On Being Christian

In writing about Barrack Obama's religion, columnist Cal Thomas says, "There is a clear requirement for one to qualify as a Christian, and Obama doesn't meet that requirement." If being a Christian (one's faith) is synonymous with Christianity (a religion), the columnist may be correct in his assessment of Obama. But many people, including myself, believe that a person can be "Christian" solely by faith in Christ alone. Religion is a doctrine - "a system of religious beliefs." Faith, on the other hand, marks an "unquestioning belief that does not require proof" (Webster's New World Dictionary). Christian faith is a deep reliance upon the love of God as was shown in the person of Christ.

"If there are many ways to God," said the above mentioned columnist, "why did Jesus waste his time coming to earth?" Such a question assumes that faith is about "our ways" to God (religions), but the Bible teaches that it's about God's way to us. God comes to us, finds and redeems us in Christ. The straight and narrow way is God's way, not ours. And our ways (religions), all of humankind's, do not confuse God; thus, Jesus did not "waste his time." Salvation comes through His grace, not from "meeting religious requirements." Meeting religious requirements results as a response to the experiencing of God's grace, not as a means to it. If having experienced the love of God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, Barrack Obama can legitimately claim to be a Christian by faith alone.