Let me ask you the most important question anyone can ask you. Are you a Christian? Especially if you do consider yourself to be a Christian, you probably reflexively answered that question in your mind before you ever even got to the question mark. If you answered yes to that question, let me ask you another question. Why do you consider yourself to be a Christian? You may have been a little slower to answer that question. That’s OK. Take your time. If your answer to the second question is insufficient then your answer to the first is meaningless. This is what I want to look at here.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why people say they are Christians.
Before we get into that, let me offer this preface. Everyone has their struggles and I do mean absolutely everyone. Even Paul did. Everyone has their seasons of difficulty, when they don’t do what they should, and sometimes those are long seasons. That’s just life and that’s also the Christian life.
Consider these words of Paul.
Romans 7
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Paul was probably the greatest evangelist who ever lived but, clearly, even he struggled with sin. None of us is perfect.
With that said, salvation is much more than just believing in God and praying a prayer and being baptized and going to church. And yet, these are the reasons why many consider themselves to be Christians. These people are deceiving themselves. Let’s look at these reasons and why they, alone, are insufficient.
Reason 1: You believe in God.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life. Did you ever wonder what “believe” here means? I could get into word studies and sight all kinds of commentary but let’s keep it really simple. The word “believe” can mean two basic things. First, it can mean to accept the truth of something or to accept that it exists. Second, it can mean to trust in or have faith in something. When it comes to Jesus and salvation, many people are thinking of the first of these meanings but Scriptures referring to the second one.
I believe in my coffee cup. I just picked it up. I would be foolish not to believe in it. There is no question that it exists. It’s right here. I firmly believe in its existence.
When my wife says to me “I believe in you”, does she mean the same thing I meant when I was talking about my coffee cup? Does she mean that she believes that I exist? No, she means that she has faith in me, that she trusts me. That trust has compelled her to take action. For example, she believed in my call to Christian ministry. Because of that, she has supported me and actively helped me to carry out this work, even when it was hard and there was little financial compensation from it.
When it comes to Jesus, do you have coffee cup belief or spouse belief and which one is Scripture talking about?
James 2
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
You see, even the demons have coffee cup belief. They believe that Jesus exists and is the Son of God and,, in that sense, they “believe in Him” but they don’t have the kind of belief that causes them to trust Him and take positive action. That trusting and action compelling belief is what is necessary for salvation. Do you have trusting and action compelling belief?
Reason 2: You go to church and you read the Bible.
Hebrews 10
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
There are many reasons that God commands us to gather together to worship Him. One of those reasons is to hear the preaching of His Word. Once we hear the preaching of His Word, we are to put what we hear into practice. We are to encourage one another in love and help one another to set about the good works that God has given us to do. Too often, hearing The Word is as far as it goes. Let’s see what The Word has to say about that.
James 1
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Notice that verse 21 says that we are to receive the implanted word. We are not to just hear The Word. Just hearing implies passivity. We are to receive The Word, which implies action. In fact, verse 22 says that if we do not act on what we have heard, then we are deceiving ourselves. Verses 23 through 25 indicate that, only if what we hear motivates us to examine ourselves, to insure that we are living out the Word, to take corrective action where necessary, and to set about the work that God has given us to do, only then will be be blessed by what we have heard. Verses 26 and 27 give specific examples, indicating that, if we think we are religious but we have not been motivated to follow Christ’s commandments, by doing things such as restraining our speech and showing His love by helping those in need, then we are deceiving ourselves as it says back in verse 22. So, you go to church, which is good, but do you put into practice what you learn there or have you been deceiving yourself?
Reason 3: You prayed a prayer.
Romans 10
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Whoever calls on His name will be saved. But what does it mean to “call on His name”? Many would say that this refers to praying what is often referred to as “The Sinners Prayer”, in which we ask Jesus to come into our heart and save us. I believe that “calling on His name” does refer to entering into a relationship with Him and that would involve praying, as that is the way we talk to Him. However, if saying the prayer is all we do, then we haven’t done enough.
1 Corinthians 6
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
If the Spirit truly lives within you then you are not your own, you are His, and if you do not act as though you are His, then the Spirit is not within you. Am I being too harsh? I don’t believe I am. Consider these words of Jesus.
Matthew 7
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Jesus said that we will know people by their fruits. There are many people who proclaim the name of Christ and outwardly do many of the things that a follower of Christ would be expected to do but don’t really display any true fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said there will be many who will do things in His name and will call Him Lord but do not truly know Him and, as such, will not inherit eternal life.
Revelation 3
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
In Revelation 3:16, who are the lukewarm people Jesus is talking to? We often refer to these as “lukewarm Christians” but is there really such a thing? In verse 18, He says that these people should buy clothes from Him, so that the shame of their nakedness will not be revealed, which suggests that, as things now stand, the shame of their nakedness will be revealed because they are not clothed with His righteousness. That same verse says that these people should anoint their eyes with eye salve so that they can see, which suggests that they currently cannot see. This would seem to indicate spiritual blindness. Blindness is often used symbolically in Scripture to indicate someone is unable or unwilling to perceive spiritual truth. In other words, it appears that Jesus is talking to people who do not have a relationship with Him, people who are not “saved”, people who are not Christians. Perhaps the most troubling thing in this passage is that verse 17 indicates that these people are not aware of their spiritual condition. That is at least partly the fault of the Christian church. Today’s Christian culture encourages many such people to think of themselves as lukewarm Christians but, again I ask, is there really such a thing? This passage would seem to indicate that there is not. It isn’t too late for them though. These “lukewarm Christians” need to repent (verse 19), open the door to Jesus (verse 20), so that they can sit with Him on His thrown (verse 21). Are you one of these “lukewarm Christians?
Let’s take a look at one more passage of Scripture that is even more clear about this.
Matthew 24
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In this Scripture, starting in verse 48, Jesus talked about what He called evil servants, the people who He does not find doing His work when He comes, and, concerning those people, He spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth when He comes. Ask yourself something. Who is He talking to there? It is tempting to sort of gloss over this in our minds and assume that He is talking about Christians, people who are saved but just not doing what they should. Given the overall context of this passage, does that really make sense? For those who know Him, His return will be a very joyous occasion. For those who know Him, when He returns, there will be joy, not weeping. In the Bible, weeping and gnashing of teeth is imagery that is used to describe Hell. Clearly, He is not talking to true Christians here. The true Christians, those who truly know Him, are those faithful servants, the ones He talks about in verses 45 through 47, who He finds doing His work when He comes.
As I said earlier, salvation is much more than just believing in God and praying a prayer and being baptized and going to church. It’s giving your life to Him. Have you done that? As I also said earlier, everyone has their struggles, including Christians. God does not expect us to be perfect. That is why it was necessary for Jesus to sacrifice Himself. You will have ups and downs, you may take 3 steps forward and two steps back, and that’s OK. It’s normal to struggle. When there is no struggle, that’s when there is a problem, and I think many don’t really struggle and we have to be honest with ourselves about that. There’s too much at stake not to.
Ask yourself something. If you take a long term view, from the time you were saved until now, Do you see any real evidence of Him working in your life? When you add up all the steps forward and steps back, has there been any net forward progress in your journey toward becoming more like Him? If not, have you truly given your life to Him? If you have any doubt about that, you need to spend some time with Him working that out. I don’t want to scare you but I would much rather you be scared for a little while now than for you to endure eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth later.
