Now please, let me stress that I am not denying the value or the roll this identification has played in the life or the history of the Christian religion over the past 2000 years. The concern that I have is the restrictive condition that has distracted many people from the original purpose, message and mission of the Kingdom of God. The term "Christian" tends to mentally lock a person into a religious mold and limits the reality of the truth about the Kingdom.
The Bible refers to man's relationship to God with these phrases: servants (that is another word for "representative minister" as a government minister), saints, ambassadors, sons of God, citizens of heaven, kings, God's workmanship, children of God, and other terms of endearment. But not officially are they referred to as Christians. Christianity was never a term given to us by Jesus Christ nor the apostles. The term Christian was never to be a title nor label that we wore, but a lifestyle that we lived; demonstrating the nature of "Christ-likeness". In essence, Christian was supposed to be a description of the culture of the Kingdom being exhibited through our lives. This is why the first believers were called Christians by the early observers of their lifestyle, their power, their boldness, and their Christ-like authority.
Right or wrong, most unbelievers have a definite idea of what they think a Christian should be. If we are not careful, we can identify too strongly with their label and fall into the trap of trying to live up to their religious expectations. We should stop trying so hard to live like Christians--and all of the false assumptions associated with that term. Instead,we should work harder at living like sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Christ and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is the truth behind Jesus' parable of the prodigal son.
Read Luke 15:11-24
This is the way God is also. He wants sons, not servants or subjects. He wants citizens, not Christians; and He wants relationships and not religion.
The Bible refers to man's relationship to God with these phrases: servants (that is another word for "representative minister" as a government minister), saints, ambassadors, sons of God, citizens of heaven, kings, God's workmanship, children of God, and other terms of endearment. But not officially are they referred to as Christians. Christianity was never a term given to us by Jesus Christ nor the apostles. The term Christian was never to be a title nor label that we wore, but a lifestyle that we lived; demonstrating the nature of "Christ-likeness". In essence, Christian was supposed to be a description of the culture of the Kingdom being exhibited through our lives. This is why the first believers were called Christians by the early observers of their lifestyle, their power, their boldness, and their Christ-like authority.
Right or wrong, most unbelievers have a definite idea of what they think a Christian should be. If we are not careful, we can identify too strongly with their label and fall into the trap of trying to live up to their religious expectations. We should stop trying so hard to live like Christians--and all of the false assumptions associated with that term. Instead,we should work harder at living like sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Christ and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is the truth behind Jesus' parable of the prodigal son.
Read Luke 15:11-24
This is the way God is also. He wants sons, not servants or subjects. He wants citizens, not Christians; and He wants relationships and not religion.
RSS Feed
