Undercover Christianity: When believers disguise themselves as non-believers

If you have never watched the movie My Fair Lady, the check out this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdix8n_FksI
       I do it. You do it. They do it, too. From time to time we "drop our guard", "forget who we are", "eat a big ol' bowl of stupid." We revert to our old nature and embarrass dad (or our Heavenly Father as you might say).
       I remember watching the movie My Fair Lady. In the movie, "A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society."-IMDB.com. Long story short, it works and the professor (Henry Higgins, played by Rex Harrison) wins the bet and falls in love with his beautiful protégé (Eliza Doolittle, played by Audrey Hepburn). It is a story of rebirth, as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Eliza, at first, pretends to be more sophisticated than she really is, but later becomes more sophisticated and no longer has to pretend. A good case of "fake it until you make it." In one particular scene, however, they visit the track to watch the horse races. This is meant to be a test case for Eliza's new self. An experiment to see how well she fits into the new social circle that she has been training for. All goes well until she gets caught up in the moment, lets her guard down and reverts to her old vernacular, shouting to the horse which she favors to "... come on Dover! come on Dover!!...move your bloomin' ass!!!!"
http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/screenplay/vi3227451929/
       ADD moment...I would like to preach a sermon about Christianity, but show My Fair Lady first. There are so many similarities between that movie and the Christian experience.
       In a nutshell...I guess, in my mind, the difference in a true follower of Christ and a non-believer would be that a Christ-follower periodically blunders and reverts back to the sin that they are trying to purge from their lives, and a non-follower lives a lifestyle of sin without trying to purge it. I know there is more to it than that, but I like to use the K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple Stupid). If I am living my life with no regards to the teachings of Christ, then can I say that I am a Christian? If I try to appear more like a non-believer than a believer, what does that say about my walk with Christ? I know, I know...you are saying "But Michael, the Bible says...We are not supposed to judge people." You ever notice that when people are trying to defend themselves or others they say things like this, but when they know that they have made the right choice or are "on track", so to speak, they are very willing for you to judge them?
       ADD moment...Some people know just enough scripture to use it out of context. Ain't that the truth.
       If you look up all the times that the word judge is used in scripture (and I did) you will find times that peolpe are instructed not to judge, times when they are instructed to judge, and even times when it is said that Christians will someday judge angels (what's up with that?).
       Christ's disciples were a rough group of guys. They ranged from blue-collar, working-class professional fishermen to a white-collar doctor; well respected and not-so-respected (Tax collector Matthew). Some of them were probably used to the rough and wild side of society. I have never read any accounts of Jesus' Disciples ever walking up to people and being abusive or mean. Nor did they party and sleep around. They weren't homosexual or manwhores. They did, however, try to copy what they saw in the actions and attitudes of the one they followed. I would have a hard time believing (I can hear the arguments already) that they would dress or try to appear more worldly. I can't see them out in the bars and pool hall or frequenting the tattoo parlors, unless it was to try and convert those who were found there. (I am not saying that shooting pool is a sin. I am not saying that a person with a tattoo can't accept Christ.)
       Ever notice, when there are boundaries, some people will try and get as close to the line as they can. Legalism comes into play as they ask "Can I do this?" or "How far is too far?" Do I bring glory to Christ or do I bring shame. I would want my father to be proud of me. I don't want him to say "I love my son regardless of what he does."
       So, should Christians (followers of the teachings of Christ, not the watered-down definition that most people use today) look and act differently from non-believers? You tell me. From everything that I read, in scripture, I am a "new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!) Shouldn’t I be different from those who are of the old nature? Those who have sold out to this new life in Christ would say that there is a marked change that occurs in a person's life. So much so that others, in the Bible, could point out the Christ-followers. Do people see something different in me? In us? If I am changed, by the renewing of my mind, then why would I want to go back and imitate the life of my old nature?