Many people look at Christians and think, “All they do is go to church, and then their life goes on. Do they really mean what they believe?” Others who are Christians might read their Bibles and think, “Surely, there is more to faith than singing and listening to a sermon once a week. Is there more to what Christianity is than just going to church?” There is much more about being Christians than just going to church. The church is where we meet with our family in Christ. There, we worship God and learn from His Word how best to live our lives as Christians. We should expect that this would impact not just our weekend, but also the rest of the week as well. As Christians, we are part of the church, but following Jesus means more than just going to church every week.
The first thing we learn as Christians is that we should honor Christ. Jesus’ sacrifice has saved us and enabled us to draw close to God. (Hebrews 10:19) As a result of this, our lives as Christians are an act of worship for Jesus. The fruit of God’s work in us, as Paul outlines, is “love, joy, peace, [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV) This means we will live godly lives, and we will learn to love like Christ does. Then, we can walk as He commanded His disciples: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
Christians are also an example of who Jesus is to the world. (Matthew 5:16) Christians are called to bring God’s kingdom to those who are living without God’s love. We do this first by evangelism. We are supposed to “make disciples of all nations” and go to the ends of the earth to tell people the gospel (Matthew 28:19). This means both people in far-off countries and people who live in our neighborhoods. This can be scary, but we are rewarded as we see God work in the lives of the people around us. This goes beyond sharing the gospel verbally, as well. We should live in a way that shows Jesus’ love in our lives, as this will show others what it means to belong to Him.
Honoring Christ and being an example of who He is are two important aspects of Christianity that extend beyond the church. Our lives honor Christ first as an act of love to Him and then as an example of Christ’s love to others. All of this begins at church as we worship God and spend time with other believers, but none of it should stay at church. Instead, the way we live our lives comes out of who we are in Jesus. Remember this on Sunday as you pull out of church to start a new week, or as you see Christians on mission in your community.
Written by Alex Stevens