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What is a Christian?
by
T. Austin-Sparks
Chapter 1
"Then
Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
(Acts 26:28).
Let us say
at the outset that we are using the word "Christian" strictly
according to what is found in the New Testament, and it is assumed that this
will be accepted. Our enquiry will take the form firstly of a process of
elimination, and we shall observe
What a Christian is Not
(1) To
become a Christian is not to become 'religious', or to adopt a new 'religion'.
Among
non-Christian peoples, a turning to Christ is often referred to as 'accepting
Christianity', and in what are called Christian countries conversion is
frequently referred to as 'becoming religious'. Such expressions, with their
associated ideas, are altogether inadequate and indeed fundamentally false.
There was no more religious man on the earth, in his time, than Saul of Tarsus.
Read what he says of himself in Acts 22 and 26, and Philippians 3. Here was a
man who was just aflame with religious zeal and passion. No argument is
necessary, with history before us, to prove how wide of the mark religion can
be.
And that
is true of 'Christianity', when it is merely a matter of religion. To be a true
Christian is not to accept a creed or statement of doctrine, to observe certain
rites and ordinances, attend certain services and functions, and conform more
or less diligently to a prescribed manner of life. All this may be carried very
far, with very many good works; but those concerned may still be outside the
true New Testament category of 'Christian'. Herein lies the danger of an
assumed acceptance with God, which may bring that bitter disillusionment
foretold by our Lord Himself in those startling words: "Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not... in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matt. 7:22,
23).
No,
religion is not Christianity, either more or less; it may be only a deception.
So that when we seek that people should become Christians, we are not asking
them to change their religion, nor are we asking them to become religious.
Religion, as such, has never made this world happier or better.
(2) To
become a Christian is not to join an institution called 'The Church'.
If the
truth were known, there is no such thing as 'joining' the Christian Church. We
never took any steps, either of word or deed, in order to get our limbs to
become members of our bodies. There is no distinction between our members and
our bodies - our members comprise our bodies; but they do so, not by
organization, invitation, examination, interrogation or catechism, but simply
by life. So, in the
There are
multitudes, we fear, who have 'membership' in what is called the 'Church', who
are not able to stand up to the test which will be presented when we come to
speak of what a Christian is. But let us say here that when we appeal to people
to become Christians we are not asking them to 'join the Church'. And it must
be realized that Christianity is not just one more institution or society. You
may go to many places called 'churches', and never really meet Christ, or find
satisfaction.
Of course,
that is negative. We must realize, however, that when we become Christians we
share one new life in Christ with all other born-again believers, and thus we
become one in Christ. That really is the Church. It is for us, then, to cherish
that relationship and jealously watch over its sacredness. There are immense values
in it.
(3) To
become a Christian is not to become a part of a new movement.
It is true
that there is a sense in which Christianity is a movement, a Divine movement
from Heaven. But there are very many who conceive of Christianity in terms of a
great enterprise for world betterment or even evangelization. The appeal is so
often made that people will come and associate themselves with this great
'work'. There is that in most people which makes a response to such an appeal,
and would like to be in a great movement. But such a way of approach is to
court trouble, or at least to be found sooner or later in a false position.
Moses got the 'movement' idea in
There
is that which comes before the 'movement', and the movement is with God, not
with us. The
greatest value in movement, when God's time comes for it, often is that we have
learned not to move without Him.
We do not
appeal to you to join a movement. We do not invite youth, saying, 'Here is something
into which you can throw all your natural powers and youthful enthusiasm!' We
would say: 'God has a purpose: you are of concern to Him in relation to that
purpose. But - you cannot even know or enter into that purpose
until something has happened in you which has made you another person. In that
purpose you will need much more than natural powers and youthful enthusiasm.'
That
brings us to the positive side
What a Christian Is
In seeking
to show what a Christian really is, we can do no better than take the case of
one who not only was a great instance himself, but whose experience has been
that of every true Christian since. We refer to the one who was addressed by a
Roman 'King' in the words at the head of this chapter - the Apostle Paul. While
the method of his conversion may not be the usual or general one, the
principles are always the same.
Here,
then, are the first three principles and realities of a true Christian life.
(1)
"Who art thou?" "I am Jesus."
