What would you say about someone who claims to be a vegetarian but regularly eats steak?
Are they actually a vegetarian? Of course not. Labels mean absolutely nothing if your lifestyle completely contradicts them. It’s hypocrisy.
Yet, I meet people all the time who claim to be Christians but rely entirely on a label.
“I’m Catholic,” “I’m Protestant,” “I was baptised,” or “That’s my family’s church.” But they only turn up once in a blue moon, ignore Christ’s commands, and actively refuse to submit and listen to Him. This is also hypocrisy.
If that’s you, Jesus has a declaration that should terrify you: “Depart from me, I never knew you.”
The scary part isn’t just the rejection; it’s who He said it to. He wasn’t speaking to atheists. He said it to people who genuinely thought they were on His team.
Saying, “But my family always went to that chapel,” will mean nothing, and on that day you will be forced to depart from His presence... forever.
Yet Jesus offers a stark invitation: “Abide in me.” An invitation, an offer, and a command that demands way more than a casual Sunday visit.
In the Gospels, Jesus says true freedom belongs only to those who “abide in my word”. The original Greek word is meno, meaning to make something your permanent dwelling. It’s not a manual you flip through when life gets messy; it’s a house you never leave.
Jesus explicitly warned that you can carry the Christian name without actually living in His Word.
So, let’s be honest. Do you just believe in God, or do you live in Him? There’s a massive difference between visiting a house and actually moving in.
Stop visiting. Start abiding.
Reverend James Murray, Campbeltown Free Church.
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