Tag: Christianity

Are You a Christian?

Discover What Label Best Describes Our Faith

Are you a Christian? Be careful before you answer. By definition I am a Christian, though I seldom use the Christian label. Why?

In my book How Big is Your Tent?, I write: “Christian is a loaded term. It means many things to different people. To some, Christian implies narrow-minded.

To others, Christian means hateful. Still others think Christian is a political party or secular movement. And what about mean, militant, murdering, manipulative, and money-mongering?” (page 32).

This explains why I don’t like the Christian label. Most non-Christians think negatively towards Christians.

Though Jesus has a different goal in mind, that our love for others will create a positive impression, we’ve given the world many reasons to conclude the opposite.

Christian in the Bible

It’s interesting that the word Christian only appears three times in the Bible (four more if you count subheadings that aren’t part of the original text).

The most notable is in Acts when Luke introduces the term as a new name for Jesus’s squad (Acts 11:26).

However, after what seems to emerge as a significant development, Luke only uses the term one more time, as does Peter. The word Christian doesn’t catch on in the Bible.

Obviously, Scripture doesn’t favor the Christian label. So what does it use?

Followers in the Bible

Instead of using the Christian label, I often say, “I’m a follower of Jesus.” One of the most common instructions Jesus gives people is to follow him. That’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’m a follower of Jesus.

The word follower appears twenty-four times in both the Old and New Testaments, but most references are to following someone else, such as Korah, Abimelek, David, and Omri in the Old Testament, as well as Paul and Judas (not the disciple) in the New Testament.

And, of course, we can follow Jesus.

The Way in the Bible

The Way is another label the Bible uses to refer to the group of people who align with Jesus. Though intriguing, it only occurs twice in the Bible, both in the book of Acts.

Believers in the Bible

Making one appearance in the Old Testament, the word believer occurs fifty-nine times in the New Testament, half of them in the book of Acts, but it only shows up three times in the Gospels, all in the book of John.

Though I’m tempted to call myself a believer, I shy away from this label because of what James writes. He says that even the demons believe in God—and shutter (James 2:19). This tells me that believing isn’t enough.

Disciples in the Bible

Another intriguing label is disciple. With the exception of twice in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the word disciple pops up almost 300 times in the New Testament, all in the biographies of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the book of Acts.

Some references specifically address the twelve disciples and a few others to John the Baptist’s disciples, but most are to the larger group of Jesus’s disciples.

It’s one thing to follow Jesus: to make a U-turn in our life and go all in for him. However, being his disciple implies an even greater level of commitment.

Though I like to think of myself as a disciple of Jesus, it’s a weighty claim. I question if I live up to it, despite striving to do that exact thing.

But the Label Doesn’t Matter

However, whether we call ourselves a Christian, a follower of Jesus, a follower of The Way, a believer in Jesus, or a disciple of Jesus, it doesn’t matter.

Until we change our behavior and love others as Jesus tells us to, the world will still think less of us and have a negative impression of our faith, along with the God we claim to serve.

If we say we’re with Jesus, we need to start acting like it. Then our faith label won’t so much matter.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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Tags believer, Christianity, disciples, follower of Jesus

Christian Living

Do You Want More From Life?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 7, 2018

Seeking a Spiritual More

I’m not talking about more money, power, or prestige.
I’m not even talking about more love or respect.
I’m certainly not talking about the latest gadgets, a new car, a nicer home, tastier food, or better sex.

I’m talking about more from a spiritual standpoint. I yearn for a “spiritual more.” I suspect—deep down—you do, too. Everything else is a hollow substitute for what God has to offer, not just any god but the God revealed in the Bible: biblical God.

But we don’t often find more from life, this “spiritual more,” at church—at least not how today’s society practices church. We may not even find biblical God there. Most churches fall far short of what God intends for us to experience. We’re drinking Kool-Aid, and he’s offering us wine.

Though I do go to church, I often wonder why. The purpose of church isn’t the music or the message; it’s about community. True church is connecting with God and connecting with others. It’s an intimate spiritual community with true friends who matter, mean something, and stick around.

