Wow, it has been so long since I have done this! I wish I could write all day every day! God uses me in his time though. The title of this comes from J.T. Cheek, Life group leader, friend, brother in Jesus Christ. One day at life group we went off on a tangent and it all concluded with J.T. saying Masquerade Christianity. It blew me away because that is such an appropriate term for religion in south Georgia.
We live in "The Bible Belt". Most of our southern morals are based on biblical teachings. We are getting away from that now but still a lot of our moralistic ideas are biblical. It's not right for this or that ... You get it. Anyway, This is why Christians look weak to the world, this is why Christianity is so accepted into everyone's lives because they see Christianity is just a word and not a commitment/ lifestyle . When you first accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life it's a lifestyle and a commitment to God.
I don't know a poll but I bet if you asked 10 people if they were Christian on the street that probably 8 would say yes. Out of those 8, how many live that lifestyle? Live their life by that commitment and let Jesus be Lord of their lives? How many of those people do you think see God as enough for everything in their lives? Honestly, I am not there yet... God is enough for me in certain areas and unless I keep myself in check I will fall away again because God isn't enough to me in certain areas yet. I don't know that I can say I know those areas but that's what prayer is for. I want God to be enough for me. I want to always recognize what Jesus did for me on that cross and what that means to me.
I have been privileged to see one of my now closest friends growing so much in his spiritual walk. He seems to be asking all the right question and it is so encouraging to see God working in his life. He too lived a life just as most everyone has, including me, of masquerade Christianity. What exactly do I mean by that? First what does that mean to you? To me I have heard versions of that my entire life People always talking about wearing a mask to cover your true feelings and emotions so people don't know what's wrong with you. I know I have worn a mask for a long time and finally took it off about a year or so ago.
Masquerade Christianity is people living a lie full of religion and not a life full of God. People who pray and read their Bibles day in and day out just to check it off the list for that day. People who claim Jesus' name in public but their lifestyle is a perfect picture of them spiting in Jesus' face on the cross. It is people who will tell you that God is enough and they know their Bible better than lot of Christians, they believe in God and believe what Jesus did on the cross was for them but have not yet bought into that fact that it is a real story not just something on paper. God isn't real to them but they believe. They Bible says in James 2 -
[19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
(James 2:19-20 ESV)
This means that belief is not what it's about, it's about the faith. Masquerade Christianity is people who try to work their way into heaven. They know the Bible, they have the appearance of a Christian, but they have no faith. Again the Bible says in James 2 - (actually the very next few verses from the above passage)
[20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
(James 2:20-23 ESV)
Faith without works is dead and works without faith the same. You can't live your life and have faith in God but not show that, do the works of God. And you can't do the works without faith, if you do what is the true purpose behind your works? Is it a look at me thing, I know my Bible and I want to show you, but is what you can quote all day real to you? Does it speak to your heart?
These are just thoughts I wanted to share... I hope this makes an impact in your life as it has in mine. I hope that you have faith and you have works and that you take off your masks and live a life of God and not of religion. God Bless you all!! Love yall!!!
Please Comment!
We live in "The Bible Belt". Most of our southern morals are based on biblical teachings. We are getting away from that now but still a lot of our moralistic ideas are biblical. It's not right for this or that ... You get it. Anyway, This is why Christians look weak to the world, this is why Christianity is so accepted into everyone's lives because they see Christianity is just a word and not a commitment/ lifestyle . When you first accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life it's a lifestyle and a commitment to God.
I don't know a poll but I bet if you asked 10 people if they were Christian on the street that probably 8 would say yes. Out of those 8, how many live that lifestyle? Live their life by that commitment and let Jesus be Lord of their lives? How many of those people do you think see God as enough for everything in their lives? Honestly, I am not there yet... God is enough for me in certain areas and unless I keep myself in check I will fall away again because God isn't enough to me in certain areas yet. I don't know that I can say I know those areas but that's what prayer is for. I want God to be enough for me. I want to always recognize what Jesus did for me on that cross and what that means to me.
I have been privileged to see one of my now closest friends growing so much in his spiritual walk. He seems to be asking all the right question and it is so encouraging to see God working in his life. He too lived a life just as most everyone has, including me, of masquerade Christianity. What exactly do I mean by that? First what does that mean to you? To me I have heard versions of that my entire life People always talking about wearing a mask to cover your true feelings and emotions so people don't know what's wrong with you. I know I have worn a mask for a long time and finally took it off about a year or so ago.
Masquerade Christianity is people living a lie full of religion and not a life full of God. People who pray and read their Bibles day in and day out just to check it off the list for that day. People who claim Jesus' name in public but their lifestyle is a perfect picture of them spiting in Jesus' face on the cross. It is people who will tell you that God is enough and they know their Bible better than lot of Christians, they believe in God and believe what Jesus did on the cross was for them but have not yet bought into that fact that it is a real story not just something on paper. God isn't real to them but they believe. They Bible says in James 2 -
[19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
(James 2:19-20 ESV)
This means that belief is not what it's about, it's about the faith. Masquerade Christianity is people who try to work their way into heaven. They know the Bible, they have the appearance of a Christian, but they have no faith. Again the Bible says in James 2 - (actually the very next few verses from the above passage)
[20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
(James 2:20-23 ESV)
Faith without works is dead and works without faith the same. You can't live your life and have faith in God but not show that, do the works of God. And you can't do the works without faith, if you do what is the true purpose behind your works? Is it a look at me thing, I know my Bible and I want to show you, but is what you can quote all day real to you? Does it speak to your heart?
These are just thoughts I wanted to share... I hope this makes an impact in your life as it has in mine. I hope that you have faith and you have works and that you take off your masks and live a life of God and not of religion. God Bless you all!! Love yall!!!
Please Comment!
Comments
Arielle