The ultimate test for true faith

 

Google tells me there are more than 4000 religions in the world. Most of them claim they are true. Christianity also makes this claim based on the words of Jesus: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Even so, there are people who claim to be Christian but live in sin, everything from sexual sin to larceny. In the early church, warnings were given against false teachers and those who claim faith but their actions did not match their claim. James wrote his epistle to confront “faith without works” saying that if a person believes in Christ, it shows in the way they live. He said:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

These days, atheistic groups and secular governments have programs for needy people, but this verse does not make that the only criteria for true faith in Christ. It includes the element of purity before God, something available only to those who confess their sin and trust Christ alone for their righteousness. This shows up in a changed life. For instance, “Whoever says he abides in (Jesus) ought to walk in the same way in which he walked . . . . Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:6; 10–11)

This love is not the same as compassion or warm feelings. It is the same as the love of Christ that is sacrificial and acts out of reverence for God and for others. Without faith in Christ and a transformed life, the Bible is clear that the righteousness that God desires is impossible:

 . . . . (All) are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:9–20)

These verses narrow the field considerably because anyone who isn’t saved through faith in Jesus Christ remains in bondage to sin and has no capacity to live a holy and selfless life. However, those who do have faith in Christ are filled with both hope and love: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

PRAY: Jesus, You make it clear who are Your children and who is following self-rule and Satan’s lies. Your Word says, “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother . . . . We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:10–18) Dearest Jesus, increase my capacity to love others as You love me. I want the faith You give me be plainly seen and a blessing to everyone.

PONDER: Rather than comparing myself with those who do not know Jesus, think of the mature love I see in God’s people and rejoice at the power of God to change lives from selfishness to purity and to a visible and sacrificial love and righteousness that is demonstrated by obedience to You and caring for those who are needy.

 

 

Be aware of the imitation church

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19–21)

Today’s question is why a church? What did God have in mind when He planned such a thing? One verse is often quoted (and misquoted) as a significant part of the answer. When the disciples told Jesus who people thought He was, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’” (Matthew 16:15–18).

Some interpret this as Peter being the foundation of the church, but that does not make sense. Jesus is the founder, also called the Chief Cornerstone. He builds the church, not Peter or any other human. He said that the foundation of the church is the revealed identity of Jesus Christ. This is also one of two requisites for becoming a Christian. 

Knowing who He is, and believing that salvation is by grace through faith are revelations from God and vital. Without those two main truths, no matter what a group of people call themselves, they are not part of Christ’s church.

The church exists as God’s idea, not the apostles nor the plan of anyone else. He formed it, as it says in Acts, to finish the work that Christ began. We cannot do that work without Him, even though we often try. Whenever we try to do it in our own power (which happens much more than it should), we simply mess it up. 

In fact, the world is full of professing Christians and imitation churches. These mask the reality that Christ has a Body of believers to whom He gave great ability and power to accomplish His will and purposes. While that work is often behind the scenes, it is still His work and cannot be done without Him. 

For instance, Jesus told His followers, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19) He repeated this and added another promise, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:18–20) 

John recorded this assignment given to the church also: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:23) 

If Christians rely on Jesus and take our orders from Him, the church is incredible in its power and ability. If Christians (or imitation Christians) read these words and take matters into their own hands, they seriously muck it up, making the church appear as a power-hungry greedy group that is corrupt, self-seeking, and power-hungry.  

Someone once told me that no one imitates junk. That is, we have fake Christians and churches so-called because the original is amazing and the perfection of God. Those who want what Christians have are like many who want a Rolex watch. Rather than pay the price, they settle for something that might look the same and wear the logo, but it cannot last or pass the tests because it is not the real thing.