What does a Christian look like?
Can someone describe for me the physical features of a Christian?
At first, that seems a little absurd.
We know Christians don't look a certain way…right? If that's true, then why do we expect people
to conform to the 'church' standards when they become a Christian?
That may seem a little harsh, but I believe that many church folks are
missing the boat when it comes to genuine Christianity.
So, if it is possible that we might be missing the boat, then how?
Let me go back to my original question, but with a slight revision…what
makes a person a Christian?
A Christian is…a follower of Jesus Christ. A true follower knows that Jesus died on the
cross, provided the ultimate redemption, and has provided a pathway for eternal
life…He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
So, what else? Nothing. There is nothing else. Now, there is more to following Jesus Christ because
following Him means obedience to Him but not more to being a Christian.
There is a life change…a definite difference when following
Christ. However, many who are 'church
goers' aren't really good at this part.
Let's look at Philippians 2:1-21
As we look at this scripture, there are a few areas I think we can
benefit from.
First, Jesus is Lord.
This is first and foremost because if you are a Christian, then you are
not following some random person claiming to know it all. You are following the One with the name above
every name. You are following the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are
following Jesus.
This is important because you have to realize that this isn't some
joke. This isn't something we just do
because it seemed like the thing to do.
This is following Jesus. This is
serious. He called you – you may have
answered. If you did, then your life is
NOT the same.
We are following Jesus and that is not to be taken lightly. If we take that seriously, it changes our way
of thinking. It changes our
priorities. It changes our
lifestyle. It changes our entire view of
the world. WE are following Jesus! If you are serious about following Jesus,
then let's go on to the second area…
Second, Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. Since we are to follow Him, then we are to be
humble. We do this by not thinking more
of ourselves than we do of others.
If we are going to do that, we have to realize that people have
VALUE. Jesus valued people when He
walked on this earth. Jesus values you
and me…sinners who shouldn't live without Him.
We are nothing special except that we follow the special ONE. That should encourage us to look at others
and seek their value. Everyone has
value. Everyone is important. No one is outside the love of Jesus. No one is worthy and yet He loves us all.
If we see value in others, then we do things quite different. We think different, we act different, we
spend our money different, we give different, we spend our time different, in
fact…we just live different.
Look at verse 21…For all seek their own…NOT the things which are of
Christ Jesus. What a shame and yet,
that could absolutely be said of so many of us.
Value others…that means looking beyond their exterior – that is just a
shell. It means looking for what is on
the inside and seeing a person that was created by God. It means loving even when love doesn't seem
possible or wanted.
Lastly, we are to be of the same love, with one accord and one
mind. Basically, that means we are to
be on the same page. That doesn't
happen when we are self seeking. That
doesn't happen when we only look out for ourselves. That doesn't happen when we decide that
Christians look a certain way.
That happens when we all follow Jesus. When we are all following Jesus, we are
people of character. We are people of
integrity. We are people of courage. We are people of love. We are people of joy and peace. We are children of God all following
ONE.
Rarely do we see that. People
don't want to share their gifts and talents with the Lord. They don't want to step out of their comfort
zone because it might scare them. They
don't want to take on a ministry because it might take away from their
time.
Who are you following? If we
all are following Jesus…things should be quite different. I'm just sayin'…
