Doing Christian things and activities, even sincerely, doesn’t make you a Christian.
It’s like an actor who feels so deeply that he is a firefighter, shedding tears, living in the role in his own heart, yet he is still not really a firefighter.Or take Don Quixote, the character created by Miguel de Cervantes, who truly believes he is a brave knight, dressing in makeshift armor, riding an old horse, and charging at windmills he imagines are giants, convinced he is protecting the helpless and fighting evil, yet in reality, he is still just an ordinary man and not a knight. Or take someone who is immersed in a virtual reality game, fully convinced they are accomplishing great feats, solving challenges, and saving worlds with all their heart and focus, yet it’s all happening in a headset.
Again, doing Christian things and activities, even sincerely, doesn’t make you a Christian. You may be like the actor; sincere in feeling he is a firefighter, but it is merely conceptual. Or like Don Quixote; truly believing he is a knight, yet the whole thing was delusional. Or like someone immersed in a virtual reality game; convinced they are accomplishing great feats, yet it is only virtual. Sincerity alone doesn’t make it real.
Sadly, many people are Christians conceptually, delusionally and virtually but not in reality, as if dreaming realistically of salvation only to awaken in hell. Lots of people are living a realistic dream that they are Christians.
First things first - all your sins must be paid for. Doing Christian things sincerely, no matter how intense or heartfelt, does nothing to deal with your sins past, present or future. No matter how sincerely you do Christian activities, it cannot erase your guilt. A real Christian is, first of all, saved from the penalty of sin. And this can only happen if you put your confidence in Christ and what He did on the cross for your salvation.
