Christian ideas may differ
Understanding the difference between cultural Christianity and Christianity by relationship can make an eternity of difference.
Jan’s response to this statement was resentment. It shocked her friend Geneane. They had talked about Christian ideas before, and neither of them ever felt threatened or uncomfortable.
“Do I look like a heathen? Do I act like one?” continued Jan with hostility in her voice.
Not wanting to further annoy her friend, Geneane chose her words carefully. “Jan,” she said quietly, “you know I don’t think of you as a heathen. I’ve known you as a good, God-fearing person with good morals for too long to think that of you!”
“Well, why then did you ask if I’m a Christian?”
Geneane tried to explain. “What I understand to be a Christian, Jan, is not just someone who believes in God. One time while reading the Bible, I noticed it said demons believe in God, too. So, there’s got to be more to it than just believing in God.”
Jan’s temperature seemed to be rising again. “What more can there possibly be to it?”
“From what I know about it,” Geneane answered, “The key point is the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why its called ‘Christianity.’ If I accept Christ as my personal Savior, I’m a Christian; if I don’t, I’m not. Just as simple as that. Our relationship to Jesus is what makes the difference.”
Now Jan swung into an inquisitive mode.
“You mean only people who accept Jesus are Christians? I know lots of people who believe in God, go to church regularly, and so far as I know, they haven’t personally accepted Jesus. But, they’re good people. Are you telling me they are heathen?”
Geneane said, “Of course they’re not heathen. They believe in God. They’re not like pagans who believe in nothing or who actually worship idols or animals or do things like that!
“Maybe a better way to refer to people you’re thinking about, Jan, would be to call them ‘cultural Christians.’ They’ve been brought up in a nation that’s historically Christian. Their parents were identified with a Christian church. So they consider themselves ‘Christians,’ too.
“You can’t blame them for making that assumption, when you think about it. After all, they aren’t Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims or something like that. They’re good people, too! But you have to remember what I said is the key point in being a Christian ...”
“One’s relationship to Jesus,” Jan said.
“That’s right,” Geneane affirmed. “That’s important because Jesus actually ‘paid the bill’ for our sins when He died on the cross.” Now Geneane got a little preachy. “He didn’t have to do that, you know. But He did it because He loves us. He knew sin would keep us separated from God forever if something wasn’t done about it. And He knew we couldn’t do anything about it ourselves, so He did it for us!”
Jan was beginning to understand. “That makes it very personal, doesn’t it?” she said.
“Very, very personal,” responded Geneane. “That’s why no one can do it for someone else. If a person is to become a Christian, that individual must personally accept Jesus as his Savior. Neither parent, nor priest can do it for him. Its a personal choice.”
The momentary pause in the dialogue seemed like an eternity. Jan finally broke the silence. She was pensive and deliberate: “You’re telling me that even though I believe in God and am a good church-going person, before I can really consider myself a Christian, at some point, somewhere, somehow, I need to realize Christ died for me personally; and that I need to accept Him, personally, as my Savior.”
It was like somebody flipped a switch inside Jan.
Suddenly, the light went on!▄
The Rev. Guy BonGiovanni is the director of Life Enrichment Ministries in Canfield.