You Are Not A Christian!

Don't simply claim you are a Christian.

I was having my breakfast at the neighborhood coffee shop when a fracas broke out. An elderly man was quarrelling with a middle-aged woman over his disputable unpaid bowl of noodles.

The elderly man was a customer and the lady, the owner of the noodles stall.

As the argument got into a more critical level, almost on the verge of having the other stall owners involved, defending the lady (because the elderly man was gripping on to a plastic chair), the elderly man impromptu proclaimed that he is a Christian and will not cheat.

There was absolute silence for a second, only for a second, before the mayhem returned. Then the elderly man shouted out again, "I am a Christian and I don't cheat!"

The uncle dipped deep into his back trouser's pocket and drew up his wallet. Pulling out a wad of one ringgit notes (about ten ringgit), he proved that he did carry money with him and was cock-sure he paid his bowl of noodles.

The noodle lady's opinions however, differ. The situation was made worse with the other stalls claiming witness that the uncle didn't pay for his bowl of noodles, and the uncle insisting that he did pay.

What I couldn't withstand was the fact that the uncle kept declaring his faith as a Christian and he has paid.

Having tolerated him for some time, I thought I should show him what is the worth as a Christian instead of him repeating his faith to defend the accusations hurled at him, thus abusing the goodness being a son of the Living God of Israel.

I walked up to him, calmed him down and then told him that if he is truly a Christian, then he should just make another payment. I reminded him the teachings of our Saviour in Matthew 5:39, about someone hitting you on the left cheek and offering your right cheek too.

In addition, I also told him that a true son of the Living Father, will just apologized and make another payment, instead of triggering a melee by being defensive. And the fact that he kept broaching about his faith, will intensify more harm than good as a witness to Christianity.

I further explained that the true Christian way is to pay twice and generate peace around us than birth a melee for nobody's benefit. "If you pay twice and later when the noodle lady discovered that she had indeed wrongly accused you, then she will be guilty and will apologized to you, instead of bringing bad witness to yourself and Christianity by being defensive that you have paid!", I corrected him with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Again, I reminded the uncle how Jesus did not make any attempt to defend Himself before Pilate for all the accusations made against our Saviour albeit His innocence.

Citing Titus 1:16, I reminded the uncle we must live an honorable lifestyle as evidence that we are indeed the new person, having resurrected with the Lord, rather than dishonor our Saviour with an unrepentant lifestyle, thus bringing shame to His glorious Name.

Christians should not, for the sake of proving a point in an argument or for other defensive purposes abused the use of God's Name. Our Saviour Jesus did not resist arrest by simply proclaiming publicly that He is the Son of God.

Remember you are not a Christian if you proclaimed to be one but denied the cross when you don't live as one.

* My personal opinion is that while most of us without hue and cry claimed to be Christians, I believe only God, our Creator heavenly Father knows whether we are Christians, His sons.

If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Mark 8:38 and Luke 9:26

I know most of us were taught by the church never to deny ourselves as Christians before unbelievers. Don't forget Peter denied knowing our Lord thrice. Read the verses again properly and correctly....it is denying our Lord and His teachings.....

It is easy to stand up and declare you are a Christian when one is in a suitable and favorable situation.....try it, when you are intimidated or when your earthly life is at stake!