This is Christianity? Thanks, I’ll Pass.

You boast about having God’s law-but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law? [24] The scripture says, “Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God.” Romans 2:23-24 GNT

So earlier today, I chanced on an altercation on the Internet between some Lagos socialites. Of course it was all quite distasteful stuff as you can see from the snippet (one of the milder, less expletive ones) I have posted in the screengrab above.

I however chuckled when I got to the underlined portion where one of the parties makes references to his proud Christian heritage. The way he throws in his Christian credentials, like it was some prestigious country club membership that had been passed down the family tree for generations would have been hilarious, were it not just tragic. My chuckle was more rueful than delightful: thing is, Christianity is the last word one would expect to find in such a tirade.

While a Christian may come from very illustrious forebears, they, like the Apostle Paul would rather say…

I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, [7] But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ’s sake. [8] Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:5, 7-8 GNT)

The idea of what it means to be a Christian has become so misshapen that, the people who were first called Christians  (Little Christs) and the many who strive to follow in their steps, and emulate the life of Christ should be rightly scandalized by a lot that is passed off as Christianity today.

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and many people were brought to the Lord. [25] Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. [26] When he found him, he took him to Antioch, and for a whole year the two met with the people of the church and taught a large group. It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians. (Acts 11:24-26 GNT)

It was in recognition of the exemplary life of Barnabas and his group of disciples that was so identical to Christ’s that made the people of Antioch name the group Christians.

Their conduct is quite different from those, who like the Pharisees claim righteousness as a heirloom. Or those whose argument that #ChristianityIsNotBoring is made by taking literal flights of fancy buoyed by #AnotherLevelOfGrace to exotic destinations to revel, and carouse.

For those who mistake their Hedonism for the Joy of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter points out that a Christian is one who is so enraptured in Christ…

So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by his human appetites and desires, but he lives for what God wills. [3] For the time that is past already suffices for doing what the Gentiles like to do–living as you have done in shameless, insolent wantonness, in lustful desires, drunkenness, reveling, drinking bouts and abominable, lawless idolatries. (1 Peter 4:2-3 AMP)

But as you would imagine, many of these folks are so far gone that you will do well to bear in mind what the Apostle says next…

They are astonished and think it very queer that you do not now run hand in hand with them in the same excesses of dissipation, and they abuse you. (1 Peter 4:4 AMP)

@woleolabanji