The
first thing is the inward realization that Jesus is (not was) a living Person.
The very
first words of Paul when confronted by Christ were: "Who art thou?"
To which the answer came clear and strong - "I am Jesus!" It was a
startling discovery, and Paul might well have exclaimed, 'What, Jesus alive?'
Jesus had been put to death, crucified. All that remained to do was to blot out
the memory of Him and destroy what represented Him. To this work Paul (then
Saul) had committed himself. We can hardly imagine, then, what a startling and
paralyzing thing it was to be confronted with the fact that Jesus was not dead,
but alive, and in glory. And not only with the fact, but with the Person
Himself.
All that
this implied and involved has been the teaching of many centuries since. But
for those to whom these present lines are addressed, this can be resolved into
a very simple matter. We begin our Christian life by an experience of this
living reality. Not a Jesus of history, but a Jesus of heart experience. That
He really is alive is the one thing which is open to be proved by us, and it is
the most serious matter as to our eternal destiny. We have only to drop our
traditions, our prejudices, our suspicions, our questions, our mental problems,
and, quietly kneeling, speak to Him (although unseen) as we would speak to one
whom we could see; telling Him out of the honesty of our heart what we would
tell Him if we were face to face. The first step is definitely to speak to
Him, as to a Person.
This is
the way of a discovery. We learn from the New Testament that the Spirit of God
is abroad in the world just to bring about this discovery - to make real that
Jesus lives to save and be our very life. This wonderful realization, that Jesus
lives, comes to the heart of every one who honestly turns and puts it to
the test; and everything springs out of that.
There is
only one way, really, of knowing Jesus, and that is by coming to Him. It may
seem very unreal and foolish to say something to someone of whose existence you
have no inward proof; but might this not be the same in other circumstances?
You have heard of a physician. What you have heard makes you feel that he is
just the man for your case. Will you say that you don't believe that there is
such a person? Will you say that there is plenty of evidence available that he
was killed some time ago? Will you go as far as going to his house and seeing
the man spoken of, and then telling the man that you don't believe that he is
the physician? If you will do this, then either your case is not very serious,
or you are refusing to admit its seriousness. If you are really alive to your
need, the very least that you will do will be to go to the physician, tell him
your trouble, and say: 'I am advised that you can meet my need, and I ask you
to do so. My coming to you represents an honest enquiry and committal, in spite
of many doubts and questions.'
My friend,
Jesus Christ was ever ready to make the desired gesture to an approach like
that. The discovery that Christ is a living reality is the first thing in the
Christian life. This is a test as well as a testimony.
(2)
"Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
The second
thing - in Paul's case, as in every true Christian life - is represented by one
sentence: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6).
This
represents a new position and a new relationship. How very different from that
of the old Saul! Hitherto his life and activity had been out from himself -
what he thought he would do, what he proposed, purposed, planned,
determined, and desired. Self-determination had been his way of life, although
he would have said that it was done in a good cause - even done for God. What
an example Saul was of the fact that a man's very best intentions and
devotions, in what he believes to be God's interests, may yet be doing God the
greatest disservice - and he himself be totally blind to the fact. We shall
speak of this again later (chap. 2, sect. 2).
We see
here, then, that one thing is a clear evidence of a life truly acceptable to
God; it is the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. Paul first used that
word, "Lord", at his conversion; it came out spontaneously when he
realized that Jesus lives! From that moment Jesus was his Lord, his
Master. We know from his life afterward how utter was that surrender and change
of government. Everything from that hour was on the basis of "What wilt
Thou?"
Yes, it is
the hall-mark of a true Christian life when, with the same inward realization
and abandonment, we say to Jesus, "Lord", and thenceforth have our
whole lives governed by Him as Master.
(3)
"Christ in you".
There is
one more indispensable mark and feature of the Christian life to which we will
point at this time. It is shown in the words addressed to Paul by one Ananias: "the
Lord, even Jesus... hath sent me, that thou mightest... be filled with
the Holy Ghost." (Acts
The
consummation of this basic work, by which we become Christians in the true
sense, is that everything which is true of Christ is made an inward thing
with us. Up to this point, although everything has been very real and deep
changes have taken place, it has been mainly as in an outward relationship
with Christ. But it would have been fatal to have left it there, however great
the discovery. We cannot live upon something which happened at a certain time.
