Everyone knows that to be a Christian is more than just Sunday church services, small group Bible studies and potlucks, right? I mean, we've heard from the pulpit or from the scriptures, "God want's more than two hours a week on Sunday morning, He wants your heart, He wants your whole life."
So, since we know this, what more is there in our lives and in our hearts to testify of our faith? If church on Sunday is a given, and Bible study is squeezed in between dinner and bed on Thursday, what else is there??
What does that even mean? "...God wants your heart." He wants our complete obedience? He wants to do everything He tells us to do? He wants us to go to church and never miss? Is it simply that He wants us to do a number of daily tasks--read our Bible, smile and say thank you, go to church, and be joyful always? And if we do these things we've granted His request for our hearts?
We say, "well, no. I don't think that's it. I think there's more to it than that."
Okay, so, what is it? I mean, we're Christians, right? And if being a Christian is more, more than church services, Bible-reading, table manners and PG movies, then we should do something more, something in addition, right?
To be a Christian means to "be as Christ," or, "little Christ." That's all of it. That's what it means to be a Christian. But, the catch is that anything less than this will not be sufficient. Anything less means you're no different from the guy or girl who knows NOTHING of Jesus, who's never stepped into church or said a prayer.
We say, "Well, that's impossible. Jesus was perfect. He never sinned. He always did what was right, even when he was tempted to do wrong. He helped the poor...lived with them actually, he made long trips just to heal someone or help them with their struggles. He walked everywhere he went, and, well you just can't do that today, cities are much larger and time is too scarce... He always told people the truth, even if they wouldn't like hearing it... He spoke to large crowds about life and truth and baptized people and prayed for them, I mean He was a a real leader, the GREATEST leader, and I don't even like talking in front of my small group Bible study... God can't possibly ask me to be like HIM???"
Yet, that is the truth we find, read, and re-read throughout the Scriptures. We must be like Him. Anything less isn't enough. Thank God for grace.
