I am a Christian author.
What does this mean? (Sorry, I’m also Lutheran.)
What does it mean to be a Christian? What do people who hear that adjective think of those to whom it applies and of those who adopt it for themselves?
Does it refer to what a person is, or to what a person does, or both? Is there a Christian diet corresponding to a Jewish diet? Does calling one’s self a Christian make him or her a Christian? Does “Christian” include whatever a person wants to be and do as acceptable or does it identify certain kinds of attitudes and actions as sin?
Was the Spanish Inquisition a Christian endeavor? The crusades? I must appeal to all my non-Christian readers not to judge me according to many things that have been done “in the name of Christianity”.
I must also apologize on behalf of all “Christians” to my non-Christian readers, for as a whole we have not made it very easy for you to know what we mean by “Christian”. Even among “Christians” there is a wide variety of opinions as to what that word means.
I cannot speak for all Christians. I can speak only for myself and answer “What does this mean?” from my own understanding. Here is my answer:
“Christian” at its heart speaks to what a person believes about himself or herself and about his or her relationship with God. A Christian believes that God is the Almighty and All-powerful Creator of all things who has a right to expect his creation to live up to his perfect standards as well as the right to dispose of anything and any one who violates his will. A Christian believes that all people have violated God’s will and deserve nothing but his anger and the sentence he declared against those who sin. But more importantly, a Christian believes that God so loves his creation and especially mankind that he sent his Son, Jesus the Christ, the second person of the mysterious Triune reality of God, to take humanity’s place under his holy Law not only to live to our credit the holy life that God’s Law demands, but also to bear in his own infinitely precious body the punishment that every sin deserves. A Christian believes that purely because of what Christ has done, without any merit or worthiness on our part, God declares us holy in his sight, absolved of all guilt before his throne of judgment, and he promises therefore that all who believe this will live with him forever in his heavenly home, finally to be able to serve him in full and complete holiness.
But “Christian” does not stop with what one believes in the heart. Christianity realizes and appreciates the great sacrifice it took to save us from our sin, and therefore seeks to show that appreciation to God by living as close to his will as we possibly can, even though as long as we still live on earth we will ever be far from perfect. We are counted as holy and will be holy in heaven, but here we remain sinners through and through, and must daily return to God in repentance, deploring our sins and what they made necessary, and seeking his strength to fight the urges to sin in our lives.
To be constantly reassured that we have been forgiven, to be constantly re-energized to live better lives, and to be correctly informed of what kind of living pleases God and is in accord with his will – the goal for Christian living – we look to the Bible, the Word of God, for information, for guidance, for inspiration, and for strength.
Christians are not better people than anyone else. We are sinners just as much as any. But we are better off, for we know the truth about our relationship with God and how Christ has made peace between us and God. This knowledge brings us joy. The power of God in and through the Word also fills us with love for others – not the “love” of romance, but the love of self-sacrifice – so that we strive to share the good news and joy of salvation with everyone, praying for their conversion, and gently and lovingly urging them to learn and believe what the Bible says, what we have come to know and believe.
Christians will identify what God calls sin as what it is, for every sin causes problems for those who commit them, both themselves and those around them. Every sin reduces the joy that could be had not only eternally, but also in this earthly life.
But as much as we speak, invite, urge, and pray, true Christians will not try to force people to come to Christian faith. Mission work should never be done at the point of the sword, as it has been done by certain other faiths and even by some who called themselves “Christian”. We will be sad about those who remain unbelievers, for only those who believe in Christ will realize salvation, but if someone will not believe, we are to move on to others.
And so, I am a Christian author. I remain a sinner who deserves God’s wrath; but I know that I have God’s forgiveness because of Christ. Therefore, I want to serve him, however imperfectly, in the best way that I can. Perhaps, through sharing insights and Christian perspective through writing, Christians may be encouraged and built up in their faith and non-Christians may acquire a taste for the joy that God wants them to have.