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First, understand that there are certain denominations in the evangelical and radical areas of christianity who claim that everyone is a 'fake christian' who isn't a member of that particular denomination. So the term 'fake christian' has been applied to the vast majority of true christians, including myself.
But there are those who are 'fakes', which word I consider to be synonymous with the word 'frauds'. In some cases they may be attending certain churches not out of any belief, but because that church happens to be where someone else who can help their secular careers also attends. In other cases attending a church might give them the veneer of respectability which they want, or even need, in order to successfully obtain a secular goal, such as political office.
Then there are the exploiters. Those people deliberately attempt to infiltrate churches in order to use the people there as tools for promoting their own agendas. They may masquerade as conservatives, or even as fundamentalists, but they are neither. Their true purpose has nothing whatsoever to do with furthering christianity. Instead, it has to do with furthering their own desires for temporal wealth and temporal power, either for themselves,which is most often the case, or on behalf of a secular organization which they are the 'front man' for (I knew a minister who was in reality a 'front man' for the KKK).
There are 4 passages of Scripture which I have nicknamed 'the litmus test'. If a church's leadership and members accept these Scriptures, then a christian has found a church home. If they 'hedge' concerning any of these passages, we need to keep looking.
1. Romans 3:19 to 5:10
This passage tells clearly that the righteousness we need is a righteousness which God himself must give to us. We cannot obtain it through our own actions, but we can attain it through accepting God's actions on our behalf.
2. Romans 10:5-13
Those who accept Jesus as Lord and believe that God did raise him from the dead are assured of salvation. With our heart we believe and are thereby justified. With our mouth we confess our belief and are thereby saved.
3. Galatians 5:16-26
This passage I call 'The Christians Code of Conduct'. But rather than being rules and regulations, it's actually tantamount to the spiritual equivalent of a heart transplant. 'The acts of the sinful nature' are mostly emotions rather than actions. But irregardless, they all are examples of blatant narcissism.
But just as 'the acts of the sinful nature' are examples of our natural narcissistic nature, 'the fruit of the Spirit' is the new nature brought with him by the Spirit upon our having accepted the salvation that God has prepared for us. The 9 emotions listed there are the borders which determine whether our words and actions conform to what God would have us say and/or do. If we go outside those parameters, we have put our own desires ahead of what we should be doing.
4. Matthew 25:31-46
This is the 'feed the hungry' passage. It is also the passage that, along with Galatians 5:16-26, I have personally witnessed a number of churches on the radical fringe do their utmost to get around. There are churches which claim that they 'believe in' performing these acts of charity. But when it is pointed out to them that the passage doesn't tell us to 'believe in' performing those acts, but instead it tells us to actually do the charitable acts, they get very defensive.
The purpose of actually performing the acts of charity is two-fold. One aspect of it is that we are actually alleviating suffering. This in-and-of itself is a good thing. But it also 'drives home' that we are to see others as just as important to God as we are. Since their welfare is important to him, we are to see it as equally important to us. Elitism has no place in christianity.
I hope this helps you better understand us. God bless-
welcome to the site, and Happy New Year.
