5 Kinds of Christians : Understanding the disparity of those who call themselves Christian

Leadership ^ | October 1, 2007 | Helen Lee

[SeekAndFind]

Jennifer Hua identifies herself as a Christian. A 35-year-old former attorney studying Christian counseling at the Wheaton College Graduate School (Illinois), she has gone to church all her life and is a lay leader in her suburban Chicago congregation. She furthers her spiritual development by daily Bible reading, prayer, listening to and singing worship songs, and interacting with other Christians. And every few months, she carves out time for a silent retreat. "I do all of these things because I know from past experience I need to recalibrate my mind and my heart to be in tune with God," she says.

James Smith also identifies himself as a Christian. He attended church as a child, but his attendance was minimal as a young adult. He believes in God, occasionally attends Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan when his time-consuming job in the finance district allows, but he does not often participate in other activities to further his spiritual life. He has a Bible but rarely opens it; what leisure time he has he spends with friends, most of whom are of different faiths, and he does not necessarily believe that his God is any different from the one his Muslim friend worships.

"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says.

The United States is described in mainstream media as largely Christian (between 70 and 80 percent, depending on the study, identify themselves as "Christian"), and compared to the rest of the world, this is certainly the case. However, not all within this vast group of Christians are alike.

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[Marysecretary]

Since becoming a born again believer, 40 years ago this year, I have been an active Christian. I believe in going all the way in serving Christ in any way I can, given my giftings and inclinations. Most of that time I sang in the choir and/or worship team. Now I can’t so I do advertising for events, make posters and invitations, communicate events, etc. I want to help further God’s Kingdom on earth. Failing health had stopped some of it but the commitment is still there. I help out with Vacation Bible School in a small way and other church events.

[DouglasKC]

The results are not surprising:

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Jesus predicted that in the end MANY will confess to be Christians. Many will do miracles in the name of Christ. Yet Jesus won't know them. The defining characteristic is that they practice lawlessness. They don't practice and do God's laws.

[SkyPilot]

Interesting.

The bottom line when you do the math is there are a lot less Christians in America than the number bandied about.

That makes sense though. Christ said the road to salvation is narrow, and few find it.

[SkyPilot]

Many will do miracles in the name of Christ. Yet Jesus won't know them. The defining characteristic is that they practice lawlessness. They don't practice and do God's laws.

Amen to what you posted.

This guy came to mind.

[MHGinTN]

‘Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation’ ... they’re not even Christians!

[Gumdrop]

The third group amused me. There was no mention of bible reading for Catholics and Lutherans.

Does the author realize that for regular church-going Catholics, the entire New Testament is bible is repeated every three years. And the Old testament is read at every Mass too! I know lots of Catholics and Lutherans who are in regular bible studies too.

Otherwise the information was good. I just wish it would be more realistic about what a practicing Catholic is exposed to with regular attendance at Holy Mass.

[Elsie]

You can sum up his two greatest messages with three words.

Or one verse:

 

 

 

 

 John 6:27-29

 27.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
 28.  Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
 29.  Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

[Elsie]

 

While I am a Baptist by faith and practice, I make no qualms that we Baptists will have exclusive run of Heaven. But I also firmly believe that some denominations will be rare in representation in God’s Kingdom.

 

  It is Elijah's lament - repackaged  ;^)

 

 1 Kings 19:14-18
 14.  He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
 15.  The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
 16.  Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
 17.  Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
 18.  Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."  (NIV)

[Elsie]

They don't practice and do God's laws.

 

They are probably descendants of the folks who got the letter and were encouraged...

 

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Acts 15

 

 1.  Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
 2.  This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
 3.  The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.
 4.  When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
 5.  Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
 6.  The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
 7.  After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
 8.  God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
 9.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
 10.  Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
 11.  No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
 12.  The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
 13.  When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
 14.  Simon  has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
 15.  The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
 16.  "`After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
 17.  that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'
 18.  that have been known for ages.
 19.  "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
 20.  Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
 21.  For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
 22.  Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
 23.  With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
 24.  We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
 25.  So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--
 26.  men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 27.  Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
 28.  It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
 29.  You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
 30.  The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
 31.  The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
 32.  Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
 33.  After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.
 35.  But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
 36.  Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."
 37.  Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them,
 38.  but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
 39.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
 40.  but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
 41.  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

[Elsie]

This is a bigoted and biased survey!

There is NO mention of us MORMON Christians!

--MormonDude(We're always marginalized..)

[Elsie]

Cultural Christians 21%

1. Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
2. God aware, but little personal involvement with God
3. Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
4. Affirm many ways to God
5. Favor universality theology

 

John 3

 1.  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
 2.  He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
 3.  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "
 4.  "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
 5.  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
 6.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
 7.  You should not be surprised at my saying, `You  must be born again.'
 8.  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
 9.  "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
 10.  "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?
 11.  I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
 12.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
 13.  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.
 14.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
 15.  that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
 16.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 17.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
 18.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

[jboot]

Cultural Christians? Sounds like a misnomer.

Aye, they ain't Christians, not even a little bit. Universalism is a categorical denial of the Lordship of Christ.

[DouglasKC]

They don't practice and do God's laws.
They are probably descendants of the folks who got the letter and were encouraged...

Maybe, but the ones whom the Lord never knew are probably these:

Mat 13:40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
Mat 13:42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

A hallmark of the end times is a willfull disregard of the laws of God, his commandments:

Mat 24:12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

A hallmark of the man or sin, sometimes called the anti-Christ, is lawlessness, rejecting the laws of God:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He [fn] who now restrains [will do so] until He [fn] is taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Is there any doubt this is happening today? Preachers teach that there is essentially no such thing as sin...or that God doesn't care if we sin or not. Sexual sins such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication are all embraced and even celebrated in some Christian churches.

The ten commandments are the written definition of love toward our our God and our neighbor. In American society in general they have no bearing on most people's lives. As evidenced by the article Christianity in general doesn't fare much better.

[T Minus Four]

I believe Jesus said that His two greatest messages were "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself."

LOve you, my neighbor :-)

[TheBattman]

Or a fancy way of describing the remaining “practicing Christians” as a remnant!

[Elsie]

The ten commandments are the written definition of love toward our our God and our neighbor.

It just that darn ol' mission that Paul was sent on - to the GENTILES.

JESUS went ONLY to the Lost Sheep of Israel - THEY are the ones with the LAW.

The only LAW I see the Gentiles 'practicing' in the New Testement is...

[reaganaut]

Preachers teach that there is essentially no such thing as sin...or that God doesn’t care if we sin or not. Sexual sins such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication are all embraced and even celebrated in some Christian churches.

- - - - - - - - - - -
NOT MY PASTOR. Or any others I know. They exist, and it is a problem but I consider those pastors to be “cultural Christians” and as such, not Christians.

But please do not paint ALL pastors with a broad brush.

[DouglasKC]

It just that darn ol' mission that Paul was sent on - to the GENTILES.
JESUS went ONLY to the Lost Sheep of Israel - THEY are the ones with the LAW.
The only LAW I see the Gentiles 'practicing' in the New Testement is...

Are the ten commandments applicable for Christians?

See Did The Ten Commandments Exist Before Moses?

[DouglasKC]

NOT MY PASTOR. Or any others I know. They exist, and it is a problem but I consider those pastors to be “cultural Christians” and as such, not Christians.
But please do not paint ALL pastors with a broad brush.

You're right and I apologize. Not all pastors are teaching error.