“Can it not be that many men who cannot believe these doctrines are much more truly Christian, much closer to the spirit of Christ, than some who believe?” (CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952) That sure sounds like wisdom. I’d be willing to bet that most people can take a look at the people in their lives and find at least one non-Christian who acts more like Jesus than most people who claim to be Christians. In the question above, CS Lewis was demonstrating the wrong thinking of many in the world, and I would say particularly in the United States. We have decided, on our own, that it is up to us to define the word “Christian” and make it easy for anyone to wear the title.
In Mere Christianity, CS Lewis uses the analogy that just as the world has redefined the word “gentleman,” they are also trying to redefine the definition of who is and who is not a Christian. For example, can you be a Christian and support abortion? Can you be a Christian and support gay marriage? Some of you will say, “Yes, sure you can.” To which I would say, not according to Jesus. He spoke in absolutes, and was very clear about who was on his side and who was not. He is the Word of God, according to John 1:1, and the word of God is Law. The Law of God clearly establishes his position on issues such as murder and homosexuality. You can choose to believe something other than his Word if you wish. You can even choose to pretend to follow him if he spots you and makes you feel safe, but you are not following him. His Law was never open to our interpretation.
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ Luke 18:22 NIV. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to a rich young man who had asked him what he must do to be saved. He even told Jesus that he had obeyed the Law all his life. Jesus told him to sell all his earthly possessions, to give the money to the poor, and to follow him. If he had, he would have been a Christian in the sense that Jesus would have defined the word. You might be saying, “Who are you to say how Jesus would have Have you defined the word, Christian?” To which I would ask you the same question. I don’t have to guess. I am willing to take Jesus’ words at face value. He wanted that man to reject the pleasures of this life and follow him to That’s a lot to ask, and Jesus knew it.
Now notice this: “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.” Luke 18:23. Look at that scripture and see for yourself how Jesus reacts to the man at that moment. What Jesus did was turn around and continue teaching the people. He didn’t beg the man to stay. He made no exceptions and said, “Well, you seem like a nice guy, maybe we can work something out. After all, it’s the spirit of Christianity that really counts.” Yes, I realize that Jesus never heard the word Christian, that’s not the point. The point is that Jesus drew a line and made it clear that the people on his side were Christians and going to heaven, and everyone else was his enemy.
Can you be a Muslim and go to heaven? According to Jesus, no. “…because everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” There is nothing ambiguous in that statement. The only people who try to interpret that statement are those who need an excuse to continue living the way they want.
In the book Mere Christianity, CS Lewis explains that a “gentleman” used to be someone who owned land and a coat of arms. Those were absolute prerequisites. He might be the nicest guy in the world, but without a coat of arms or a land, you weren’t a knight. So, with nothing but the best of intentions, someone decided that any good boy should be able to call himself a gentleman. As soon as they did that, the word lost all meaning and all value. Suddenly we had two ways to describe an educated man and no way to describe a man with land and a coat of arms.
Where is the value in redefining words to fit our mood? If I decided I really wanted a can of soda, but all I had was a glass of milk, would it help my situation to start calling my drink soda? Would it suddenly turn bubbly and sweet? No. If you want to be a good and generous person without following Jesus and believing that He is exactly who He says He is, go ahead and be a “good person” and stop trying to be a Christian. If you want soda in your glass, you’ll have to pour out the milk, rinse the glass, and fill it with a completely new liquid. Renaming it will only turn you into a person confused with a glass of milk.