The Church Isn't Optional — It's Essential
- Jason Abt
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
Updated: May 6
Why Loving Jesus Means Staying Connected to His Church — Even When It’s Messy
There’s a dangerous idea floating around today — that faith is personal but the Church is optional.That being "spiritual" without being "religious" is somehow enough.That Jesus is good, but the Church? Nah, that’s man-made, messy, outdated.
But here’s the truth that nobody wants to say out loud anymore:
The Church isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Always has been. Always will be.
When Jesus walked this earth, He didn’t just preach love and forgiveness.
He built a Church.
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."— Matthew 16:18 (RSV-2CE)
Christ didn't say "I'll leave behind some good vibes and advice."
He said Church. A real, visible, living body on this earth.
He appointed leaders. He gave them authority to teach, to baptize, to forgive sins.He gave the apostles — and their successors — the charge to guard the faith, pass it on, and shepherd His people.
You can’t separate Christ from His Church any more than you can separate a head from its body and expect it to survive.
You can’t say “I love Jesus” but spit on the very Church He bled and died to establish.
"But the Church Is Full of Hypocrites!"
Yep.
It sure is.
It’s also full of sinners, screw-ups, doubters, cowards, and people still trying to figure it out — and thank God for that.
Because if the Church were only for perfect people, none of us could walk through the doors.
The truth is, the Church was never supposed to be a country club for the righteous.
It’s a battlefield medic station for wounded soldiers.
It’s messy because we're messy.
But that's exactly why it's necessary.
When people say, “I don’t go to Church because it’s full of hypocrites,” what they’re really saying is, “I expected humans to be something they’re not.”
The Church isn’t holy because the people inside it are flawless.
The Church is holy because Jesus Christ is holy, and He promised to be present in it until the end of time.
The Biblical Mandate for the Church
Some people try to argue, "All I need is my Bible!"
But here’s the thing: without the Church, you wouldn’t even have the Bible.
It was the early Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that discerned, protected, and canonized the Scriptures.
It was Church councils, made up of flawed but faithful men, who formally recognized what writings were inspired and what weren't.
Scripture itself points us back to the Church:
"If I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth."— 1 Timothy 3:15 (RSV-2CE)
Notice that:
The Bible doesn’t say the pillar of truth is your private interpretation.
It says it’s the Church.
Why the World Hates the Church
It’s no accident that every time evil rises up, the Church is attacked first.
Why?
Because the Church stands in the way.
The Church dares to declare moral absolutes in a world obsessed with feelings.
The Church dares to say there is truth — not "your truth" and "my truth," but THE truth — and that truth has a Name: Jesus Christ.
A weak Christian is no threat to a corrupt culture.
But a strong Church?
A united, faithful, Spirit-filled Church?
That’s unstoppable.
The world doesn’t just want you to leave the Church.
It wants you to believe you don’t even need it.
Because if you disconnect from the Body of Christ, you’re easier to confuse, to divide, to control, and eventually to destroy.
My Own Story: Coming Back
I’ll be honest.
There was a time when I didn’t prioritize the Church like I should have.
I thought I could love God without the "institutional baggage."
I thought my personal faith was enough.
But the longer I stayed away, the weaker my faith got.
The more isolated I became, the easier it was for lies to creep in.
Little compromises. Little justifications. A little less prayer. A little more self-reliance.
Until one day I realized:
I wasn’t standing stronger without the Church. I was falling apart.
Coming back wasn’t about admitting I needed "rules."
It was about admitting I needed grace.
Real grace.
Grace that flows through the sacraments.
Grace that anchors you when the storm hits.
Grace that you can’t manufacture on your own.
Why You Need the Church
If you want to be strong in your faith — really strong — you need the Church.
You need the Eucharist.
You need the Scriptures properly taught.
You need Confession when you fall.
You need brothers and sisters who will call you higher, not drag you lower.
You need the authority of the Church to keep you grounded in truth when the world tries to sell you lies.
"He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me."— Luke 10:16 (RSV-2CE)
Rejecting the Church isn’t just a personal choice.
It’s rejecting Christ’s plan.
You were not made to walk alone.
You were made for communion — with God, and with His people.
Final Thought
The Church isn’t perfect.
It’s been battered by scandal, weakened by compromise, and attacked from without and within.
But it’s still the Bride of Christ.
It’s still the place where sinners are made saints.
It’s still the ark riding through the flood.
Don’t let society fool you into abandoning your post.
Don’t let the failings of men blind you to the faithfulness of God.
Don’t walk away from the very thing that can carry you home.
Get in the Church. Stay in the Church. Fight for the Church.
Because in the end, it’s not about convenience.
It’s about salvation.
And there’s no Plan B.
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