The Mark of Genuine Christianity

I want you to look at the title of this Friday Preview again.  It is more than a statement.  It holds deep meaning and raises many questions.  How can one define genuine Christianity?  Who am I to say that someone is or is not a genuine Christian?  Only God can see the heart of an individual so who are we to tell someone that they are or are not a Christian?  What is a genuine Christian?  What is the mark of genuine Christianity?  If someone does not have this mark does that mean they are not a Christian?

We all know individuals who believe they are Christians because they attend church services, Wednesday night ministries, youth group, Bible studies, walked forward during an evangelistic service, read the “Sinner’s Prayer,” or were baptized.  In fact, if statistics on the church in America are correct there is at this moment someone reading this Friday Preview who personifies this point of view.  But are these the marks of genuine Christianity or is there something deeper?

We cannot rely upon ourselves to answer these questions for our own desires, influences, preferences, and feeling tend to skew our point of view.  But there is a place with great authority that addresses this issue of authentic faith: God’s Word.  James 1:21-27 speaks with clarity on the mark of genuine Christianity by defining the believer as humble, a doer of the Word, and lives out true religion.  These three actions point us in a single direction.

May God’s Word speak volumes into our hearts and minds this week as we explore together God’s mark of genuine Christianity.  Our God is great and full of wisdom.  Let us ask him to teach us and have the courage to live out genuine Christian faith.