In all honesty, we Christians can really contradict Christ at times. We say we follow Christ, but do what we want. We say we love God, but do not obey what He says. We say we are Christian, but behave in an un-Christlike manner towards other people. We shouldn't be like this.
Well, some of us won't admit it, but there are times when we just find it really hard to follow Christ and do as He says. We read our Bible but fail to obey it. We go to church but behave as if we haven't. We pray to God, but we ask what we want, not what He wants. Pretty wrong, but that's how many of us live.
Friends, I have written this article not to criticize or insult any Christian, or to give a bad testimony to non-Christians. I am writing this to help each and every Christ-follower to realize that we all need to get our act straight. We need to evaluate ourselves so we can do better in our pursuit of Christ Jesus.
That said, I'd like to point out three ways we Christians contradict what Jesus Christ, our very beloved Lord and Saviour, teaches. I hope this helps you, dear reader, to get on track if that's you.
1) When we don't give grace to others
We contradict Christ when we don't give grace to others. The Bible tells us that all of us, whether rich or poor, have been given grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because we have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, we don't deserve to be saved, we don't deserve to be loved, we don't deserve anything good. Still, God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to show us His love.
When we withhold grace, or an undeserved good, to another person, we fail to act in a Christ-like manner. Read this conversation to see what I mean:
"Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."" (Matthew 18:21-22)
2) When we are self-righteous
Next, being self-righteous automatically makes us so un-Christlike. Jesus never acted as if He was the only one who was sinless even though He was and is sinless. He never boasted of His righteousness to people. He merely pointed everyone to the righteousness of God as seen in His word.
When we act like we're better and more holy than others, especially the unsaved, we behave in a self-righteous manner. Consider what Jesus said about such self-righteous people, called Pharisees, in Matthew 23:4, saying:
"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
We become like the Pharisees that prevented people from knowing God because they themselves don't know Him (see Matthew 23:13).
3) When we don't serve others, but instead demand to be served
Lastly, when we don't serve others but instead demand to be served, we act in a way that is totally opposite of how Jesus Christ lived. He came to serve; if we call Him our Lord, then who are we not to serve?
Read what He told His disciples after some of them asked Him for honor:
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28)
