My first article for Beliefnet was a little piece titled, “Why Christians Suck.” I made the case that our faith is largely disconnected from our actions. In short, we suck because we do not do what Jesus commands us to do. There was another group of people who lived like this in the first century. The Bible calls them Pharisees.

Today with associate the word “Pharisee” with false piety and hypocrisy. Jesus thought they sucked too. His most scathing words were reserved for them–the teachers of the law–who missed the point of the law by a mile or more.

Are we faring any better today?

American Christians possess more knowledge about God’s Word than perhaps any other group of people. Christian researcher George Barna has parsed the different iterations of Christianity and finds between 15-20 million adult evangelical Christians in the U.S.

Based on what we read in the Bible, how would you expect these millions of evangelical Christ-followers to act? 

If you listen to Jesus, these Christians would be people of humble yet extreme generosity. They would love without regard. They would bring comfort to the sick, hungry, and unlovely. In the place of judgment you would find grace. As a people, they would “do justice.”

They would speak encouragement to the downtrodden. They would publicly rebuke leaders who act unjustly–regardless of their political affiliation. When their mouths opened, prophetic words would spill out.

They would offer everything they had to the service of others–but especially to the sick and the poor. Children would flock to them. Leaders would seek their counsel.

If that is our biblical calling, and the road map we follow, then what is wrong with Christianity today?

I say “what is wrong” because the traits described above exist amongst a minority of Christians. Most of us are not viewed well by the world, and we are not much different from those of no faith at all. That, as Ron Sider noted in his book, is a scandal of immense scope.

And what does God think of this? I find that answer in the first chapter of Malachi:

“When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as
sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD. “Cursed is the cheat who has
an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then
sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says
the LORD Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.”

When we do not live out the calling in our lives, God will call us out. He will refuse our “blemished sacrifices” that we attempt to pass off as worthy. We have become comfortable with giving to God the things that are of no value to us–the crippled animals–instead of those things which are highly valued.

Fixing Christianity starts inside our own hearts as we examine what things of this world enslave us, and how we have cheated our Great King from the obedience to His commands.

I’m interested in your thoughts…what’s wrong with Christianity? How do we fix it? How far are you willing to go?