***Before I begin, I would like to say that this post is not meant to feel as a personal attack to ANYONE! I will be using my own life story as an example of potential spiritual complacency or lack of spiritual understanding. This is not meant to bash any church, group of people, or belittle anyone’s salvation, including the church or people mentioned in my own experiences. I pray that God’s Word is spoken to you through my story and all lies fall on deaf ears.***
This is a topic that I have struggled with for a vast majority of my spiritual life. I grew up Lutheran, so when people asked questions about my spirituality I knew that I was to say, “I’m a Christian, duh!” Quite honestly, it never bugged me as a kid that I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I was told that it identified me “as a son of God because of the sacrifice that Jesus gave for each and everyone of us that proclaims faith in both their heart and speaking” to which I replied, “cool!” And let me tell you, as a kid, I became perfect at reciting that to anyone and everyone that inquired. However, when they followed up with “how do you know?” or “what does that look like?” I would be lying if I told you I had an answer for them.
Suffice to say, I was a Chreaster. I would proclaim to be a Christian while not knowing what that even means, not having a desire to pursue the knowledge, and only coming out to show my face at church for Christmas and Easter. I was expecting to live a life similarly to Jesus when I did not even know what he taught. I went to fight the evil and sin of this world alongside those that embraced it and expected to come out on top. Everyone knows you can play a baseball game alone against a full team, but how can you ever expect to win?
Webster’ Dictionary has quite an accurate definition of what I was doing at that time. “Christian: one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” This can be seen as a very similar concept to what Romans 10:9-10 proposes, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess faith and are saved.” This can be seen as the definition or guidelines for salvation in the eyes of God. That through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, and only through Him, can we be seen as “good”, “just”, or “holy” in the eyes of God thus being saved from just punishment.
However, I would like to hone in on one of the words mentioned in both instances here. Belief, or believe. We are so quick to say that we believe but do we actually follow any of it? “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life that you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to eachother, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator.” (Colossians 3:5-10). These are all qualities that, as Christians, we are to rid ourselves of through the teachings of Jesus Christ and the internal changing from the Holy Spirit. This is what little Connor would say he proclaimed with his mouth and believed in his heart. That we should not act as stated here but instead follow in what Colossians 3:12-14 follow:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people (Christians), holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
This is what Jesus taught. This is what we are called to believe. Not to say we believe it, but to actually believe it! When we say we believe something, it comes out of the realm of fake, fantasy, and/or lies and enters into real and/or truth. It is synonymous with believing that 2+2=4. Once we believe it, we should accept it as truth and abide by the rules that 2+2=4, but when it comes to Jesus are quick to say 2+2=4, but when it comes down to write it 2+2=9.
Don’t be a Chreaster. Don’t fall into spiritual complacency. Don’t just blend in with the world. Instead, seek truth! Instead, be kind and compassionate! Instead, stand up to injustices! Instead, be a Christian!
