In the early 1990s, newspapers across America carried a story with these words:

A flurry of recent survey research has found that, contrary to the secularism of popular culture, Americans believe in God and identify themselves as strongly religious. But analysts who have studied the data say that the spirituality of many Americans might be only skin-deep. “Our biggest problem is not secular humanism, but interest in religion that doesn’t turn into commitment in every day life,” said Martin Marty, a prominent US church historian.

Lack of commitment could also be seen as lack of obedience or lack of service, and the Bible speaks to these issues.  James said, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” [Jas. 2:26].

Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.  But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great” [Lk. 6:46-49].

A Christian is not one who is “interested in religion,” but one who is in love with Jesus Christ ... and that love controls and compels us ... “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” [2 Cor. 4:14-15].

Pastor Jim

Above quote taken from The Lost Virtue of Happiness, by J.P. Moreland, p. 57