What is a Christian

I have been pondering this very question for the past few hours while trying to sleep. Sleep has somehow evaded me again tonight, and getting lost in thought I figured I should blog. There are so many today that claim to be “Christian” I just had to bring myself to the realization that most do not know what being Christian is. Society thinks being Christian is just simply saying that you are Christian, but not actually acting on the meaning. The church believes that being a Christian is being a good person, and going to church one to two times a week while putting money in a bucket. Dictionary.com gave the definition of Christian as exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike.  Now if being a Christian is exhibiting spirit that is Christlike then our actions are showing completely opposite of what the word itself means.

                When I was still in partying and not doing anything pertaining to Godly things in my life I still would say that I was a Christian. I would say this because of my upbringing of a Christian background, and that I still did believe Christ died for me. I had no revelation of what Christ did for me, but had the generic understanding of it all. I was a hypocrite at this point in my life.  I was smoking vast amounts of marijuana, taking pills, eating mushrooms, drinking alcohol, and living a life of debauchery while saying that I was a Christian. The adjective Christian has become so watered down that everybody thinks they are one if they have opened a Bible, or have been to a church. We need to allow ourselves to get back to the root meaning of what it is to be a Christian. We are to be like Christ was on this earth. We are to be full of love and compassion towards one another. We are to live as servants to others on this earth. We are to encompass the nine fruit of the spirit. We have allowed ourselves to think that we are doing “good” when in fact we are doing nothing. I understand that we are all progressing in God, and this walk is a process but we have grown so complacent with where we are at. There is so much more that we can gain by searching for more of Him. The moment that we stop striving for more of Him and thinking that we are doing good where we are, we have become spiritually immature.

John 13:5

5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

                Jesus led with meekness and humbleness. He washed the feet of the very men that served Him. As ministers we are not to try to preach the gospel to pump up our own name, but to glorify His. To be a Christian is to be a servant. Christ said, “11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:11-12).” Ministers have gotten so lost in their own name that they forget that they are to be servants to their flock. I am personally scared to death to ever get to a point where I want to put my name above God’s name. I pray that I only walk as a servant to others, so that I can only bring glory to Him. Yes, it is great to have people be influenced by what I say and do, but it is better to have God say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He is the reason that we need to live. He is the One that we need to look to in order to understand how we are to live our lives. Let us walk in love daily not allowing our tempers to get the best of us. I used to have a horrible temper, and I would explode and go on mass tirades over little things. God has broken me and taught me how to have self-control and patience. I still have to keep my temper under subjection at times, but it is one area in my life that I do not struggle as much with. Christ did get angry, but it was a righteous anger. He was angry that people we soliciting in the house of God, and drew them out with a whip. The Word says be angry and sin not (Psalms 4:4). Being angry is not a bad thing if it is out of a place of love and not hatred. Father’s get mad at their children when they do something they aren’t supposed to do, and they correct them. God does the same with us; He corrects us when we do wrong. Since God corrects us out of a place of love that is the way we are supposed to do it with others.  The two greatest commandments that we have are, “37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)” I guess what I am getting at is to be a Christian is to walk in love daily. I refuse to allow people to say their Christian one moment, and the next moment they are cussing up a storm.  The reason people have such a hatred towards Christianity is, because of the people that represent it falsely.

                If we are going to proclaim that we are Christians then we need to act accordingly. I do not even really use the term Christian when describing myself, but choose to use the phrase a follower of Christ. I do this because saying that I am Christian no longer holds any weight do to how horrible people have represented us. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). We are not even truly living unless we are living as Christ. Let us become so entranced by the beauty of God that we begin to become like Him. Let us get so lost in who He is that we being to live as He lives. Let us perform miracles, signs, and wonders as He did so that others can see how powerful our God truly is. We are to live as Christ to bring glory to Him, and for no other reason.

                People are always going to be watching how we live our lives, so let us live according to the Word. If you proclaim yourself to be a Christian then act like Christ did. You have no idea whose lives are affected by your walk of faith. If you happen to screw up along the way pick yourself up, and keep heading towards the path of righteousness. He shows so much mercy and grace towards us it is almost incomprehensible. I urge each and every one of you to show others who Christ really is, and not who others say He is. Use the personal relationship and understanding that you have of Christ as a guideline to lead your life. Blessings always follow obedience, and to be obedient is to be like Christ. Be a shining light as Christ was, so that others can see who God is that in doing so they will fall to their knees and proclaim Him as their God.  Remember we have nothing to earn salvation it was simply given to us. We are all capable of being like Christ, because that is what we created to be.