Saturday, July 7, 2012

Our Lives Should Reflect Our Faith

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” -- Luke 3:7-9

Their pastor lamented over those who have fallen away from God. They say they are Christians, he told me, but their lives don’t reflect that at all. In fact, they openly sin and shrug it off as nothing.

It really makes you wonder if they are Christians in their hearts or merely Christians in their minds.

I know folks -- and you probably do to -- who are Christians because their parents were Christians. They know all the right things to say. They show up on the “big” Sundays of Christmas and Easter, for baptisms and kids’ events. The rest of the time they go about their lives without any thought of God.

It’s as though they believe they can inherit their faith. We are not saved by our parents’ faith but by our own. God knows our hearts. He sees where no one else can see. You can’t fool Him. God knows if you believe in your heart or only with your words.

It all seems to work smoothly for them -- until there’s a crisis. Then everything explodes around them because their faith isn’t really faith at all and they are sinking fast. If they are smart, they cry out to God. Some choose to turn away, angrily lashing out at a God they really don’t know.

Other people truly believe they are saved. They got dunked or sprinkled. Maybe they grew up going to Vacation Bible School and participating in church sports or other activities. But there doesn’t seem to be anything showing outward that they are who they say they are.

Let me ask you another question: When was the last time you asked God what He wanted from you? We’re so accustomed to going to God with our list of requests that we forget to ask Him what He wants. James tells us that faith without works is dead. Those works come when we do what God has called us to do.

Faith isn’t a one-way relationship. God wants a full relationship with us. That means give and take. We’re familiar with the take but what about the give? When we’re created new in Christ, that’s where the change comes. We want to live differently.

I don’t know about those folks who say they’re Christians and yet live lives that don’t reflect their faith. But God knows. He sees their hearts. If they are truly believers, the Holy Spirit will convict them and bring changes in their lives. And if they aren’t, well, we can only pray for their salvation.