We cannot meet all the tremendous forces of evil which will oppose us, in the
strength of a mere memory, however vivid. We shall never live triumphantly, or
serve effectively, or satisfy God truly, on any basis of what is merely outward
and objective.
The fact
is that only Christ can really satisfy God; only Christ can do God's will and
God's work. Only Christ can overcome the spiritual forces of evil. Yes, only
Christ can really live the Christian life. Hence, the one great inclusive and
crowning reality of a Christian is - Christ Himself WITHIN! Paul later put this
in these words:
"Christ
in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
This
becomes true by a definite act when we believe. The Holy Spirit takes
possession of us in an inward way. This indwelling of Christ had never been
known by any man in history until Christ had died and risen and been glorified.
It is therefore the peculiar wonder and glory of the Christian. It is this very
thing that explains the New Testament term - "born anew". There
was nothing like it before.
So, then,
in a word, our question, 'What is a Christian?' is answered in three initial
things.
(1)
Realizing that Jesus is alive.
(2)
Enthroning Him as absolute Lord.
(3) Having
Him as an inward presence and power by the Holy Spirit.
The
testimony of a true Christian must ever be -
'He lives! He lives!
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me, He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart!'
Chapter 2
"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
(Acts 26:28).
"I
heard a voice speaking unto me... Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
(Acts 26:14).
The above
words, spoken to the same man - Saul of Tarsus, later Paul the Apostle - in the
first case by a ruler under the
1. Something Absolutely Personal
"I
heard a voice saying unto me... Saul, Saul..." There were
others traveling with Saul on that day; how many, we do not know. Paul speaks
of them as "all" - "when we were all fallen to the ground."
It would seem that there were quite a number. But Saul was singled out, and
what happened was so directly personal that it was as though he were the only
man on the earth. He ever afterward spoke of his experience as something
extremely personal. The amazing thing to him was that Christ knew him by name,
and knew all that was going on inside him.
It is a
fact, and a fact which we must realize, that God has a personal and direct
interest in us, and a very personal concern for us. The writer had a friend who
visited military hospitals. He always carried in his pocket some texts to leave
with men who might be in need of a little bit of God's Word. Before starting
out he used to pray that he might be guided to give the right text to the right
man.
On one of
these visits, when entering a ward, he looked around, and up in the corner was
a bed with a form bandaged so completely that only nose, mouth and ears were
uncovered. He was about to approach the bed when the nurse said that it was
useless - the man was too far gone to be spoken to. He paused a minute, and
then decided to leave a text on the bandaged hands. This he did, without looking
to see what the text was. As he was moving away from the bed, a muffled voice
said,
'What's
that?'
'Oh,' said
my friend, 'it is only a little bit of God's Word.'
'What does
it say?' asked the dying man.
'Let me
see - yes, here it is, Proverbs
'Who said
that?' asked the soldier.
'That is
from God's Word - the Bible!'
'Read it
again,' said the wounded man.
"My
son, give me thine heart".'
Silence
for a moment, and then -
'Did you
say that is in the Bible?'
'Yes, and
God says it to you.'
The
soldier heaved a sigh, but there was a question in the sigh. My friend waited a
moment and then asked what was perplexing or surprising him.
'Look at
the card over my bed,' said the soldier.
My friend
did so, and was amazed to read, on the card giving his Army particulars, the
name
JACK MYSON
Do you say
'Accident!' 'Coincidence!'? That man was about to pass into eternity, and God
spoke to him by name. Again, it may not always be in just the same way; but the
fact remains that God has a personal concern for each one of us, and a true
Christian is one who has come to have such a personal relationship with God as
to make it possible for him - or her - to say, as did Paul:
"He
loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal.
"I
heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul..."
Then Saul
came to realize that his inner history was all known to Christ. The other
people could see what was going on outwardly. He was going in hot haste to
"It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts
26:14).
So,
really, he was like an ox harnessed to a plough, which, unwilling to go in a
certain direction, and being goaded against its wishes, was letting out in
rebellion, and kicking against the goad. What a different picture this was from
what others would have had of him, and how different from what he was trying to
make himself believe! But that One above knows things that we are not prepared
to admit or accept. He sees through us, through all our pretensions and
self-deceptions and resistance.
