In Theory:

If you really believe there is no God, you have neither motivation nor adequate information to behave in a godly manner. If you believe there are no moral absolutes, your practice will demonstrate none. If you believe that God is a vague, impersonal force, then your commitment to Him will be vague and impersonal.

If religion, or faith, is only a matter of what you believe, or what you prefer, or what you can rationalize, then the “religious” person is no different than the hedonist, or the egoist, or even the atheist. Each of these is only doing what’s right in his own eyes. This attitude was Israel’s downfall during the time of the Judges.

Jesus Christ said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me . . . I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 14:6, 8:12, New American Standard Bible)

If you want to be affiliated with God, you don’t need religion. You need Jesus Christ.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

At first blush I perceived this question to be about my own neglectful brethren who, for whatever reason, won’t responsibly join a given church body where they might actually contribute to its Christian vitality and Gospel success.

Instead, they exist as transient, customer Christians; church-hopping and church-missing, but never officially affiliating with either church or denomination, and certainly having no plan to seriously invest in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This problem is a primary cause for congregations in America going out of business at the rate of about 10 per day. That’s the light freely being extinguished, my fellow Americans, and all because Christians don’t take ownership, regularly attend, intentionally give, or endeavor to improve them.