‘THE Church is full of hypocrites.’ Another replied, ‘Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.’ So, what’s going on?
We must continually remember that no living follower of Jesus has arrived. AII are ‘on the road’, healthy or unhealthy, and with more or less of a desire to experience the difference that the Spirit of Jesus Christ wants to make in their lives.
Believers are people who have found forgiveness and hope in a broken and sinful world. At their best, the people of the church are not super-spiritual. They certainly are not super-deserving. They are simply rescued people.
When they are healthy, they live with the attitude of the apostle Paul, who wrote: ‘Giving thanks to the father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of sins’ (Colossians 1:12-14). Believers are people who have found forgiveness and hope in a broken and sinful world.
At one time, followers of Christ had felt guilt; now they understand the joy of being forgiven. Once they felt lost; now they know they’ve been found. Once they felt fear of death; now they know peace. Why?
Not because of their efforts, but because they had been rescued by Jesus Christ.
Believers are people who at times are imperfect representatives of Christ. C. S. Lewis wrote these helpful words:
‘Take the case of a sour old man, who is a Christian, but cantankerous. On the other hand, take some pleasant and popular lady, who has never been to church. Who knows how much more cantankerous the old man might be if he were not a Christian, and how much more likeable the nice lady might be if she were a Christian.
You can’t judge Christianity simply by comparing the product in these two people; you need to know what kind of raw material Christ is working on in both cases.’
Those who believe in Jesus are on a journey of personal growth that is meant to last a lifetime. At best they live out their years learning from the Bible, from the Spirit of God who lives within them, and from other spiritually mature people who have discovered for themselves what it means to rely on Christ.
I invite you to start this exciting journey.