Belonging, Believing & Behaving

Sometimes I will hear someone say something, and a bell will go off in my heart. Over the years I have come to believe that when I hear that bell, it usually means that what I am hearing is something pretty profound.  Time to pay attention!

This happened to me this week when I met a friend of mine for lunch. We were discussing
what Jesus meant to each of us, and how God was working in our lives. The conversation turned towards a good discussion about evangelism (telling other people about Christ) and how to reach those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior.

He looked at me and shared something that he learned from a friend of his in England: “Belonging, believing & behaving!” I said “Ok, what does that mean?”


As I listened, he explained to me that in his years of ministry he has learned something. In order to get unbelievers to come to church and hear the Gospel, you have to accept them in this order:


1.) Belonging: When people come in the doors of a church but haven’t submitted their life to Christ, they are looking to belong to something. Everyone wants to belong to something. When we accept people for who they are (including their imperfections) that is when they will stick around to hear what you have to say.

2.) Believing: The second stage of the game is where they listen to the good news and they give their life to Christ. When they feel like they already belong, the Gospel of Jesus grabs hold of their heart and they surrender their life to Him.

3.) Behaving: Then (and only then) will they begin to behave like Christ. After God begins to work in them, that’s when they begin to shed addiction, sin, immorality, etc.


DING!!!!!! There went the bell in my heart. How simple and yet profound a statement!


So many times we “the church” get it exactly backwards. We want them to:


1.) Behave like the church wants them to act. Quit drinking/smoking/drugs, quit living with your boyfriend or girlfriend, don’t be gay, don’t curse, don’t….(the list goes on and on)!

2.) Believe: Now that you have cleaned up you act, here is an opportunity to give your life to Jesus and be like the rest of us.

3.) Now that you have jumped through our hoops, you can belong to our church.


I am so glad that Jesus did not act that way towards me. Romans 5:8 states “that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” He loved me despite myself and met me on my own level: wallowing in my sin.


What would our church look like if we truly met people on their level? What if we loved them the way Christ loves us despite their sin? That’s true & effective evangelism!