Claiming to be a Christian and living the Christian life are two different things just as being a member of a church and being saved are two different things. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). Judas, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, was a disciple and treasurer of the group and yet the evidence is clear, his allegiance to Christ was fake. He was a hypocrite, a liar and filled with greed. He’s the one who condemned Mary for pouring expensive ointment on Jesus. Jesus called him “The Son of Perdition” (John 17:12) meaning that he was totally lost. Judas walked with Jesus but lived for himself. He was a member of Jesus closes followers, yet there is no evidence that he ever had a transformation of life, or ever preached a sermon, taught a spiritual lesson, wrote about his experiences or truly believed that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus used his strongest words against the religious establishment of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Chief Priests and religious leaders to condemn their hypocrisy. They were religious but they weren’t spiritual. They burdened the people with their laws but failed to practice what they preached.
John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and admonished his hearers to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Luke 3:3,8) As the old spiritual says, “It’s not my brother or my sister but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Paul said, “So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”(Romans 14:12)
In the context of partaking of the Lord’s Supper, Paul had in mind the transformation of one’s life and serving Christ with the whole heart when he said, “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29). As someone wisely said, “It is the practice and not the verbiage that makes a man Christian.”
In His Love
Charles
