What is the Sign of True Christianity?

Tough Questions for Christians #16—False Gods
Tough Question #16

I wish I would have written this one. It is insightful and it leads to a basic truth most Chrstians miss.

AZ gives a question from Lazyperfectionist: Cults such as The People’s Temple and the Branch Davidian have pretty orthodox beliefs, pray and read their Bible. They have regular worship. But they are considered to be “false” while most churches are “true”. We consider ourselves to be “real Christians” while many others are “false.” Why? What easy answer did these “false” churches miss, yet God made it clear enough to everyone.

The answer is both simple and profound. Love. Most Christians miss love. They can read about it and talk about it and pray about it, but they don’t do it. Jesus says this, “They will know you are my disciples by your love.” John said, “If anyone claims to love God but hates his brother the truth is not in him.” There are a lot of other passages in Paul, James and others. And it is more complicated than that as well. We need to have humility and follow the teaching of Jesus. But the obvious test is love.

So what happens? First, Christians deny what Jesus says. They focus on minutia instead of the important things of Jesus. Then, Christians justify unloving acts. They say it really is love, just not the normal way one considers love. Then Christians deny that love is all that important. That some things are more important that caring for others, helping the poor, supporting the weak. That sometimes— or more than sometimes—killing and maiming and destroying people is necessary. That the poor should not only be ignored, but harmed.

It happens in all churches at one point or another. Their distinctive becomes more important than caring for others. They will justify their hatred and injustice. And when that happens, they have become a worshipper of a false god. Because the true God of Jesus is one that tells us we should always be merciful and loving and compassionate and caring. We can screw up and fail to be this way and Jesus can forgive us. But if we begin to justify our hatreds, prejudices and killings, to cover them up with nice sounding theology or platitudes, then we have become worshippers of a God other than the God of Jesus.

Either we love, or we worship Satan. Pretty simple. But it makes the church a den of hypocrites. Well, then, so be it.