What is a Christian?

By Norman M. Dowe 2014

Unfortunately, there is no truth in labeling law when it comes to calling oneself a Christian. We rely on
peoples self-designation of themselves as Christians. Often, large groups of Christians question
whether or not others who claim to be Christians really are. The Bible gives very specific guidance in
what is required to become a Christian. However, most people who call themselves Christians are
unaware of that guidance or choose to ignore it. I too have struggled in this area. I remember clearly
being asked was I a Christian. At that time although I had been a church member for many years, the
way that I lived was indistinguishable from those around me with no religious history. I recalled going
over a mental checklist in my mind. I was not an atheist. I was not a Jew. I was not a Muslim. I was not
a Buddhist. I was not a Hindu. Therefore, I must be a Christian. In my mind I became a Christian not
based on who I was or what I believed but based on what I was not.
I have often struggled when trying to communicate what something should be like if we are to call it, a
Christian _______. In reflecting on why it has been so difficult, I have concluded that it is because of
the lack of clarity in what it means to be a Christian. Furthermore, the problem isnt basically one of
deception where people are intentionally trying to mislead someone by calling themselves or something
Christian. It is primarily because there are many different things that people have in their mind when
they say Christian.
For many years software developers have used a five level model to quantify the sophistication of the
approaches that organizations use to write programs or develop software. It is called the Capability
Maturity Model.
It has proven helpful by providing some basis for quantifying how good an organization is at the myriad
of interrelated activities that go into developing software. Before the CMM we were basically reduced
to making qualitative judgments such as good or bad. I have adapted the model to the question of,
what is a Christian? I call my adaptation the Christian Maturity Model. People at all five levels may
call themselves Christians but their behavior and belief structures differ widely at the various levels.

Level 1
Level 1 describes a person who is a religious sinner or a carnal Christian. For years that was my story. I
attended church and sung even sung in the choir. I made my own choices and governed my life by an
intellectual philosophy that really didnt consider Gods point of view at all. When asked if I was a
Christian I remember going through a mental check list. I am not a Jew. I am not a Muslim. I am not a
Hindu. I am not an atheist. Therefore, I must be a Christian. I wasnt I was just a religious sinner. I did
things such a going to church to pay homage to a God who I didnt know and wasnt interested in
obeying.
The carnal Christian looks a lot like the religious sinner. There isnt a lot of indication in the carnal
Christians life that he or she is spiritually alive. The carnal Christian has been truly born again by
surrendering their life to God through Christ. However, their growth has atrophied. Often because of a
lack of good teaching, fellowship, and discipling they are spiritually retarded but they are alive.
Carnal Christians have been referred to as Clairol Christians. Clairol used to advertize with the slogan
only her hairdresser knows for sure. For Clairol Christians, only God knows for sure if they really are
Christians. When they die they will go to heaven but here on earth they receive no benefit from a
transformed life and fellowship with God. In fact they probably have a rougher life than the sinner.
Satan knows that they are Christians and attacks his enemy even though they are impotent. It is almost
as if one were to put on an U.S. Army uniform and travel through Afghanistan without weapons or
fellow soldiers.
Level 2
Level 2 describes the type of Christianity most often experienced in America. It is sincere as a matter of
ones heart but doesnt affect ones life. In the last presidential campaign we saw this with John McCain.
He said that he was a man of faith but it was personal. The same stance was practiced by Bill Clinton and
George H.W. Bush. Although personal piety is not a Biblical stance it fits into to our western world very
well. In our western world view it is easy to segment society and apply certain principles to one area but
ignore them in another. Personal piety allows a person to be born again, active in the church and even
strive to live a life free of moral failings personally while not seeing that true faith impacts the entirety of
life.
A personally pious Christian believes that personal beliefs do not govern business or politics. They
wouldnt consider committing adultery but have no trouble in exploiting workers or customers. They
are likely to follow the norms for behavior in a particular environment. Historically personally pious
Christians would not have questioned slavery. Today personally pious Christians participate in multi-
level marketing scams with little concern for the exploitation of the people who are down line from
them. The bottom line is that for the personally pious their faith is a personal matter.
Level 3
Level 3 describes most people that are vocal about being Christians. Most Christian artists, business
people etc. are committed to living by Christian or Biblical principles. The Bible is seen as an expression
of rules by which Christians should govern their lives. Christians living according to these principles often
put a lot of emphasis on personal morality, ethical dealings, stewardship and integrity. For them God is
really Lord of all and His law or Word governs everything.
Governing ones life by Biblical principals is good but it has severe limitations. The Christian following
this approach normally interacts intellectually with the Bible distilling principles for life from it. The
principle based Christian often has little interaction with the living God. All of the interaction is with
Gods Word. This approach in many ways models the approach that the Pharisees used and that Jesus
fought against. It is rule based and lack connection with the heart of God. God is alive. He has spoken
but he still is speaking. He is not adding to the Bible but He is not silent in guiding and directing His
children.
Level 4
Level 4 Christians realize that God does guide us today and have developed methodologies to discern
Gods guidance primarily by observing His activities in the natural realm. Henry Blackaby, author of
Experiencing God is probably the best know advocate of this approach. This approach goes far beyond
the simplistic God opens doors and closes doors. If I see something happening that only God can do like
sinners wanting to know how to be saved. I dont have to pray and try to seek God to find out whether
it is His will for them to be saved. I know that no man comes to God unless God draws them. It is
therefore incumbent on me to join God in what He is already doing.
Christian life has a vital dynamism when lived in prayer interaction with a living God. Christians with this
approach often pray and then open their eyes and see what has changed as a result of their prayers.
With eager anticipation they then adjust their lives to join God in what they see Him doing. They also
pay close attention to the coincidences of life noticing Gods orchestration in many things that are often
miscategorized as coincidences.
Level 5
Level 5 is where I believe God wants all Christians to be. It is where we know Him well enough to
subjectively discern his voice accurately. In John Jesus says, my sheep, they know my voice. We as
sheep should have conversed with the shepherd enough to be able to discern His voice much like a child
discerns the voice of their parent. I believe that this level of intimacy and communication was on Pauls
mind in 1 Corinthians 14 when he encouraged us to desire spiritual gifts and especially the gift of
prophecy. If one looks closely at the spiritual gifts they will notice that the majority of the gifts are
dependent on the Christian hearing the voice of God e.g., the gifts of prophecy, word of knowledge,
word of wisdom, and interpretation of tongues.
Read through the Bible and pay attention to the experience that the Biblical characters had with God.
From Genesis to Revelation they heard God. We need to also. Passionately seek to hear Gods voice.
Have the same kind of determination to hear God when you approach him that Jacob had when he
wrestled with the angel all night not letting him go until he was blessed. God desires to speak to us. It is
sometimes difficult to get by the fog of sin, bad teaching and our naturalistic culture so that we can hear
Him.