I realised today that I have been a Christian for 15 years… half of my lifetime! Then I started pondering on all the mistakes I have made as a Christian, how many things I regret. And I’ve narrowed it down to one main thing: for ever so many years, I was searching for my identity within a church, a denomination, a group. I think this is a very human thing to do: we want to be part of a group, have a leader, feel secure, delegate some of our personal responsibility perhaps. But it is NOT the way to go.
It led me to search tirelessly for an ideal church or denomination, even though I knew deep down such a thing did not exist, and I ended up getting embroiled in so many different churches and doctrines, as varied as Catholicism, Evangelicalism and then the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I would encourage you all NOT to fall into this trap: DO NOT DEFINE YOURSELF as Presbyterian or Baptist or Reformed or Catholic or whatever: only as Christian, this is enough. Because we are followers of Christ, not ultimately of St Thomas of Aquinas or even Luther or Calvin, only Christ.
And the next time someone asks you what church you belong to or which denomination you are, before you answer, be aware of the motive behind their question. It is my belief that people generally ask this question in order to judge or form an opinion of you, according to their prejudices. All I answer now is “Christian”, nothing more, even if they press me. If I were to expand I would perhaps add that my desire is to follow Biblical, primitive Christianity, following Christ as He leads me.
It led me to search tirelessly for an ideal church or denomination, even though I knew deep down such a thing did not exist, and I ended up getting embroiled in so many different churches and doctrines, as varied as Catholicism, Evangelicalism and then the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I would encourage you all NOT to fall into this trap: DO NOT DEFINE YOURSELF as Presbyterian or Baptist or Reformed or Catholic or whatever: only as Christian, this is enough. Because we are followers of Christ, not ultimately of St Thomas of Aquinas or even Luther or Calvin, only Christ.
And the next time someone asks you what church you belong to or which denomination you are, before you answer, be aware of the motive behind their question. It is my belief that people generally ask this question in order to judge or form an opinion of you, according to their prejudices. All I answer now is “Christian”, nothing more, even if they press me. If I were to expand I would perhaps add that my desire is to follow Biblical, primitive Christianity, following Christ as He leads me.