What Makes You A Christian? Because You Say You Are?

How often I've talked about this very thing....

Joseph Farah says it well:


It's true that much of the church is lacking the moral discernment it should receive from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Much of the church is as blind to right and wrong as the world is. That's alarming. But Jesus did warn us:

In Matthew 7:20-24, He says: "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them …"

Those should be alarming verses for all professing Christians. But I don't think many American evangelicals give them much consideration.

In other words, it's not enough to call yourself a Christian. It's not enough to go to church on Sunday. It's not enough to say some magic words. You've got to be sincere in your repentance and be obedient to His will.

I don't get my notion of what being a Christian is or how to be one from other Christians. I get it from the Bible.

And understand what I am saying here: I do not suggest it is wrong for Christians to associate with homosexuals, as some have charged. In fact, if we love them – or, as Ann Coulter suggests, "like" them – we should engage them. We should bring them the truth. We should share the good news of the Gospel. And that, however uncomfortable it is, means confronting them with their sin – just as we would any other sinner.

I believe that's what Jesus meant when He told us to love our enemies. The ultimate demonstration of love for a Christian should be to evangelize the lost.