Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

works

Cultural Christianity

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I am seeing a lot of talk these days around what is called “cultural Christianity”. The term has been around for a long time, although sometimes taking on different names such as “nominal Christianity”, or even “carnal Christianity”, but it always manifests in the same way. A so-called “cultural Christian” is one who either grew up in a Christian home, or was at least exposed to the teachings of the Bible, and still leans toward those life principles they remember from their youth.

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Many who identify as cultural Christians walked away from all things Christianity but are returning to its tenets later in life. There are two important things we must know about cultural Christianity: first, there is no Biblical basis for it, and second, it is rare for those professing such a belief to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

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Through the Lens of Christ

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What if we lived our lives viewing everything and everyone through the lens of Christ? What if we saw others the way Jesus sees them, and only engaged in activities Jesus would engage in? How might our lives be different, and how might we impact the world for the sake of the gospel and the glory of our King? Every day, we do things to further our goals and desires.

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Humanity is nothing if not self-absorbed. From the time we wake each day, we are thinking about how we look, planning what we’ll do, and talking about ourselves to others. We live our life through the lens of what we want and we do it without even thinking about it. What if we got a bit more intentional about things and kept Christ front and center?

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Pursuing Lies

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How long will we love what is worthless and spend our days pursuing lies? It’s a question King David asked concerning his enemies thousands of years ago and one that God is still asking of us today (Psalm 4:2). David asked it of his enemies, but I doubt anyone reading this considers themselves an enemy of God. How, then, can we explain why we are living our lives for such worthless pursuits?

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We declare ourselves to be enemies of God when we reject Him and pursue the things of this world  (James 4:4). Howl at that statement all you wish, but Jesus said those who aren’t with Him are against Him (Matthew 12:30). We can’t be for God and reject His commandments at the same time (John 14:15). We cannot serve two masters because we will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).

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Prove Your Love

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You prove your love for God by your obedience to God. This isn’t about working to earn God’s approval, but rather demonstrating your commitment to Christ. If you love Him, you will obey His commands (John 14:15). We don’t do the works we do in obedience to God to earn His favor. Instead, we obey out of an appreciation of His favor for us.

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It’s not about a works-based salvation, but a recognition that true salvation will encompass works done out of our love for Jesus. No one who refuses to love God will obey His commands. The works you do in obedience to your Lord are the evidence of a genuine salvation. You prove your love by surrendering your life and living for Him.

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It’s Not Easy

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Amidst all the madness swirling around this world today, two things genuinely break my heart. The first is when I pray for the salvation of my friends, colleagues, and family and face the reality of how many of them, people I love and care for, are going to Hell. While I know it is not my responsibility or even ability to save them, the burden still weighs heavily when I ponder how many opportunities I have let slip by to help them understand the Gospel.

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The second thing that breaks my heart is the number of people in churches around the world who think they are Christians but are not truly saved. It’s not easy to surrender everything to Jesus, but it pales in comparison to how difficult it will be to spend eternity without Him.

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