Can I Live the Christian Life Well and Exclusively Worship God on My Own?
“Me and God got this!” That’s a common attitude among Christians today. Many believe that they can grow spiritually solo as long as they have their Bibles, some praise music, and a prayer life. But is privatized faith really enough? Does God expect us to worship and follow Jesus completely apart from the Christian community?
In a word – no. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that we need each other to live the Christian life God designed. According to the Bible, trying to go it alone is not only unwise but impossible. God engineered the church to function as an interconnected body, not a bag of individual parts. Romans 12:5 states, “We, though many, form one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” Let’s explore three key reasons why living apart from committed fellowship thwarts robust Christian growth:
1. We Need Accountability
When we have no meaningful personal connections at church, it’s incredibly easy to slack off in spiritual disciplines. No one notices if we haven’t cracked open our Bibles for months. We can fall into sinful habits without anyone calling us out in love. Private faith tends to become mediocre faith. Friendships, where others ask tough questions and offer encouragement, foster consistency and depth. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
2. We Need Teaching and Training
Even the giants of the faith never outgrow the need for Biblical input from pastors, teachers, and mentors. Their wisdom and guidance equip us for ministry and accelerate our spiritual growth. If we think we’ve exhausted the depths of God’s truth, pride has blinded us. No matter where we are on the journey, the church provides critical nurturing through preaching, classes, counseling, and more. Ephesians 4:11-13 makes this point, “So Christ himself gave…pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature.”
3. We Need Support in Hardship
Following Jesus brings both joys and sorrows. When trials hit, from grief to illness to job loss and more, who can we turn to for tangible help if we’ve shunned the Christian community? The church is designed to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus, comforting and carrying people through difficult times. Suffering alone is crushing. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Beyond fixing problems, the local church provides so much that privatized faith lacks – multi-generational friendships, opportunities to serve, corporate worship experiences, exposure to diversity that humbles and teaches, and more. The Christian life together is far superior.
Now, let’s look at some potential objections to involvement in the local church:
1. “I don’t need church to be a Christian. My personal Bible reading is enough.”
While private disciplines are crucial, passages like Hebrews 10:24-25 instruct us not to neglect gathering together: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The early church was devoted to communal worship, breaking bread, and prayer. Spiritual growth accelerates when tied to a local body.
2. “I was hurt by the church. Christians are hypocrites anyway, so I’m keeping my distance.”
Because our churches are filled with imperfect people, we sometimes hurt each other. But we are called to forgive as God forgives us. Jesus himself didn’t abandon the religious community that rejected him. With patience and grace, we can heal and reconcile. Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
3. “I live far from any good churches. Attending isn’t realistic.”
Geography can be a hurdle, but today’s technology allows online church participation through services, small groups, and more. While not ideal, some form of live interaction is vital for believers. We should make every effort to unite with other believers as Hebrews 10:25 states, “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
4. “I don’t know enough yet. I’ll get involved later on in my faith journey.”
The church isn’t a place reserved for the spiritually mature. We all enter as spiritual infants needing teaching, modeling, and guidance on the journey toward maturity in Jesus. Community accelerates growth. Ephesians 4:15-16 exhorts us, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him, the whole body joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
If these objections resonate with you, take small steps like visiting a local church, joining a Bible study, or having coffee with a wise believer. As you taste the blessings of authentic fellowship, your hesitancy will fade. Resolve to give church commitment a chance. You’ll never regret rich Christian relationships.
The Communal Theme of the Bible
In heaven, worship is pictured as the grand gathering around God’s throne, with all the angels, living creatures, elders, and saints joining together in praise (Rev 4-5, 7:9-12). The sounds of unified anthems resound continuously.
Similarly, worship for ancient Israel centered around corporate events – pilgrimages to the Tabernacle/Temple, annual feasts, and Sabbath gatherings. The Psalms exhort all people, young and old, to exalt the Lord together (Ps. 148).
The New Testament church continued this emphasis on communal worship. The early believers met daily in the temple courts (Acts 2:46) and then also in homes for “the breaking of bread and prayers” (Acts 2:42). Their times of corporate singing, teaching, Communion, and prayer were pillars of church life.
Even all creation is depicted as joining in celestial praise to God (Ps. 19:1, 148). While inanimate objects obviously don’t worship in a cognitive sense, the imagery shows the communal orientation of worship – all the components of creation are invited to magnify the Lord in concert.
Finally, the coming New Creation in Revelation paints a vivid corporate scene – “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea” declaring praise together (Rev. 5:13). Heaven’s eternal state will include unending communal exaltation.
Jesus himself, while modeling solitary spiritual practices like prayer and fasting, also immersed himself in the rhythms of corporate synagogue and temple worship. The norm is togetherness.
Our faith was never meant to be lived out as unconnected individuals. Only together can we fully experience the depths of a gospel-shaped life. May we, as believers, embrace the local church as God’s precious gift and the primary place we live, learn, and worship alongside fellow saints. Our lives will be richer for it!
Josh Cehulik 