If You're a True Christian, Then You've Changed the Way You Live

We live in a world where the word “Christian” has been watered down. It’s become more of a label than a lifestyle. But Jesus didn’t come to hand out labels; He came to call people to die to themselves and live for Him. That means if you’re truly a follower of Christ, then something in your life has changed. Not perfectly. Not instantly. But genuinely.

Paul says it plainly in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (LSB). If the old hasn’t passed away—if the same habits, same priorities, same sinful patterns still dominate—then maybe Christ hasn’t truly taken over.

That doesn’t mean you don’t stumble. Every Christian still fights the flesh. But the key word is fight. A true believer doesn’t make peace with sin—they wage war against it. The grace of God doesn’t excuse sin; it empowers change. Titus 2:11–12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” (LSB)

You can’t claim to know Jesus and still live like you don’t. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16). In other words, the proof is in the produce. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, then the fruit of that Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—should be growing in you (Galatians 5:22–23). And if they’re not? That’s not just a maturity issue—it’s a salvation issue.

This isn’t about legalism. It’s about lordship. If Jesus is truly Lord of your life, then He’s not just in your Sunday mornings, He’s in your Mondays, your conversations, your relationships, your bank account, your internet history, and your private life.

You don’t become a Christian by cleaning yourself up. You come to Jesus broken, and He cleans you. But if you've truly come to Him, then there’s evidence. You’ve changed, not because you're better than anyone else, but because He’s better than everything else. His Spirit begins to shape your desires, renew your mind, and redirect your steps.

So the question is simple: has your life changed since you said you believe?

If not, maybe today is the day you stop settling for empty religion and surrender to the real Jesus, the One who doesn’t just forgive sin, but frees you from it.

Real Christianity doesn’t just believe differently.
It lives differently.

In Love,

Pastor Jody