Jesus, not me

What is a Christian? (And am I one?)

Jun 22

servantGod Thoughts faith, holiness, hope, obedience, righteousness No Comments

That is the real question isn’t it? What is a Christian? And am I (or you) one?

The term Christian is thrown about quite loosely and I think a lot of people call themselves a Christian because they believe in God. Or they (mostly) do nice things for people. Or they go to church for Christmas… and maybe Easter if they feel like it. Maybe they think they are Christian because they were baptized as a baby. Or maybe they asked Jesus into their heart as a child.

Do any of these things make you a Christian? In and of themselves, no. Being baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Asking Jesus into your heart once, or twice, or a whole bunch of times even, doesn’t make you a Christian. These are stepping stones on the way to becoming a Christian, sure. But making you a Christian? No way.

Let’s put it this way. Do your friends and family and co-workers know that you are a Christian? If not, then you need to do some serious soul-searching and figure out why that is. I’m not saying you need to evangelize to them all (but if you are at all concerned about their eternal souls, which you should be, then you should be talking to them about the hope within you, right?), but you need to live a lifestyle that, without a doubt, reflects that you are a Christian. Does this mean you need to be perfect? Nope. I’m far from perfect. And I am pretty much scared spitless to evangelize to people — I am more than willing to talk about Jesus and my hope and faith and love for Christ if it is brought up, but to just out of the blue talk to someone about it? I have a real hard time with that, and it really takes some prayer and dependency on the Holy Spirit to move me beyond my natural tendency to clam up.

But at the same time, I know that when people spend some time talking to me, they know I’m a Christian. I haven’t always been this way, of course, but as I’m growing and learning, I am becoming more public, more obvious. Things like saying “God bless you” roll off the tongue with such ease now, when they were so hard to say before. Taking my Bible to church was something I would do if I remembered it, but it didn’t really matter if it didn’t come with me. My Bible goes with me every time I’m at church now. And instead of tucking it away or hiding it in a stack of whatever else I happen to be carrying, it’s on top, shining for the world to see.

These are a few examples, but they convey a very important thing: I’m not ashamed or trying to hide who I am. And this is a very very important thing to realize, because Jesus says:

““Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”” (Matt 10:32-33, NKJV)

Being denied before God means an eternity separated from God. And if God is in heaven, then that means we will not be in heaven. There’s only one place left.

Look at what else Jesus says:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 4:13-16, NKJV)

I heard this the other day and it really made sense. As Christians, we are the Bride of Christ, right? Ok, so all you married people out there… you do acknowledge the fact that you have a spouse, right? That you’re married? You don’t tuck your significant other in the closet and bring him or her our when the lights are off and no one is around, right?

So if we, as the church, are the Bride of Christ, why are so many of us denying the fact that we have a “husband”?

Think about it! If you ignored your spouse, didn’t spend any time with them, didn’t give them any affection, didn’t stand up for them… how long do you think your spouse is going to remain your spouse? He or she might suffer it for a while, but I’m pretty sure that at some point they are going to pointedly say to you that you’re doing something wrong and you need to acknowledge them and treat them better. Shape up or ship out. I’m pretty sure that most of us would feel the same way. Dejected, lonely, frustrated, angry — these are things anyone who is consistently ignored by their spouse feels. So then the question becomes: if we feel this way when we are neglected by our spouse, how do you think Jesus feels when His spouse-to-be is neglecting Him?

We are salt and we are light. We need to make the fact that we are Christians known. People need to look at us and know there is something different about us without us even opening our mouths and saying a word. God’s light should be shining from within us. We should be doing, and acting, and speaking, things that befit someone who belongs to a body that will be married to the King of Kings! Our attitude should be so Christ-like that people will know that we are more than just “good people” without even bringing God into the conversation. And when they ask why you’re so happy, or joyful, or what makes you so different, why do we hide the fact that it is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that has transformed and redeemed and saved us?

Living lives that are righteous, holy, and obedient before Father God are what will draw people to us and let them know that we are different without us even having to try. We need to love our neighbours as ourselves:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35, NKJV)

Finally, look at the origination of the term Christian:

“So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26b, NKJV)

The disciples were called Christians! Not “the good people”, not the people who “went to church sometimes” — none of these were called Christians. The disciples were called Christians. If we profess to be Christians, we need to be disciples of Jesus Christ! There are three keys in this half of the verse: the first is that they were disciples. The second is that they assembled with the church (“spirituality without the church” is not Christianity!). The third is that they taught people.

Are you a Christian? How do you know if you’re a Christian? You know you’re a Christian if you lead a life of selfless abandon to Jesus Christ, that you love Him, that you strive to be obedient in all things. That you put on your robes of righteousness for His Name’s sake, not yours. That you do everything you can to lead a holy and righteous life. That you teach people, through words and actions. That you are a city on the hill, a light uncovered for all to see. That you do not deny Jesus — at any time. That you love His Word, that it is your daily bread. That you put Jesus before everything, before relaxation and recreation, before music or books or TV or video games or “hanging out”. That you love the Body of Christ, the church, and your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you strive for unity in all things with the Body. That you are a bride that wants to wear robes without wrinkle or spot and that you are head-over-heals in abandoned love with the only One who can save, who has given you the free gift of salvation and eternal life! That you repent of your sins, get baptized, and be filled with the Holy Spirit and then let the Holy Spirit shine through you!

Lord God, make more disciples for you! You are calling Your people to repentance, to holy and righteous living, just as You are Holy and Righteous! Shape me into a vessel of honor for Your Name’s sake, Lord, not mine. Never for me, but always for You! Jesus I love You, I exalt You, and I magnify Your precious Name! Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for our my, to bridge the gap between you and me, so that I can know You and, more importantly, that You know me. Thank You Jesus for all that you have done for mankind, are doing for mankind, and will do for mankind. Thank You that You love us so much! Help me to be a worthy disciple, showing you through my words and deeds, showing a lost and dying world the one true path to everlasting life! Amen and Amen!