Everyone Lives Their Faith

From Jon in Real Life

In a recent Deans' Chapel at the Word of Life Bible Institute I challenged students with a presentation I call "No Christians Allowed." I don't know about you but I am tired of being a hypocritical professing Christians. My personal testimony haunts my memory of times near and far when I spoke with my lips and denied with my life. I want to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, one who seeks to live according to the standards set out in God's Word - the Bible. I don't want to simply be a Canadian "Cultural" Christian.
Now the reality is (if we are truly honest with ourselves) - we are all hypocrites. Christians or anyone with any spirituality at all (which includes everyone) consistently and perfectly lives up to their professed faith. A part of the human condition is that we are all hypocrites at times and to some degree. The challenge is not fueling the flame of our natural hypocritical bent.

 “For neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible.” 

– John Milton -

I heard a quote a number of years ago that has greatly impacted my life (blessings to Casey at E3 Resources, the creators of the Evangecube, for sharing it with me):

"What I say I believe is NOT what I believe. What I believe is defined by my actions and my integrity."

Just as the Apostle James tells us in the second chapter of his epistle, "Faith without works is dead." Faith without works is not 'in progress', 'on hold' or 'good enough.' Said another way, if I do not have faith, I do not have works and if I do not have works, I do not have faith. I am not saying that we work for our faith but that works are a natural and necessary by-product of genuine faith.

That being said, to live is to express faith. All of the things we do, say and think reflect what we truly believe.

So here is the bottom line and our greatest test:

What faith are we living?!