The 50% Christian

Let me ask you a question: Are you a 50% Christian? What do I mean by that? Let me explain. By 50% Christian I don't mean someone who only lives the Christian life half-time. The 50% Christian does not describe someone who lives a worldly life during the week and then flips a switch and lives the Christian life (or some watered down version of it) on the Lord’s Day. No, that’s not what I have in mind.

The 50% Christian I’m referring to is one who does not (attempt to) fully live out the commandments of Christ as we are told to. Christ summarized the law of God very succinctly, “And Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these'” (Mark 12:29-31). So the Christian life can be broadly divided into obedience to two over-arching commandments: to love God and to love our neighbours.

The 50% Christian is one who does not love God and others (neighbours) but loves God or others. The division roughly resembles the one between hyper-Calvinists on the one hand, and liberals on the other.

The hyper-Calvinist is (stereotypically) one who is scrupulous about doctrine and worship but who can turn his back on someone in need. He is characterized by his zeal for God and his indifference to people. He is one who loves the first of Christ’s commandments but who hates the second.

The liberal is (stereotypically) one who is indifferent about doctrine and worship but who will be quick to help the needy or protest a perceived injustice. He is characterized by his zeal for social equality and his indifference to the holiness of God and Christian piety. He loves the second of Christ’s commandments but hates the first.

The hyper-Calvinist is one who, in self-complacency, will extol God’s sovereignty and His hatred of sin while he denigrates the free offer of the Gospel and God’s compassionate love for the sinner. He says, “God has chosen whom He will to save and has hatefully condemned the rest to perdition.”

The liberal is one who, in ignorance, believes that because God loves all people He must therefore save all people. He is one who understands God’s compassion but not His holiness. He says, “Since I believe in the inherent equality of all people, God must also believe in their equality before Him. Therefore all people are equal, so all will be saved.”

Now of course these are obvious exaggerations. Nevertheless I believe they embody much truth in the Church today. Well then, ask yourself the question. To quote the bard “To thine own self be true.” Are you a 50% Christian? If so, to which percentage do you belong?

Soli Deo Gloria