“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” [Matthew 7:21 (NLT)]
Since her church attendance is limited to Christmas and Easter, with an occasional funeral or wedding thrown in, a neighbor describes herself as being a “Birth and Resurrectionist.” People like her are often categorized as “nominal” or “non-practicing” Christians. Granted, church attendance is not the litmus test for Christianity. Nevertheless, lack of church attendance indicates a lack of commitment and a token or non-practicing faith. While such people identify as “Christians,” their Christianity is a more a matter of culture, habit, or tradition than one of faith, creed, and rebirth.
Celebrated evangelist Billy Sunday said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile,” and we’ll find “nominal” or “non-practicing” Christians in the pews as well as the beach or golf course Sunday mornings! Some things, however, can’t be done partially—and following Christ is one of them. An all-or-nothing proposition, following Jesus means a transformed life. When those “nominal” or “non-practicing Christians” arrive at the Pearly Gates, they shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus doesn’t recognize them! Nevertheless, setting aside the promise of salvation and where we’ll spend eternity, what would our lives be like right now if we only were token or cultural Christians?
While we’d still have a code of ethics, knowing what’s right doesn’t mean we’ll do the right thing. A relationship with Jesus means we have the Holy Spirit to guide us through our moral choices and get us back on track when we stray. Without the Holy Spirit, would we be able to love? Probably, but not with the unconditional love (agape) about which Jesus spoke—the power to do that comes from Him. Worse, we’d have anger, resentment, and bitterness because, without the Spirit’s power, we’d struggle to forgive those who’ve hurt us. Moreover, if Jesus weren’t in our lives, we’d miss the blessing of God’s forgiveness and be burdened with guilt, regrets, and shame.
If we had no relationship with Jesus, we’d miss that wonderful sense of peace that comes with Him. We’d always be searching for the next best thing without ever realizing that we have the best thing right beside us. Without Jesus, our sense of worth would depend on superficial and transient things like social status, wealth, education, and looks. With Jesus in our hearts, we know without a doubt that we are loved unconditionally. Moreover, without Jesus in charge, we’d lose our sense of hope and trust. We’d fight our troubles instead of accepting them with the knowledge that He will carry us through them.
Finally, a “nominal” or “non-practicing” Christian misses out on the blessings of Christ’s church. The church isn’t a building; it’s a family of faith. It’s friends, support, instruction, accountability, inspiration, opportunities, guidance, encouragement, prayer, and joy! While salvation is the final reward for our faith in Christ, our daily lives are continually blessed for that faith.
When my eldest grand took advanced calculus, I could neither understand what she was doing nor the purpose in doing it (other than gaining entrance into a good university). The following year, she took something called discrete math. Since I was thinking “discreet,” I couldn’t understand how numbers could be cautious or prudent. Even when she explained “discrete” means “individually separate and distinct” and discrete math is the basis for much of computer science, statistics, and programming, I remained in the dark. Fortunately, I wasn’t the one taking SATs and making application to colleges, so I didn’t need to make sense of her difficult curriculum.
Following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the apostles obediently and courageously returned to Jerusalem. They got down to business and selected a replacement for Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ. With the addition of Matthias, there again were twelve apostles and about 120 believers/disciples and the entire group devoted themselves to prayer. Picture this diverse group of people. How did they keep the faith? Did they wonder what exactly they were waiting for and when it would happen? Where was this baptism with the Holy Spirit Jesus promised them? When would Jesus to return? Did they grow impatient or begin to doubt what they’d seen with their eyes?
In contrast to works, which are produced by us, the Fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Holy Spirit. Rather than a basket with a variety of fruit, this is one indivisible fruit characterized by nine virtues: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We could call this the “Christlikeness fruit” because these characteristics describe Jesus and should describe us.
Back in the days before coronary artery bypass surgery and angioplasty, my father had heart disease and often suffered from the burning chest pain of angina. When that occurred, he would stop briefly, place a nitroglycerin tablet under his tongue, and his pain would ease. Medical nitroglycerin acts as a vasodilator by dilating or expanding the blood vessels so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through those vessels.
In 1962, my 2-month-old nephew Johnny and his parents traveled 1,500 miles for his Baptism. Because my mother was hospitalized (and soon would be dead), the sacrament took place at her bedside. This was the only time Johnny and his grandmother met and the last time my sister saw our mother alive.
Devotions of the Heart 