Pretend Christians

There are a lot of people today who call themselves Christians. They might go to church. They might say all the right words. But when you really look at their life, there is no real fruit. They are what we could call pretend Christians.

It could be anybody. It might be a pastor. It might be a deacon. It might be a Sunday school teacher. It could be your neighbor. It could even be you.

This is not said to be harsh. It is said because it is serious. There are millions of people today sleepwalking into hell with a Bible under their arm.  Each one of us needs to make sure we truly know Christ and are not just pretending.

Jesus spoke about this kind of person many times. In Matthew 7:21, He said, ‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.’
That is a strong warning. Just calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough. It is about doing God's will. It is about surrendering your life to Him. It is about following Him from the heart.

A pretend Christian might know all about Jesus but not really know Him. They might blend in with true believers, but their heart is far from God.
Matthew 15:8 says, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.’

We are not called to judge hearts. Only God knows the heart. But we are told to watch for fruit.
In Matthew 7:16, Jesus said, ‘You will know them by their fruits.’
Real faith produces real fruit. It shows up in the way we live, the way we love others, and the way we obey God's Word.

It is easy to fool people. But no one fools God.
Galatians 6:7 reminds us, ‘Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.’

Pretend Christians might fool a church. They might fool a pastor. They might even fool themselves. But God sees everything.
Titus 1:16 says, ‘They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.’
That is a heavy statement. It shows that a person can say all the right things and still not belong to Christ at all.

Paul also warned Timothy about this. In 2 Timothy 3:5, he described people who are ‘holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.’
They look religious on the outside but have no real life of Christ inside them.

Being a pretend Christian is not a small thing. It is a matter of eternal life and death.
Jesus gave a sobering word to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1, ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead.’
There will be many who stand before Him one day, thinking they were fine, only to find out they never truly belonged to Him.
That is why now is the time to make sure our faith is real.

The good news is that it is not too late for anyone. God's mercy is still wide open. If someone has been pretending, they can come to Christ for real. They can lay down the act and pick up a true relationship with Him.
James 4:8 says, ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’

Being a true Christian is not about being perfect. It is about being real. It is about following Jesus with a sincere heart, trusting Him, obeying Him, and loving Him more every day.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.”

I am the author of two books: Embracing God's Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.

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Please reach out at: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. (1 Timothy 1:12)