Mahatma Gandhi, a practicing Hindu, was intrigued by the Jesus of the Bible, so he decided to learn more by visiting a Christian church one Sunday.
He was stopped and turned away by the ushers as he approached the door of the church. They told Gandhi he was not welcome there because this church was for high-caste Indians and whites only. Gandhi was neither of the two.
Later, when asked about Christianity, Gandhi said,
“If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian!”
I imagine these ushers piously thought turning this low-caste Indian away was the right thing to do, but was their action a mark of authentic faith or worthless religion?
3 Signs of Authentic Faith
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote a very practical letter to the Jewish Christians in which he explained there are three signs of authentic faith.
“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:26-27).
In these two short verses, James describes three attributes of a man with inauthentic faith whose religion is worthless:
- Inability to control his tongue,
- A hard heart, and
- Corrupted by the world.
By contrast, James says, a Christian with authentic faith is known for their ability to control their tongue, have a compassionate heart, and live a clean life focused on God.
Controlled Tongue
The first mark of a Christian with authentic faith is a controlled tongue. James described the tongue as able to start a forest fire of unrighteousness, staining the whole body of Christ. Additionally, said James, the tongue is full of deadly poison (James 3:5-8).
With these warnings in mind, the Christian with authentic faith should heed Solomon’s observation. He said,
“Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).
Compassionate Heart
The second mark of authentic faith is our willingness to care for those less fortunate. In James’ world, widows and orphans were powerless and had no social status. So, he called on Christians to demonstrate their faith by caring for them.
Who are the “widows and orphans” in our society? Who are the people living on the fringes of society? The dispossessed, homeless, abused, those living in abject poverty?
Authentic faith is the willingness to serve others as Jesus asked,
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Clean Life
The third mark of authentic faith is a clean life focused on God, unstained by the world’s values. But unfortunately, the secular world is pushing their anti-God values with great determination, making it harder to live out our faith without compromising our Christian values.
Paul’s warning and admonition in Romans are especially relevant:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
We are not to conform to the world’s values. Instead, we are to turn away from the world’s values as we turn toward God.
Authentic Faith is More than Religion
There was no shortage of pious Pharisees who made a great show of their religion but never lifted a finger to help their fellow man in James’ day. They were all words and no action, or as they say in cattle country, “they are all hat and no cattle.”
But James says that authentic faith is not putting on a religious show. Instead, it is faith demonstrated through our actions.
So, no matter how many Bible verses you have memorized or how often you go to church for everyone to see how religious you are, your faith is worthless unless demonstrated through your actions.
Looking around the Christian community, I think we need a little less show of religion and a little more demonstration of the hands and feet of Jesus in our lives!
If we desire a lifestyle honoring God, we must follow His instructions. That means controlling our tongue, caring for the less fortunate, and living a life set apart from the stain of the world’s values.
If we can manage this kind of life, we will have what James describes as pure and undefiled religion!
More Articles
I have written several articles on self-discipline. You can find them by typing “self-discipline” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are five of my favorites.
- #455: How Do Smart Godly Leaders Cultivate Their Leadership Soil?
- #452: How to Deal Responsibly with Two Kinds of Limits in Your Life!
- #380: What One Thing Do You Need to Do to Start Winning?
- #361: What Can You Do If the Battle is Unavoidable?
- #290: Are There Consequences for Living Any Way You Want?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. For example, is one of the three marks of authentic faith, a controlled tongue, a compassionate heart, or a clean life harder for you to live out? If so, which one and why?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Personal Development | Self-Discipline
My mother and I attended mass one Sunday when I was just a boy. A visiting Jesuit priest gave the homily and holy communion. I received holy communion and said Amen as I was turning away from the alter. The Jesuit priest, who was a burly man with a buzz cut (he looked more like a Marine drill sergeant than a priest) grabbed my right arm. He yanked me back in front of him, grunted “Respect for the Lord! Face the alter when you receive Holy Communion!” Well. He scared the daylight out of me and I didn’t want to go back to church for a while, until my loving grandmother enticed me with promises of a bakery visit after. Jesuits are known to be hard-core scholars, but none I met had an edge like this one did. Your article brought him to mind. I suppose even Jesuits, devout as they are, can forget about authentic faith.
John, I wish I could say that your experience was an anomaly but sadly it is not. While I was in seminary, I found every single person in my Spiritual Formation cohort had some kind of experience with “religious” leaders that shook their faith or even caused them to turn away from God for a period of time. It is very sad to see and hear about the impact such “teachers” have had on people’s souls!