First And Foremost? Really?

One of the features of this website, Blogger, is a link at the top of the page that reads "Next Blog". You can click on it, and go to a random blog. Sometimes, you can find interesting people, and interesting things to read. At other times, it will give you a headache. I was doing this last night, when I came upon a blog by a woman who, in her profile, said that "First and foremost, I am a Christian". She went on to say that she wanted to try to live her life through God's eyes. Then, she went on to say that she had another blog that she liked more than this one, but it may not sound to Christian, "Sorry God". What???

Curious, I went to the other blog to see what she was talking about. After reading the first one, I was floored by the kind of language this woman used in the second one. And the anger, and strong emotion in her writing DEFINITELY didn't sound very 'Christian'. I just could not believe this blog was by the same woman.

"First and foremost, I am a Christian". When you hear these words, you expect a certain type of attitude, a different kind of person. At least, I do. When you say you are a Christian, you are saying you are Christ-like. You are trying, with God's help, to be as much like Jesus as you can be. Now, I will be the first to tell you that I am not perfect. FAR from it. None of us are perfect, as a matter of fact. But, COME ON. To say, on the same page mind you, that you are "first and foremost a Christian", and then use language like that, is ridiculous. I know that some people, who call themselves a Christian, do not see any problem using profanity, as long as they don't use the 'bad words'. Am I the only one that sees this as more than a little hypocritical? Before I pound this poor woman into the ground, figuratively, I want to get to my point.

When we come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, accept Him as our Lord and Savior, and REPENT of our sins, we are saying we are tired of who we are. We want to change, but we can't without His help. We invite His Holy Spirit in to change us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Granted, sometimes, it's a slow change. But we MUST change. There MUST be conviction when we fall back into our old ways. If we can go back to doing things the way we used to, without so much as a backwards glance, there is something terribly wrong. I'm not talking about those times that we slip, we all do this at one time or another. I'm talking about COMFORTABLY using the old language, looking at the old things, listening to those sinful old things we use to listen to, and going to those places we said we were running from. These things just should not be.

The Bible says that when we are saved, TRULY saved, we 'put off' the old man, and 'put on' the new. We take off our old, filthy rags, our righteousness, and put on His righteousness, like a new set of clothes. If all we do is change our title, and not our ways, we deceive ourselves. God is not deceived. He sees our true selves, not the lie we try to pass off on everyone else, including ourselves.

We MUST turn from our old wicked ways. That means giving up the old language. God is not pleased with us when we use profanity. Jesus did not, and could not, use profanity. It is vain language. Empty, useless words. We must be Jesus to the world. We must show them that there is more to this life, than just living and dying. They have tried this world, and they are not impressed. They WANT something more. We have to be something more. God expects it.