When someone asks me what I am
religiously, the answer I most often give is, "I'm just a Christian." This
usually results in a response like this, "Yeah, I knew that, but what kind of
Christian?" Depending on the attitude and mindset of the questioner, I may or
may not try to explain further.
Does it sound strange to you that
someone can be "Just a Christian"?
Is it possible to be a
"Christian" without being part of a particular "denomination"? Even as
divided as the religious world is today, it IS possible.
You CAN Be "Just A Christian"
I believe that throughout history there
have always been those who simply did their best to follow God's word and who were simply
"Christians". In fact, Jesus prophesied that this would be so. After Peter
confessed to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God.", Jesus said
this, ". . .on this rock I WILL build my church, and the gates of Hades WILL NOT
overcome it." (Matthew 16:16 -- 18) Regardless of what has happened in history and
society, God has always had people who served Him and were members of His church, even
when it did not appear to be so.
The Bible refers to individuals who
follow Christ as "Christians." "The disciples were called Christians first
at Antioch." (Acts 11:26) "If a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed; but let him glorify God in THIS name." (I Peter 4:16)
The apostle Paul, one of the greatest
evangelists and teachers the world has ever known did not want his followers to refer to
themselves as "Paulite Christians." (1 Corinthians 1:10 -- 17) Paul wanted
people to be followers of Christ alone.
This is also true of other great
religious leaders. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, James (Jacobus) Arminius, Roger
Williams, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and other great religious leaders of history
all pointed to the scriptures and urged their followers to serve Christ, not human
organizations.
Are There Others In Your Area
Who Are Trying To Be "Just Christians"?
There may be many groups of people
around the world who are trying to be nothing more than Christians. When God's word, BY
ITSELF, is planted in the hearts and minds of people, the plant that will grow is a
"Christian". This is one of the beautiful and powerful effects of the Bible.
Paul described it this way, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it
grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6)
One group of people who are trying to
live only by the Bible are usually known as "churches of Christ." This term is
not used in a separatist sense, but is meant to show their desire to be a part of Christ's
church. The term "church of Christ" refers to WHO OWNS the organization, not to
just another religious body listed in the phone book.
The Bible uses many names for those who
are simply trying to follow His will. "All the churches of Christ greet
you." (Romans 16:16) "the church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2) "The body
of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27) "the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10)
These and other Biblical names are not proper names, but are descriptive phrases that
describe the relationship between the true church, Jesus Christ, and God the Father.
Things That Most So-Called
"Christians" Stand For
Many people claim to believe that the
Bible is God's word. Many believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and in
His atonement for our sins. (Romans 3:21 -- 26; 6:1 -- 11) Some even believe that there is
eternal reward and eternal punishment awaiting all men after their death. (Acts 17:31;
Hebrews 9:27) A good many try to follow after Jesus and live morally good lives. (Matthew
5:13 -- 16)
But those who are striving to follow
nothing but the Bible go a step further. They believe that there is a higher level of
commitment to God that is possible.
The Two Beliefs That Make
"Just Christians" Different
The first belief concerns one's view of
and approach to scripture.
It is one thing to believe that the
Bible is God's word. It is an entirely different thing to believe that it is ALL we need
for religious "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2
Timothy 3:16)
The Bible frequently warns against
changing God's divine message. (Galatians 1:6 -- 9, Proverbs 30:5,6) Proverbs 14:12 says,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." It
has seemed right to men throughout time to form statements of belief. These
"creeds" and "catechisms" were meant to form the backbone of
faithfulness to God. Instead, they have led to divisions, arguments and the
disillusionment of many.
Why not use the Bible, and the Bible
ALONE as our standard for belief, worship and living? In this way, we can never be
hindered by a man-made document from accepting something we find in scripture.
The second belief concerns one's
approach to dealing with religious division.
Anyone can see that we have a problem
with religious division, and with faulty religious teachings. Great religious leaders of
the past, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin worked hard and long to correct teachings
and practices that were wrong. The troubles they and their followers faced came about
because of their approach to dealing with religious division. They began with at different
points and arrived at different conclusions. Their followers found themselves divided,
rather than unified.
What if we tried to "restore"
what we find on the pages of the New Testament, rather than "reforming" existing
religious bodies? Would the results be different? Which is easier, to build a new house
from the ground up, or to remodel an existing one that is in a bad state of repair? Anyone
who has ever lived in a house while some remodeling work is being done will quickly say
that it was a very trying and difficult time of their lives.
While it IS true that the world around
us changes daily, it is ALSO true that God's word has and will not change. Truth, if it
truly is truth, never changes. God's word is truth, (John 17:17) and it will set us free
today, just as it did in the first century, IF we do what they did then. (John 8:31)
When you compare your life to
what you read in the Bible, can you honestly call yourself "Just a Christian?"
When you look at the people you worship with (if you go to worship services at all), do
you see others who are "Just Christians?" These are questions that you should
answer for yourself.