Are you really a Christian?

I was brought up in a Christian family but never accepted Christ personally until when I was 14, I remember it was during a youth camp. That moment of accepting Christ was just great, every moment and minute I talked to the Lord, just enjoying his presence.
I am a Christian now, I can conquer the world! Really?

Mr X: What does it mean to be a Christian?

Me : (*mutters under breath*come on give me a more difficult question..) God being the centre of my life, He is my priority; I live my life for him.

Mr X: So how does your life show it?

Me: I go to church, go for Cell group, and do my devotion everyday.

Mr X: But do you know that there are a lot of people that go to church every week and serve in every ministry and say that they Love God but in fact they don’t have a relationship with God?

Me : what?! Dun bluff….How can it be?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

I heard a message preached on Matthew Chapter 7 and in it was the above verses that kind of made me rethink again how I’m living my life as a Christian. Jesus speaks these words not to people who do not know him, but to people that have been religious, serving in the synagogues, people that know him.

It came as a shock to me. What if 1 day when I stand at the Judgment seat and the Lord says “I never knew you”. We’re not talking about being in prison for a number of years. We’re talking about Eternity here!

I certainly don’t want to live my whole life and then find out at the end that I’ve not been living it right but rather I’ve been deceiving myself to think that my life is ok. How does God determine that? Christ says in the following verses:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus singles out 2 kinds of people in this example. People who say and don’t do, and people who hear the word and don’t do. I then started asking myself, am I like that? Many times we hear God’s word and know the right thing to do but follow what everyone else does because we don’t want to be viewed as an outcast. We say that we are Christians but our actions reflect poorly on God. How then can we say that we are Christians and that Christ is the centre and that we live my life for him?

Its really not easy being a Christian but the Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses for him through our Thoughts, Words and Actions.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

We’re not perfect and never will be until Christ comes again but come on Gals! Let’s be found constantly examining our lives, desiring after him and desiring to live a life that pleases him not just contented with knowing that he is in our hearts

In his Love

Sarah