Who is a Christian?
Unprocessed: Who is a Christian?
They’re not real Christians. I’ve heard this said more times than I care to remember. Usually, the rationale is that they don’t believe (insert thing here) and they vote for (insert the opposition party here) and they have women pastors and they speak in tongues, and they, and they, and they.
We define who is and is not a Christian by how well they fit into our narrow definition of tribal and doctrinal affiliation. Are we not exhausted by this?
And yet, I think this is a question worthy of our time. Who is a Christian?
This is a fair question to ask in an America where being a Christian is simply checking a box, showing up fewer Sundays than you expect, and paying your tithes (you know, so you catch the blessing in return, pressed down, shaken together, and bubbling over).
Fear and Trembling
Wise words from Paul in Philippians 2, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Peter told us to stay on guard because the Devil is lurking (1 Pet. 5:8). The same Peter who denied Jesus three times.
He is the perfect example of the duality that lives within all of us. Not a single one of us has the corner on perfect theology or righteous living. If that is true, it probably means we should be a little more gracious when we see the faults of others. We would be wise to remember Jesus’ admonition to chill on the specks in other people’s eyes when we haven’t addressed the planks in our own.
I guess I buried the lede here but please allow me to bury some more. What if we asked ourselves some questions?
Why are you a Christian?
What makes you a Christian?
For some of us, we would say we were born Christians or that we’ve tried a bunch of things and this works or we would say we are good people. These are all sweet but none of those are it. I don’t like being that guy but if there is a place then I think this is it.
We are Christians because of who Jesus is and what he has done. We are not born into this, In fact, upon conversion we are passed from death to life and adopted into a new family. I love this quote from Russ Moore given to Tim Alberta in his book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory:
Christians are not born into God’s family, Moore explained. They are adopted into His family. God calls the spiritually stray to come to Him as a son or daughter. This is a gift of immeasurable generosity: The orphan, who had nothing, receives an inheritance of eternal life. And yet the orphan reaches back and cries out, terrified of leaving behind the life they knew.
This is the life. We are orphans given a new home, working out our salvation and fighting against the life we once knew. We fight because this is the only way. Jesus is pretty clear about who he is and the exclusivity of following him, declaring that he is the way, the truth, and the life. There are plenty of other options out there but if we take what Jesus has to say about himself at face value then we do not see those options as valid.
What makes you and me Christians is following Christ. It’s in the name. Our lives will prove if this is true or not. Paul lists the Fruit of Spirit or the evidence that you are following Christ in Galatians 5. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
Not that we are perfect or never sin again. Not even that we’re a “good” Christian, whatever that is. It is that we are committed to the pursuit of following Jesus.
Narrow Road
This commitment to following Jesus, if we’re honest, can play out in some funky ways. It looks a little different for all of us. Some applications don’t fit in California the same way they would in New York or North Carolina.
There are some universal principles, things like the Ten Commandments, but it’s when we get into the weeds that it gets tricky. In a few months, a lot of Christians are going to walk into their voting booth and vote one of three ways believing that their choice is the most honoring to God based on their convictions and values and what they believe to be right and true.
I’m not here to tell you that you’re wrong or right or how to vote but I can confidently say that we need to stop conflating our politics with our theological beliefs and claiming orthodoxy on both. John Mark Comer in his book Live No Lies lists some historical beliefs of the Church:
The church was multiracial and multiethnic, with a high value for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The church was spread across socioeconomic lines as well, and there was a high value on caring for the poor; those with extra were expected to share with those with less.
It was staunch in its active resistance to infanticide and abortion.
It was resolute in its vision of marriage and sexuality as between one man and one woman for life.
It was nonviolent, both on a personal level and a political level.
Looking at this list and taking our binary political frames, you can not comfortably fit into either camp. Jesus said the way is narrow.
I like to believe I am a charitable person, meaning I don’t assume the worst about people and their motives. But I do think we tend to push agendas with little or no regard for context, impact, and what the word of God says.
My favorite example of this can be found in two words: Biblical and Holiness.
Because I am a spiritual nomad, forever on the hyphen, I have friends everywhere. Depending on the church circles, I hear these words often.
The Biblical people say they only believe what the Bible says. They are completely guided by Biblical principles and there’s no ambiguity on what the Bible says.
The holiness people have a set of standards and principles that they live by. There are rules to holiness, what you can and cannot do.
In both cases, the definition and scope of these words are very limited. In both cases, there tends to be a lack of charity for those who fall outside of what each camp has decided those words mean. The obvious problem here is that as stated before, nobody has the corner on right theology and right living.
Finally
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: there’s gonna be a whole lot of people we’ve rejected in this life that will be worshiping the Lamb right next to us in glory. And we are going to feel really foolish for it.
Who is a Christian?
It’s not my place to say if you is or if you ain’t.
It is my place to work out my salvation, share the good news, and push my brothers and sisters in Christ toward faithfully loving and serving Jesus as they do the same to me.
It is our place to be guided by God’s Word and where we find ourselves disagreeing over what God has said (not our favorite influencer, political party, or TikTok historian), we prayerfully search the Scriptures together. Even with all of that, it is entirely possible for us to come to different conclusions while agreeing that we both love Jesus.
Scripture even gives us an example of this. See the split between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15.
And if I think you’re not a Christian? Then I don’t yell at you. I don’t chastise you. I don’t shun you. I share the hope that I have in Jesus and pray that one day you will experience this same hope.
Be gracious beloved.