Don't Act Like A Christian Just Be One! Series

When we go home, we act like our real selves, because we believe that our secret is safe with our family. Then the doorbell rings.

It’s amazing how quickly we can shift and play the part of the perfect life even if moments before our house was more like the perfect storm.

We move the couch to cover the stain on the carpet, we wipe the dust off the tv stand, we threaten the kids with lifelong grounding if they so much as look the wrong way.

As soon as our guests arrive, we are the instant model family. Many of us do the same thing with God. We can be on our way to church having a heavyweight battle of a row with our spouse, or the kids, and the moment we arrive at church, the “spirit of the visiting God” comes upon us. We smile at the people on the door, sing (with the same voice that we were just using in anger) and worship with holy hands raised. We play the role of perfect Christian for a couple of hours, we have a nice visit with God, then get back in the car and go back to acting like our real selves again.

Many Christians are actors in a drama not pilgrims on a journey.

We try to act like something we are supposed to be Instead of living a heart-transformed life, too many Christians are living a life of behaviour modification. This is not how god wants us to live. Jesus does not want us to simply act like Christians. He wants us to authentically be Christians. The only way for this to occur is by allowing Him to work on us from the inside out. God wants to have a personal relationship with us. He wants to be involved in every part of our lives. God is not satisfied with visitation rights for a couple of hours on a Sunday and Tuesday evening. God wants to be at the core of who we are and who we are becoming.

Just looking the part is not enough.

We can carry our bibles, wear WWJD bracelets, stick an icthus on our car, refrain from activities like smoking, drinking, swearing, go to church and sing in the choir. We can look the right way, we can dress the right way, we can act the right way but, if all of this does not stem from who we really are at our core then it is just a sham.

We are supposed to be transformed into the image of Jesus. If we do not respond and accept the transforming grace of God then we are just like the Pharisees Jesus describe in Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Jesus despises hypocrisy.

He wants authentic followers. For most Christian’s transformation does not happen overnight, it is something that we have to work at, struggle with, pray about and be willing to accept. Don’t be sidetracked looking for a quick-fix plan – be committed to strengthening your spiritual core so that you can be transformed into the image of Christ.