Church Shopping

by Travis L Quertermous

From The Reminder, December 5, 2010

There are many folks who are engaged in what is called “church shopping.” They know they need to be part of a good church to be pleasing to God, but they don’t know quite what they’re looking for, so they visit different religious groups until they find one they are comfortable with. The criteria varies for each family: some are looking for something near their home, others are looking for a good youth group, others are looking for a church that makes them feel good, while for others they are looking for a congregation like the one they grew up in. Whatever the case might be, once the “church shoppers” find a congregation that meets their “felt needs” they join that church.

But did you know the Bible never speaks of “joining the church” like one would join a social club or a political party? Rather, Scripture says, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). There are two important points to note here. First, note that one is added to the church by Christ Himself; one does not join it anymore than one joins one’s family. We are added to our family through birth or adoption. So it is with God’s church family—one is added to it by experiencing the new birth of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).

Second, note that the Lord adds one to His church the very moment one is saved. Contrary to popular teaching, there is no such thing Biblically as being saved at one point and then joining the church of one’s choice sometime later. Have you been truly saved?