Is it Okay to be in a Church That Disregards the Bible’s Instructions?

Is being in a church really worth it when people are just being practically taught over and over again that it’s acceptable to not change in accordance with what the Bible instructs? When people say “there is no perfect church” they are typically trying to justify sin and false doctrine which are not being addressed and stamped out within their own church. They may be even among the leadership who is primarily responsible for the enabling. Though there are other reasons it could happen, seeing church as a business causes leaders to be handcuffed in terms of preaching the whole counsel of God set forth in the Bible. They instead compromise and do not go to the measures which the Bible prescribes in order for truth and righteousness to prevail among their congregation.

Ephesians 5:11: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Does evil within a church just get remedied over time? It obviously does not. Consider why Jesus cleansed the Temple at least twice during His first coming. The Jewish leaders had obviously allowed the Temple to be defiled by wicked people. They were wicked people themselves who were profiting from the corruption as well as enabling it. Something had to be done about it. Yet Jesus had jurisdiction to cleanse the Temple (since it was His Father’s house). Most find themselves in a church situation where they don’t have jurisdiction to make executive decisions. Even leaders of local denominational churches will be stopped from higher up in the denomination if they take all the measures they ought to take to cleanse their church according to the Bible’s instructions.

When a church’s leadership itself obviously won’t proclaim the Bible’s counsel without compromise and confront sin which is known to be going on among those in the church (it would mean ex-communicating those who won’t repent and do works fitting for repentance), then those who would be on the side of Christ in the light must leave. Continuing to go there is affirming their unrighteous leadership and complying with darkness.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial (that is, the worthless one- most likely a reference to Satan)? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement (or, assent) hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

These promises won’t be applied to those who don’t comply with the preceding instructions. There is an unrighteous yoke involved in being part of a group that disregards the Bible’s instructions (see also Revelation 18:4-5).

Don’t be resigned to evil prevailing in any realm of your life. All that “we’re all sinners” and “there is no perfect church” stuff (in the twisted ways in which people tend to use those terms) will crumble when Jesus returns to judge and to reign over all (see Amos 5:18-24 and Revelation 11:15-19 along these lines).

The Temple that Jesus cleansed is now utterly destroyed and the true God’s worship is scattered throughout the world in assemblies of believers in Jesus Christ which He counts as faithful. We even have precedent in the New Testament of Christians meeting in private houses. If the people are not truly meeting under Jesus Christ’s authority, then having a building called a church does not put Him in the midst of them. The loss of the greater structure and perception of group safety are worth it in order to cast off the unrighteous yoke involved in being part of a church that disregards the Bible’s instructions. However, note that not meeting in a building which is called a church by no means makes a group immune to the same false doctrines, the same sins, and very many of the empty traditions which frequently prevail among those who meet in buildings called churches.

Don’t attend any church meeting to relieve some superstitious scruple in yourself. Was Noah in the Bible part of a church when he found grace in God’s eyes? Not by the definition of many. We just have to look at Cain several generations before to know that there was exceedingly great moral corruption in Noah’s time among those who professed to worship God. Do you think there were not religious leaders who disdained Noah’s righteous preaching? It’s not hard to picture them criticizing Noah after domineering women who looked like harlots read quotes from Cain during their corrupt church’s worship service.

If proclaiming the Bible’s counsel without compromise and confronting the sin which is known to be going on among those in the church causes it to collapse, then it was worth it. Those from the disbanded church who are really intent on being under the authority of Christ and having His right ways prevail in their lives can still meet together. They might end up having to meet at a different location with a lot fewer people present. That is fine.