"Christians~~the people who go to Heaven without having to commit to anything"

My friend Dustin over at Shaggy Worshiper published this blog the other day with a quote from Francis Chan:

Some people claim we can become Christians without necessarily becoming disciples. I wonder then why the last thing Jesus told us was to go into the world making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that He had commanded. You’ll notice that he didn’t add, “But, hey, if that’s too much to ask, tell them just to become Christians. You know, the people that get to go to Heaven without having to commit to anything.”

That’s a super challenging statement he makes there. He basically says that there’s a difference between being a “Christian” and being a disciple of Christ, and that the only true Christians are the ones who are disciples. I’m curious to hear what some of your thoughts on the matter are.

Do you agree? Disagree?
Are you challenged by it?
Or do you think he’s full of it?
Discuss.

I agree with this statement, Dustin. I often question whether Ephesians 2:8 (For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God) gets quoted as though there is no need for us to do anything but have faith in Jesus. Even though this particular verse delineates the means of salvation~~grace~~Jesus called upon his followers to be active doers of his teachings and also to practice the sacraments he established.

Isn't it true that I can have faith in Jesus but refuse to do anything for Him? Refuse to let Him do anything for me? Refuse to let him challenge me, test me, love me, change me? What is my faith if it remains dusty in the recesses of my brain, a good feeling I only summon up now and then in order to feel spiritual?

I liken this to a marriage wherein we have said our vows but then spend the rest of our lives reading books on the couch and hoping it will all work out. Marriage requires communication. Marriage requires action. If we do not at least make strong efforts, how can we trust that our marriage will be lasting and fruitful? If I marry my spouse (Jesus) and then go out and sleep with someone else the next day (Satan) am I really and truly married? My marriage would be a farce.

Are there any "active Christians" out there, ones who seek the Lord's will every day, who don't think that being a Christian, a Christ-follower, takes work? LOTS of work at times? And I'm really just talking about the inner work involved. Raise your hand if you're visiting prisoners and caring for orphans.

Sure, there are many blessed days where joy and peace are the normal state of being, a state which flows from the Father through His Holy Spirit within us no matter what challenge besets us. Yet there are many difficult days where temptation rears its head, old sins take on a new sheen, bad habits threaten to undermine our better ones. The Lord is faithful to remove destructive habits and thought patterns but He doesn't always.


Paul refers to the thorn that he asked God three times to remove.

7...there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Before Paul ever made reference to salvation through grace by faith alone, Jesus taught unceasingly about how we should behave and think, and how we should demonstrate that faith. Was this to help our lives go more easily? Not at all. He was very specific that this world was not the seat of our hope or the outcome about which we should be concerned. Nor is it easier to be "meek" or "humble" for some of us (smile)~~and those are just two of His expectations. He shows us what to do because we have a part to play in this marriage.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ~Matthew 7:21

...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling... ~Philippians 2:12

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. ~1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Speaking of temptation:

Last Wednesday during adoration, which is prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (Catholic terminology for the Eucharistic presence of Jesus), I began to weep because of a temptation I was struggling with. The details aren't important. I cried because I longed to rid my mind of the struggle and couldn't see my way out of it. I also cried because I felt deep pain about what I was losing. I asked the Lord why I had to even struggle with this in the first place, as there were parts to it that were totally arbitrary and could have been timed differently, if only the Lord had wished (more smiles). His words came clearly: "To wound your pride."

This answer floored me and cradled me, all at the same time. He didn't say "To hurt your pride" or "to damage your pride." That would have felt like an attack on my own self. Somehow, the word "wound" implied that my pride had an existence apart from me, that a wound to it can further free me out from under it, just as His wounds freed me. These types of experiences during prayer are so hard to convey~~they are such private and precious moments with the Savior.

Five days since that moment in prayer, I continue to struggle with the temptation I brought to Him. Jesus has not removed it from my mind and left me in a state of ease. He has, however, pointed me in the direction of growth as I continue to fight the fight. You see, my mind LIKES these thoughts...it wants to have them. My prayer has become, "Lord, help me to hate my sin." There's a wonderful lyric in Hillsong United's "Hosanna": "Break my heart for what breaks yours."

I think this type of struggle gets labeled "guilt" by non-Christians. I remember thinking in the past how pathetic it must be to feel remorseful about a thought. What does it matter what I'm thinking if I'm living a good life? What good is religion at all if all it does is make you feel bad about yourself? Those crazy Christians are loaded with guilt and a bad self-image.

The thing is, even a mere thought, persistent enough, can destroy relationships~~relationships with humans and relationship with God. Being aware of that and wanting healthy relationships do not equate to "guilt" and "bad self-image." Because of what Jesus has done for me, I can trust that He has something better for me, if only I will actively fight this temptation and let Him change me. That doesn't mean it's easy. That doesn't mean I get to kick back now because I have faith. This is what discipleship looks like for me right now.