Christianity is more than a label, a family tradition, or a social identity. You can call yourself a Christian, grow up in a Christian home, even attend church every week—and still not truly follow Christ. True faith is measured not by titles, rituals, or cultural comfort, but by belief, allegiance, and obedience. The question is simple: Are you a Christian in name, or in life?

Self-Identification Is Not Enough

Many today claim the title “Christian” by default. They may have grown up in Christian homes, been baptized as infants, or adopt the label because it is socially familiar. Yet self-identification alone is insufficient. Christianity is not a club you join by birth, ritual, or convenience; it is a commitment of the heart and life.

Consider Adolf Hitler. Some have claimed he identified as a Christian. Yet, by his beliefs and actions, it is clear he did not live according to biblical Christianity. This illustrates a powerful point: titles or claims alone do not make someone a true follower of Christ.

As the old saying goes, you can park yourself in a garage, but that doesn’t make you a car. What makes something a car is what it is, not where it sits. The same principle applies here: Christianity means something. It is defined by what it produces in the heart and life, not merely by label or location. You can say you trust Christ for salvation, you can say you believe, but that’s immaterial if you are not an authentic Christian.

We live in an age where ministers, bishops and pastors commit grievous sin while claiming Christ’s name. They remain unrepentant and unchanged, all the while saying they are saved and guaranteed salvation and they are sinners saved by grace, emphasizing the “sinners” part. James warns that those who teach but fail to live faithfully face greater condemnation. King David acknowledged his sin and repented, unlike Saul, who defended and clung to it. One was a man after God’s own heart; the other was rejected by God.

Orthodoxy: The Foundation of Faith

True Christianity is made up of two major components. The first is orthodoxy—right belief about God and the gospel. I’m sure many things could be said about this, but at its core, it affirms what the Apostles’ Creed summarizes: belief in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; in Jesus Christ, His only Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; on the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven and will judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

This foundation is crucial because faith without right belief is incomplete. Correct doctrine grounds obedience, shapes moral understanding, and ensures that our actions reflect God’s truth. Right belief anchors the heart and mind, preparing Christians to love God fully, love their neighbors rightly, and persevere in obedience through life’s challenges.

The second pillar is orthopraxy—right living. Correct belief alone does not make someone a Christian. Likewise, a good life without faith in Christ is incomplete. True Christianity requires both: belief rooted in orthodoxy and obedience expressed in daily life.

Jesus’ Warning About Lawlessness

Jesus warned that professing faith is not enough. In Matthew 7:21–23, He says:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Claiming faith without obedience is empty. True Christianity is tested by conduct, not claims. Those who live in rebellion to God—even if active in religious rituals—cannot claim Christ as Savior. Right living matters.

Jesus, in Matthew 25:31-46, reinforces this point:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Some may say we are not under the law but under the Spirit. But that is not what is being said in Romans. The law in Romans refers to the old covenant. Christians are under a new law, the law of Christ. Galatians makes clear that grace does not give one license to live in sin. Paul writes:

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:13–21)

Let me take a quick side tangent here from the passage above. It is clear that those who continue to do such evil deeds will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 says the same thing. This is heavy.

The Spirit, by contrast, produces transformation in the believer’s life:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

James goes on to clarify what true religion looks like:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

Faith is not abstract. True religion is moral integrity and daily obedience—practical, relational, and transformative.

We see similar principles in the Old Testament. Micah sums up what God desires from His people:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Faith must therefore be holistic, encompassing justice, mercy, humility, and allegiance to God.

Ecclesiastes concludes with a sobering reminder of human accountability:

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)

Life is ultimately accountable to God. True faith manifests in daily obedience, moral choices, and alignment with God’s commands.

True Christianity Is Faith in Action

Christianity is not a title, a family tradition, or a social comfort—it is faith expressed through belief, allegiance, and obedience. Right belief without right living is incomplete. Faith is visible and active. It shapes the heart, guides conduct, and endures challenges. True believers follow Christ with wholehearted allegiance, allowing God’s Spirit to produce righteousness, mercy, humility, and love in every aspect of life.

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