Christians In More Than Name

So many people today call themselves “Christians” simply because they say they believe in the person Jesus who lived on this earth.  Not only do many of these people have no idea what being a Christian entails, they do not represent Christianity in a way that would draw others to Christ.  Additionally, they often cause others to label Christians as Hypocrites because of their actions.  Simply going to church does not make one a Christian anymore than going to the sports arena makes you an athlete.
 
Being a Christian is more than just going to church, but with that said attendance is necessary (Heb 10:25).  As Christians we must be disciples or learners (2 Tim 2:15) and followers of the teachings of Christ (Col 3:17).   Unfortunately, many people today who claim to be Christians do not go to church or they worship with groups that teach or worship contrary to the scriptures and are often not devoted to living according to Biblical standards.
 
Many people who are Christians and ought to be drawing others to the church and uplifting others in the congregation, are in actuality pushing non-Christians away while at the same time using words which tear down fellow believers.  James describes the danger of the Christians tongue.  James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell”.  It is amazing how the tongue, which can do so much good in teaching and edifying, can also tear down and destroy another person or congregation of believers.  Many Christians deny the faith through their actions or their lack of action, by their words or their lack of words, and through their behavior while attending worship or by not attending worship at all.
 
Paul records how one can determine if they are truly living as a Christian in 2 Cor. 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”  We should all ask ourselves “are we proving we are Christians?”  “Do people know I am a Christian based on my behavior and not solely on the verbal claim of “being a Christian”?  Unfortunately, those of us who truly are Christians have to work twice as hard to demonstrate what “true Christianity” is, because there are many “false Christians” or “erring Christians” in the world which are giving us a bad name.  I am so thankful for all of you who are “walking the walk”!