You Cannot Be a Christian and a …
It is fairly often that I will I hear someone on social media say: “You can’t be a Christian and [fill in the blank].”
There are a number of things that are inserted:
- Be gay.
- Drink alcohol.
- Vote for a party that has a pro-choice platform.
One that hits close to home is a book I read that stated clearly: “You cannot be a Christian and serve in the military.”
But I am a Christian (I know I am). And I serve in the military (I know that I do). Which one of us is wrong?
I have no problem with people people thinking that Christians shouldn’t do something or act in a certain way. I may not always agree but I can respect your convictions.
But saying that you believe that Christians shouldn’t do something and that they can’t do something and still be a Christian is not the same thing.
Whether you like it or not, some Christians:
- Are gay.
- Drink alcohol.
- Vote for a party that has a pro-choice platform.
And yes some of us even serve in the military.
The truth is that our interpretations, as sincere as they may be, do not define who is a Christian. That job is for Jesus.
We should hold to our convictions and personally not cross those lines. But we should be very careful before determining what requirements, apart from faith in Jesus, are required for being a Christian.
Christians all declare each other not “really” Christians. This is why you folks burned each other at the stake about whose version is the “right” one. You all nave no evidence that this is the case.
We do see in the bible that we should be able to determine who is a Christian and who is not, when Jesus promises that baptized believers in him as savior are able to do the same miracles as he did, Mark 16, John 14 and James 5. None of you can so none of you are Christians.