What makes me a christian?

Recently, I saw someone post a question on a discussion board. "What makes you a Christian?" So I did what any reasonable person would do. I asked myself that question. What does make me a Christian?

Is it believing in the Bible? That is a pretty vague question. There are numerous interpretations of the bible, on a vast amount of topics. A lot of mainstream interpretations I don't believe in. For example, some would say that the bible teaches that the earth is roughly about ten thousand years old. In my opinion, that is on the same grounds as believing that the earth is flat, or believing the holocaust never happened. Does it mean going to church? In the modern sense of the word, I morally feel conflicted going to "church". It is my conviction that church is an institution that feeds on peoples fears, to run a machine, that has been broken for a long time. Does it mean reading scripture, and praying continually? I don't line up with that either.

My mind seems to waiver day to day. Each day brings a new challenge, problem etc. There are some days that I am filled with so much intellectual doubt about my faith, that I live in a dark depressed corner in the back of my mind. So I ask myself again, what makes one a Christian?

Well, for starters, it can't be about me. It must be about what Christ does. I am an arrogant, unloving, selfish, doubtful man, that fails to no end. There must be something more than what I can offer to God (which is nothing). If its about what I understand, accomplish, or pursue, I fail. But in Christ I see victory. Victory that may not (and most times does not) look like what I think it should. So being a Christian can't be about what I do. It must be about what Christ does.

This inevitably brings us to the next question. If being a Christian isn't about me, but is about Christ, then what does Christ do? Philippians 2:13 says "for it is God who is at work in you, to both will and to work according to his good purpose." God is the author and finisher of your faith, (Heb 12:2) we are not.

We spend so much energy trying to do "Gods" work, when maybe we should spend more time walking in faith, allowing God to do the work in which he chooses. When I was younger, I was so anxious, I could barely keep down my meals. I was anxious, because I was terrified I wasn't walking according to God's will. I was terrified that I would make a wrong decision. I wish somebody would have come beside me, handed me a beer, and comforted me with those verses. The next 5 years of my life might have been different. How can we break away from God's will, when He is the author and finisher of our faith?

We give too much credit to ourselves, while we don't give enough credit to God fulfilling his promises. We identify ourselves with these things, (good works, church, Christianity, spirituality) when we should find our identity in who Christ is.

The Christian market is saturated with books, videos, etc, that promise to make you a better Christian. The people marketing these items promise that they have discovered the secret to the "successful Christian life". Why do we spend so much time, trying to live a "good Christian life"? My life is in Christ. He will do the work in me. No longer do I have to worry about my works. God asks us to walk in faith. Not in works. Galatians 3:1-3 says "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes was Jesus Christ publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing i want to find out from you: did you receive the spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish, that having begun in the spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?" Philippians 1:6 says "being confident in this, that he who began the good work in you, is faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

You may ask, "are we not called to do good works?" Ephesians 2:10 says "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So first off, we are "His workmanship". Secondly, it states that God prepared good works for us beforehand, that we should walk in them. The meaning is in the details. God prepared the works. They are already set before us, by Him. As we walk in faith, the works will be accomplished. Because it is He who wills in us to work according to his good pleasure.

We are not called to be busybodies, frantically running to and fro, trying to be good Christians. We are called to rest in Christ, allowing Christ to work in us. God produces the fruit, in his timing, according to his will. So rest my friends. The work is complete. Christ has done it. We are free to rest assured, we are in Christ.

So what makes me a Christian? A better question is, Why do I care so much about being "a Christian". I am what I am.