Perfect Christian?

I have seen it too many times: people getting up-in-arms against Christianity and wishing it would just go away because of the mistreatment of the teachings of Christ Jesus in the hands of perhaps sincere and well-meaning folk but folk who have yet to learn what Christianity is really about. (And folk who are just plain....never mind.)

I do not claim to have reached “enlightenment” (so to speak) as I walk with God but I do know that sometimes it’s pretty easy to discern when things just don’t add up. Case in point: modern Christianity in America and pretty much the rest of the world.

Some Christians are zealous for God and preach themselves blue in the face and really all they do is push away people who are scared of such raw devotion to what they think is most likely a figment of people’s imaginations. Others constantly point out the sins of others, thus giving themselves the justly-deserved title of “self-righteous” and “holier-than-thou”. Still others try to insulate themselves from the big, scary world that is quite obviously dominated by Satan and his dark forces by doing nothing but going to church, hanging out with church acquaintances and friends and listening to Christian radio. They separate themselves from the world not in the way that the Bible calls us to (staying righteously devoted to God’s teachings in the face of opposition and mockery) but in a way that makes it impossible to have any real connection with non-Christians.

I think the travesty is that not too long ago Christians were in the minority and gave up their lives to live out the Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus. Their main characteristic was a deep abiding love for each other and their neighbor and their commitment to preaching the gospel because of that love. (If you believe you have the cure to cancer, are you going to keep it to yourself?)

Nowadays, though, too many people call themselves Christians but they do not walk the walk of Jesus. Many churches, in fact, promote what seems more like pop psychology than biblical teaching. They want the flock to be happy and feel warm and fuzzy and accepted. They talk about grace and God’s unconditional love. The problem is this causes many so-called Christians to never examine themselves and be truthful about the pitiful condition of their hearts. A Christian friend of mine told me I should not expect perfection from myself or be so hard on myself. She then told me about a reality show which featured a religious woman who happened to be judgmental and self-righteous and at the same time was shown to be a very envious sort of individual. I told her that a true commitment to Christ is marked by repentance of sin. If I am going to proclaim loud and clear that I believe in Christ and his teachings, why would I then go around pointing fingers at others? Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day for doing just that. He called them hypocrites who keep others from entering the kingdom. That’s the harsh reality of what most “Christians” do today. As for me expecting perfection- it is demanded that we do so in the Bible but it is a way of having us strive for the character of Christ more and more, not for us to think we are actually perfect or can ever be perfect. I am far from perfect and anyone who spends more than ten minutes with me can attest to that.

But it goes beyond not finding fault in everyone but oneself. If I were that woman, I told my friend, I would pray about my sinful situation. I would ask God, whenever the envious feelings surfaced, to help me not to fall into this sin but instead to remind me of what I was blessed with. I would confess this sin to fellow Christians so they could in turn pray for my sinful heart.

It takes courage to tell someone he or she is in sin but it needs to be done gently and not from a standpoint of lording it over the person but instead to try and help the person to repent and once again commit to being obedient to God. (Notice I said “once again commit”- I would not use this approach with nonbelievers at all unless we are having a deep conversation about beliefs whether it was initiated by me or the nonbeliever.) Whether or not the person gets mad depends on the person’s humility. If he or she is steeped in pride, there may be no way of reminding the person of Christ’s expectations for us. Hopefully, though, a humble reaction will take place, including a thank-you for caring enough to speak the truth in love.

The problem is, of course, that many people will never accept Christianity as an absolute truth and thus never understand its principles- the ones that drive some people to do and say certain things they will never agree with. This will cause problems as beliefs and philosophies clash. More to the point, many non-Christians have claimed that believers are out to change the world into some sort of Christian paradise. Some are. But that is not possible and their even trying is ridiculous. But I would remind non-Christians that we can never claim to be “non-judgmental” ourselves or even “open-minded” if we have already summarily dismissed the beliefs of Christians as archaic nonsense and dribble. Nor can we ever make two people perfectly happy, much less billions of inhabitants here on Earth. Whose rights are more important? If I love to blast my music loud and I do so, I am trampling on my neighbor’s right to peace and quiet. In that case, the law would be on my neighbor’s side but I can sit there and sulk and say my constitutional rights have been taken away from me. The First Amendment has allowed for many artists and writers to blaspheme the name of God. I am not out to challenge that (free speech) but of COURSE I am going to be disgusted when in the face of blasphemy to the point of feeling my blood boil. There, my rights as a Christian who never wants to be around something like that is taken away. It happens. I know I don’t live in paradise. Not yet.

PS- If you are offended I didn't intend offense. Just sharing my heart.