Faith in action

Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Christians live in the world with many people of different faiths and non-beliefs. Those who are believers in Christ should live in a manner that sets a good example for those who have not placed their faith in Christ. We are to take every opportunity to be gracious and respond to people in a positive manner that attracts them to the beauty of Christianity

The Christian scholar Larry Taunton launched a nationwide campaign to interview college students who belong to atheistic campus groups. After receiving a flood of enquiries, Larry and his team heard one consistent theme from these young unbelievers: they often expected but didn't find more spiritual depth from their Christian neighbors. Larry writes:

Some [of these young atheists] had gone to church hoping to find answers to [tough questions about faith]. Others hoped to find answers to questions of personal significance, purpose, and ethics. Serious-minded, they often concluded that church services were largely shallow, harmless, and ultimately irrelevant. As Ben, an engineering major at the University of Texas, so bluntly put it: "I really started to get bored with church."

In contrast, these young atheists expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously. Larry writes,

Without fail, our former church-attending students expressed [positive] feelings for those Christians who unashamedly embraced biblical teaching. Michael, a political science major at Dartmouth, told us, "I really can't consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn't trying to convert me …. Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven't seen too much of that." [Larry Alex Taunton, "Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity," The Atlantic (6-6-13)]

If Christians cannot show a commitment and zeal for living the Christian life then where are others expected to see how Christians live? Let’s put out love for Christ to work and let others see our faith in action.