Crazy About Church | Controversial Yet Conservative

I like watching football. The Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl this past year and, since I’m from Wisconsin, that makes me a happy fan!

Photo credit: paulkehrer (Creative Commons)

Like most Packer fans from that great state, I have Green Bay Packer paraphernalia scattered around my house; a Packer shirt, a Packer cheese hat, Green Bay Packer slippers, a Packer blanket, etc. I even had the privilege of attending a Green Bay Packer playoff game once at Lambeau Field.

During that playoff game my friends and I wore Green Bay Packer jerseys (just like the real players) and we cheered for the team in much the same way the actual players cheered for their teammates. We were all in the same stadium, rooting for the same team, and wearing the same uniforms. Yet no matter how much I wanted to, they would not let me go onto the field to hike the ball or throw a pass.

In fact, they would have arrested me had I tried.

The coach didn’t know my name and the front office never paid me a dime to show up for the game. And the reason why they didn’t let me play is because I did not have a contract with them.

I associated myself with the Packers, cheered for them, wore their colors, and followed them throughout the year, but I was never on the team. It turns out that there is a big difference between being a paid professional football player and being an obnoxious fan. The main difference, apparently, is having a signed contract.

A contract which I, like so many others who showed up at Lambeau Field that day, lacked.

Pseudo-Christians are a lot like that. They arrive at the stadium (church) on game day (Sunday). Put on their team’s jerseys (carry a Bible). Hang out with the real players (God’s children). But the fact is they are not on the team roster (Lamb’s Book of Life). They are not genuine Christians.

They look a lot alike from a distance, but they do not have a signed contract with the upper management. When they die and stand before the Owner of this universe, they will profess to have performed some amazing feats, yet Christ will say to them, “I never knew you, DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS” (Matthew 7:23).

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan wrote, “Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and he is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but he isn’t allowed to control their lives.”

Legitimate disciples of Jesus Christ are deliberate and radical about their faith. God’s children are hot and cold — never lukewarm. There’s no such thing as a lukewarm Christian.

7 Evidences That Neither Prove Nor Disprove One’s Faith

Visible Morality: Matthew 19:16-21; 23:27.
Intellectual Knowledge: Romans 1:21; 2:17ff.
Religious Involvement: Matthew 25:1-10
Active Ministry: Matthew 7:21-24
Conviction of Sin: Acts 24:25
Assurance: Matthew 23
Time of Decision: Luke 8:13, 14

9 Fruit/Proofs of Authentic/True Christianity:

Love for God: Psalm 42:1ff; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Romans 8:7
Repentance from Sin: Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; Romans 7:14ff; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 1:8-10
Genuine Humility: Psalm 51:17; Matthew 5:1-12; James 4:6, 9ff.
Devotion to God’s Glory: Psalm 105:3; 115:1; Isaiah 43:7, 48:10ff.; Jeremiah 9:23, 24; 1 Corinthians 10:31
Continual Prayer: Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18ff.; Philippians 4:6ff.; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; James 5:16-18
Selfless Love: 1 John 2:9ff, 3:14; 4:7ff.
Separation from the World: 1 Corinthians 2:12; James 4:4ff.; 1 John 2:15-17, 5:5
Spiritual Growth: Luke 8:15; John 15:1-6; Ephesians 4:12-16
Obedient Living: Matthew 7:21; John 15:14ff.; Romans 16:26; 1 Peter 1:2, 22; 1 John 2:3-5

If the “7 Evidences” list is true of a person and the “9 Fruits/Proofs” list is false, there is cause to question the validity of one’s profession of faith. Yet if the “9 Fruits/Proofs” list is true, then the “7 Evidences” list will be also.