What does it mean,
to you, to be a Christian? This is a
question asked at our Tuesday night Bible Study this week. There are several things that pop into the mind
when I stop and think about this question:
Forgiveness. Redemption. Transformation. Joy.
Grace. Peace. And truly, these are all wonderful, accurate
descriptions of what the Christian who steps out in faith and claims these
promises can and will experience. Bu t
yet, strangely, this is one of the most thought-provoking questions I have had
to ponder in awhile.
There are probably
many different answers to this question, depending on who you ask; or at least,
different ways of putting it. But here
is what it means to me personally: Being
a follower of Christ. The word “Christian”
means “Little Christ”; being His hands and feet to a lost and dying world. However, I think that it can be easy to take
that little word “follower” far too lightly.
As we have
frequently discussed in Bible Study, there is a difference between being a “fan”
and a “follower” of Jesus. A fan will
cheer on the person or cause he or she supports. He or she will do anything to greet the
object of their starry-eyed gaze, get an autograph, and converse with him or
her if they get the chance. But facebook, twitter, and other social-media
sources aside, they do not follow the
person they adore.
Sure, they may
dress, talk, sing, dance, have a poster of and wear the same haircut as those
the crowed adores, but aside from that, they do not know the person; there is
no relationship to be had. They can
boast no joys shared, sorrows felt, burdens lifted or love expressed by someone
who is merely placed on a pedestal. So
why would we want that kind of relationship –or lack thereof- with our
Lord?
Peace, joy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, transformation,
and more are not, to me, the sole summation of Christianity; they are the
benefits claimed at the foot of the cross, by a life devoted to following Christ. Following Christ means exchanging my agenda
for His. His desire to bring glory to
Himself becomes my top priority. I am
not my own anymore, because I was bought with a price ( 1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23). I am a new creation (1 Cor. 5:17)! When I choose to obey, taking up my cross and
following Him as His disciple, there is joy (John 15:7-11). There is peace (John 14:27). I find His ever-sufficient grace (2 Cor.
12:9). To die to myself (2 Cor. 4:8-10) is
not a lonely, dismal fate. Is it challenging
at times? Absolutely. He
promised that there would be trouble in this world; see John 16:33. But He also promised to give peace, joy, grace,
and much more!
Following Christ
is a great adventure, there is no doubt. But perhaps some of us are thinking, “I
already have a relationship with
Christ, so why ask the question?” There is something else that we discussed
this Tuesday: In 1 Peter 3:15, we are
told to be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason for the hope
that is within us. Are we ready both in
season and out of season? As we follow
Christ, we will probably have ample opportunity to share our testimony with others. If they ask what being a Christian means to
us, what will we tell them? Will we have
to stop and think about it, or will we have the answer ready right away? Are we
just cheering on Jesus and simply admiring His cause, or are we actively
sharing in His work? Like James
pointed out: “What good is it, my
brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? …In the same way, faith by itself, if it is
not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:14 & 17)".
~So I ask you: What
does Christianity mean to you?~
