“Casual Christianity is faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding…From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves.”
I have been in that category. It was not too long ago that I was there and I pray that I don’t end up there again. This isn’t an attack on the Casual Christian. I am just thinking about what could be done if we could get the Casual Christians of the U.S. to take their faith more seriously. Think of the needs that could be met. More importantly, think of the souls that could be saved.
We have talked about ways to get people to move into action in several posts lately. I just wanted to share some numbers that might help us to move into action to help others move into action. It is a startling number of people that fall into the Casual Christian category. We do not need to view them as wrong because they aren’t doing enough. That makes us legalistic. But we do need to consider the impact of making sincere followers of Christ out of ourselves and others.
People tend to think that their faith is private and thusly, they keep it to themselves. It's not. Your faith is certainly personal, but it is hardly private. Read James 2:14-26.
ReplyDeleteWhat use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
You believe that God is one, you do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Personal not private. I like that!
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