The Appearance of …

As my wife and I were having breakfast this morning she made this comment. “Did you every notice how fruit is like people calling themselves Christians - they can look really great on the outside but be bad on the inside?” Although this truth wasn’t a new thought, it certainly made me stop and reconsider this issue.

ABC did a poll June 20-24, 2008 asking Americans whether they identified themselves as Christian or some other group. When the results were tabulated, 13% claimed no religion, 4% non-Christian religion, and a whopping 83% clearly identified themselves as Christian.

This is the problem – perception! Just because I am a member of a church, attend a church, grew up in a church, have a Bible in the house, said a prayer once, was baptized, take communion, do lots of good deeds, and ….. - doesn’t mean I am a Christian.

Doing those things don’t make me a Christian any more than riding in a car makes me a car.

These things are the result of being a Christian, not what makes me a Christian. To be a Christian you first have to follow the process of being right with God which is stated in Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” That means you make an agreement with God and let it be known that Jesus is the Master of your life and put your faith and trust in the fact that He is the only sacrifice for sin – then you’ll be saved (have a relationship with God).

Christian is not a title, it is an action and behavior of life. A lot of people are angry at the church and “Christians” because they do not display a Christ lifestyle. Being a Christian is to try to be the best disciple of Christ possible. That means studying the Bible, holding to His values & morals, sharing lives with others who are dedicated to follow Christ, and seeking ways to allow His life to show through our actions.

But, without a personal relationship with Christ we don’t have the power to do any more than be some of that rotten fruit that looks so good on the outside, but undesirable once you open it up.

If you call yourself a Christian, but it is only an outward appearance, why not ask Christ to truly be the center of your life. If you are not finding fellowship with other believers, decide to join a fellowship that will help you grow in Christ.

Don’t just try to look good on the outside, let Christ change the inside.