It was a natural development I guess. The way our culture has been evolving over time with more and more concern being placed on personal perception it was inevitable. “What is it?” you ask. It is no longer cool to be a Christian.
Now let me narrow my statement. People in the world still find it beneficial to be identified as a Christian. Regardless of the best efforts of skeptics the largest percentage of our population still calls themselves Christians. It can be socially, politically, and financially beneficial to be considered a Christian. But I didn’t say it wasn’t cool to be called a Christian; I said it is no longer cool to be a Christian.
There are many people in this world who call themselves Christians, but being a Christian is entirely different. However, those people aren’t my immediate concern in this context. Because the greater problem is that there are many people sitting in our pews that call themselves Christians but simply are not.
Being a Christian is much more than carrying a cultural identity. It is a lifestyle. It is something that defines who we are and how we live (1 Peter 2:9). Christianity demands a sense of morality, a sense of spirituality, and a deep commitment to every aspect of God’s will – not just the one’s that we like. It demands time, energy, and service. It means that we give ourselves totally to God to such an extent that everyone and everything else comes a distant second – “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
There is a cost associated with Christianity. Not just what it cost Jesus to establish it but a cost we must bear to enjoy it. And with that in mind I guess I should amend my original premise. It never really has been cool to actually be a Christian. But something that escapes those who allow their lives to be guided by such petty purposes do so not considering that if they are too cool to be a Christian they will be far too cool to go to heaven.
-Andy Brewer