Saul was
striving desperately to establish the falsehood of Christ and Christianity, but
the truth was that he was not so sure of himself as he had hoped. Something had
touched him, and it would have been fatal to his position if he had given that
something a chance. So he had to gird himself up and resist with all his might.
Inwardly he was kicking, in effect saying, 'I don't want Christ! I won't have
Christ! I am not going to be a Christian!'
Well,
Christ is a reality, and sooner or later we shall have to have Him.
There are different times and ways in which that may be.
We can
have Him now, as our Lord and our Saviour, and, like Paul, enjoy a life
of wonderful fellowship with Him and useful service for Him.
Or we
might have Him at the end of our life, whether that be sooner or later. But
that will mean the unspeakable regret and grief that we have no life of service
to lay at His feet - an eternally forfeited life of fellowship with Him in the
great purpose with which He is now occupied.
Or, alas,
when this life is past, we shall have to have Him - not as our Advocate and
Friend, but as our Judge.
God has
determined that eventually "every knee shall bow" to His Son, but His
desire is that it shall be as it was with Saul: "Lord, what wilt thou have
me to do?" This is what it means to be a Christian. But there is yet more
in the words that we have quoted at the head of this chapter.
2. Christianity - Not a Religion, but a
Person
"Why
persecutest thou me?" asked the glorified Christ. What an idea! Here was a
man just going 'all out' in religious devotion. So far as his reason was
concerned (even if his heart had some lurking and bothering question), he was
convinced that he ought to do this thing in the interests of religion. He was
really a divided man inside, but in his zeal for traditional religion, and, as
he would have argued, for God's sake, he was suppressing every question and relentlessly
forcing himself on. And yet, all the time, he was working against God, against
God's Son, and against Heaven! What a state of confusion!
Much could
be said about this: as to the difference between being religious and being a
genuine Christian; as to how it is possible for people to be passionately
devout and devoted to what they believe to be of God - or for God - and yet to
be rather obstructing His real interests by that very devotion. But we must
resolve it all into one inclusive issue.
A Christian
is not a person who is religious, either more or less. A Christian is
not a person who has taken on a lot of 'dos' and 'do nots'. God is not going to
deal with us on these grounds. Neither is He going to judge men on the basis of
the number or nature of their sins. He has one basis of judgment, than which
any other basis would be unfair, because everyone, by his or her birth,
upbringing, advantages, temperament, and so on, would be either favored or
otherwise. That one basis of judgment is, and will be: What are we doing
with God's Son, Jesus Christ?
God sent
His Son, and by Him we are all brought to a common position. He is
presented as God's appointed Lord and Saviour for all men. God will
never say in the judgment, 'How many sins did you commit?' 'What kind of sins
did you commit?' - but, 'What did you do with My Son?' It is not necessary to
be violent in our rejection, or actively and vehemently to fight against
Christ, as did Saul. We can - with exactly the same eternal loss - just reject
Him; say 'No' and close ourselves to Him; or simply ignore Him. We are lost
just the same. There is no need to dash to the ground the saving medicine in
order to perish. It is only necessary to leave it where it is and not take it.
But it is a terrible responsibility to have known that it was there, and to
have just failed to take it.
We see,
then, that all questions of life and death, sin and righteousness, Heaven and
Hell, time and eternity, are bound up - not with 'religion', 'church', 'creed'
- but with a living relationship to the Son of God; and a Christian is one who
has himself come into such a living relationship, and has found all these
questions answered in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
Is not thine a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him,
Joyful choose the better part.
Idols, once they won thee, charmed thee
Lovely things of time and sense.
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee,
Honeyed, lest thou turn thee thence.
What has stripped the seeming beauty
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of peerless worth.
Not the crushing of those idols,
With its bitter void and smart;
But the beaming of His beauty,
The unveiling of His heart.
Who extinguishes their taper
Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter
Till the summer has begun?
'Tis that look that melted Peter,
'Tis that face that Stephen saw,
'Tis that heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw
Draw and win and fill completely,
Till the cup o'erflow the brim:
What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?
Anon.
T. Austin-Sparks
1888-1971
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