Christians: Why are many Christians unlike the Christ they profess to follow?

Answer 1

Thank you.
ThankyouThankyouTHANKYOU for asking this question.
I'm a devout Christian, and I go to church every sunday and hang out with "that crowd". You know, the typical chaste, conservative, bible-study-friends girls who are all middle class, all religious, and all pig-headedly insistant that their way is the RIGHT way.
Sometimes, I want to hit them. Christ teaches us to love our fellow man, to accept our brothers, to be kind and gentle and loving.
And here we are, screaming about "freaky homosexuals" and "demon followers of the Occult". Here we are, crosses in hand, chasing our brothers down and beating them over the head with our Bibles, telling them that they'll go to hell if they don't believe what we believe.
That is not true.
And that is not what Christ has taught us to do.
Everyone has a right to their own way of life; that's what's so beautiful about the human race. If someone chooses not to believe in God or Jesus, that's their choice. It's not our job to try and convert them. We don't get little gold stars for every person we turn to Christianity. For faith to be strong, it has to be aquired through a personal decision - not because you want your annoying neighbor to shut up and stop stuffing Christian Living magazines and Self Help for An Atheist books in your mailbox.

See now? Not all Christians are arrogant and self-righteous. In fact, MOST of us are pretty sane. Our voices are just drowned out by the fanatics.

Answer 2

While many Christians have behaved badly, sometimes really badly, Christ specializes in turning sinners around. What other faith can boast of a Chuck Colson? A John Newton? A William Wilberforce? Then there are the innumerable soup kitchens, universities, hospitals, and orphanages founded to the glory of Christ. Also personally as a forgiven sinner, I testify to an imperfect yet growing sense of God's peace, presence, and provision since receiving Christ more than a quarter-century ago. Despite occasional setbacks, my faith has deepened and strengthened, whatever life brings.

Answer 3

Because Jesus is not truly first in their lives yes we are all human and yes we fall short of the glory of God because of this but Jesus is either Lord of all not not Lord at all.

I have been steadily walking with the Lord since the late 80s early 90s and there are times I was miserable because I put things first above the Lord and the Bible says you cannot serve two masters.

In light of what I just said it is important as Christians to spend time in Gods word, pray, fellowship and examine your heart what TRULY is first in your life because anything that takes the place of God is and idol.

All I can say is that I have been through a lot since I moved 3000 miles from where I used to live and I just got to the point where I just surrendered everything over to Jesus and was very honest with him about what I was going through.

Many Christians (and I include myself although I am maturing and getting better) are unlike the Christ they profess to follow because Christ is not always first and foremost in their lives.

Answer 4

I know it's a cliche but it is so true: Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven. If being Christ-like were easy, we wouldn't know we needed a Savior, would we?

That said, of course we should strive to be more like Christ, and I think that too many Christians are either resting on that "amazing grace" to the point of abusing it, while others are so wrapped up in their own good works that they run the risk of becoming like the Pharisees Jesus criticized.

It is a constant battle between the carnal flesh we are still wrapped in and the Holy Spirit that is seeking to renew our minds. Even the apostle Paul acknowledged that inner struggle.

It is a shame that we are the picture of Christ that non-believers see--we are such a dim reflection of His glory!
But if we are sincere, we will keep praying and seeking to be more and more like Christ as we grow spiritually.

Answer 5

Because they are human and they get caught up in every day life as they try to change into the Christian Christ wants them to be.

It's true that some are hypocrites but just because a person sins doesn't make them a hypocrite. A hypocrite is the person who goes to church but then continues with the bad attitude outside of church and doesn't make changes to be more Christ-like.

No, we aren't going to be like Christ but we do need to work hard to be as much like Him as we can. Christians are not perfect and many times do things wrong without realizing it is wrong. That doesn't make them a hypocrite because being a Christian is a learning process every single day as we continue to make ourselves better Christians.

Even a person who knows what they are doing and sins isn't a hypocrite if they humble themselves, regret what they have done, apologize and pray to change ~ then work to make those changes happen.

Look at the different people who go to church. You see the young Christian who is making alot of mistakes as they try to adjust to their new life. The devil is working to pull them away from God and sometimes he wins but many times, he does not. Then look at the older, more mature Christian. The person who has a soft, gentle way about them, who seems at peace and is kind to everyone they meet. They have found the path of happiness, where the younger Christian is still struggling for the right footing.

Christians are not perfect as so many seem to think they should be so next time you want to judge one of them, look at the circumstances that caused them to react the way they did and show a little compassion and realize they are just as human as anyone else out there. God understands and He knows their hearts and their sincerity and that is what is important to a Christian, knowing He will pick us up each time we stumble and smooth out our path as we grow in Him.

