Should I stay with a church that isn’t great but appears to be growing?
Question:
Is it OK to stay with a church if you see God changing it and you yourself are helping that change? I was just wondering. There are a lot of downfalls at my church, but things have been looking better, not always just there. It is starting to get out of the state of being so light-headed with the gospel, not trying to offend anyone, to straight-up truth and bluntness but in a nice manner. I know there are a few churches nearby that probably are more decent and more on the right track, but at times I feel like going there but same time I know it is with time people change and even churches that have gone astray for awhile. But I don't know, was wondering your thoughts.
Answer:
"You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy" (Revelation 3:4).
Salvation is determined on an individual basis, not by the group with whom you worship. Some groups make it easy to remain faithful. Other groups make it near impossible to remain faithful, there are just too many wrong influences. Sardis was a dead church (Revelation 3:1), yet even here there were a few people who still clung to the truth and were found to be worthy of Christ.
I would rather that you were with a strong group who made your journey to heaven easy, but that is not always going to be the case. There are going to be times you have no choice. There are going to be times when you might make a difference. It must be a personal choice.
Look at the group seriously and as unbiased as you can. Is it a group you can worship with and be pleasing to God? There are many so-called churches where I could say, "No" without hesitation. What they practice and teach is so different from what God wants that being there would not allow me to worship God as He commanded. If you can worship acceptably, without violating what God teaches, and you are willing to be associated with what that church stands for, then the choice is yours.
