Let’s Talk: Just Going To Church Isn’t The Goal, Knowing Christ Is

Don’t misunderstand me—church, or the community of believers that God has called you to, is vitally important. As Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

We are not meant to be ALONE. As some have said, your relationship with God is not merely between you and Him. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have received the Holy Spirit and been given gifts to encourage, edify, and exhort others. You are a part of one body in Christ. Think of it this way: if you saw an arm lying on its own, detached from a body, it would seem unnatural and incomplete. That’s how we appear when we disregard the importance of being part of a church or community (1 Corinthians 12).

However, if your participation in church is reduced to just ticking a box, or if week after week you hear the word preached but remain unchanged, then something is amiss. Church is designed to deepen our knowledge and understanding of who Christ is. It is meant to equip us to carry out His good works and to encourage us to live for Him, even when we face suffering and trials (and notice I said “when,” not “if”). Ultimately, Christ is our goal, not just what He can do for us. By truly knowing Him (not just knowing about Him), we become more like Him, produce good fruit, and glorify Him.

Philippians 3:8-16 offers this insight:
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

This passage is a favorite of mine because it highlights that while we may never achieve perfection, we are called to press on toward the goal of knowing Christ—not as a means to an end but from a place of salvation. It reminds us that knowing Christ surpasses any worldly gain or accomplishment.

Today, and for the rest of your life, make knowing Christ your ultimate goal. Do not chase after material possessions like a big house, fancy car, career, clothes, status, or fame. Even well-meaning activities like attending church should not be the focus. When these things become your goal, you may miss the essence of Christ and end up worshiping them instead. When they inevitably fail you (and they will), you might feel devastated or blame God.

So, refocus today and fix your gaze back on Him. Let your pursuit be of Christ alone, for in knowing Him, you find everything you truly need.