This is where we find a “spiritual more,” as part of a community of like-minded Jesus followers who diligently pursue the God revealed in the Bible. I call this biblical Christianity. This is why I write and blog.

I’m not a guru and may not even be a worthy guide; I’m a fellow pilgrim. Let’s journey together as we pursue biblical God and seek to grasp this spiritual more. It starts when we follow Jesus—and if you’re not ready for that, come along anyway; it will be a great trip.

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Tags Christianity, church, community, God, Jesus

Personal Posts

The Christmas Story, As Told by Doctor Luke

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 21, 2017

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

(Luke 2:1-14 — NKJV)

Do you like this post? Want to read more? Check out Peter’s book, Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide: Discovering the Spirituality of Every Day Life, available wherever books are sold.

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Tags Christianity, holiday, Sacred-Secular Divide

Bible Insights

Will We Act Boldly For God in the Face of Fear?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 15, 2017

Ananias Obeys God to Heal Saul Who Wants to Arrest Him

I like the story of Saul’s conversion in the book of Acts, turning him from a murderous bigot into a passionate follower of Jesus. A flash of light, a voice from heaven. It has all the makings of a great story.

In this account, God is the hero, and Saul is the focus, but an essential, though minor, character is Ananias. Without Ananias, Paul’s transformation would have been incomplete. Without Ananias, Saul would have floundered.

You see, after the flash of light and the booming voice of God, Saul is left sightless and befuddled. God then appears to Ananias in a dream.

He says, “Go find Saul—the man who is here to arrest you and your friends for your faith—and heal him.”

It sounds like a trap to me, a ruse of Saul’s making. Though Ananias does object, God shows him the big picture, and then he obeys. From a human standpoint, Ananias takes a huge personal risk.

All evidence suggests he will be the next follower of Jesus thrown into the pokey. From a human perspective the safe thing, the wise course of action, would be to ignore God, forget about Saul, and leave town.

To be completely honest, I fear I would have done just that. But Ananias doesn’t. He boldly does what God tells him to do and heals Saul.

As a result of Ananias’s obedience, Saul, later known as Paul, becomes the most traveled missionary in the early church and its most prolific writer.

Thank you Jesus, thank you Paul, and thank you Ananias.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Acts 8-12, and today’s post is on Acts 9:10-17.]

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Tags Christianity, early church, heal, Jesus, Paul

Christian Living

Is Spiritual Truth More Important Than Christian Unity?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date November 20, 2016

Arguing Over What is True Has Divided Jesus’s Church for Centuries

I’m a huge advocate of Christian unity, that as Jesus’s followers we should all get along and live in harmony. Denominations and theological perspectives don’t matter; Jesus does.

In the book of John Jesus prays that his future followers will play nice with each other, that we will be as one.

This is so others will get to know him. In praying this Jesus realizes that discord among his people will serve as the biggest deterrent to growing his church (John 17:20-26).

Paul likewise writes that we need to strive to live in unity. He commands it (Ephesians 4:3-6). He says there is only one body; there is only one church, not 42,000 variations that we call denominations.

This disunity is the downside of the Protestant Reformation.

When I tweeted about the importance of unity, one person messaged me with the stipulation that the basis for unity must be truth. The problem with using truth as a litmus test is agreeing on what is true.

In effect this person was justifying disunity.

Specifying a requirement of truth provides an excuse to avoid being one church. Christians have used this pretext for five centuries and divided the church of Jesus into religious factions as they argued about what is true.

The Age of Enlightenment, part of the modern era, brought with it the assumption that over time, through ongoing iterations, human thought would eventually converge on a singular comprehension of truth.

This didn’t happen. The opposite occurred. Truth became multifaceted, the product of each person’s individual logic and bias.

Christians have fallen victim to this thinking over the past few centuries, with otherwise well-meaning people assuming their comprehension of spiritual truth was correct. Ergo everyone else was wrong.

