“Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.” v 16
This verse is pretty clear that there will be many that claim to be Christ Follower, but when you look at their life, their words and their lifestyle seem to contradict each other. These people say one thing and then do another. Some of them even go to church every Sunday but live like they don’t the rest of the week. Sadly the world watches and make decisions about Christ based on how they see these people live.
However, it’s easy to want to point the finger at other people and say things like, “They are such a hypocrite!” or “They call themselves a Christian?!?” Yes, it is easier to look at others and find faults with them. But we have to understand that by the same measure we are looking and judging others, others are using that same measure to look and judge our life.
Therefor, it’s important that our words and actions align! That our love for God transcends into our love for people, and we live a life that points people to Christ, not away from Him. We can’t control what others do or don’t do but we can set an example by living out the life Jesus has restored.
Today, when people look at your life, who will they see? Do the people around you see a person that is different, or do they see a person whose lifestyle and words seem to contradict each other?
Dan Gould 