StephanieStaples.com
“Christianity”
Note: This is a follow up to a previous post called, “The Purpose.” If you have time, you may want to read that first. It’s fairly brief.
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17
I have been pondering lately about what it means to be a Christian. There are so many “forms” of it out there. Which is right? Or, are they all pretty much ok?
The actual definition of the word “Christian” is “follower of Christ” or “little Christ”—but that’s a little extreme, don’t you think? I mean, who can possibly live up to that?
Like every other paradox found in Christianity, sanctification is an instant process. It’s instant, in the sense that Christ instantly fills us with His righteousness and calls us His own. It’s a process, in that we must daily learn to let Him work that righteousness into us.
Christianity, in the true sense of the word, is simply letting Christ make us alive, and then allowing Him to teach and to enable us to live like Him. I didn’t make that up—there are pages and pages in both the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament that confirm this (and so does the word, “Christian”). That said, it doesn’t really matter what form of “Christian” worship one adopts; it matters what Form one follows and obeys.
Christ did not come to promote a religion. It didn’t matter to Him whether a person was a Jew, a Greek, or a Samaritan. His conversation with the woman at the well is a perfect example of this (see John 4:20-24)
I feel strongly that if one really desires to be a Christian (a “follower” or “little Christ”), they will strive to worship in the way Christ described in John 4: “… true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” The Spirit is the teacher, the guide, and the power, and the truth is the standard. Therefore, a true Christian will not balk at the idea of changing their “mind and purpose” (which is, after all, what doing repentance (is all about) but will delight in allowing Christ to show them how. Which is my point.
I’m becoming a bit troubled to note that many who label themselves as “Christians” seem hesitant to change their behavior to match Christ’s. “Morality” is becoming a dirty word, and “love” no longer entails obedience (1 John 5:3 & 2 John 1:6), but rather a blind acceptance of whatever is acceptable to society so that a “Christian” will not offend.
Why do we have such a hard time standing in righteousness? We are quick to accept a “righteous” label, as if it’s some stamp bestowed upon us by throwing up a prayer, but we’re slow to allow Righteousness (WHO is Christ) to take root, and to begin the process of transformation and regeneration. I fear that many of us, with the “good intention” of avoiding the stench of religious legalism, have adopted worldliness, instead.
Do we just need to find a “balance?” Maybe. Or maybe, we just need to get closer to our Savior. Because, the truth is, if we love Him, we will obey Him. And our obedience will not stem from our desire to be self-righteous, but from our acknowledgment of what He has done for us, and how He “ever lives” to intercede for us, not only constantly standing before the Father on our behalf, but constantly pouring out His Spirit of Grace into our hearts to teach us and to enable us to serve Him the way we should—and can, if we are His.
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
See Ephesians 2:1-10 and James 4.
Peace,
Stephanie
