Christian Vs. Christ-Follower

The title of this post may create a bit of confusion in some people so please let me take this time to elaborate. I don't know how long this post will be, but it may be short or it may be lengthy. I don't know until it's over.

Some may be thinking that there is no difference between a christ-follower and a Christian. That is like saying that there is no difference between the Military and the Air Force. Sure the Air Force is a part of the Military contains the Air Force, but it also contains the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The Coast Guard is a member of Homeland Security so I leave them out, but still acknowledge their importance to national security. Anyway, not all christians are Christ-followers. A bold statement I know, but please let me explain. How many people in this nation, if polled, would claim to believe in God? I have no doubt a large number of people in the world would have a claim to believe in God, but what makes them different from people who live a Christ-like life? Do Christ-followers want to be lumped in the same category as people who simply believe in God or think that Christ was a good man and nothing more? I don't think that is the case. There is a difference.

The majority of people who feel that they have been judged, persecuted, deceived, robbed, or otherwise by Christians, have encountered exactly what I am talking about. There is a difference. Think about it with me for a bit. Christians are the people who have failed to realize that eternal judgment is God's right and only God's right. There is no place for judgement, at least eternal judgement by man. Sure we can use our courts to punish human crime, but it is not our place to judge people eternally. Christians have lost that concept. Christ-followers replace judgement with compassion and understanding and love. Not love for the sin, but love for the sinner. Christ-followers realize that everybody sins. Only one persons as ever excepted from that rule. Christ alone. It is his right alone to judge eternally. Christ-follower's sin is no better or worse than anybody else's sin. It is all the same. There is only one difference. We are forgiven. People make mistakes and are misguided or lost all the same. The only difference between Christ-followers and the rest of the world is that they know it. Christ-followers know they are hypocrites. They know that they are not perfect and can never earn the forgiveness offered by Christ.

Christ-followers are more than people who believe in God. They are people who know that Christ came to earthen human form and lived and died and lived again. That he lived a sinless life and died blameless so that he might pay the penalty for the sin of the world. I have seen bumper stickers that say Christ was a great man, but those christians are not. I agree with that statement and it really saddens me that this world has come to see Christians as the bad guys. More Christians need to devote themselves to being Christ-followers. The world would be a better place.

When I hear people accuse christians and Christ-followers of preaching at them I cringe a bit and this what I say: I tell you this not because I dislike you or want you to stop what you are doing or living life the way you do, that is your decision, I tell you this because I love you and I am no better than you. If you were standing in the middle of the street and a bus was bearing down on you, but you didn't see it and I did, would you want me to hold my tongue or would you want me to yell and holler and eventually run into the middle of the street and push you out of the way? Well this is what I am doing only. I want you to live. While you may not believe that Bus is coming for you, it is and I care for you way too much to sit here and watch it run you over. If I didn't care for you I would sit back and wait and not care.

I am friends with all kinds of people. One of my better friends claims to be an Atheist. That is his right. He is still a good person and tries not to do things that discourage people. He works hard to not judge or condemn and if you didn't know he was an Atheist, you might very easily confuse him for a Christian. I don't judge him or tell him how wrong he is, or that if he doesn't change his ways, he is going to hell. I simply let him live his life and when the opportunity arises, and it often does, I share my thoughts and beliefs with him. He usually scoffs at me or tells me that I'm wrong, but he's still my friend. I still pray for him and I hope someday he will understand what I am telling him, but I am working against years of Christians who were not Christ-followers and those ideas are very hard to undo and that pain and hurt can not be undone without the understanding of Christ's love.

So I put it out there. All you Christians out there strive to be Christ-followers. take that next step and see people, not the sin. love them, be compassionate and let them know that while you are not perfect you know somebody who was and while you don't deserve it, he forgave you and while you continue to sin and disappoint, he is still there ready to take you into his arms and tell you: "I love you and I forgive you."

I wish that more people realized that the people of God {Christians}, do things in the name of God that bring shame to the heart of God.