When you say "I am a Christian"

     The world is full of hang ups over identification.  I'm a white male, fat and educated.  I am a father, son, brother and other relative relationship.  I am a driver, carpenter, theologian, counselor, and many other trades.  I am a conservative.  I am all that and so much more.  When I say I am a Christian is when people take a step back and the judgment comes (positive and negative).  If I told my church friends that I was an assassin by trade most wouldn't blink an eye.  What is so important about what I do versus who I am?  Let's be honest, most people who believe in God think they are a Christian.  The Bible tells us that even the devil and his demons believe there God is.  Being a Christian is more than saying the words.  I could tell you that I'm a taxi driver (once was) and you wouldn't have any trouble envisioning what that means.  You could tell me that you are a Christian and not knowing you I would have trouble visioning what that means.  We, as Christians, assume (dangerous word) that all who say they are Christian are the kind of person attached to that identification.  It's not that simple or easy. 
     We live in a world that desperately wants to be someone.  We search for love, acceptance and approval from those around us from an early age to our physical death.  We want to know that we have purpose and that others know we have purpose.  Here is the big question: "Who would Jesus identify you as?"  Would he look at you and see the sinner unrepentant or the sinner repentant?  Would he be looking to see what road you are on and whether you point others in the same direction.  What is the identification with Jesus to be?  The simple answer is a Christian is someone who came to the awareness that they were dead in their sins, separated from God and in need of salvation.  They are people like you and I who assessed out lives and knew that there was nothing good within our lives.  We chose to lay down our lives so that Jesus could be resurrected in us so that "it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives within me."  Considering our lives to be dead and we now it is Christ who is alive in us, we have chosen to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what God wants instead of our own selfish desires.  Our primary goal is to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind and then give the love Christ gives us to those around us just as freely.  When you say, "I am a Christian." are you?
     Just who are you?  Who do you profess to be?  At the core of your being who is on the throne?  Christ or Satan.  There are only two choices.  If you think that's wrong you had better reassess, repent and rejoice if you have Christ.  The Bible doesn't lie.  The truths that are written there are meant to encourage us and to bring us to that place where all we want is Jesus living his life through us.  There are more than enough wanna be's in the world.  Do you want to be a wanna be Christian?  That means you aren't a Christian at all.  It doesn't matter what we tell others we are.  It doesn't matter what others think we are.  It doesn't matter if the world is placing their identification on you.  What matters is you and I knowing that we are His.  We have an advocate before the Father. Our sins have been forgiven, we have been redeemed and Christ has risen within us.  All for the glory of the world?  Not a chance!  All for the glory of God.  The world's message is Satan's message.  The Christian can say "I am a Christian" and know that the only place identification matters is in Christ.  And...it's always your choice.