Solo Christianity

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. — Hebrews 3:12-14

Can you walk with God without other believers? “Solo Christianity” is a growing segment in America and many churches are working hard to accommodate them. In a recent study by LifeWay Research (August 2019), sixty-five percent of Protestant churchgoers say that they can walk with God alone. This view somewhat reveals America’s strong individualism. Whether believers or not, Americans do not want to admit that they cannot do things ALONE. The internet is full of DIY and self-help videos. Prayer and bible study are moving away from groups and into private Quiet Times. Interestingly, the same research finds that seventy-five percent of Protestants say they need other believers to help them grow in their walk with God. These two statements are contradictory. This study indicates that the cause of this contradiction comes from the lack of discipleship in churches. “The ‘needing, yet not needing’ responses demonstrate an internal turmoil of individuals desiring community, but not seeing the church as the place to have those needs met” (LifeWay Research). Biblically speaking, Solo Christianity cannot exist. By quoting Hebrews 3:12-14, John Piper says, “Christian fellowship is a means of perseverance in faith.” In other words, WE NEED EACH OTHER. The Well Church, what about you? Do you believe that you need your church community to grow in your walk with God? How are you helping others to grow? We need to be true friends with one another. One practical way to be a true friend is to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrew 3:13).