The Difference

Al primero: Feliz cinco de mayo a todos!

Okay, today I'm wondering about the difference. And while I have given this considerable thought, I really have not organized those thoughts. So I'm not sure how this is going to come out.

I've been wondering about the difference between a follower of Jesus and a person who does not follow Christ. Followers of Christ basically accept that we are brought into his family on the basis of his work on the cross and our faith in him--through grace. As Paul says, "Not by works, so that we cannot boast." The flip side of that tenet is: Nothing I do can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now, I'm not saying that this latter statement holds true in the Bible. Rather, it seems that it has gained popularity in the North American church. As a result, we have people who claim the blessing of God in spite of lifestyles that clearly violate the teachings of the Bible and specifically the example and teachings of Christ Jesus whom they claim as Lord. For example: committing adultery on Saturday evening and praising God on Sunday morning.

I know the inner turmoil of failing God on Friday or Saturday night (not adultery but in other ways) and then coming to worship him--even preaching--on Sunday morning. And I know God forgives me and has already paid the price for my sin. So, yes, I am accepted as a child of God based on the completed work of Christ.

But when/where do we draw the line? When/where do we say this can no longer be tolerated? Haven't we who claim to follow Christ become so much like the rest of the world that no one can see any difference?

When I was a child, the difference between "Christians" and "sinners" was obvious: Sinners did certain things (various lists existed) and Christians did not do those things. Clearly, that was legalistic and wrong. In the decades since, those lists of do's and don't's have gone by the wayside--and rightly so.

But what has replaced them? Have we cultivated any new lists of do's and don't's for followers of Christ--any new distinctions? For example, how about a list like this:

DO:

Followers of Christ respect all people and honor each person's uniqueness.
Followers of Christ forgive offenses and seek reconciliation.
Followers of Christ seek justice for the oppressed.
Etc....

DON'T:

Followers of Christ do not try to force non-believers to live by our standards.
Followers of Christ do not nurse our hurts and bitterness.
Followers of Christ do not enslave others or take advantage of employees.
Etc....

You can develop your own list. But perhaps these brief suggestions point the way for a new kind of distinction between followers of Christ and everyone else. In the current situation--as I see it--many who do not claim any allegiance to Christ seem to emulate his life and teachings better than many of us who call him Lord. At the same time, many of us who claim to follow Christ act more like non-believers than the non-believers do.

How sad. I carry the weight of responsibility for this. May God have mercy on us who call Jesus "Master".

What do you think?