Are You REAL . . . or just REALLY RELIGIOUS?

Many times what passes for Christianity in today's church is really nothing more than religion. I think that a large number of us who would profess to be Bible-believing conservative evangelicals are attempting to live a Christ-less Christianity. We know the rules, we know the doctrine, we know the language...but we are completely missing Christ! What words come to mind when we think of Jesus as presented in the Scriptures? loving? humble? sacrificial? It seems to me that Jesus lived his life very differently than we do. And He is supposed to be our example? I don't think so! Here's a strong message for each of us that would confess Jesus as Lord (especially pastors and denominational leaders).

Verbal gifts without love (agape) are just noise!

"If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1, NLT).

It doesn't matter if we are gifted in heavenly languages or if we know a dozen foreign languages. It doesn't matter if we are the greatest teacher or preacher. It doesn't matter if we can sell a million books or get 10,000 blog hits. What matters is love! Everything that is not said in love is just noise! Criticism of our "enemies" is just noise! Jokes at someone elses expense is just noise! Gossip--noise! Arguments--noise!

Mental gifts without love (agape) are nothing!

"If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody" (1 Corinthians 13:2, NLT).

It doesn't matter if I have the most orthodox and fundamental theology. It doesn't matter if I am always proven right. It doesn't matter if I comprehend deep spiritual truth that no one else every understands. It doesn't even matter if I can draw a crowd, grow a mega-church, or lead the nation's largest evangelical denomination.
Without love it is of no use to God or anyone else! Doctrine without love is legalism! Knowledge without love is arrogance! Faith without love is foolishness! Everything we preach, proclaim, and promise is absolutely worthless...unless clothed in love.

Sacrificial gifts without love (agape) are not worthwhile!

"If a gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever" (1 Corinthians 13:3, NLT).

It doesn't matter if go to live in a third-world country. It doesn't matter if you're killed by Muslim extremists. It doesn't matter if you get a mission offering named after you. It doesn't matter if you tithe 90% of your income. It doesn't even matter if you lead your church to contribute large sums to the Cooperative Program. Without love it is of absolutely no value!

Take a moment and evaluate your activity through the lens of Jesus' love. How are you doing? Are you REAL? or just REALLY RELIGIOUS?