The Terrifying Truth About “Cultural Christians” (Are You One?)
My friends, the most dangerous place to go to hell from is the pew of a church. Not the bar, not the club, not the street corner, but the church. You see, we live in a time when many wear the label Christian. But when you look closely, there is no evidence, no fire, no faith. We’ve got people who have walked the aisle, signed a card, repeated a prayer, and yet they remain unchanged.
dead men walking in church clothes. Many people today say they’re Christians simply because they’ve walked an aisle, repeated a prayer, or had an emotional moment during a service. But there’s a stark and terrifying reality that must be a dress day, a profession of does not guarantee the possession of faith.
Just because someone you says they are saved doesn’t mean they actually are saved. The modern church is filled with people who talk like Christians, act like Christians when it’s convenient, and even attend church faithfully. Yet, they remain spiritually dead, untouched by the power of the gospel, unregenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus himself warned us of this in Matthew 7. He said, “Oo, not everyone who says to me, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Uh, these aren’t atheists or pagans. These are people who called him Lord. They professed allegiance. They spoke the language, but Christ never knew them. Why? Because there was no true conversion, only words, only external behavior.
Their profession of faith was hollow, empty of the transforming grace that marks a life genuinely surrendered to Christ. The danger here is deception. People can deceive others. They can even deceive themselves. The most dangerous kind of false assurance is the kind that tells you’re on the narrow road when in fact you’re hurtling down the broad path that leads to destruction.
They believe themselves to be saved simply because of something they dig a moment, a decision, a prayer. But salvation is not about what we do for God. It’s about what God does in us. A true profession is accompanied by repentance, by a hatred for sin, by a desire to obey Christ, and by a love for holiness.
Without these fruits, the profession means nothing. It is possible to believe in Jesus with the same kind of belief the demons have. James 2019 says, “You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe.” And shudder, the demons believe. They know who Jesus is. They recognize his authority but they are not saved.
Why? Because their belief does not lead to submission or obedience. In the same way, many professing Christians believe in Jesus in their minds but have never bowed to him in their hearts. They’ve never surrendered. They’ve never been born again. A genuine believer doesn’t just profess Christ. They eat possess Christ.
