I Am Not A Christian
by Adam J. Solorio
I’m not a Christian. Not in
any meaningful sense of the word.
Sure, I believe in Jesus
Christ. I attend a church service or
two every week and occasionally
read my Bible. But sitting on a pew
does not make me a Christian any
more than standing in a bank makes
me wealthy. My relative location to
Christian things and spaces does
not transfer to me Christ like
character. I may go to church, but I
am not a Christian.
I pray when I need
something and worship only when
it’s convenient. I give, yet often
grudgingly and sparingly. I forgive,
but only when it might benefit me. I
serve, but only when called upon to
He sacrificed all and asked
do so and offered acknowledgement
and reward. I love, but only when
love is offered in return. I bless, but
only those who have blessed me. I
care, but often only for those who I
feel are deserving of care. I sacrifice,
but only after I have been shamed,
rewarded, or pressured to do so.
The more I read the BIble,
and then examine my life in light of
how Christ lived, the more I am
convinced, I am not a Christian.
It was John Piper who, when
He ate with sinners and
politicians without one reservation as
to how the company he kept would
effect His reputation. He touched
people He should have never even
talked to. He healed people that His
culture didn’t even demand He
recognize as persons. He went out
of His way, and often, to minister a
small thing to one individual in a
m e a n i n g f u l w a y. H e
showed kin d n e s s a n d
grace to everyone, except
for those who felt they
deserved it. It was with the
religious that Jesus
argued, the
hypocrites he “I am a
rebuked, and it follower of Jesus
was the self- Christ, a disciple of
righteous which His. I am a believer.
But I am not a
He humbled.
Christian.”
The people I’m
most comfortable
with, church people,
felt as though he had not yet
were the ones Jesus felt most at
attained Christ-likeness, but he was
odds with. The people He invested
still trying (Phil. 3). He wrestled with
in were those with failures and sin,
his nature and called himself carnal
the same people I avoid.
and sinful (Romans 7:14-25)
acknowledging that “the good that I
would I do not: but the evil which I
nothing in return. He was a man of
would not, that I do”.
“sorrows and acquainted with grief”
knowing that millions throughout
If being a Christian is defined
history would reject His love. He was
in generic terms as anything
giving, loving, gracious, virtuous,
associated with the teachings of
kind, merciful, long-suffering, faithful
Jesus Christ then I suppose I could
and true. I find in myself that I am
call myself a Christian. However, if
selfish, ungrateful, hard hearted,
being a Christian means possessing
impatient, demanding, dishonest,
the character and virtue of Christ,
intemperate, corrupt, deceptive and
then I am not a Christian.
unfaithful. I am not a Christian.
What I am is a believer, a
follower of Christ, who all too often
asked what if anything might cause
falls short of being like my Lord.
him to disbelieve in God, said, “If
However, I am still a disciple of His. I
anything might cause me to
am redeemed, justified and still
disbelieve in God it would be how
trying. I believe if I remain subject to
painfully slow and inefficient the
the Holy Spirit Christ will continue to
sanctification process has been in
be formed in me and someday I will
me.” I take comfort in the fact that
be like Him for I will see Him as He is
Paul wrestled with the same
(1 John 3:2). The truth, right now, is
assessment of himself. He called
that I am not a Christian. Not yet.
himself the “chief of sinners” (1
Timothy 1:15) and confessed that he