OK, just writing that question makes me shudder because the whole quest to be a 'good' Christian has, in many places and times, quickly become an exercise in rule-making, judging, and finger-pointing, and descend into legalism, that is, thinking salvation is earned by keeping religious rules! And yet, as James asks, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (James 2:14, NIV) Paul, too, pleads with us to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Eph. 4.1, NIV)
What we believe about God, about Jesus Christ's death and Resurrection, about the life of the Holy Spirit must show a a clear connection to our decisions made in the day to day world. If our faith in Jesus Christ is not showing in obvious ways, then we must conclude that our experience with God is flawed. We must go back to study the Scripture to learn of His commands, and fall down on our knees to ask Him to make us who we ought to be. Just be wise about the 'transformational' markers you choose to look for in yourself as a gauge of spiritual growth. In my youth, many of the markers that came to me were not particularly Biblical. I was taught that a 'good' Christian didn't use tobacco products, did not drink alcohol, did not go to the movies, did not use vulgar words. Those rules may have some merit for clean living - but they do not have much to do with being a 'good' Christian. Why? Because they weren't really about loving God and/or loving other people.
Jesus spoke frequently about caring for the poor and the weak. Naturally, people don't care about the poor. The privileged ignore the poor, or worse, abuse and exploit them. So a question about being a good Christian would involve ways in which we really show a concern for the poor. Caution! Don't just write a check to the Red Cross and then put a little mark in the column under - Compassion shown. That's religion! Instead, ask yourself, "Am I engaged with those who are in need, those that are invisible or neglected by the privileged? Do I really love them or just pity them? What am I doing to ease their suffering in the name of Jesus?"
Jesus was very direct about the importance of loving those who mistreat us. His instructions are unmistakable. "Turn the other cheek! If they grab for your shirt off your back, hand them your coat, too!" Naturally, if someone starts stepping on our toes, we quickly rise to defend ourselves, our reputation, our position, our stuff. "Hey, Jerry, come on now. Ease up. I haven't killed anybody!" Great! What about your words that 'kill?' What about that concealed hatred that makes you think, "I wish he'd move to Seattle so I never had to see him again?" So a question to ask, if we're serious about being a good Christian is, "Am I loving those people who are not loving towards me? What is my first inclination: to get even, or to reach out in gentleness?" Start at home! If you're not willing to let God teach you to love your spouse, with whom you have a 'one-ness' covenant, what makes you think you're ready to love anybody else?
Jesus was painfully to the point about the meaning of life, too. He said, “No one can serve two masters. ... You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) Americans define life in terms of having stuff. We are a 'consumer' culture. We work, we earn, we buy! If we're serious about being a good Christian, we must be willing to let God re-shape our value system so that love people, not things. Naturally, we crave more. If we're growing in Christ, we will find that the new cars, the fashionable clothes, the trinkets that help us to announce, "I've made it" to our friends and family, mean less and less to us in terms of life's meaning. Careful here, too. It's too easy of an answer to jump onto a sliding scale that says, "Well, I don't spend $'s on ......, therefore I am a good Christian." Or we might point to the fact that we give a tithe to the church (10% of our income) as evidence of our devotion to God. That's all good, but Jesus' true standard about materialism is that we love Him with everything we own and put it all at His disposal! (And don't judge somebody for what they buy! Tend to your own checkbook!)
Are you starting to feel like a really bad Christian? Me, too! If we're real honest, we realize that there's no way any of us will consistently meet His mark --- on our own or by our own determination. That's why a moral reformation is not what we seek. Instead, we seek a Spiritual transformation. He promises that if I confess my sinfulness: "Lord, I don't want to love the poor. I want to be cool, hip, and hang out with those who are upscale. Jesus, I see how I am quick to defend myself, and I admit that thoughts about my reputation and pride are never far from my conscious mind. I covet the stuff that I see on the billboards, crave the easy life of the rich, and seek to give the minimal gift too readily." - He will forgive me and He will work to defeat the power of the sinful nature in me! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Our world needs to see some good Christians. Let Jesus Christ turn you into one, so that "your unbelieving neighbors... will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world." (1 Peter 2:12, NLT)
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Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Psalm 139:23-24 (The Message)
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