Our Heritage

We’ve all seen the Ancestry.com commercials. A woman finds out that a portion of her lineage takes her back to Nigeria, so she suddenly starts dressing like a Nigerian and begins studying Nigerian history. This United States, born and bred woman now calls Nigeria her, “culture”. Or the guy that thought his family was from Germany, so he dressed in lederhosen and danced a German dance. Then he finds out that something like 25% of his DNA showed he was of Scottish descent. So, he trades in his lederhosen and German dancing for a kilt and playing the bagpipe.

People play the part of their beliefs. In each case above the percentage of DNA was a minority portion of their over-all being. The Nigerian and Scottish blood was something like 25%. But folks believed that that was who they were, so they whole heartedly played the part of a Nigerian and Scott. In fact all of the Ancestry.com commercials show someone altering their lives completely when they discovered that a fraction of their DNA composition came from a country other than their native born USA.

Now for the big question. Do you believe you are saved? Do you believe that you are a child of God? Do you believe you are chosen, a Christian?  Do you understand that this is an all or nothing proposition? There is no fractional percentage for being a Christian, it’s either 100% or not at all.

If you do believe you are of the elect, are you acting like it? Are you just as enthused and excited about being a Child of God as the man and woman were about discovering their heritage was of a different country?

This leads us to ask another question. If the power of belief can affect someone so strongly as was demonstrated in the commercials, if we show no signs of being a Christian, are we then, in fact a Christian at all?

The Bible tells us to judge a tree by the fruit it bears (Matthew 7:15-20)  . It’s not what you think, it’s not what you feel or desire. As the saying goes, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”. Is the proof of our relationship with Christ in our actions? And if not, are we really a child of God?

Belief isn’t just meditative; it is also manifested. It is not an act or a display. Belief manifested is like breathing. You do as you believe without thinking about it.

So, in examining our actions, do we show signs of being a believer in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?

Paul told the Philippians, “For our conversation (Citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20)

Peter asked, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (manner and way of life) and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11)

Do you believe that you are a citizen of heaven? Does your life and lifestyle reflect that belief? And if there is no proof of the pudding, are we even a Christian at all?

Bill Hitchcock