Hypocritical testimonies of so called Christians were one of my biggest barriers. I was discouraged by the Christian message because of the people who where in my life who claimed to be Christians but their lives reflected a different message. Why would I listen to someone talk about the Love of Christ and then watch that same person turn a blind eye to someone because of the color of there skin or their economic status. Why would I want to go to church with a friend if he was out partying with me the night before, doing all the same things that I was and sounding the same as me? I looked at it like this… It was a waste of time to go to church because at least I was being me and not putting on a front on Sunday mornings. In my mind I was preventing myself from being a hypocrite.We live in a timeframe that many people profess to be Christians but have fallen into the world’s selfish desires and are living for them selves. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 professing Christians are to test themselves and determine whether they are really living in Faith. Bottom line is that just because someone claims to be a Christian doesn’t mean they are one.
Want to ask your self a tough question? Then ask yourself “Am I really a Christian?”
The point I am trying to make is that people profess to be Christians because of their good deeds; Jesus warns us that some people will be surprised at their fate because even if they cast our demons or cast miracles in Jesus’ name doesn’t necessarily mean that we are Christians. This is a strong comment; however, Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 7:13-24. Bottom line is that there are people out there, in churches, workplaces, schools and even our own homes that profess to be Christians but have the sightless idea of what they are truly professing. I was one of those people at once… In my darkest moments in life I still would tell people that I was a Christian. What kind of message was I demonstrating, “Yeah, I’m Christian but its cool to get drunk, do drugs, go to strip clubs, disrespect women and have sex.” You may laugh or look in disgust at that comment, but look at your own life and really ask yourself, “Am I really a Christian?” Is God working in you, enabling you both to will and act for His good purpose (Philippians 2:13), have you allowed God to transform your life?
This term of transformation is one that scares off some people… it did me but then I was introduced to Justification. Justification means that we have been saved from the penalty of sin, which was even weirder because if we have been saved from sin then why not indulge? This is why transformation in our life is not automatic, we must choose at each moment whether we’re going to resist the temptation to sin and live according to God’s plan for our lives; each resistance to a temptation to sin is allowing God to save us more and more from the power of sin.
All this talk about transforming and resistance against temptation is all good but what it comes down is - “are you going to allow God in your life?” Simply saying you’re a Christian doesn’t mean a thing and it certainly doesn’t help other people. I look at the things that I participated in while I professed myself as a Christian, while I called everyone else a hypocrite for going to church I didn’t realize I was the biggest hypocrite! People often try to perceive their selves as perfect Christians by trying to look and act like a Christian around the church people or for the couple of hours a week. I am here to tell you… that since 2005 I’ve been a Christian and I can truly say that with all my heart and soul. The reason for my blog is so that people well not fall for the plastic people that go in and out of church each week but realize that being a Christian is about messing up and falling short, it’s about being strengthened through our weakness.
The reason it took me so long to turn to Christ, to God was that I was looking at the people around me for that perfect God. It wasn’t until God allowed me to get to a place where I could hear, for most of us this is hitting rock bottom. Hitting rock bottom has its advantages though… we have no other place to look other than God and when He is the only one it’s pretty easy to listen. I rejoice in my struggles because it has allowed to fully rely on God.
We worship the perfect Christ, not imperfect Christians.
