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Is Real Faith More About Doing “Christian Activities” or About Being Changed by Jesus Christ?
- September 2, 2022
- Posted by: Marcel Sanchez
- Category: Developing Spiritual Disciplines Life Plan Intensive
A good friend of mine has been working on his doctoral degree for years. He’s a dedicated husband, father, pastor, and student. He reads ancient autobiographies and quotes famous scholars from theological circles. I would probably need an entire jug of Cuban coffee to read through all his books.
My friend Jimmy is a walking brain. Only his heart is larger than his brain. Jimmy enjoys asking deep questions about our Christian faith to stimulate healthy discussion. A few years back, he asked me another one of his provocative questions. “Marcel, how do you know if someone is truly a Christian?”
Activities don’t equal genuine faith in Christ
On the surface, one might quickly pull out a list of expected “Christian activities” to mark and discuss. These activities center around what Christians are expected to “do” regularly such as:
Read your Bible
Pray before meals
Feed the homeless
Practice hospitality
Serve in a church ministry
Send your kids to youth camp
Attend weekly church services
Volunteer in your local community
Visit missionaries in other countries
Give 10% of your income to your local church
There’s nothing wrong with practicing any of these activities. I highly encourage Christians to do so consistently. But we still haven’t addressed Jimmy’s question. Let’s agree on an important point: “Christian activity” doesn’t equal spiritual transformation.
Spiritual transformation is not external, but internal. God changes us—through faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit—from the inside out. The Christian life flows from a spiritual transformation with Jesus Christ.
The central “activity” of the Christian faith is not about what you can do, it’s about what Jesus has already done for you—and us—at Calvary. Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross—to satisfy God’s wrath against sin—as He paid the penalty for your sins.
Jesus was buried in a tomb and resurrected from the dead after three days. And as you believe in the finished work of Christ to give you direct access to God, this changes who you are—your spiritual identity—which affects what you do every day.
Your spiritual identity as a Christian is not based in what you DO for God. It’s based in who you ARE in Jesus Christ.
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And this amazing identity shapes your character, changing you from the inside out. So, the way you know if someone is a Christian is by observing the change in their character—the spiritual fruit of their life. Remember, every true branch of Christ will produce spiritual fruit.
Spiritual fruit is most certainly, the product of spiritual alignment. And the source of this alignment flows from a dynamic relationship with the Savior—Jesus Christ. Although God is the final judge in this matter, the consistent fruit of one’s life points to their source—self or Christ.
When Jesus warned his disciples about identifying spiritual imposters—people who claimed to follow Jesus, but did not—he instructed them to observe the fruit of their lives—the obvious product they produced—to determine whether or not they were true disciples.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” – Matthew 7:15-20
Knowing Jesus transforms you from darkness to light, from sin to salvation. When your life is changed by Jesus Christ, your character will change. When Jesus enters your life, change is constant. The Holy Spirit lives in you when you turn from your sins and accept Christ as Savior.
There’s no such thing as becoming a Christian and staying the same as you’ve always been. One of the clearest defining marks of spiritual growth in your life is a steady change of character. Becoming more like Christ is standard operating procedures for the Holy Spirit. When He dwells in you, the change to godliness is both constant and visible.
If you’re a Christian, your life was changed when you met Christ. It also means that your life is changing daily—by the power of the Holy Spirit—aligning the totality of who you are with the character and image of Jesus Christ. The resulting evidence is spiritual fruit for others to enjoy.
As we continue to work through our theme of spiritual alignment as we abide in Christ, let’s dig deeper to help you gain clarity on how to identify spiritual fruit in your life. For now, let’s simplify the central activity of that takes place when your faith is truly genuine.
One word illustrates genuine faith in Christ: Change
You’ve been redeemed—purchased by God—through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. The ownership of your life has changed. You are no longer in charge—God is. You now belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You are eternally His child.
You’re saved—made right with God—by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This redemption was God’s plan. God initiated His plan in the abundance of His love, mercy, and grace. God starts, sustains, and completes your salvation in Jesus Christ for His eternal glory.
You’re the temple of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence lives in you, remains with you, and changes your character. You’re made holy through God’s transforming work. As God’s living temple, the Spirit teaches you what to stop, start, and continue doing to live a life of holiness.
You won’t be sinless, but you will sin less. As you abide in Christ, you will become more aware of your sin and how it grieves God deeply. You will set up guardrails to protect your mind and heart. You will change what you watch, listen to, and participate in. You will become more proactive when temptation surfaces to prevent it from deceiving you. You will sin less.
When your life is changed by Jesus Christ, your character will change.
When you do sin, you’re quick to admit and confess your sin (1 John 1:9-10). You don’t play games with God or rationalize your sin any longer. You find yourself in constant confession because of your increased self-awareness of sinful thoughts, motives, words, and actions.
You’ve been changed by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. There’s a growing peace, hope, and joy in your heart. You’re growing in love and generosity. You’re growing in compassion for hurting people and for those who don’t know the Savior. You pray more now than ever before.
You’re being changed every day to become more like Jesus. You look forward to spending time in God’s Word. You enjoy learning about Jesus and His ways. You ask God regularly to help you become more like Jesus. You’re taking more time to strengthen others and listen to their needs. You stop rushing through conversations. You give people your full attention.
You’re aligning your will to God’s will and aligning your plans to God’s plans. “What do I want to do today?” is a question the old you would ask. Instead, you’re now praying, “Lord, what do you need me to do today?” and responding accordingly as God leads you. You’re not stressed about the future. You trust God’s plan for your life. You’re confident in God’s ways.
You’re exchanging your fleshly desires for God’s mission and purposes. You’re no longer #1—God is. For this reason, you invest time helping people learn about Jesus. You encourage others to attend church regularly, give generously, study God’s Word, and tell others about Jesus.
You’re regularly displaying God’s holy character through your life. This work of God in your life produces a godly character. Pleasing God with your life has become the norm. You have a hypersensitivity for the needs of others and how to minister to them. Because of the consistency of your character, people are open to asking you for spiritual and relational advice.
Summary
Faith in Christ is first about what God has done to redeem you through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is the initiator of your salvation. God is the one responsible for your new spiritual nature, identity, and ongoing change through His Spirit. And when others see this radical change in your life, the results will be nothing short of powerful. Change is constant when you decide to abide in Jesus Christ every day, moment-by-moment.
Evaluate
Consider for a moment what changes God’s Spirit has made in your life since you gave your heart to Jesus Christ. What were some of those changes? Now consider what God’s Spirit has been changing recently in your life. What changes is He leading you to make in your character? How do you need to respond to others differently? What temptations continue to surface in your thought life? Is God leading you to increase your generosity? If so, how?
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