Christianity

I've had some thoughts rolling around in my head, so I'm going to post them here, so they don't rattle in there anymore. I think many people out there completely misunderstand what Christianity is. For example, I've heard some of the following phrases, that I think are kind of bizarre:

• "I tried out Christianity already. My parents dragged me to church when I was young, and I hated it. As soon as I could stop going, I did."
• "You did _______. How can you call yourself Christian?"
• "__Insert denomination here__ is (or is not) Christian."

Okay, to start off with, being a Christian is a very personal thing, and is a change of heart that a person, as an individual has gone through. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Because your parents made you go to church when you were young, doesn't necessarily mean you were a Christian. If you hated it, chances are, you never tried out Christianity. You tried out church-going. This takes me to my third point, when someone judges another's Christianity because of their denomination. I don't believe it has anything to do with which church you decide to go to, and everything to do with what's in your heart. And guess what? Nobody can see what's in anybody elses heart. Only God can, so I think we could leave the deciding of who's Christian and who isn't to Him.

Now onto my second point, I'm sick to death of hearing people who aren't Christian make those kinds of statements about those who are. Those people have no idea what Christianity is about. When you become a Christian, you don't become perfect. In fact, it's just the opposite. You recognize that you're a sinner, and that you never will be perfect, and that's exactly why you need a Savior, hence becoming a Christian. Sure I'm striving to become Christlike. I'd like nothing better than that. But I also recognize that's not going to happen in my lifetime. That's exactly why I've placed all my trust in Christ, knowing that it's Him who saved me. And that's why I love what it says in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Yup, we are covered by the blood of Christ, so when God looks at us, He doesn't see all our many sins, he sees the light of Christ that covers us. It's we humans, we sinners, who look at each other and judge.

So, I know nobody who I'm really directing this to is going to read my blog. This is just something that over time has annoyed me, and now I've said my bit about it, and got it off my chest. Thank you, and good night.