What is the greatest threat to Christianity? What would you say it is? No, it’s not Sunday football.
But before I tell you what I think the answer is I want to talk to you about my favorite NFL team. Do you have a favorite team?
I didn’t really grow up in a sports-oriented family. As I became an adult I quickly learned that men were supposed to have a team they cheered for and rooted for. So I set out to pick a local team to cheer for so I’d fit in. As I surveyed my options in the Northeast the choices weren’t stellar. I was presented with the choice of two teams who lose a lot, another team who is in the news frequently for “suspected” cheating and even for a player killing someone. So I went with the Giants who had won at least 4 Super Bowls and the worst I could find was that one of the players shot himself in the foot (literally).
Before you send me an email correcting all of my inaccuracies…let me be totally transparent with you. I’m a disappointment to true Giants fans. For example…I can only name the quarterback and I tend to fall asleep during most of the games. I even go to bed early when they have night games. I guess you could say I’m a fan in name only.
I’m afraid a lot of people do the same thing with Christianity. They need to pick a faith because, let’s face it, believing there isn’t a God at the very least makes life depressing, hopeless, and meaningless. What’s the point of life, children, relationships, work, suffering, pain, ambition, service…if we are all just blobs of carbon and water? A meaningful life can’t come from a meaningless existence.
So most people opt for some view of God. They look around at the menu of choices and pick what the large majority of people around them are – which to some degree or another is “Christian.”
They know the quarterback’s name is Jesus and they watch a “game” every Christmas and maybe Easter. Some are more hard core and come on Mother’s Day. They have a cross from Tiffany & Co. to show their loyalty. They even downloaded the Bible app…just in case they ever need it. They follow a team but they aren’t die hards.
Did you come up with your answer to what the greatest threat is to Christianity? According to social media you’d think the greatest threat is ISIS or even the Supreme Court.
The greatest threat to Christianity isn’t ISIS or the Supreme Court. The greatest threat is people who are Christian in name only.
If you are reading this and you aren’t a Christian yet I bet you’d agree with me one of the things that is making it hard for you to step across the line is all the “in name only” Christians you know. They don’t live or act like you think Jesus would. There’s very little unconditional love, faithfulness, commitment, loyalty, forgiveness, grace, compassion…I think we would both find common ground on “in name only” Christians.
For those of you who are Christians, how do you wear that badge? How do you know that you are more than just an “in name only” Christian? Maybe the better question is how do you become more than “in name only”?
You are a legit Christian when you obey the New Testament teachings of Jesus (John 14:15). Not just when they are popular or convenient. You’re not excused from obedience because it’s inconvenient.
So if you ever find yourself saying…I know the NT says ______ BUT….(and then proceed to give yourself an excuse)…you’ve chosen to be just a name-only Christian.
Here is a passage that has been making me squirm. It’s very direct.
1 John 2:3-6 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Wow!!!
Seems like if we say we are a follower of Jesus, but yet don’t do what He says, we aren’t really following Him, we’re following ourselves.
The greatest threat to Christianity is people who say they love Jesus, but don’t obey His teachings.
Love is always demonstrated, not just proclaimed.
I’m sure my generalizations of the above NFL teams offended someone, but that’s my point…people make generalizations (right or wrong)…and people will make generalizations about Christianity based on how you live.
I don’t want the “in name only” Christians contributing to those generalizations any more than fans of the NFL want the actions of a few to categorize their league.
When lots of people wear crosses and yet have no intention of living like the One who died on that cross it threatens the very meaning of “Christian.”
