When we think about being a "Go Christian," what does that truly mean to us? Do we think that it is knowing the Bible, attending church, going to small groups, tithing, wearing a suit/dress to church, sitting in the front row and singing the loudest with your hands raised in worship. I would call these ingredients that we can use in our life, but not the recipe for being a go Christian.
In order to say go, we have to say no! We have a cross to bear, and that cross is to say no to ourselves. We have to deny ourselves the immoral and worldly things in our lives. Our nature is to sin, and we have to be willing to deny our baser instincts. We have to try to become dead to sin, or have a death before sin lifestyle. The early Christians did. Many of them were tortured and executed for their beliefs that they would cling to in the face of death. Sin is bad, and to think of sinning is bad too. So do not do it. Christ did not try His best to die on the cross, He accomplished it. Why should we be happy if we do not give our best.
That is where I may lose some. Some may say that I am talking about not being able to have any fun. If this is how you feel, than you do not understand what I am saying, and you truly do not understand the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. We will have joy, we will have eternal life. We are honestly giving up very little for so much.
We also have to be willing to talk about Christ and our beliefs even when it is not popular. We need to stand up for what we believe in. They say you have to stand for something or you'll fall for everything. We have to take a stand for our faith everywhere we go: home, school, work, sporting events, restaurants, vacation and in our neighborhood. If we do not do this, we will be open (fall) for all kinds of sin to come into our lives.
When we take up the cross we become dead to the world. Before I was a Christian and entered into a relationship with God, I was a sinner. I lived to fulfill my will, to make myself happy. I smoked cigarettes, drank to inebriation, fought all of the time, had premarital sex, lied all the time, cussed as much as I wanted and listened to music and watched movies that would make a sailor blush. I was going to college to prove to everyone that I was right and they were wrong. I lived for me, I was all about worldly achievement and self-fulfillment. That got me drunk almost every day and I was an example of how not to live your life.
I did not know Christ then. Since the day that I got saved and gave my life to Christ, I have not smoked a cigarette, gotten drunk, had premarital sex (even though my wife and I dated for a year before we got married) or gotten into a fight outside of a ring. I now only listen to worship music because it puts me in a great mood. I pray in between sets at the gym on a consistent basis, and I wear worship shirts almost exclusively. I read the Bible daily and pray all of the time. I am by no means perfect, but I make an effort every day to not succumb to my sinful nature. It is a start, and I can build on that.
Being a go Christian means that I will never do or say anything that I will look at my son and tell him not to repeat it. It means that I do not have to be a hypocrite. Being a go Christian means I realize I represent my church, my son and wife, my employer, my deceased father, my pastor, Celebrate Recovery and Jesus Christ every where that I go. I will not get caught up in gossip, I do not cuss (maybe twice in traffic in the past year), I do not yell, I don't lie, I talk to others about the changes that the Holy Spirit have made in my life and I live like I love Christ to the best of my ability. I hope that this is not seen as boasting, but instead as me saying that I could not live this way were it not for the Holy Spirit in me and the sacrifice that Christ made.
Is it always easy to love Christ and live to show it? I would say yes, that it is now. But it took me over a year at church before I was saved, and that was a nerve racking year. During that first year I thought that it would kill me to live life different. The cross symbolizes pain and suffering, yet we think that Christ wants us to live in comfort and ease. Our lives should be living sacrifices to Christ, and that is not easy. That said, since the night that I turned my life over to Christ and gave control away it has gotten a lot easier.
So ask yourself these question to see if you are a go Christian:
1. Is my life about self-fulfillment or Christ fulfillment
2. Do I live as one in this world or one who is of this world
3. Am I ashamed of my faith, or do I profess the gospel to all who would hear it
4. Is my life a living sacrifice to Jesus
If you answered yes to these questions, then congratulations. You are a go Christian, keep it up. If you did not answer yes, then I would recommend a lot more prayer, meditation, reading of the Bible and spend time with those who are where you want to be, not where you already are. God bless you in your journey!!
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