A Fake Christian Is No Christian at All

Christianity is not a religion that saves you. It is not a ritual. It is not a tradition. It is not a family inheritance. It is a relationship with God, and if that relationship is fake, nothing else matters. People love to say that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion, but most don’t live like they believe it. They go to church, get baptized, recite prayers, and think that’s enough. It’s not. John the Baptist didn’t sugarcoat this, and neither did Jesus. You cannot fake your way into heaven.

John the Baptist saw through the hypocrisy. In Luke 3:7, he calls out those who thought that just being baptized would save them. They showed up like they were checking off a religious box, thinking they could escape judgment with a little water. John told them straight: Baptism means nothing if your heart isn’t changed. Your actions prove what you really believe. If your life doesn’t reflect repentance, your faith is a lie.

Today, people make the same mistake. They think being a Christian is about going to church on Christmas and Easter, posting Bible verses on social media, or calling themselves believers while living however they want. They want the title without the commitment. They want the benefits of Christianity without surrendering to Christ. But God is not fooled. If your faith hasn’t changed you, it isn’t real.

John also destroys the lie that being Jewish automatically guaranteed salvation. People assumed that because they were descendants of Abraham, they were safe. Wrong. John tells them that God could turn rocks into Abraham’s descendants if He wanted to. Their lineage meant nothing. Jesus later makes the same point in John 8:39-40 when He tells the religious leaders that if they were truly Abraham’s children, they would act like it. But they didn’t. And neither do many so-called Christians today.

Plenty of people assume they’re good with God because they grew up in a Christian home, went to Sunday school, or got baptized as a baby. None of that matters if they are not actively following Christ. Your parents’ faith won’t save you. Your church attendance won’t save you. Calling yourself a Christian won’t save you. Repentance and submission to God are the only things that matter.

John’s whole mission was to prepare people for Jesus by showing them their sin and their need for salvation. He didn’t give them comforting words. He didn’t tell them they were fine just the way they were. He told them to repent and prove their faith with action. When people asked him what to do, he gave them real, practical commands: Share with the poor. Be honest in business. Stop abusing power. True faith produces real change.

This is the exact opposite of what the world preaches today. People are obsessed with doing whatever makes them happy, no matter how sinful it is. They justify everything—greed, pride, lust, dishonesty—because the world tells them that self-indulgence is freedom. It’s not. It’s a death sentence. John’s message was urgent because judgment was coming. That hasn’t changed. Judgment is still coming, and most people are not ready.

A false sense of security is dangerous. Thinking you’re saved when you’re not is the worst kind of deception. That’s why John’s message is blunt—because eternity is at stake. It doesn’t matter how religious you are if your heart is unchanged. Jesus had the same warning for the Pharisees. He called them whitewashed tombs—clean on the outside but dead inside. That’s what fake Christians are today. They look good on the outside, but their hearts are full of sin.

Following Christ is not about rituals. It’s about transformation. If your faith is real, it will be obvious in how you live. If your life looks no different from the rest of the sinful world, then your faith is a lie. True repentance is not about saying the right words—it’s about a changed life. The world is full of people who claim to follow Jesus but refuse to obey Him. That is not Christianity. That is self-deception.

Stop playing church. Stop pretending that rituals and tradition will save you. Stop relying on your upbringing or your baptism or your religious activities. None of it matters if you are not actually living for Christ. Repent. Obey. Submit. That is the only way to real salvation.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21