As a result we have separated ourselves into denominational schisms, subverting the intended unity of God’s church in the process. How this must grieve him. It certainly grieves me.

Spiritual truth is important, but we must hold it loosely. After all, our comprehension of what is true just might be wrong, mine included.

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Tags Christianity, follower of Jesus, Jesus, Protestant Reformation, unity

Christian Living

Are You a Comfort-Zone Christian?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 13, 2015

I recently heard someone call herself a “comfort-zone Christian.” Though I disagree with her self-diagnosis, I understand what she’s saying. Christians live their lives on different levels. Here are four to consider:

First, some people are closet Christians. They keep their faith secret and don’t discuss it with anyone. No one knows they’re a Christian; there’s no evidence to convict them.

I have no idea how many people fit this category because they stay in hiding. We only learn about them after they come out of their closet.

Then there are marginal Christians. If they need to, or when it’s convenient, they talk about God. But mostly they live a quiet life, a bland existence really, not truly living for God, just existing with him.

Next I suppose are comfort-zone Christians. Most everyone knows about their love for Jesus. They share their faith, encourage others, and live a life worthy of imitation. We look up to them. But there are limits.

They don’t take many risks. They want to stay safe and evade ridicule. They avoid dangerous places and skirt contentious situations. Comfort is their goal.

I’ll call the final category extreme Christians, as in extreme sports. They take risks for God. They do whatever the Holy Spirit tells them, regardless of how crazy or dangerous it sounds. They go places, do things, and say stuff that could get them in trouble.

It’s not that they pursue action for the sake of action, but they do have their Papa’s heart. They willingly follow him wherever he may take them.

Though I occasionally dip into the extreme, I admit I enjoy the comfort-zone too much. As for my friend, she’s more extreme than she realizes. May we all be more like her.

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Christian Living

Explore Our Faith Practices

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date April 6, 2014
4 Comments on Explore Our Faith Practices

Why Do We Do What We Do?

I have a compulsion that irritates people, especially in religious circles. I ask, “Why?” I need to know why we do the things we do. What reason is behind them? Is there a biblical justification?

Or is it a manmade tradition that has become meaningless ritual?

For example, in 52 Churches, I witnessed many services that began by lighting two candles. I’m still trying to figure this one out. Why do they light candles in the first place? Is there biblical support for it? And why two?

Three would represent the Trinity, but two? If there’s a symbolic reason for two – or even lighting candles for that matter—then we need to know what it is so we can celebrate it. Else we should eliminate it as a practice without purpose.

Candles and the number two, however, are minor considerations. Whether or not we light two candles is of little consequence—as long as we don’t attach spiritual significance to it.

However, there are bigger issues, much bigger issues, that have permeated our faith practices.

Let me be bold and assert we’ve messed up most of what we do, elevating tradition over biblical command.

Consider the process of becoming a Christian. This is rife with manmade ideas that aren’t in the Bible. Yet many have elevated these processes as nonnegotiable faith requirements, superseding what Jesus taught.

I think that makes them heresy. Yes, I said many churches practice heresy. I talk about this in How Big Is Your Tent?

So you know I’m not making this up, the origins of our religious ways are researched in the mind-blowing book, Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna.

So many of our practices are not rooted in scripture and several emanate from secular culture; that is, their origin is pagan.

I encourage you to boldly examine your faith practices. Eliminate all that lack biblical support. What remains will be a purer, more God-honoring spirituality.

Join me in asking, “Why?”

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Tags Christianity, heresy, read the Bible, religious

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Pagan Christianity?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 28, 2014
2 Comments on Book Review: Pagan Christianity?

Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices

By Frank Viola and George Barna (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Pagan Christianity? is an eye-opening delineation of how numerous traditions, customs, and practices have been erroneously introduced to the church that Jesus’ followers started. This lengthy list lacks substantive biblical support.

Among the things we got wrong are the church building, sermon, paid staff, dressing up for church, tithing, how we baptize and celebrate communion, and Christian education.

