“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.
Several “Nancy” comics written and drawn by Guy Gilchrist have inspired my writing. Curious about the cartoonist, I was not surprised to learn that he is a Christian; that was not always true. As a boy, he was poor, lonely, abused, and searching for someone and something in which to believe. Missing a dad, he found a father figure in an unlikely place—television—and in a remarkable person—a radio, television and movie star by the name of Roy Rogers. When the young cartoonist was unsure how to behave, he’d look to the singing cowboy and ask himself, “What would Roy do?” He knew his cowboy hero always took the right course of action. Although Rogers was publicly vocal about his faith, Gilchrist didn’t know his hero was a Christ follower until many years later.
My summer beach novel began with a man having a heart attack on a commuter train. For the next several pages, I was privy to the thoughts of his fellow passengers who were annoyed by the train’s unscheduled stop for medical aid. Because they’d be delayed, they saw the man’s collapse as a tremendous inconvenience to them. As passengers disembarked to find another way into the city, their thoughts were not of the dying man and his wife but of themselves and how they’d been inconvenienced.
“It’s a masterpiece!” I would exclaim when admiring my grands’ latest creations before hanging them on the refrigerator. Truth be told, they only were masterpieces in my grandma eyes. To anyone else, they were just a child’s efforts with crayons, markers, and stickers. A real masterpiece is a work done with exceptional skill—a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. Even then, the word “masterpiece” usually is limited to an artist’s best work. While my grands needed to hone their skills before creating a true artistic masterpiece, every one of us is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and an example of God’s best work.
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.
Lent begins on Wednesday. Beginning with the solemn reminder that we are but dust and to dust we shall return and concluding with Christ’s victory over death on Easter Sunday, the season’s forty days represent the time the Lord spent alone in the wilderness, fasting in preparation for his ministry, and undergoing Satan’s temptations. A period of self-discipline and repentance, Lent often is observed by such things as contemplation, confession, prayer, fasting, moderation, service, and giving
Devotions of the Heart 