Posted by
GoldHorde on Monday, March 31, 2008 12:00:00 AM
Good Christian, Bad Christian
I’ve heard these two off-hand but lethal judgments all of my life. These terms never made any sense because “being” a Christian wasn’t about being good and bad…it was about being bad or forgiven – there was absolutely no room for “good”…that was bad.
I submit that the entire mindset of ‘good Christian; bad Christian’ ignores the Gospel.
Consider: If a newcomer to Christ has a remaining plethora of vices is he a “bad Christian” from the moment he accepts Christ forgiveness?
Or is there a grace period from which one may freely traverse from the moment of forgiveness of becoming a Christian to when they will be held responsible for being a good or bad Christian? How long would you propose this period to be?
Perhaps we should approach this perplexity from the opposite side, asking then - what is a “good Christian”?
The term ‘good Christian’ is the absolute supreme oxymoron. If you were a “good Christian”, you wouldn’t need Christ…only Christians need Christ – but they know they are bad.
The problem isn’t over defining “Bad” but in assuming definitions of “Good” to be a personal possession or achievement. Without Christ, there can be NO good and without Christ there are no Christians. Christianity is only 'in Christ'...and requires the believer to put themselves to death daily. This doesn't sound like a good/bad scale.
On the other side of the planet, what is the secular concept of Good Person, Bad Person? Read the secular media – it changes daily, seasonally and yearly. What was good ten years ago may be bad today; what was bad 20 years ago may be good today; Flip-Flops and donut shops.
In God’s world, where the Truth remains eternally the same; Christians have secured Life based on His definitions - not theirs and not those of the world.
Oh, and one other thingie – why did I begin by saying these judgments are “lethal” – well, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Matt 7:1-2 NIV
Some think this verse is a tool to determine legislation upon others – once again…now they are judging and the warning is that their constructed instrument will be turned on them.