Who is and what is a real Christian?

With 81% of Americans claiming to be a Christian, with over 3000 different Christian denominations in the US and 39,000 world wide, one is left to ask themselves, who is and what is a real Christian.

There are a estimated 39,000 different denominations, and really a denomination is a different set of beliefs, so that is 39,000 different Jesus, different versions of who God is, 39,000 different ways to be a Christian, and 39,000 interpretations of want the bible teaches, that makes Christianity second to Hindus in number of god’s they worship. Before you say all Christian denominations have the same God, you need to look at the facts, understand that they all do not, they have a different belief, some very different version of who God is, who Jesus is and what He said, what the gospel is, what salvation is, how one gets salvation, and that makes them have different gods. Resulting in different definitions of what a Christian is, they each have a definition based on what they believe about the scriptures, salvation, who Jesus is, the gospel and ultimately who God is, His mission on earth, Missio Dei.

For example Rob Bell's definition of repentance is "repentance is not turning from sin" "anyone who tells you that you need to repent is not talking about Christianity." And a survey done of pastors in the US reveled that over 50% of them did not believe in Hell, even though Jesus spoke more on it than heaven, so obviously they have a different Jesus than the one in scripture. Over 50% say they do not believe the bible is the word of God, so apparently they have a different Jesus, because Jesus said He was the word and they say they do not believe in it. See the difference on just these two things. And a very popular pastor just last year made the statement “It does not matter what version of Jesus you believe in, only that you believe in some form of Jesus.

As for me I only know of one, the one reviled in scriptures, the one that I have meet and is my Lord, the one who is God come in the flesh.

Joel Osteen and a host of others tells us that being a Christian is all about: “Living a life of joy, peace, fulfillment” That “Jesus was executed for the purpose of making us rich and happy” They convey the idea of a Santa Clause God who will give people what they want, and that the mark of a true Christian is "you are rich and never sick", and get anything and everything you pray for. What they are saying in essences is that the creator of the universe became a man to suffer and die in order to become our servant, our genie in a lamp to grant our every wish, to put us on the throne to rule over Him.

The vast majority of the time you hear Christians ask people “do you know you are going to heaven?” Why? Because their theology is that being a Christian is all about getting a "ticket to heaven" only, that was the sole goal of Jesus’ life and death, the goal of the gospel. It’s totally a personal thing about you getting your ticket, once that happens, Jesus’ life and His death have served there only purpose, the gospel has accomplished it's mission. Then you just bide your time here tell you get there. The said thing is they have not even read the scriptures well enough to know that it not all about getting to heaven. The focus of salvation is not about moving to heaven when we die, because we only return with Christ to inhabit the new earth (Rev 21), the focus of salvation is ones immediate relationship with God and others in the here and now and His mission on earth here and now, and yes our eternal destination too, but that’s not the only purpose.

Salvation is about returning to fellowship with God, about entering life with God, with Christ now and right here, it is about Restoration, Renewal, Reconciliation and Redemption of all of creation. It's is about admitting our sinfulness and alienation from God, and accepting God sacrificial death in our place and receiving His free gift of forgiveness, salvation. It is about stopping to be my own God and my own lord and savior and making God my God and savior. It is about being transformed, born again into a new creation, in the image of Christ. And joining God in His mission to bring Restoration, Renewal, Reconciliation and Redemption to the whole earth. About dying, not living for self and living for God and the good of others. About incarnating the life of Christ, imitating the life of Christ.

The scriptures and Jesus tells me a much different explanation of who and what a Christian is. Jesus describes the Christian life much differently than Osteen and so many other do.

And "Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark 1:17, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them......." Mat 28:19, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" Mark 16:15. That sounds like a purpose other than getting a ticked to heaven, being rich, fat and happy, or just biding time tell you get there. He did not say, I will make you rich, happy or successful but He did say" But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake" Luke 21:12, that sure does not sound like the happy and rich life so many describe the Christian life being about.

I read the apostle Paul saying "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" I Cor 11:1, but yet the life I read Paul living and the others in scriptures is not the one taught by Osteen or taught by most pastors today or seen being lived out, demonstrated by "church going Christians", with there being more different brands of church and versions of Christianity than there are McDonald's, this leaves many confused.

So far here we have Jesus and Paul saying a Christian is one:

Who fishes for men
Who Goes into the world
Who proclaims the gospel
Who will suffer persecution
Who imitates the life of Paul
Who imitates the life of Jesus

Part 1