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Offering Directions for the Journey

Greed, sexual misconduct, embezzlement, power mongering, alcohol abuse, deceit and treachery among ‘Christians’ have been around for years in the church. The early Christians were warned this would happen. [Acts 20:28-31; Titus 1:7-16]

Were these ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ real Christians? Only God knows for sure. The point is, behavior you would never see in the Savior, is done ‘in his name.’ And though we ask why Christians don’t act more like the one they claim to follow, the more important question is one Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" [Mark 8:27-30]

I became a Christian around my 22^nd birthday. Prior to that, no one ever asked if I was a Christian but I would have said yes if the question had been posed. A student at my daughter’s Christian high school claimed he was a Christian from the start of his freshman year. After graduation, he returned to the campus (as a Christian) and apologized for not telling the truth.

Jesus clearly taught people were not who they thought they were. In comments recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, he said, "Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

Reason #7 looks like a winner, which doesn’t help Voltaire’s quote move out of its pretender status.

Redemption happens at a moment in time and refers to paying the price that buys someone out of a very real type of slavery; enslavement to behaviors that are against the commands of God.

This redemptive moment marks the ‘birth’ of a new spiritual life; a person becoming a child of God. From that day forward, much like an infant, a period of growth occurs.

 Like a wise earthly father, God moves the child toward maturity, sometimes allowing misbehavior and  other times preventing it, but always training the child for their good.

Apparently Voltaire didn’t understand this concept of God as Father or maybe he questioned God’s ability to raise up his kids into mature adults.

Either way, I think we’re still left with a quote that’s a pretender.

Reason #8

Reason #6

Reason #7

Becoming a Christian and living like one are different aspects of Christianity

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is

There are those who hide under the banner of Christianity for selfish reasons

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.” Theodore Roosevelt

“Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” Abraham Lincoln

“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” Ronald Reagan

“It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.”  John F. Kennedy

Reason #2

Reason #1

The truth of Christianity is based on whether Jesus can redeem lost men and women

We’re not judging what we should when we ignore Christ’s credentials

If you just dropped in, our Elite Eight are not related to March Madness but are one aspect of Contenders or Pretenders, a critical look at the validity of quotes.

From here, some of your options include...

1.  Reading more on Voltaire’s Quote

2. Tackling spiritual issues at the Spiritual Challenge

3.  Going Home

Many people are quoted...not everything they say is necessarily valid.  When it isn’t, we call it a Pretender but award it our Contender title when it holds up to scrutiny.

In this section we present our 8 reasons why a quote from Voltaire - "If Christians want us to believe in a Redeemer, let them act redeemed"- is a Pretender.

One of God’s commandments is to love your neighbor.  This is not the "I'm in love" feeling but "I'll care for you" actions.  Therefore behavior is an important part of the Christian life style.

However, when Christians don’t behave properly toward those we’re supposed to love, I think the Bible teaches God first offers to purify us, not make us perfect.

That allows us to regain our connection with God, making that relationship more important than our behavior.  And that doesn’t help Voltaire’s quote!

Reason #5

Christianity is more about a relationship than behavior

Christians are supposed to act redeemed and none of us do so perfectly.  But if the Bible is accurate in its description of the life of Christ, people would likely reject Christianity even if we did always act correctly.

The Bible depicts Jesus living a perfect life and exposing the bad behavior of some people of his day in the process.  Instead of modifying how they lived, they lashed back in hatred.

If that was they reaction he got, how could a simple Christian’s ‘redeemed’ behavior warrant a different response?

Sorry Voltaire, I fear your quote is still a pretender.

 

Want to see what the Bible claims some thought of Jesus?  Here are a couple of examples; one in his own words and the other showing how he was hated after healing a man.

Reason #4

Some people would deny Christianity regardless of how redeemed the redeemed acted

I can’t find a place in the Bible where Jesus ever said, “Watch how my disciples act and you’ll know that I really am the Savior of the world.”

He told skeptics to base their opinions on who he said he was, by what he did, and what he would do.

 It was his claims of equality with God, his perfectly virtuous life, and his physical resurrection after being executed by crucifixion that needs to be considered by those considering Christianity.

Perhaps Voltaire truly noticed the failure of Christians to act like the Christ they claimed to follow.  But unless he found fault with the Savior himself, I think his quote must remain in the ranks of pretenders.

 

Reason #3

We’re judging what we’re not supposed to when we consider a Christian’s behavior