. Babe Ruth. Henry Ford. Thomas Edison. Alexander Graham Bell. Vincent
Van Gogh. Sir Isaac Newton. Bill Gates. George W Bush. Elvis Presley. Marilyn Monroe.
The Wright Brothers. Neil Armstrong. Mother Theresa. Princess Diana.

How about these? Mom. Dad. Son. Daughter. Grandma. Grandpa.

Regardless of whom a person is in society, they are lost for all eternity without accepting the
blood of Jesus as the sacrifice for their sins.

The “founding fathers” were known as God-fearing men. That may or may not be true, but if
they never knew Jesus as Saviour, then they died lost.

Why let that be you?

I know I can’t force you to accept Christ, but you will make a decision right now, for Him or
against Him.

Christian?

…or Churchgoer?

You decide.

II Corinthians 6:2 says,"...behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of
salvation.)”  (emphasis mine)