Are You Really a Christian?

I thought I was. I thought for sure I was.  I wish someone had asked me if I was really a Christian and challenged my beliefs.  

I grew up in the church.  I went to church camp.  I went to various conferences in middle school and high school.  I didn't cuss.  I didn't smoke.  Whenever people were watching, I'd pray before a meal.  I attended church.  I owned a bible.  I didn't sleep around or drink.  I went to a Christian college.  I didn't really hang out with other kids who did 'bad' things.  So I assumed I was good to go.  Heckkkkk no.  I was about as lukewarm as it gets.  It is embarrassing to think about how far I was from Christ but still would represent his name.
One time I got called out.  These people didn't even know they were calling me out.  My freshman year of college, I was telling these guys about Every Man's Battle, a book on dealing with male temptations in a Christian manner. They said later that really surprised them because I never talked about Jesus and I just didn't seem to carry myself like a Christ-follower.  Seldom have I been as bothered in my life as I was then.  I've since realized that I was just following rules but I didn't even have a set of beliefs to base them on. I was just doing it so I'd come off like I had it together.  

While it's not all about us getting into heaven, these are some good verses to think about.

Matthew 7-True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Luke 13-The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”  He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’  “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. ²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’  ²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 

Jesus makes it quite clear that many people who think they will make it, definitely won't.  Old Mills definitely goes in that category.  Heck, who am I to say even now I will make it through the narrow door? 

So what makes someone a Christian?  How does one know they are a Christian? How do you know you are saved? I think it starts in Matthew 16: 

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 

He says we must deny ourselves.  I think that clearly means we are to leave behind all pleasures of this world.  I mean if you didn't know Christ, would your life look about the same?  I think we just gloss over 'take up their cross and follow me.'  Are we ready to drop everything, especially our old lives?  In Luke, he says, 'make every effort.'  Am I making every effort?  Are you making every effort?  Is sitting on your duff watching the tube, 'making every effort'? 

 Have you truly given your life to Jesus?  Have you truly turned your life goals into His goals?  Have you submitted your dreams and aspirations, surrendered your wishes and wants, to His will?  Do your financial gifts to Him put a strain on you?  How often do you do things, to serve others, for which you get nothing in return?  What is the true purpose of your life? When's the last time you stopped to help a homeless person or someone with car trouble, stranded on the side of the road?  How often are you studying His word? How much time do you spend in prayer with God?  

Just because you go to church, just because you believe in God, just because you help your friends move, just because you give 10% of your income, just because you don't swear, does not mean you are a Christian.  

I challenge you to look at your life.  I challenge you to ask yourself if you have really sold out for Jesus.  He certainly never called us to be comfortable. How comfortable are you?  How easy is your life?  How much do you sacrifice? There should be nothing easy about being a Christian.  

What you think about and fill your mind with is who you really are.