Being More Than a Skin-Deep Christian

Many of us know people, and may even be people, who I am now calling skin-deep Christians. I borrowed the term from the phrase "beauty is only skin-deep". A skin-deep Christian to me is someone who is going to church or quoting scripture at others or maybe just putting on their best act for everyone; but they aren't really trying to walk the walk. They are often the most outspoken about what it means to be a Christian; yet some of these types have done the most grievous things that go against everything they are saying.

I try plenty and I fail plenty. I am still early in my journey and I have a long way to go. Maybe these skin-deep Christians are just early in their journey, as well. I sometimes wonder though how someone can be so verbal about right and wrong; condemning even, and yet they do the same things themselves.

I don't want to have the appearance of righteousness and be completely wrong inside. Or I guess what I mean to say is, I don't want to brag and boast about how righteous I am, when I am making all kinds of errors in judgment. It is like boasting about how humble you are. If you are boasting, you aren't really humble, are you?

I don't ever want to say that someone should be as good a Christian as I am; because I know I may never reach anything near to perfection in my love walk. As humans, can we ever achieve anything near perfection?

I have friends who I feel are pretty close, but they still have their own demons and struggles. Appearances can be deceiving at times. What matters most is how we look on the inside. We can look like we have it all together and still not. It is our intentions here that I am talking about though. Not putting on an act to appear one way when we are really operating in a completely different stream of thought.

"In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:28

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Mathew 7:16-20

This scripture from Matthew demonstrates exactly what I mean. You will know by the fruit if a tree is good or not. Likewise, you will know from a persons deeds, actions and words if they are good or bad. Regardless of their appearance, you will know from their "fruit".

Resources
Day 55 - Majoring In The Minors

Bible Gateway - Matthew 23:28

Bible Gateway - Matthew 7