How do YOU put labels on people and things?
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
How do Labels Affect us?
If someone says to you, “He’s a Christian,” what does that “label” mean to you?
- Does it matter who told you this?
- When you hear this reference, what does it bring to mind? Do you think “He must believe in and accept Jesus Christ as their savior?”
- Although that may be the most common answer, do you also find yourself adding your own refinements? Such as:
- He must accept the teachings of (what I believe to be) certain Christian denominations (like Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc.)
- He must not accept the teachings of (what I believe to be) certain non-Christian denominations (like Islam, Buddhism, etc.)
Why did I add the phrase “what I believe to be?” Because the labels we put on each other are derived from what we believe to be true based on what others have taught us, how we were raised, and/or our personal opinions. Their accuracy is limited by our knowledge, perspective, and history. Shockingly, sometimes we are wrong. And, how we translate a label in our head is often quite different from how others translate the very same label. For example, when someone says another person is a Christian, there are some who will question that label if they know the person being identified is Catholic. Why? Because they have translated the label of “Christian” to exclude Catholics. We’ve all heard the old saying, “Garbage in – garbage out,” and when it comes to navigating our way through life, nothing could be more important than forming our labels based on the most reliable information possible. With today’s social media and the claims of “fake news,” the challenge of “getting it right” is more difficult than ever before.
What is a “Christian?”
To simplify this discussion, let’s stick with the label “Christian” and look at how we decide on who fits that label. For most of us, the authoritative source for helping us decide is the Bible. Why? Because the Bible is widely believed to be a miraculous book whose existence could only be explained by accepting that it is the inspired Word of God. That’s the simple part. The hard part is in deciphering exactly what God wants us to know. For centuries, an uncounted hoard of “scholars” have made every attempt to help the rest of us pagans fathom the nuances of the message God sent us through His Word. You’d think this task would be simple since only one source (God) wrote the Bible. Yet, it has proven far from simple. One source I found states that there are >45,000 denominations claiming to be “Christian” in the world (and 200 in the USA alone!)[1] This begs the question: “How can so many people derive so many variations in their beliefs after reading one book?” Or more to the point, “How much latitude does God give us when deciding what we will believe?” Christian scholars must think there is some latitude; otherwise, they’d insist that only one denomination was correct, and all others would be sacrilege. Yet, I don’t see that happening. Instead, as long as a church adheres to certain basic tenets of faith and belief, they are deemed “Christian”:
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God who
- Was born of a virgin who
- Lived a sinless life, who
- Was crucified for our sins, who
- Then died and rose three days later as proof He was God.
This basic statement of faith (generally referred to as the Gospel message) is the essence of what most accept to constitute the Christian belief. So, how can we derive 45,000 variations on the above theme?
My first response was – we can’t – God’s message is simple and clear. But it is equally clear that there is room for some acceptable variations as long as they don’t compromise the core message of Jesus. As I thought about that concept, I asked myself, “What “acceptable variations” does God allow?” After all, God is the only one who finally decides who will spend eternity with Him, and His view is not bound by time, knowledge, or perspective! When we think we know enough about God and His perspective to speak on His behalf – we don’t. The Bible proves that God has a long-term plan that He has been working on since the dawn of time. The Bible also says that God does not want anyone to perish (i.e., to be lost from His presence). So, is it possible that God has an ace (or two) up His sleeve that will ensure that more of us get to heaven? Let’s hope so!
Is our perception of God too small for Him to fit into?
Let me illustrate where I’m going with this. Generally, most Protestants and Catholics will agree they are both Christians and are saved, but they will disagree on the importance of the Pope and the role of baptism. So, are both saved? I think most would agree they are. But the implications of that conclusion are far-reaching. If God allows this degree of “wiggle-room” in how He defines who is saved:
- How far does the concept go?
- How do we know when we have “crossed the line?”
- Can 45,000 interpretations be right?
I have what may be a very controversial answer. It’s not for us to decide! God has not put any of us in charge of deciding (or judging) who He will accept (or why). To say that “Those who reject Jesus will be rejected by God” is certainly a truth taught by the Bible that most Christians can agree on. But God is in charge of deciding how and when this requirement will be applied to each and every one of us – so that none should perish. When we try and decide the fate of another, we are judging things we are neither qualified for nor called to do – that task belongs exclusively to God. Only God knows:
- What is in the heart of each person when they make their commitment to God and Jesus.
- What circumstances did each face in life, and to what degree did those circumstances affect their decisions regarding God and Jesus?
- How any decision made (or not made) during their life will be viewed when seen outside the confines of time on the day of judgment?
I liken my argument to how any author must feel when someone writes an article about how to interpret their book – who knows better than the author what they meant? Why would this truth not also apply to God? Look at all the commentaries, articles and books that have been written trying to help us understand what God meant when He said something in His Word. I think that helps to illustrate my point when we see that a great number of these authors don’t agree on many issues. God is God. Only He knows exactly what He meant when He inspired someone to write down any portion of scripture. And He made it clear that some things will be hidden from us until it is time for us to know.
Does God Have a Plan for the Jews?
I wanted to cover this topic because it forms a central part of the storyline behind my book, “Why God (still) has BIG plans for the Jews!” In it, I contend that there is a grossly misunderstood label God applied to the Jews that we Christians have failed to recognize. I don’t make that statement as a criticism, simply an observation. Let’s start by asking a question: What label do you think best fits God’s view of the Jews?
- His (still) Chosen People?
- His guinea pig (or trial balloon) people (e.g., a people He sacrificed to make a point)?
- His great embarrassment people (e.g., a people who blew their chance to please God)?
My fear is that many Christians would have a huge problem answering this question. In fact, there is a very helpful App one can use to verify this premise. It is called “Answer the Public.” [2] It performs a very useful function. If you type in the question, “Is Israel still God’s Chosen People?” it will show you if this is a popular question of concern being posed on the internet. I found that, according to this App, it does appear that many Christians struggle with this question.
It seems that many Christians just do not grapple with what God’s plan is for the Jew. And any solidly committed Jew has absolutely zero desire to be “saved” according to the standard set by us Christians. So, the conundrum is:
If God does not want any of us to perish, and Jesus is a prerequisite to salvation, how does God plan on saving the Jews (His Chosen People)?
Stay tuned to my next edition…
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[1] https://www.livescience.com/christianity-denominations.html
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