Bieber: Building or Body

Let's face it. You either love Justin Bieber, or you hate him. But regardless of what side of the fence you stand on, you can't deny that over the last few years Bieber hasn't exactly been what you would call a saint. So I'm sure I wasn't the only one a little surprised when he opened about his faith in his latest interview, saying 'I just honestly wanna live like Jesus'. 

If you want to check out all that Bieber was saying in interview then follow the link at the bottom of the blog. I would like to focus on, however, one thing that really stuck out to me when reading this interview. While talking about his faith, Bieber explained that it was a relationship with Jesus and that he didn't go to Church. He said, 'You don't need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco.'

While Justin's analogy seems a little silly, I believe it provides us with great topics for discussion. Do you need to go to Church to be a Christian? Should you go to Church as a Christian? Or going right back to basics - actually, what is Church?

Although the answers may not be so black and white after some reflection, I think that these 3 questions are all fundamentally linked. Check it out:

1) Firstly, it's important to determine whether going to Church is a salvation issue. Is church attendance a requisite for eternal life? Do you reach the pearly gates by sitting in the pews every Sunday morning? In other words, by going to Church will you go to Heaven? The simple answer is no. It says in the Bible the only way of getting to Heaven is by asking forgiveness for your sins and accepting Jesus into your hearts. Jesus Himself said in John 14 v 6 - 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'.

2) BUT! Before you all think you've now got a lie in every Sunday morning, it's important to remember what the Bible also says about Church. Hebrews 10 v 25 tells us to 'not give up meeting together'. Although you don't need to be in Church to be saved, if you are saved then you should want to be in Church! It's important as Christians to have fellowship with one another, worship God and grow closer to Him through teaching. Church attendance will be a by-product of a serious relationship with Jesus.

3) Finally, it's worth thinking about 'what is Church?'. When you hear the word 'Church', what images fill your head? Big fancy buildings. Stain-glassed windows. The rows of pews and the minister in the pulpit. Actually, 'Church' is not a building. 'Church' is a gathering (or body) of believers, coming together for fellowship with one another and with God. Of course that can be in a building, but it can also be in someone's home. It can be anywhere actually. Paul says 'You are the body of Christ' to the early Christians in 1 Corinthians 12 v 27.

Seems like a lot to think about, right? Well if you only take one thing away from reading this, then take this away and think about this:
there is a difference between being in church and being in Christ. 
You can be in both. You can be in neither. But only one of them offers salvation. Are you in one?


Click for Justin's full interview!