What does it mean to be a Contempoary Christian?

I am sitting in front of my computer with a cup of Joe in a coffe cup a couple had given me this past Christmas. As I was thinking about what to write, a thought came to mind. Actually, a bunch of them. I started thinking about what had transpired thorugh the years, where I was spiritually, and just the development of my beliefs and faith. Now, I am the first to say that no one should ever dictate your beliefs. If you’re believing something just because someone says to, then something is definately wrong somewhere. If they help show you why you should believe something and you willingly agree, then that’s done by choice and totaly okay. I had been raised Baptist, and there are some Methodist’s in the family, but I sometimes get the feeling that there’s a doctrine preached mostly because of what they were taught instead of them teaching from their personal experience of the matter. Now, I do agree that there are those black and whites of the Bible, such as you must be born again to go to Heaven, abortion is murder no matter how you slice it, and homosexuality will always be an abomination to God until He decides to change His mind, which I don’t think He will do anytime soon.

With all of that said, this is where I get into what I think it means to be a Contempoary Christian. In reality, in it’s simplist terms, a Contempoary Chrstian is a person living in this modern world, sold out and unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Plain and simple. This person uses the Bible as thier final authority on matters and leaves it at that. There is no room for compromise. I have come to find that if the Bible doesn’t have a definite yes or no answer on a subject, then it is possible that we judge the right and wrongness of the matter based on our attitudes. Actually, our attitude is a good gauge of our relationship with Christ on all matters. The two greatest commandments don’t have anything to do with material, but of attitude. Love God above all, and love everyone outside of yourself as you love yourself. If we live and grow in these commandments, then how we live will be affected. You can always tell the condition of someone’s attitude by their actions. Before we start questioning musical styles, let’s forcus on the message behind the music. Instead of criticizing someone’s hair style and style of dress, or even the condition there of, let’s look to their heart and see what they have to work with. A suit and tie won’t get you into Heaven if your heart is empty of Christ. God doesn’t favore one style of music over another if it doesn’t point you to His Son. God knows where every heart and person is at any given moment in thier walk of life. Since God is the only one who can save from sin, just sit back and let Him do what He needs to do. When He needs you to do a work, He’ll let you know and let you know what needs to be done. I’m willing to bet that He won’t have to go inform someone how to cut their hair or what music to listen to or what suit they should wear, unless He tells you to go but it for them. Just meet people where they are and let God do His thing.