There are a lot of people out there in the world who claim Christianity, but their lives don’t reflect their profession of being a Christ-follower. You know what I mean, don’t you? Now, I’m not saying whether they are Christian’s or not, that’s between them and God, but I do believe that all people who profess Christ need to have a Faith Check-up once in a while.
So did James.
Who’s James? Well, he was the son of Joseph and Mary…and the half-brother of Jesus Christ. He didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God until after Jesus’ death, then he began to follow Him, and in turn, wrote the book of James in the Bible.
In the second chapter, James lists 3 principles of faith that every person who calls themselves a Christian should follow:
1-Commitment is an essential part of faith.
You can’t be a Christian simply by agreeing with the right doctrines or agreeing with Biblical facts. It’s not enough to just claim belief, because even the demons believe in Jesus (James 2:19), and look where they are! It’s not head knowledge, or just a label we slap onto our lives.
It’s a commitment of both your heart and mind to Christ, fully dedicated to Him and what He wants above what you want, or how the world says you should live your life (Matthew 7:21).
2-Right actions are The natural by-products of true faith.
A genuine Christian will have a changed life (James 2:18). It’s true, you can’t have faith in Christ by works or actions. Salvation is only through grace, but, at the same time, Jesus didn’t save you to leave you wallowing in your sin.
A changed life is evidence of a life committed to Christ. If you’re still thinking, speaking, acting the way you were before you gave your life to Jesus it might be time to do a bit of reflection. A Christian’s life should reflect Christ, not the world (Titus 2:11-12).
3-Good deeds go hand-in-hand with genuine faith.
A true Christian will put their faith in action because faith without ‘good deeds’ doesn’t do anyone any good, it’s useless (James 2:14-17). Just look at Jesus’ life. What if, instead of praying for people, healing people, helping people, or even going to the cross, Jesus had just shrugged his shoulders and kept His faith to Himself? Where would we be?
Our actions should lead others to find Christ, but if we aren’t doing anything but hoarding our Christianity in secret, then what purpose does it serve? Sure, you’ll make it to heaven, but what about your neighbor? Our good deeds are a fruit of our faith in Christ and are meant to be enjoyed by everyone we meet.
As Paul said in Romans 3:8, the purpose of our faith is to bring us to salvation, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to it. As James says, once we have it, the results of our faith should be a changed life. You see, once we are saved and profess to be Christ-followers, our lives should reflect the commitment we made to Jesus through a changed life that reaches out to help others.
So. After reading through these principles, can you honestly say that you are a Christian? Ask yourself… Am I committed to Christ? Have I asked Him to be Lord of my life? Can others see Christ in me or does my life mimic the world around me? Has living for God changed me at all, or am I still doing the same old things? Do I care enough about my neighbors to reach out to them? Or am I hiding my faith until I need a label?
This blog wasn’t meant to condemn, but, if we’re going to call ourselves Christians, then we better follow Christ. It’s healthy to do a check-up on our faith now and then, the world deserves nothing less.