I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
(2 Timothy 4:7 – ESV)

Are we keeping the faith? But out of a true faith comes fruit and obedience. And remember that fruit is what determines whether we are truly Christ’s or not. We can not cease to have faith and yet be a successful Christian. Churchianity will tell us that attending church services and being heavily involved in the institution is proof of being a sincere Christian but no one can be a sincere and true Christian without an ever-present faith in Jesus. That’s where it starts and that where it ends in true Christianity.

Do we bear more resemblance to Old Testament Saul or New Testament Paul in regards to our faith? Because faith in Christ is what is required in our relationship to God. Churchianity is so caught up with a grand scale of works without really considering whether the works are being done in faith or not. This is why church services can feature musicians that aren’t even believers and is concerned with making unbelievers feel comfortable among the congregation. Yet, Christianity requires faith to be present for the good works of God to be done through the Christian and an adherence to not what feels right, but what God says is right.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
(Matthew 7:21-23 – ESV)

Too many times we consider the best Christians to be the ones that do the most outwardly. But what God is concerned about is the heart. Because even if we are to do a whole bunch of good works, if we haven’t repented of our sins and aren’t continually having faith and trust in Jesus, then the good works are of no benefit to us.

In Matthew 7, these people that are pleading to Jesus did good things and what would even be considered Christian deeds. So why would Jesus not want to have anything to do with them? Because they were not obedient to Him. They did good deeds but like Saul, they failed to still obey the Lord. And obedience comes as a result of faith and belief in Jesus. So in essence, these people were not believers (at the present time of this encounter) and did not have faith (at the present time of this encounter). This is something for us to really consider.

Remember the success of the Christian life will always depend on how we directly relate to Jesus, not how we are regarded by the churches. Indeed how we are within the church can be an indication of where we’re currently at with Jesus but it isn’t the end all-be all of measurements. Christianity will always put Christ in the forefront while churchianity will emphasize the church institution on an equal level with Jesus or even at a greater level. Remember, we’re not standing before all the pastors of the world when it is time for the judgment, we’re standing before Jesus. That’s why our success as Christians rests in Him.

CLICK TO READ PT. I