The book’s concluding chapters suggest how to best study, understand, and use the Bible. Reminding us that Jesus was a revolutionary, the authors show that opposing the religious status quo is not without precedent.

In determining how to respond to this enumeration of deviations from biblical command and practice, we are encouraged to pursue new approaches to worship, spiritual growth, managing resources, and understanding our identity.

However, these are not found in something new, as much as something old—about 2,000 years old—the organic church, as modeled by the early church.

Meticulously researched and amply footnoted, with discussion questions for each chapter, Pagan Christianity? can serve equally well as a primer on Biblical Christianity, a discussion guide, or a research tool.

[Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices, by Frank Viola and George Barna. Published by Tyndale Momentum, 2012, ISBN: 978-1414364551, 336 pages.]

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Tags author, Christianity, early church

Christian Living

Accidental or Intentional Christianity?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date January 5, 2014

A guy who ponders deep theological thoughts recently shared two concepts with me: intentional Protestantism and accidental Protestantism.

Both relate to the Reformation of the Christian church, some five hundred years ago. What about accidental Christianity or intentional Christianity?

Back then, a group of people saw problems in the church and broke from it, forming something new; they became Protestant by intention.

The other group desired to foment change from within the church, but when that didn’t happen, they became Protestant by accident. (Later the Catholic Church did indeed make most of these needed changes, but it took a few more years.)

What if there was no intentional effort to break away? What if the other group had been successful at reforming the church from within? Then, today Christianity would look much different and we would be more unified, just as Jesus wanted.

Now, take this concept back two thousand years. For a time, the early followers of Jesus existed within the Jewish church of the day.

They were emerging as a sect of Judaism, potentially a third element, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees (two groups who didn’t agree on much but found a way to mostly coexist anyway).

Some of Jesus’ first followers wanted to remain within the Jewish culture but became accidental Christians, while others were intentional Christians.

What if Christianity didn’t form that way? What if Jesus’ followers found a way to coexist within Judaism? The thought intrigues me. I already feel an affinity for our Jewish forebears, and this would connect us even more.

We all do serve the same God, so would it really matter? Of course, this is all hypothetical, but I think God would be okay with it.

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Tags Christianity, Jewish, Pharisee, Protestant Reformation, Roman Catholic, Sadducee

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: From Times Square to Timbuktu

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date December 13, 2013

The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church

By Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

What does the future of the Christian church look like? The answer may surprise you. While Christianity is languishing in the United States and Western Europe, it’s growing in the rest of the world, especially the global south.

In From Times Square to Timbuktu, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson confirms this trend with well-crafted research that is both credible and accessible. Worldwide, the future of the Christian faith is indeed bright.

Granberg-Michaelson opens his book (prologue) with an enlightening story of a taxi ride experience in New York, near Times Square. Though Wesley and his cabbie share a common faith, they know little of each other’s spiritual experiences.

A huge gulf existed between them, a gulf between the faith practices of the global south and Christian systems in the United States. This book explores that gulf.

Statistically, almost 50% of Africa is Christian. More astounding, 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is Christian, with middle Africa’s Christian population now standing at 81.7%, up from only 1.1% just one hundred years ago.

This astounding growth is not just in Africa, but also in parts of Asia and Latin America.

Similarly, he closes his book (epilogue) with another illuminating narrative, this time in Ghana—the home country of the cabbie—where Christianity is flourishing. (A bit north of Ghana is Timbuktu, Mali, which is near Christianity’s statistical center.)

From Times Square to Timbuktu paints an encouraging picture of the growth and vibrancy of Christianity worldwide, albeit with the United States and Europe as exceptions.

But not all is lost for the former bastion of Christianity, as embedded in the book’s pages is hope for spiritual rejuvenation at home.

If you wonder about the future of Christianity, check out this book—and be truly amazed.

“Our call is to link hearts and hands across all that would divide us,” concludes Granberg-Michaelson, “and walk together towards God’s future,” (page 161).

[From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church, by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson. Published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2013, ISBN: 978-0-8028-6968-5, 175 pages.]

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Tags Christianity