Act Like a Christian

I've heard well-meaning believers say such things to fellow believers. They'll see someone doing something "unchristianly" and tell them, "You call yourself a believer? You need to act like a Christian." It always struck me as odd. First, do we need to act like one or be one? Shouldn't our changed hearts produce changed lives? Christianity, after all, is not an act, is it? Beyond that, what, exactly, does that mean?. What does "act like a Christian" look like?

Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matt 15:19), so I would argue that "act like a Christian" should be more of "act like your new heart tells you." Paul wrote about his longing to know Christ "and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" (Php 3:9). Living Christ's righteousness. He admitted he had not yet obtained perfection (Php 3:12), but he pressed on toward that goal (Php 3:14). And then he said, "Only let us hold true to what we have attained" (Php 3:16). What have we attained? Perfection in Christ. How do we hold true to that? By changed living -- "acting like a Christian." Except it's not an act; it's allowing the inner reality to become more and more lived out in the outer person.

So what does that look like? Well, at first glance, it's fairly simple -- quite obvious. If "Christian" is "follower of Christ," then "act like a Christian" is "imitate Christ." That is at once both simple and complicated. Simple. On the surface, Jesus obeyed what His Father commanded in all things. Easy. In fact, there were two guiding principles: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Those two contain all the rules, so those were the two Jesus lived by and, therefore, we as followers of Christ should live by. Complicated. Such a set of guiding principles is frankly impossible for the Natural Man. In our natural mode of thinking, our question is "What's best for me?" and no one, including you godly folk, questions it. It is natural. Jesus's primary questions were "What's in it for God?" followed by "What's in it for My neighbor?" (Note: I'm pretty sure He capitalized His own pronouns, etc.) (Ok, maybe not a big deal in 1st century Greek or Aramaic.) Jesus lived His life outwardly. His view was not "Me," but upward and outward. Paul told the Philippians, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Php 2:3). Jesus lived that. Paul told them,

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:5-8)

Notice. In none of that do we see "What is best for me?" Nowhere is there a "me first" or "personal comfort" or "too much to give." He didn't concern Himself with "My personal justice" or "My personal gain." Jesus did feed Himself, clothe Himself, sleep, etc. He did those things necessary to accomplish His Father's will. He did what He needed to do to meet the needs of others. Jesus did things that are about "Jesus," but only so far as was necessary for Jesus to do what the Father wanted for His glory or for those around Him. He even, for His Father, used a whip on moneychangers and, for the deluded Pharisees, pronounced curses ("Woe to you ...") on the Pharisees. He wasn't all "light and flowers." But none of it was self-directed. None of it was about Him. When they attributed His works to Satan, He warned them, "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven" (Matt 12:32). Jesus lived love -- love for God and love for His neighbor. Not that namby-pamby, cuddly-warm kind, but real love that always sought what was best for the loved one. That directed all His attention, all His efforts, all His vision. Complicated ... like that.

We might say, "Act like a Christian," but Christianity isn't an act and Christianity is not made up of activities. It's not about works. We are saved (the primary concept of "Christianity") apart from works. On the other hand, we are saved (apart from works) for good works (Eph 2:8-10). Works, then, are the natural byproduct of being "born again," of receiving a "new heart." The standard we've been given for what "act like a Christian" looks like is Christ. That standard points our attention, first, to God -- what pleases Him -- and, second, to those around us and what is best for them. That kind of mindset is directly opposed to the mindset of those who are dead in sin. It is only possible when powered by the Holy Spirit. But if we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, shouldn't we seek to live up to that righteousness? Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not right ... or best.