Christian = A Change In [your] Lifestyle.
posted March 24th, 2007 in CultureLast Wednesday night my brother and I made a trip to church for Wednesday night youth group. Before we go on it is important to note that the only reason I go is to offer a different and more Biblical point of view when an opportunity presents itself.
This opportunity came about on Wednesday as I was talking to a 7th and 11th grader about anarchy, communism, the end times and why I wasn’t going to share my coke with the 11th grader.
During the conversation about sharing my coke, the 11th grader argued that I should share with him because he’s my “brother in Christ”. In response to my contention that I only share with my siblings. The conversation continued on towards politics and religion, but what stuck with me was his argument that he’s my brother in Christ.
While it is true that as Christians we are all part of God’s “family” so to speak, I realized that the reason I didn’t see him as my brother in Christ was because he, unlike my “big” brothers in Christ, doesn’t live a life that exemplifies Christ.
It is true we all stumble and fail. It is also true, however, that there is more to being a Christian than just saying a simple prayer. Being a Christian involves prayer, but it is also a walk and a relationship. Being a Christian means there is a change in your lifestyle - like in James where it says Faith without works is dead, or all throughout the new testament where it says “you will know them by their fruits”.
It’s simple to “talk the talk”, but are we really “walking the walk”?
I like what your getting at. The truth is — I do not go to “youth group” — for a lot of the same reasons. Actually the name “youth group” describes it best. It is a group of obnoxious annoying kids. And it drives me crazy when the “youth pastor” joins in with them.
That’s my take of it anyways….
Wow! You’re right! -and I agree with you about not sharing Coke. That’s just nasty- =)
I agree with you. People can say they are christains. But whan there lives do not show the fruit of being one. How can we know if they are truely “brothers and sisters” in Christ?
It is true that we should watch and judge ourselves to see whether or not we are showing the fruits of born-again people. And it is true that born again people WILL show fruits. However, I do not know that it is right to go around saying that ’so and so’ is not a brother or sister in Christ because of their behaviour. Now, you may be right in saying so. But one must realize that there are those who are ‘weak in the faith’, and we are told not to cause any of Jesus’ ‘little ones’ to stumble. The best thing to do is NOT make judgments and help them.
Thanks Anika. I didn’t mean to come off as judgmental, I was merely realizing that there was a reason I viewed him different and wanted to urge other believers to walk in Faith, and not use it as a title.
Thanks for the clarification. The church is so entrenched in easy-believism that many people are trying to get balance. The problem is we can sometimes swing too far the opposite way. I am just dissappointed when people are so quick to pass someone off as an unbeliever when it could be that they are merely weak believers. It isn’t our job to judge. I understand now that your post was NOT intending to do that but was rather intended as a wake-up call to those who are not believers and to those who are believers but not showing it.
Well I don’t think it’s being judgmental to state an obvious fact. If a someone claims to be a Christian, but doesn’t “bear fruit”, and isn’t even trying to walk with Christ, then I would submit that there isn’t a real faith there. Faith without works is dead after all. Maybe I’m just sensitive to this issue cause there are so many people like that in my youth group, and it frustrates me so. And it’s not that I dislike them, it’s just that they don’t even realize they’re lost…
I totally agree with your point…the undertone of that guy’s request was pretty easy to see. Honestly, no matter how mature a Christian of the opposite gender is, I wouldn’t share anything I drank out of with them unless I was married to them. I don’t know how everyone feels about this, but I feel that something like sharing one’s own food or drinks is pretty personal. Of course, I have no problem sharing part of a 6-pack of pop, or a handful of chips out of a bag…