Is it OK to say you believe in something and not?

I grew up in a family that went to church.  I also went to church just because my family did.  As I got older, my parents asked me what I wanted to do, so I stayed home.  I didn’t like going to church because all of the mean kids at school went there.  That was my excuse at the time.

As I got older, I started searching and asking, ‘Why am I here?’.  I started acting like a hedonist (a pleasure seeker) and realized this was empty and dead.  I then started reading about everything.  I looked into different faiths and most seemed to be based on works.  When I read about Christ and realized that He saves us by grace, I basically found a God that loves me for who I am and not what I do for Him.  Wow, He loves me!

Now that I have accepted God and acknowledged His love, I now want to serve Him with all my heart.

If you say you love Him, how do you live?

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’  “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.  “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”  “The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.  Matthew 21:28-32 (NIV)

How can prostitutes enter into the kingdom of heaven prior to the religious leader?  Does this question make you wonder about your faith?  Do you do the right thing no matter if you say you do or not?  Have you said you are one thing and misrepresented who you are?  How can you refine your faith?