By Pastor Stephen Hess –
What does it mean to be a Christian? That may seem like a simple question but in our modern society the word “Christian” has become increasingly confused and can mean different things to different people.
Some people think being a Christian means believing certain things. They assume that if you believe in the historic doctrines of the Christian faith as summarized by the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed then this makes you a Christian. On the one hand we should acknowledge that there is some truth in this because being a Christian does require believing specific Biblical truths. However, while believing Biblical truth is necessary, it is not sufficient. The Apostle James reminds us that even the demons believe in God and yet they are not saved or submitted to Christ (Jas. 2:19).
Others think that being a Christian means behaving a certain way. They assume that Christianity is about following a set of rules as outlined in Scripture. There are a couple of problems with this but the biggest one is that it gets the message of the gospel backwards. It assumes that we can follow God’s law and that we earn salvation through our obedience to him. The message of the gospel is the exact opposite: We are sinners who are unable to follow God’s law and therefore cannot earn salvation through obedience. Thankfully Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins and earn salvation for us. The good news is that we are saved not by what we do but by trusting in what Christ has done for us.
The Christian faith is not merely about believing certain things or behaving in certain ways. While being a Christian does change our beliefs and behaviors, it is about much more than that. Fundamentally, being a Christian is about becoming a disciple of Jesus. The word “disciple” means student or learner. A disciple is someone who trusts and follows Jesus. As such, discipleship is about much more than just modifying our thoughts or behaviors; it involves a transformation of our entire lives.
On September 10th we are going to embark on a new eight-week sermon series called “Discipleship Explored” where we will be looking at what it means to be a follower of Jesus. This series will go beyond simply teaching the right practices—go to church, pray, read the Bible, share the gospel—and instead focus on the fuel which drives discipleship: the love of Christ. Christ’s love is the greatest love anyone can ever know, and it is the foundation of the Christian faith.
In addition to the sermon series, this will also be a small group series. Each week during the series we will have several small groups working through a Bible study that parallels the sermons. The Bible study is an eight-session journey through Paul’s letter to the Philippians and is ideal for believers at any stage of the Christian life. These small groups will provide an opportunity to get connected in fellowship with other people at Highview and dig deeper into the topics we will be exploring on Sunday mornings. In the coming days there will be sign-up sheets available at church to join one of these groups, and I highly recommend that everyone take advantage of this opportunity.
The very first thing Jesus said when he called his disciples was, “Follow me” (Mk. 1:17). This is the same calling for every Christian of every generation. I hope you will join us this fall as we explore together what it means to be followers of Jesus.