I recently found an amusing anecdote in an old file. I do not remember how I came into possession of it, but the story serves as a good illustration of an important observation: as followers of Christ, our conduct should match our confession.
Here is the story: A driver saw the traffic light turn yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing by quickly braking to a stop rather than racing through the intersection on a yellow light. A tailgating woman behind him furiously braked while honking her horn. If he had not stopped, she could have whizzed through the yellow light right behind him.
Actions and attitude
She not only honked her horn but also was screaming in frustration. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and found herself looking into the face of a police officer who ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He proceeded to take her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and put in a holding cell.
A couple of hours later, an officer approached her cell and unlocked its door. She was led back to the booking desk, where she faced the arresting officer who returned all her personal effects. He said, “I am very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind you while you were blowing your horn and cursing the guy in front of you at the top of your voice, while giving him a finger. It was then that I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker on your car, as well as the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder. I also noticed the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, as well as the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. So I naturally assumed you had stolen the car.”
Hypocrites
Jesus had a descriptive term for people who live with a mismatch between their confession and their conduct. We find that term in Luke 6:42: “hypocrite.” Jesus also had an illustration for this kind of mismatch, saying, “A good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” (Luke 6:44). Such mismatches do not occur in nature.
Jesus ended His teaching about such a mismatch with an architectural analogy. He explains that such persons whose conduct does in fact match their confession are “like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.”
Sturdy Christians are those who live out their confession that Jesus is Lord. One day, they will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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