Jesus necklaces, WWJD bracelets and Prov 31 T-shirts

Christ has become big business nowadays.  I mean you see him everywhere right? He is on t-shirts like "John 3:16".  He is also on christian reminder bracelets such as "wwjd (what would Jesus do?)".   You got Jesus socks, Jesus shoes, Jesus jackets; heck I wouldn't be surprised if they even have Jesus under garments....seriously??

I am all for free marketing and all that.  I don't mind repping Christ as much as possible.  I mean what's wrong with letting a sinful world know that your eyes are opened to who the creator is and what He means to you right?  Here's the thing, everything that says Christ on it doesn't have Christ in it.  Some company makes a "Christian" t-shirt but at that same company they got "baby got back" t-shirts.  Or perhaps that wwjd bracelet is also made at the same place that makes bracelets that promote same sex bracelets; which clearly go against God's word.  At some point these "trinkets" become just that, trinkets.  Trinkets and gimmicks to make money.  Don't get me wrong there are plenty of companies and Christian book stores that are 100% legit and really do want to spread the good news completely and not half heartedly.

Matt 7:16 states by their fruit you will recognize them.  You can have on that wwjd bracelet all you want, but when you really want to do the sin you know you love; all of a sudden that reminder bracelet becomes just a bracelet.  Soon it's just jewelry and a forgotten reminder.  If we don't have Christ on the inside how can we produce righteous fruit?  The scripture says you will recognize them by their fruit; by what they produce outwardly,not manufacture, you will know what they are about.  The difference between production and manufacturing is in the raw materials.  In production the raw material is not produced from the outside, the company owns it and after processing and make the final product.  But in manufacturing, the company produces the raw material from the outside and then makes the final product.   Every type of manufacturing is production but every production is not manufacturing.

Are you really an apple tree producing apples or are you manufacturing them from pears?  Are you really an apricot tree producing apricots or are you manufacturing them from Pomeranian seeds?  Are you really a Christian producing fruit of the spirit or are you trying to manufacture fruit of the spirit from sinful fruit to make it look like it's holy fruit?  I myself own a cross that I wear daily and a bracelet with a cross on it.  I carry my bible almost everywhere, because my logic is if I can carry my phone everywhere like an addict then I can carry my bible with me as well.  It's my choice to do so and I'm not saying anyone should follow suit.  That is my conviction and so I stick to it.  But what happens when that one attractive female comes by and I know she is not a regular church going member?  Do I minister or try and holler at her?  Or what about when someone gets on my nerves at church and my cross is in full view, but I want to retaliate back at the person that hurt me.  Do I hide the cross in my shirt? or maybe make an excuse and say "God is still working on me".

WWJD bracelets, crosses, or keeping my bible on hand with me is not going to save me.  All they do is make me look "holy"'; doesn't mean that I am holy.  Christ wants us producing righteous fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).  

You wanna shout you know the Lord, but do you shout that you serve him?  

Yes I know Christ, but do you obey His commandments?  

You say "I am saved", but do you follow the narrow gate (Matt 7:13-14)?

Being a follower of Christ is not popular and frankly it will alienate you, but Christ loved us enough to say my people are gonna need a place where they can feel safe to worship me in peace and fellowship with other like minded people.  Christ gave us the church; and for believers it is like a Christian refueling station for our souls.  So that when we do go back out in the world; when we get beat down enough from trying to witness, we have a little something to look forward to.  Lets face it, ministering to a fallen world is hard and sometimes it can take a lot out of you.  

We use trinkets and gimmicks in hope that we minister without even having to say a single word.  This keeps them at arm length and us safe...right?  This way we don't have to step on too many toes and we don't invade peoples personal space.  Don't get me wrong now; you don't want to brow beat people, that will only push folk farther away.  But at some point the real fruit is going to have to show and hopefully its the fruit of the spirit and not the fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).  

I love Christian gear and I will support companies that I believe are doing real ministry and not out to just make a buck.  But I also don't want to forget that I need to do real ministry and not be out to just look holy but be holy.  That takes some work and it can only be done by reading your Bible and having a real relationship with Christ.  You have to get to know Him first before you can share Him with others.  You can't minister what you don't know.  You can't preach what you don't know.  You can't share what you don't have.  Kind of hard to talk about God being love and you don't know how much He loves you yourself.  Remember at the end of the day; when we all leave this earth, none of  these trinkets are coming with us to judgment.  So whatever is inside us is what God will see at judgement.  Do you really want God to see the sinful fruit inside of you or the fruit of the spirit?  I know I want my spirit to be holy and righteous before His sight.