Being a Christian is more than…

They have taught us the false idea that we are all Christians, and this arises from the simple fact that many who teach such a thing live completely ignorant of the meaning of this profound and glorious word. How can we call ourselves Christians and not fulfill, obey, or imitate what Christ and His apostles taught us? There is no communion between claiming His name and refusing His teachings.

To be a Christian is not merely to belong to a church, to repeat religious vocabulary, or to adopt a cultural label. Yet, sadly, this is what many have been taught. They tell us that to be “truly Christian” we must be the first to arrive at the church, the best tither in the congregation, or someone without criteria, someone so “humble” that they agree with any teaching—even those that openly contradict the Scriptures. This superficiality has weakened the meaning of Christianity and replaced biblical conviction with empty routine.

We have also been superficially taught that holiness is a garment—a piece of clothing, a look, an appearance. We have disguised holiness as simple religiosity and mixed it with a bit of Pharisaical attitude. But holiness is not a dress code; it is a transformation of the heart. It is not a performance; it is a lifestyle born of love for God and obedience to His Word.

Throughout the years, we have come to resemble the Scribes and Pharisees more than Christ. Externally, we try to look clean, correct, and respectable, yet we forget the most important ingredients of true Christianity: peace, love, holiness, joy, faith, hope, humility, and mercy. Jesus repeatedly warned that outward appearance means nothing if the heart is corrupt, empty, or indifferent.

We have been taught such a shallow Christianity that we practice love only when it benefits us, and when it does not, we criticize, wound, or speak behind the backs of our brothers and sisters. We embrace forgiveness publicly, but privately we hold grudges. We preach unity, but we sow division through gossip and judgment. This is the Christianity many have embraced—not the Christianity Christ taught.

Christ, on the other hand, taught something radically different. He summarized the essence of Christianity in one simple but powerful command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is not optional. It is not secondary. According to Jesus, this command, together with loving God above all things, is the foundation upon which the entire Law and the prophets stand.

Love is not a decorative aspect of Christianity; it is the core. Without love, all religious activity becomes noise, emptiness, and hypocrisy. The apostle Paul said it clearly in 1 Corinthians 13: even if we give everything we have, even if we possess great spiritual gifts, even if we have all knowledge, if we do not have love, we have nothing and we are nothing.

The truth is that if we do not have the capacity to love our neighbor, nothing else matters. The tithes do not matter. The offerings do not matter. The punctuality, the ministry titles, the outward appearance of sanctity—none of this has any value if it is not accompanied by genuine love. A heart without love cannot reflect Christ, because God is love. A Christian who does not love contradicts the very name he carries.

It is time to abandon shallow Christianity and return to biblical Christianity. It is time to stop hiding behind religious masks and begin living with authentic humility, compassion, and sincerity. The world does not need more Christians by name; it needs Christians by example. Christians who love, who forgive, who show mercy, who walk in holiness, who reflect Christ in daily life. When we embrace true biblical love, everything else falls into its proper place.

May God help us to recover the meaning of the word “Christian” and to live it with integrity, truth, and love.