In my search for the way, the truth and the life, I had to leave churches

“Does regular church attendance makes you a born again believer?”

Someone asked me why I have forsaken "the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25) all these years because I have stopped attending local churches. In my search for the way, the truth and the life, I had to leave a Charismatic megachurch I used to be a part of. I had to leave an Independent Fundamental Baptist church I used to be a part of, and I had to leave a Bible Presbyterian Church I used to be a part of. The question I have for them is this: "Is church attendance proof that one is a born again believer?" More than once, I have been reproached by others who quoted this verse when I told them I have not been attending churches for a long time:

Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

They will tell me that attending local churches is a work of faith that born again believers will do out of their hearts. I disagree, because first and foremost, how do we tell the difference between a true church and a synagogue of Satan? What is a synagogue of Satan?

Revelation 2:9 "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."

A synagogue of Satan according to this verse, is a gathering of people who say that they are "Jews," and are not. Of course, it includes physical Jews whose circumcision is of the flesh, but Paul also tells us that a true Jew is a born again believer, whose praise is not of men, but of God:

Romans 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

Therefore, a synagogue of Satan includes those who call themselves "Christians," but were never born again to begin with. Can a born again believer attend a local church and selectively ignore the possibility that he might be attending a "synagogue of Satan" just to satisfy his conscience for not forsaking "the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25)?

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "And what agreement 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. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

First and foremost, there is absolutely no agreement between the temple of God and idols. Paul tells born again believers in this passage to “come out from among them, and be ye separate…” We are to separate ourselves from the synagogues of Satan, so as to say.

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

Secondly, we are not to have any fellowship with the synagogues of Satan, but rather reprove their works with the 66 books of the Holy Bible. What else did the Bible tells us about the Synagogue of Satan? Paul also tells us that we ought not to be ignorant of the devices of Satan:

2 Corinthians 2:11 "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Paul warned in the same book (2 Corinthians) that there are false apostles and deceitful workers out there, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Even as Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, so shall his ministers be transformed as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. The opening verses which establish the context of this chapter are these:

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."

In this, Paul was showing us the subtilty of the serpent (the Devil), and he was also connecting us back to the garden of Eden in Genesis 3, where Satan appeared as an angel of light (in the form of a serpent) to Eve and beguiled her through his subtilty, and her mind was corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Paul continues in verse 4 "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted…" This tells us something about the means by which Satan and his ministers use to corrupt a person's mind: another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel.

Colossians 2:18 "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"

The goal of the Devil and his ministers is to "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men." (Matthew 23:13) In order to accomplish this goal, the Devil will have his ministers pretend to be "ministers of righteousness." (2 Corinthians 11:15) They will form churches that men could see with their fleshly eyes, and preach a "Jesus" that the large majority could receive with their fleshly minds. That, accordingly to Paul in Colossians 2:18 is a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things that men have not seen and understood. It has spiritual consequences, even as Eve was beguiled by the serpent and brought the fall of mankind.

Galatians 2:4-5 "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."

Paul warns us of "false brethren" in this passage, and false brethren are found among people who call themselves Christians. These are the Christians who do not serve the God of the Holy Bible, yet acquainting themselves with his name. Their goal is to spy out the liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring born again believers into bondage with their false gospels and false doctrines.

Romans 16:17 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."

Notice that Paul will not even continue an hour with those false brethren as we read in Galatians 2:5. Therefore a born again believer is to mark and avoid those people, so that the truth of the gospel might continue in him. It is the 66 books of the Holy Bible that must determine what the church should be preaching, and not the other way round. The word of God must be first and foremost to a born again believer, and if any church were to preach things which cause divisions and offences contrary to the word of God, we are to mark and void them.