Living as Christians

I have this new friend who started attending our church two weeks ago. We had a discussion yesterday and she told me about someone she had seen in the church. The story went that the man and his wife had a maid whom they maltreated and abused. My friend told me of how they used pestle and wooden spoon to beat her and how her body would be swollen from the torture. She also mentioned that they cut off all the maid’s contacts so no one could come to her rescue. Neighbours who knew about this could not rescue her because she was always locked indoors except when she’s out to dry clothes. It happened that one day, she went to dry some washed clothes and a neighbour advised her to run for her life which she did. Let’s leave the rest of the story. My friend then told me: “you see Christians in church but they are so wicked you don’t know why (is that true? You too are familiar with these kind of ‘Christians’-and there are many of them)

Decades ago, a great Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi had said: “ I considered becoming a Christian until I met one”. He also said: “I like your Christ. I don’t like your Christians. They are so unlike Christ”.  An excerpt from a book (The Soul Saviour by Philip Yancy) had this story:

Gandhi and Reverend Andrews, a Presbyterian missionary, were walking together in South Africa.  “The two suddenly find their way blocked by young thugs.  Reverend Andrews takes one look at the menacing gangsters and decides to run for it.  Gandhi stops him.  ‘Doesn’t the New Testament say if an enemy strikes you on the right cheek you should offer him the left?’  Andrews mumbles that he thought the phrase was used metaphorically.  ‘I’m not so sure,’ Gandhi replies.  ‘I suspect he meant you must show courage - be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back nor will you be turned aside.  And when you do that it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred decrease and his respect increase.  I think Christ grasped that and I have seen it work.’”

Again, an article said of Gandhi: this active non-violence that Gandhi preached and practised brought freedom to millions of Indians… he called them brothers (those in the low caste) and stayed in their homes as much as possible. This was radical because others won’t be seen with them and would not dare touch them much less talk to them and fellowship with them.

Imagine that. A unbeliever teaching who is supposed to be a church leader what one of the major sermons of Christ meant (by word and by example). We are aware the word ‘Christian’ means ‘like Christ’ and many Christians are not close to being like Him. Just like Gandhi puts it they are so unlike Christ. It is appalling to see ‘Christians’ live any way apart from the way Christ lived. I often wonder “is God really happy with all of these? What would Christ do or say to these Christians if He were here?”

To this many have argued “Christ lived 2000 years ago. Things have changed. There are new challenges that Christ never saw in His days”. “There are too many temptations to sin and the law is too strict. Can anyone really live it?”. “We are not expected to fulfil the law. What God wants is that we should have faith in Jesus, after that, nothing else”. “My brother, none can be perfect, let’s stop deceiving ourselves. Let’s just live our lives the way it is”… A very good friend of mine had told me a number of times "once people find out you are a Christian, they set a standard for you in everything with the hope that you should be perfect."

Are there answers to these arguments? Is the Christian life only theoretical and not practical? There are a lot of answers to these from the Bible that are certainly practical. I’ll choose a few.

First of all, we have read Romans. We see how it starts by talking about our sin problem and showed us how God provided a remedy which is by faith in Jesus. But it did not end there. Chapters 12 and 13 was affirmative about consecrating our lives, using our gifts, loving one another, serving enthusiastically, being good to our enemies, submitting to authorities, living a life of love and of course clothing ourselves with Jesus- letting Him reflect in you.

One of my favourite writers, John told us “we have come to know Him if we obey Him… whoever claims to be a Christian must live like Christ lived” (1 John 2:3,6). Peter listed attributes that must follow our faith in 2 Peter 1:5-8: understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness and generous love. Jesus Himself charged His disciples to follow His example (John 13:12-17).

When you look at this, it could be tempting to start doing this by your own efforts. It won’t work that way. Until you let the Holy Spirit control you, your efforts will be futile trying to be like Jesus. That is why many Christians have failed to be Christians. That’s why there are many who seem to overlook the master’s instructions. Paul said: “When I sought to do good, evil was with me. The things I planned to, I did not. The things I said not to, those I did. Who will save me? Thank God… There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk after the Spirit, not the flesh” (Romans 7-8:1).

So Christians would be seen as wicked (like my friend said) and as disobedient to their master (from Gandhi’s point) when they don’t follow the Spirit of God inside them. Many believe they are Christians because of what they do and so they try and try until it’s obvious they can’t and they let themselves loose that outsiders say there are no Christians. You are not a Christian by what you do: you do the things you do because you are a Christian- animated by the Spirit of God.

To my friend’s complaint about people judging you because you are a Christian I say when someone describes an apple tree to you, you don’t expect it to be any less of the description you were given when you see one. So it is with Christianity. You are expected to be just like Christ. It will be hard if you try to do it on your own. But if you let the Spirit, you will gradually become like Him.

In essence, what I am saying is stop trying because you will always fail and cause people to slander your God. Rather, let the Spirit teach you and carry you through the process of becoming like Him. While it is important to know that we are Christians by faith, it is essential that it is our obligation to let God change us into the image of His Son so that when people see us outside the question they will ask us is “are you Jesus?”

Let the world see Jesus in your eyes

Show them love they can’t deny

Let the world see Jesus in your eyes

Jesus in your eyes.

My one desire is to make you known

And to make you seen

To be Your hand and to be Your feet

Oh I want to be a revelation of love

Oh I want to make the invisible God visible

To be Your voice

To be Your touch

To give an answer

To show Your love

To hold up hope

To offer peace

To shine your light for everyone to see

In all the world.

To live a love that never falls

Love my neighbour as myself

And to give till there’s nothing left to give

To live a faith that never dies

To be crucified with Christ