Practicing

I saw something interesting in an article I read lately entitled, Britons Losing Religious Beliefs. The thing that stood out to me was the simple phrase, "...most of those who say they are Christians do not practice their religion".

What a telling phrase! Written by a secular reporter, just saying it like it is based on her research - it reveals the root of a lot of the world's problems with Christianity and hits the nail on the head about the Church's lack of power to be much different from the world.

There are two distinct (and probably more less obvious) issues that come to mind when reading that phrase. One issue is, why are people claiming to be Christians if they aren't "practicing"? Is there even such a thing as a follower of Christ that doesn't "practice" their faith? After all - "follow" is an action word, you're either following Jesus or you're not.

Ok - people confuse terminology and hold differing definitions to words all the time. So I can see where a person might think they are a Christian when they might actually mean to say what they agree with the Christian theology over other theologies, or because a person's family are all Christians, they might assume that means they are too.

I can see where a person may get confused with nationality. I don't particularly "practice" being an American, although I am one... wait a minute - I DO practice being an American by voting and paying taxes, by supporting our troops, by being bound by the laws of this nation and by using the privileges and rights of the laws of this nation. I'm practicing being an American right now - by using my rights of free speech! So that doesn't count.

Ok - how about people calling themselves a Christian because of the synonym "believer". A "believer" could be defined as someone who believes in Christ (who believes that Jesus is Who is said He is - the Son of God, Who died and rose again and now reigns from heaven with the Father).

That's a definition, but it's not the definition according to Scripture. The western concept of "belief" is a philosophy, an mental acknowledgment. But in Biblical concepts, "belief" is a lifestyle. God's Word teaches us about grace, that we cannot be good enough, do enough good works to earn salvation - and that by believing and trusting in Who Jesus is and what He did, that God grants salvation to us. That is very true and the core principle of the Christian faith. But what corresponds with this core principle is the fact that believing this truth with our hearts and minds animates us to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Without our response of first repenting of our own ways and then of obeying God's ways, our mental beliefs are in vain, they are useless doctrines and nothing more. Remember Jesus' warnings ...

"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" Matthew 15:8-9
"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5-6
'Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" Luke 9:23-26 and
"And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out." Luke 14:27-35

More people are deceived by the western concept of "belief" than there are true believers. After all - even the demons believe... but that doesn't mean they are followers or saved (James 2:17-19).

The second issue is, the lack of practicing in Christians. Christians - meaning, people who are disciples of Jesus, members of the body of Christ. If there is such a thing as a non-practicing Christian, why aren't they practicing??? If you say you are a believer, but you aren't practicing your faith, then what is it exactly you are believing in? Obviously you aren't believing Jesus' words.

People behave according to their beliefs. If you truly believed that a bridge will break, you won't step on that bridge. If you truly believed that your house were on fire, you'd grab what that the most valuable to you and run out of the house. If you truly believed that Jesus is Who He says He is and that He'll be back one day, at any time, you'd be living out your faith daily - even if you do so poorly one day and great the next.

I personally don't believe there is such a creature as a non-practicing Christian. If you believe - if you are rooted into the Vine that is Jesus - then you are either growing, or mature and producing fruit ... you are practicing. You are either training for living the life of Christ in this life, or practicing for eternity in the next. Sleeping believers will be cut off of the Vine and thrown into the fire (John 15). A mental ascent isn't enough... we must be living for Jesus or stop claiming His name! Even the Lord Himself would prefer us to be one or the other (Revelation 3:15-16).

So - on with the practicing, for practice makes perfect! Let us honor our Lord and Savior by picking up our crosses, dying to self, and living gloriously in His power and strength - doing as He did - and bearing fruit worthy of His name that we wear on us and take with us everywhere we go! Let the world start seeing that it means something to be a Christian and that our God dwells within us by His Holy Spirit! We can't be 100% perfect in these mortal bodies - but we can be forgiven and free - and covered in grace while we never cease trying to finish the race we started in Christ!