Answer 6

there are such countless themes here that i don't understand which to handle first. the 1st area is that on a similar time as you enhance a legitimate element with the different deities in WIcca, YHVH replaced into the sole one which pronounced "You shall have not have been given the different gods earlier me." a minimum of Wiccans have sufficient know to maintain YHVH out of Wicca whilst they realised he did not play nicely with the others. additionally, Wicca has a God and a Goddess. the place's the Goddess? once you're using a God as the two lady and male on the comparable time, then you definitely are lacking a great chew of the area of the duality of deity in Wicca. Secondly, what you're claiming in regard to Early "Christopagans" is fake. that they had an umbrella term for what they have been, which lined one in each of those issues. Gnostics. It replaced into taken via countless communities to point countless issues. finally, Christian Wicca is a build made up via folk who're too afraid to honestly pass away a church that not is clever to them. If that is Wicca, then there is not any choose for the Jewish thought of the messiah, AKA the Christ. If that is Christian, then it ain't Wicca pondering that Wicca is fertility faith that has not something to do with searching for redemption via a Christ discern. additionally defining it as Christian would not make it so and that i'm particular there are oodles of Christians which will decrease back me up.

Answer 7

To me the reason that I think so many do NOT attempt to be Christ-like, is they think much the same as the following man,

Matthew 19:16-22
16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" 20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" (this applies to MANY of those in churches across America) 21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
(Great wealth is NOT always what we Americans think of "great wealth" ...because IF most American's were to actually SEE the poverty of the rest of the World, we would SEE how truly rich most of us are!)
It is difficult in this day and age NOT to "want" all that this world has to "offer". We think that in order to be "Godly" we must show ourselves to have the "best".
Is that NOT what many of those TV evangelists say?
**rolling my eyes!**
We American's are the WORST at this. We spend our time earning "stuff" so that we can run with the "in crowd". And much like the "Rich" man is in Luke
16:19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and LIVED IN LUXURY every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.
We do not "look" at those less fortunate than ourselves, for to look might cause compassion! We ask ourselves, how can ONE person make any significant difference in the face of SO MUCH poverty & evil?
Rather that TRY to reach out & help those that are in such desperate needs. But again..when do you know if your just being "taken advantage of"? For truly we cannot see whether we are being decieved or not!
There are those that "sooth their conscience when they hand out money to those with signs" out on the streets. (and SOME of those street beggars make more money that you can imagine!)
So what do we do? We do not have the "mind of Christ, in that we can see these ppl's hearts, as He did!)
Which is WHY we Christians struggle, TRYING our best to find "solutions that work" and in the MEANtime...just "continue to help ourselves" instead of others.

So I think in TRUTH the real question would or should be..HOW do Christians learn to show the MIGHTY Love of Christ?!

Answer 8

Most Christians I know are growing and learning to walk in the Spirit and are being transformed more and more into His likeness as they go. However we are not to look at each other as examples but straight to Him whom we follow. Our trust must not lie in man. Christians are imperfect human beings, made of clay. Evey single one of us. You and I included. We need to refrain from teaching people to look at Christians and point them straight to Christ and be yet all the while, as individuals, yeilding our lives to Him that we may become more and more like Him.While our goal should always be to be like Him, we must take our eyes off of each other.We certainly don't need to encourage the lost to look to Christians but only to look to Christ. The weakness of humans is not the only reason for this but also the fact that the Bible clearly tells us that there are wolves in sheeps clothing, the tares that are growing up right alongside the wheat. False converts carry the name of Christian as well and God is the only one that can see into our hearts and tell the difference (sometimes it is possible, I think, to recognize some of them). It's very dangerous to put too much trust or faith in men.Put all your faaith and trust in Christ and teach others to do the same.
God bless!!

Answer 9

I have been a Christian for about 30 years and I am not just finally getting the hang of it. It has taken me a long time, I tend to be stubborn and have had to go through alot to get to this place in my walk with Him. It just takes time to get the world out of us and allow the Holy Spirit control.

Answer 10

How can you walk in the spirit,and bare fruit if you are not abideing in the vine?christians must spend time with Christ.most christians are following the so called modern church instead of Christ.the bible says He (Christ) is our role model. christians lets start fellowshiping with the lord more and we will begin to reflect Him.

Answer 11

we are ashamed that we are not living like Christ.
I assume that you somehow felt that Christ is worth following... Dear friend, would you like to follow Christ and set an example to this world? I am sure it is possible... cuz Paul did it and he said so in 1 Cor 11:1