John 8:37

“I recognize you are indeed descendants of Abraham. Yet you are determined to kill me. The only explanation for this is that my word has not found any room in your hearts.” John 8:37 EFP 

Jesus makes it a point to address the incongruence of their claims compared to his. His claims to be the Son of God are backed up by the evidence of his life: his words and his miraculous acts. Their claims on the other hand fall flat on their face because their motives and actions are not consistent with a life of faith and trust in God. 

In other words “their talk is not backed up by their walk.” As with me, my claims to being a follower of Christ are called into question when my actions do not reflect his will or the kingdom life he wants me to live. These inconsistencies in my life’s witness are destructive to my spiritual walk and damaging to the cause of Christ because others are prone to lump my behavior with all those who live lives inconsistent with the principles of the Kingdom of God while laying claim to the name. It goes back to who I choose as my master. If I choose to live a life of sin I have made my choice. If I fall short in my desire to live a life that honors God, there is forgiveness and healing. My status as a child of the Kingdom is not called into question in the courts of heaven, but the harm I have done to his cause still needs to be remedied. Bottom line—I cannot serve two masters at the same time. I must choose daily.