What is a committed Christian?
I was reading a headline that said that a church figure suggested an individual was a “committed Christian”. The context was that the individual was going into a top political position in his country. It was as though the church figure who made the comments wanted to commend this individual and reassure us that because he was a “committed Christian”, things would be better with him.
I don’t know the individual to judge whether he is or not. What fascinated me about the description was how the individual could be called a “committed Christian”. It’s also why it was timely to be reminded about what it was to live a renewed life. Markers for what makes someone a committed Christian can usually be about attending church services and contributing to the cause. Some markers, such as how someone feels about hot topics, can be superficial. Don’t get me wrong, having a view on key issues that align with the principles of Jesus is a great thing. These markers, however, are not the key to seeing if someone is a committed Christian.
When Jesus returns to judge, He won’t be looking to see if we voted for the right party or if our conscience led us to make a stance on single issues. A marker for a committed Christian won’t be the attendance record. The decisive issue won’t be how much of the Bible was memorised and how quick someone is to correct someone when a scripture is misquoted. There won’t be a tick box exercise to see if elderly folks were helped across the road or you tipped generously at the restaurant.
Did our lives reflect a solid commitment to Christ? Did we give the impression that His blood redeemed us? Did we display more than an affinity to the one who reconciled us back to Himself? Did our lives together resolve to reflect the restoration work that relayed to the universe that we are the Masterpiece of the Creator? Did our thoughts, words, and acts show a people who were reoriented so that we were only ever pursuing the good, perfect and acceptable will of God?
These markers are not ones that we’ll be quick to judge, although Jesus indicates that we’ll be known by our fruits. It won’t require ongoing naval gazing and prolonged introspection. It won’t even need a religious figure giving us the thumbs up for a headline for whatever work we’re embarking on.
The convictions will mark out these people who celebrate and serve in the light of the renewed life.
For His Name's Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
