I’ve been noticing something for a while now.

When people begin to drift from the way of Jesus, they don’t usually let go of the word Christian right away.

In fact, it’s often the last thing to go.

Long after something has shifted in priorities, in posture, in the way we treat people, in the way we live, the name stays.

We keep calling ourselves Christian, even when our lives are being shaped by something else entirely.

The Name Stays, Even When the Way Changes

You can see it if you’re paying attention.

We can claim the name of Jesus and still:

• chase power instead of humility
• accumulate without thinking about our neighbor
• withdraw into ourselves instead of living in community
• divide people instead of loving them

And in some cases, we’ll even attach the name of Jesus to those things.

Not because they look like him, but because we’ve learned how to carry the name without carrying the way.

---

So Why Hold Onto the Name?

It’s a question I keep coming back to:

Why do we want to be called “Christian” if we’re not actually interested in living like Jesus?

Part of it, I think, is how we’ve been formed; especially here in the U.S.

“Christian” has become more than a faith commitment. It’s become a kind of identity marker.

It tells us we’re on the right side.
The good side.
The winning side.

We’re not those people.
We’re Christian.

So when we hear that Jesus is King,
that he wins, that his Kingdom lasts,
it’s easy to assume that simply identifying with him puts us in the right place.

But that’s not the same thing as following him.

Jesus Isn’t Looking for a Label

Jesus never invited people to wear his name.

He invited them to follow him.

To listen to his teaching.
To obey his commands.
To reorder their lives around his way of living and loving.

We talk a lot about the Kingdom of God.

But a kingdom isn’t just an idea we agree with; it’s a reality we live in.

And if Jesus is King, then his words aren’t optional.

They shape everything.

The Part We Try to Separate

I think, sometimes without even realizing it, we’ve learned to separate two things that were never meant to be separated.

We want Jesus as Savior…
but we’re not so sure about Jesus as Lord.

But he doesn’t divide himself that way.

Jesus saves us as King.
And he reigns as the one who saves.

Which means salvation isn’t just about what happens someday.

It’s about stepping into a different way of life right now.

A Different Kind of Life

This is why I’ve found the Wesleyan holiness tradition so compelling over the years.

Because it takes seriously the idea that salvation actually changes something.

Not just what we believe.
Not just where we’re headed.

But how we live.

Salvation is an invitation into the Kingdom of God,
into a life shaped by love, humility, holiness, and right relationship with God and neighbor.

It’s a call to leave other ways of living behind.

The Problem with the Other “Kingdoms”

Because the truth is, the other “kingdoms” we’re drawn to don’t actually give life.

The pursuit of power, wealth, control, status; they promise something, but they don’t deliver.

They unravel.

They divide.
They consume.
They collapse under their own weight.

And yet, it’s possible to keep living in those systems…
while still holding onto the name of Jesus.

More Than a Name

At some point, we have to be honest about this:

Being Christian is more than something we call ourselves.

It’s a way of living.

It’s a daily, ongoing decision to follow Jesus; to trust that his way is actually the way to life and to order our lives around that faith.

An Honest Question to Sit With

So maybe the question isn’t complicated.

Do I want to be called a Christian?
Or do I actually want to follow Jesus?

Because those two things don’t always line up.

But they’re meant to.

And maybe part of rediscovering faith in our time
is not just reclaiming the name…

but returning to the way.

---

Subscribe

Make sure to subscribe to the blog or follow me on Facebook (both options available at the bottom of the page). Please share with your friends or church if you find these posts helpful or thought-provoking.

• Facebook

Support