Generally speaking, we Christians often fail. The Bible gives a true record of the failures of the saints as well as their triumphs through God. We Christians, as well as a skeptical world, too quickly attribute such obvious failures as based in hypocrisy. "Talking the talk" without "walking the walk" cheapens the talk and gives unbelievers a pass to take a walk...away from God.

Sports fans who have never played the game of football on any level, let alone as a professional, can easily point out errors of those playing the game. We believers give the watching world plenty of examples of fumbles, missed assignments, forgetting the game plan and lack of wins. But we ARE players nevertheless, and with the right COACH we can win.   

So evaluating the value of a player by his performance is pretty simple. However, this method of judging is really FOR the simple, and won't stand up to the full light of the Word of God. Speaking of walking as proof one is the "real deal" as a Christian, consider Peter.
At Christ's call to join Him in a walk on water, Peter immediately responded and walked on water, just like Jesus! There's a REAL believer! That’s what I’m talking about! Those others still in the boat are shown to be shams by comparison with Peter's amazing performance! 

However, those Apostles in the making, still in the safety of the boat, will each (with the exception of John) one day die as martyrs for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, Peter is sinking in the water, even as his faith was sinking. AHA! A hypocrite after all! His sorry example proves the wisdom of those still enjoying the safety of the boat. Lesson offered; don’t go in over your head, or your lack of REAL faith will be seen by all, and you will die in shame.

A better sourced lesson to be learned is such fear of failure blinds us to the possibility of victories, immediate, yet of eternal value laden with eternal rewards at the Judgement seat of Christ.

Peter’s larger example is our failures to perform become an occasion to experience Christ’s faithfulness in answering our cries of distress as He did Peter.

As one brother put it, “Our Lifeguard walks on water.”

Peter’s faith took on another dimension that day as his self-reliance took a needed hit. Christ’s grace and faithfulness experienced yet again in Peter’s rescue adds depth to his scriptural reminder;
 

" Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you". 1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV

Simplicity of surface reading and thinking about God’s Word should  be avoided, and the deeper, wider big picture, dilligently sought. Sought where?

Only in the Word of God can we see how these early experiences of Christ’s apprentice Apostles with Christ, can steady us in our miracle walk with Jesus. His first invitation to them had been, “Come and see” and He extends this offer still to all who will come.

Come and learn HIM as well as FROM HIM. Come with your questions, your hang ups, your sins, your weakness. He is THE TEACHER and His attentive hearers, aided by the Holy Spirit, increasingly reflect Him who is perfection.

The Christ who saved our souls by His atoning death on our behalf is offering to save our PRESENT LIVES for eternal purposes, resulting in eternal rewards which He desires to give us.

We need to recognize His Presence with us by the ministry of His Holy Spirit, residing forever in our new, sinless, born-again nature. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to each believer is to represent Christ to us inwardly as He is in Heaven praying for us all to grow into Christian maturity.

The Spirit is just like Christ without a body, except ours. And He makes us all spiritually one with the whole church, His body, the Bride of Christ, of whom He is the Living Head.

Our greatest responsibility as believers is first and foremost to know Christ personally. This is the basis of growth and spiritual understanding which comes only from the written Word of God.

This is not to ignore or downplay the fact Christ has chosen to use men who understand His Word (starting with the Apostles lives and scriptural writings) to teach other men.

Glorious truth; God’s people can join Him in saving a cursed world from the awful destination of eternity without God.

The gold standard of Christianity is the written Word of God and the illustration of all it’s beauty and perfection is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. To see Him is to be saved, to keep on looking at Him is transformation, and seeing Him in our eternal state is glorification.      

First John 1:2,3: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.