Christian??

Christianity in our culture has become something that is not “worn on your sleeve,” it is a layer of our self identity that is beneath or beyond the public purview. Or it may not even be a part of our self identity, rather, it is a sort of voluntary association, a group to which we pertain. Therefore, we may attain to “greatness” in our life, to fame in the world’s eyes, yet, the world may be unaware of our private social club, our “Christian circle of friends.” Religion and religious profession is not seen as pertaining to the public, it is in fact, something offensive to bring up in public conversation, unless at the request of those in the conversation. This can be seen by the fact that when a famous personage passes away, who holds to Christianity, this may or may not be brought into the light in the news. In fact, it may be omitted as something which does not pertain to the news story.

How does this contrast with the “biblical” world??? If we were to go back to the Old Testament, it is obvious that being “Jewish” or being the “chosen people of God” was at the core of the person’s identity, if you were a part of the people of God, you could not have concealed it even if you wished to. TO be Israel, meant that the whole world knew who you were, in fact this was on of the purposes of God in choosing Israel, to showcase His glory and power before the world’s eyes. In the New Testament, to be a Christian was the central element to one’ very existence, one could not conceive of relegating this to another level. A Christian was first a follower, a disciple of Christ, prior to anything else. Before and prior to family, was this not the purpose of Jesus’ parables? When He said we must hate our family, was this not meant to highlight in contrast our love and allegiance for and to Him?
DO I want people at my funeral to say….”oh and she was a Christian”?
NO! May people be confronted with Christ in me! Before knowing my name, may they be assaulted with the reality that I am a follower and lover of Jesus Christ. I say Assaulted, not because I will aggressively confront them, but because the reality of Jesus Christ in my life should be so apparent in my very being and in my words and actions that they are called to a decision, there is not sitting nor riding the fence, it’s Jesus Christ, or nothing else! You are either for Him or against Him! And in saying Jesus Christ I am not saying separate from the Father and the Holy Spirit, rather, united, the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit within me permeates and saturates my being, yet this is not to say that my whole being is submitted implicitly to Him, being Christian does not mean that happens without my will being involved in some way. This translates into the fact that I am continually confronted by the claims of the Lordship of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, applying His word to my entire being, which then brings the opportunity again to submit and surrender my will to His, in repentance.
Yet, when and if my very cells were to be taken apart, people should be confronted with the claims of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. The core of being shouts the reality of God, and my existence is wrapped up in and around Him.
Before I can be considered a mother or a wife, or a daughter or sister, I am a follower a disciple of Jesus Christ.