Adventures In Missing The Point

One of the many things that I have been burdened with over the past several years is the way that so many people outside of the Christian church have come to view Christians. 

To put it bluntly, Christianity in America has a PR problem, and it's only getting worse. 

The fact of the matter is that thousands upon thousands of people practice their Christian faith with great sincerity, and they are kind, gracious, and loving.  They might not always agree on matters of faith and biblical interpretation, but they are doing their best to follow Jesus.  

But there is a vocal minority within American Christianity that seems to be controlling the narrative when it comes to what being a Christian looks like, and that's the pervasive image that most people outside the Church tend to believe.  

I think we can do better, and it's time that we started telling the truth to one another. 

It’s possible to look the part of a devoted Christian while living a life disconnected from Christ. Churches can be filled with people who attend every service, speak fluent “Christianese,” and serve in leadership—yet somehow fail to live lives transformed by the love, grace, and presence of Jesus.

Skye Jethani puts it bluntly:

“As long as a person appears devout, uses the right words, and participates in the right religious activities, we don’t look much deeper. They are often given a pass on their anger, greed, jealousy, bitterness, lust, or bigotry. Such a person might be acceptable in a church today, but Jesus said they are unfit for God’s kingdom.”

Jesus didn’t mince words about religious performance. In Matthew 23, He rebuked the Pharisees, calling them “whitewashed tombs” (v. 27)—beautiful on the outside but full of death within. He condemned their obsession with appearances and legalism while ignoring the “more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (v. 23). To Jesus, it was never about religious showmanship; it was about transformed hearts.

In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked a piercing question: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Mere lip service or outward religiosity means nothing if it doesn’t result in obedience, love, and mercy. Our actions reveal the authenticity of our faith far more than our church attendance or theological vocabulary ever could.

This isn’t just a call to self-reflection—it’s a call to transformation. It’s not enough to appear holy; we are invited to be made holy through a living, breathing relationship with Jesus. A relationship that confronts our pride, softens our bitterness, and compels us to love as He loves.

The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that we can speak in tongues, prophesy, and even give all we have to the poor, but if we do it without love, we are nothing. Love—the kind shaped by walking daily with Christ—is the evidence of a life truly following Him.

So let us examine our hearts. Are we performing faith, or are we living it? Do we know about Jesus, or do we truly know Him?

Today, release the need to be “religiously acceptable” and instead pursue the presence of Christ. Walk with Him, listen to Him, let Him change you from the inside out. Because following Jesus has never been about appearance—it’s about transformation.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
Let that be our mantra as we follow Him—entirely, honestly, and wholeheartedly.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Strip away the masks I wear and the need to appear righteous. Search my heart and reveal the places where I’ve settled for empty religion instead of true relationship. Teach me to walk with You in honesty, humility, and love. Transform me from the inside out so that my life reflects Your grace, not just my habits. Help me follow You not in word alone, but in every thought, action, and intention.
Amen.