Should 'Christians' Be Trusted?

“Why should I become a Christian? They’re nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.” I have heard that statement more than once as I have shared the gospel. I am not surprised to hear such a response. The surprise comes when they hear my answer. I look them right in the eye and tell them that I agree. They don’t expect to hear that from a preacher- to hear him agree that Christians are a bunch of hypocrites.
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Now if you are upset with me because you are a Christian, let me explain just as I do with the unbelievers. The word ‘Christian’ and even the phrase ‘born again’ are thrown around quite loosely. Anyone can call themselves a Christian, and in many areas of our country it is still quite popular to do so.
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Originally, the term Christian was given to the followers of Christ. These were people who took His teachings seriously- so seriously that they were willing to die for them. Acts 11:26 tells us the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
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Today it is much harder to know what someone means when they say they are ‘Christian.’ In fact, I just looked up the word in the dictionary and one of the definitions was simply “kind and unselfish”. In another era, when a man said he was Christian, it meant he was civilized as opposed to heathen. Both these definitions fall short of being a true follower of Christ, though a real Christian should be kind and unselfish.
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I have heard that 85-95% of the people in the United States claim to be Christians. I do not believe that anywhere near that number really takes following Christ seriously. That means the rest are a bunch of hypocrites.
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To support my assessment, let me site some figures that I found in a recent World Net Daily article entitled “1 in 3 ‘Christians’ says ‘Jesus Sinned’”. The article gleaned information from a Barna poll that suggests that half of “Christians” do not believe that Satan exists. 40% believe we have no responsibility to share our faith. 25% do not believe the Bible is accurate in all principles it teaches. These are basic things that all Christians should believe.
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II Corinthians 5:21 clearly tells us Jesus never sinned. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Job 1:7, tells us Satan is all too real, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” For those who feel no responsibility to tell others about Christ, read Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” For those who do not trust the Bible consider Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
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These statistics show us that we cannot trust what someone believes just because they call themselves Christian. In fact, these trends seem to indicate that we cannot even trust what many pastors are teaching. It is sad to realize how few preachers are actually going through the Bible verse by verse, telling their congregation what it teaches. No wonder we have so many ‘Christian’ hypocrites. They have not even learned what it means to be a follower of Christ.
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I pray that this trend would be reversed. It seems that too many pastors are either teaching the same old recycled denominational messages or else they have given into the seeker sensitive entertain the masses at the expense of the Bible mentality. Neither of these methods are true discipleship. Christ commanded in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The command is to TEACH, not to bore or entertain. Obviously many Christians have not been taught.
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How about you? Are you an unbeliever who is put off by a bunch of hypocrites? Realize that true Christianity is not hypocritical. Christ is not a hypocrite, in fact, He condemned them (Read Matthew 23:23-31). How about you? Are you one of the hypocrites? Repent, get into the Word of God and become a true follower of Christ. (Read Matthew 7:20-23). How about you? Are you a true follower of Christ? Read Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”