Question 8: How do you deal with Christians who don't live their faith?

So many times in life we get involved in team activities like sports or jobs and we see someone not pulling up their end of the bargain. That one person or persons pulls the entire team down and makes it harder for everyone to do what they need to do.

Because we are a body of Christ, this kind of thing can and does happen with the Christian family. You are finally living for Christ and doing well and now one or more of your friends who are supposedly "Christians" are not really living their faith. There are so many things that you probably want to do. Maybe you even want to bring the smack down. I'm sure if it was me I would just jump directly to talking to them and asking them direct questions that would probably not help much. But there are better alternatives. Probably the best thing you can do is just love them. Carry the extra load, go the extra mile, be Christ. Treat them as though they were not saved and be a light to them in everything you do. This is probably the most effective thing you can do.

One thing to realize also is that not everyone who claims to be saved is really a believer. There are a lot of "Christians" out there who are just religious. They still have not fully committed to Christ. They live religiously just enough so that they feel better about themselves. It is not the place of man to judge the heart but what we can do is see the fruit they produce to at least try to figure out where they are in terms of belief. Do you remember the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5? They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. Do you see any of those things in their life? Do you see evidence of a commitment to living for Christ? A true believer has made a commitment that they sincerely follow after. A true believer is also not perfect, they won't be able to exhibit all of the aforementioned fruit but you can bet they are really good at one of them and at least trying with the other ones. A true believer is a servant when they should be selfish. A true believer is love as Christ was love.

Jesus Matthew 13:1-23 talks about different ways that the gospel is heard and responded too. Everyone receives the gospel differently but in the end there are only a few results that can happen and Jesus hits every one of them. The parable is as follows:

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’a

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Your friend or friends probably fall into one of those situations. Again, the best thing you can do is love them like never before. Pray for them. Serve them. Do whatever you can to be a light in their life. The best thing you can do to bring them into the fold of Christ is just to minister to them like those who brought you to Christ did for you. It isn't going to be easy though. They may not accept what you say. They may even because of how you live make fun of you or turn you away. You might even be tempted to change yourself. It will be harder for you to hold fast to your faith when you are ministering to others. Not to mention the fact that you will be in direct opposition to Satan which paints a spiritual target on your heart and mind. In 1 Timothy 4:13, it says, "watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." That means that if you hold strong to your belief in Christ and what Christ did on the cross that you will be able to save those who were listening. I encourage you to persevere in your faith and hold fast because you can make a difference for Christ. No matter how hard it gets, God is with you, in everything. When it seems that it couldn't get any harder, that is when God is closest with you.

So when you see your friend not acting like he or she is saved, just love on them, serve them, and minister to them. In that ministry and in that service, because of your faith and belief in Christ and the power that comes with that faith, you can and will make a difference as you become a tool of the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of those around you.