A Christian Costume or a Uniform

OK, This is probably going to be a very bad visual but it's the best I  could do.  For those of you who don't know me, I'm a regular guy, about six feet tall, 190 something, facial hair, and loosing the head hair.  Now imagine that I snuck my way onto the US Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team bus (disguised as a 5' 1" female gymnast) in order to try my hand at the floor exercise.  Got that image in your head yet?

OK, it's event time and I walk to the corner of the mat and the crowd cheers for the unrecognized and slightly unorthodox looking athlete.  I start my first pass and do a wobbly cart wheel, two somersaults, and a couple two foot hops.  I turn to do my second pass and try unsuccessfully to walk on my hands just before the security guards tie me up and carry me away.

I'm sure you're dying to see how I can bring this around to some sound Christian teaching! Well, here goes:

I was on the team bus, I had the official uniform (as unattractive as that might be), and I was doing my best to convince the world that I was an Olympic Gymnast.  But, I was just a middle aged guy from Michigan pretending to be a gymnast.  

Now to the meat!  I spent 38 years or so pretending to be a Christian.  I was baptized as a baby, knew all the "Christian-eze" language, was a member of a church, served on some key committees, and wore a cross neckless around my neck, but I was no more a Christian than I am an Olympic Gymnast. 

Jesus tells this really religious Jewish leader named Nicodemus that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  He was telling this man that just because he was a Jew and was educated in the Law (the Old Testament Teaching), and wore the clothes of a Pharisee (Political and Spiritual Leaders of the day), and was a member of the Jewish ruling council, he was not right with God.  He needed to be "Born Again".

Back to the Olympics for a second.  For me to REALLY be part of the team I needed more than a change of clothes.  I needed a change of body and of mind and of heart.  I needed to be born a gymnast.  As for now, I don't think that's possible so I'll hang up my tights for now.

BUT!~ Jesus helps us to understand what he means.  We all have been born by the act or will of man and a woman.  By this we are born of flesh.  By this first birth we come into the world but are separated from God by sin.  Jesus came to give us new life, to take away the penalty and the guilt of sin, and to give us a new birth.  That second birth is spiritual and comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  By that second birth we are given the real goods.  We are truly a member of God's Church.

Are you on the team, in the crowd, or are you just wearing the uniform?  Today is the day to look at yourself and see.  If you're in the crowd stay with us in these weekly Blogs and keep your heart open.  If you claim to be a Christian, today is the day to see if you are just going through the motions and wearing the clothes or if you're really a follower of Christ..  You can tell a gymnast by their back handsprings and aerials.  You can tell a Christian by the fruit they bear...  are you wearing the costume of a Christian or the uniform?  It makes all the difference in this world and the next.

In Christ's Love, David

Stay tuned for next week's Post.  It's Ivor's turn!