I am trying to get out of the habit of calling myself a “Christian.” Yes, you read it right. No, this is not a typo.
Now, before you get a prayer chain going on my behalf, let me clarify something. If you call yourself a Christian, I completely understand. I understand the lingo. I’ve learned to speak “Christianese” very fluently, having been a church-goer all my life.
I understand what it means when someone tells me they are a Christian.
But, here’s the big question: Do those who are on the outside understand? The problem is this, in recent years Christianity has become just another religion. At this point in the article, I’m pretty sure I’ve either gotten your curiosity way up, or you’re getting a group together to stone me. Ok, I’m being a little facetious here, so I’ll start getting to the point.
If I were to walk up to any stranger on the street and strike up a conversation about religion and he were to ask me, “Are you a religious man?” Of course I would respond with the “non-religious” answer I’ve been trained to give, “Why no, I’m not religious, I’m a Christian.” What I mean when I say that is this: I believe Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. What he heard is this: You’re a Christian, but you’re not religious. That makes no sense.
Instead of that, what if I said ” I’m a follower of Jesus?” Now we’ve shifted the attention off of religion and on to the person of Jesus. Now we begin to discuss what sets Jesus apart from every other central figure of every other religion. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
You see, religion speaks of a way. Jesus is the way. Religion may offer a truth. Jesus is the truth. Religion may promise a life. Jesus is the life.
When I choose to look at it this way, then Jesus becomes the filter through which all other ways must pass. The same goes for truth and life. Am I just splitting hairs here? I don’t think so. Why? Because the religion that calls itself Christianity has added so much of its own perspective to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I think it might be completely unrecognizable if Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John were to time travel and step into our day and see our version.
For example, let’s take this little excerpt from The Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matt. 5:43-45)
Jesus will get a hearty “amen” on that one from most of the American church unless you’re talking about Muslims or Democrats, of course. We’ll pound our fist on the table when we demand that everybody believe in a literal interpretation of the Holy Scriptures unless it’s the one about loving your enemies or turning the other cheek, then we’re pretty sure there must be some hidden or alternate meaning. Surely Jesus didn’t literally mean to love my enemies, did He?
Jesus Christ is perfect theology. – Bill Johnson
Let’s let Jesus be the filter through which all of our theology flows. After all, theology is the study of God. Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
So I hope you’ll understand when I say, “Don’t call me a Christian anymore. Just let me follow Jesus.”
Learning to follow,
Kevin