BRAND CHRISTIAN! (Something to hide behind?)
Hey, I am a christian. 'This is awesome' I tell myself.
But....
We have made the Christian name so broad and mean so many things. We have squeezed the christian name to fit around us.
Following my previous blog on Christian vs. Disciple, the next 2 or 3 blogs will further this topic. Since hearing this whole 'christian vs disciple' thing, I have been mulling it around in my mind for sometime now and I just think that we as Christians have really gone all wrong in many ways.
As I previously mentioned, The followers of Christ were not called Christians when Jesus was around on earth. Jesus never once referred to His disciples and followers as 'christians'.
The christian word was given my 'unbelievers' to name the group of Christ followers much later on and we have adopted this word 'Christian' from that day onwards.
Whats nice for us though, is that we tend to hide our lives, actions and thoughts behind this christian brand. We have stretched the name to incorporate our behaviours and wrong doings.
If I had to think of a quick example. Homosexuality, we are moulding the christian name to incorporate homosexual actions and homosexual ideology. Nowadays we have homosexual pastors and gay marriages are being legalised indifferent countries, while in Gods Bible it clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to God!
We fight between each other, denominations fight between each other, we use our 'business' as an excuse not to help the poor and needy, we overindulge in money, food and luxurious goods and have a situation where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
We try to make ourselves believe that what we are doing on a daily basis is still 'fine' and that we are still Christians.
The reason it is so easy to mould the word 'christian' around us is because there are no limits or guidelines or anything, in fact, in the Word of God about the word 'christian'.
We have defined the word 'Christian' and have thus created a a description and meaning for the word....and we all know what happens when man tries to make decisions on christian morals and beliefs.
But look at the word 'disciple' in the Bible. There are many passages which define and clearly state the purpose of what a disciple is and the role of a disciple of Christ. Its a very small and limited definition and it cannot be 'moulded' and 'squeezed' like the word 'christian' because everything is in the bible.
A disciple fears God more than men. A disciple of God is not scared to declare the Lords name in front of men at any time and place.
A Christian may may to embarrassed because its not the right time and place. (This is a possibility-I am not saying all Christians are like this)
A disciple denies His own life. Christian life is a life of total self-denial to the lordship of Christ, for the glory of God. We do not receive the crown unless we carry the cross.
Its always easy to hide behind the comfort zone of the 'christian' brand, but the question is "What are you doing/thinking/saying that is not in line with what a Christian disciple is....REALLY?"
I have some serious thinking to do in my own life because I hide behind the christian brand name everyday.
Amen.
But....We have made the Christian name so broad and mean so many things. We have squeezed the christian name to fit around us.
Following my previous blog on Christian vs. Disciple, the next 2 or 3 blogs will further this topic. Since hearing this whole 'christian vs disciple' thing, I have been mulling it around in my mind for sometime now and I just think that we as Christians have really gone all wrong in many ways.
As I previously mentioned, The followers of Christ were not called Christians when Jesus was around on earth. Jesus never once referred to His disciples and followers as 'christians'.
The christian word was given my 'unbelievers' to name the group of Christ followers much later on and we have adopted this word 'Christian' from that day onwards.
Whats nice for us though, is that we tend to hide our lives, actions and thoughts behind this christian brand. We have stretched the name to incorporate our behaviours and wrong doings.
If I had to think of a quick example. Homosexuality, we are moulding the christian name to incorporate homosexual actions and homosexual ideology. Nowadays we have homosexual pastors and gay marriages are being legalised indifferent countries, while in Gods Bible it clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to God!
We fight between each other, denominations fight between each other, we use our 'business' as an excuse not to help the poor and needy, we overindulge in money, food and luxurious goods and have a situation where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
We try to make ourselves believe that what we are doing on a daily basis is still 'fine' and that we are still Christians.
The reason it is so easy to mould the word 'christian' around us is because there are no limits or guidelines or anything, in fact, in the Word of God about the word 'christian'.
We have defined the word 'Christian' and have thus created a a description and meaning for the word....and we all know what happens when man tries to make decisions on christian morals and beliefs.
But look at the word 'disciple' in the Bible. There are many passages which define and clearly state the purpose of what a disciple is and the role of a disciple of Christ. Its a very small and limited definition and it cannot be 'moulded' and 'squeezed' like the word 'christian' because everything is in the bible.
A disciple fears God more than men. A disciple of God is not scared to declare the Lords name in front of men at any time and place.
A Christian may may to embarrassed because its not the right time and place. (This is a possibility-I am not saying all Christians are like this)
A disciple denies His own life. Christian life is a life of total self-denial to the lordship of Christ, for the glory of God. We do not receive the crown unless we carry the cross.
Its always easy to hide behind the comfort zone of the 'christian' brand, but the question is "What are you doing/thinking/saying that is not in line with what a Christian disciple is....REALLY?"
I have some serious thinking to do in my own life because I hide behind the christian brand name everyday.
Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment