Is There Any Such Thing As A “Wonderful Christian” ~ If So Who Are They?

Even though we might be told to view someone as a “wonderful Christian” – the Bible makes it very clear, there is no such person, with the exception of Christ. 

There is not a single human being who has ever fit such a category, not even the Apostles. All of God’s servants are sanctified by grace, and even so, remain vulnerable to the temptations of sin.

None of the Apostles referred to each other or themselves, as being wonderful Christians. They remained humble, as they understood it was very important to avoid being arrogant. Pious religious superiority was a distinctive trait of the Pharisees, not the servants of Christ.  

Romans 3:23 KJV states ” For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” 

This truth is stated in multiple locations throughout the Bible. In fact, in the Book of Revelation, the seven churches addressed at the beginning of the book, are repeatedly told to repent.

This means all Christians are called upon to examine themselves, and repent. Repentance is not just for the unbelievers, but also for the believers. It is not only for those who do obviously sinful acts, but also for those who manipulate, deceive, exploit others, or have excessive pride. 

When John the Baptist arrived on the scene, to preach the coming of Christ, his primary message to all people, was to repent. He suffered persecution and a horrific death, yet he was unwavering in his message. Prior to his death, he did not walk around claiming to be a wonderful Christian. 

Therefore anyone who thinks they are a wonderful Christian, is filled with false pride, and the truth in not in them.

1 John 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Anyone who promotes someone else as being some kind of deity, or wonderful exalted Christian, is establishing a cult worship and following, not a Christian one. 

How often do we hear pious Christians claim other people need to repent, yet they do not seem to think it applies to them?

If the wonderful Christian is out to manipulate and exploit people, of course the gullible are expected to view then as wonderful saints. 

That is exactly how cults and cult leaders gain the trust of the followers. They place themselves on a pedestal, and can do no wrong. Yet they are little more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

The reason for the clear Biblical instructions to repent, and to understand all people fall short of the glory of God, is to prevent people from worshipping themselves, or another person, instead of worshipping God. 

If we are prone to worshipping man, we can easily be deceived and fall into cult practices. We are also less likely to do any serious self examination. 

There are certain people who call themselves Christians, who I knew, listened to, and observed for many years. Yet I did not once hear them say they needed to repent.

They would not even apologize for blatant lies, exploitation and wrongdoing, no matter what. They were elitist and untouchable. Some of them believed they were above all, above the law, and as pure as the driven snow. 

It is true that our sins are forgiven, if we repent, and truly believe in Christ, what he did for us on the cross, and his death and resurrection. It is the central promise of the gospel. 

We are not forgiven because we are wonderful Christians but rather, because we have acknowledged the fact we are not wonderful Christians.

We are forgiven because we have recognized and admitted our sins. If so, we have genuine remorse, will confess, repent, and change our ways.

Most of all – we will understand forgiveness is granted by the grace of God. It has nothing to do with any Christian being wonderful. 

Even the most gifted among God’s people committed grievous sins. King David, King Solomon, and Noah were not without sin.

We live in a secular world, where even the mention of sin brings a haughty response. How dare anyone call wrongdoing a sin! Even if it is a premeditated, willful violation of the law, and morality – it is often denied, referred to as a mistake, or attributed to mental illness. 

If we become ensnared in the concept of elitism, riches, pride, self exaltation, and worshipping wolves in sheep’s clothing, how far is that from falling into the trap of worshipping the beast?

The Bible is full of warnings about deception, false pride and arrogance. 

As Christians we are blessed when we are humbled. It sounds like a contradiction, and is often a painful experience. However pride brings disgrace, and humility brings wisdom. 

Some people go through their entire lives full of false Christian arrogance. But sooner or later, they too will be humbled. 

We are not better than other people. We do not serve the will of man, especially those who are prone to false pride and exploitation. They are not superior.

No matter how exalted, how rich, how full of arrogance a person is, they are delusional if they think this makes them special. Even the most well known Christians in the Bible understood they were not better than other people. They did not go out and preach self glory. They glorified God. 

Although we are thankful for the help and encouragement of other people in our lives, we do not worship them, or view them as infallible.

In fact we are grateful to God, and no one has the right to tell us who or what to be grateful for. We might be grateful to a stranger who helped us lift a heavy object, or treated us with respect. 

We might be grateful to the author of a good book we read. We might be grateful that we have enough food to eat, or can take a hot bath. As we age, we are grateful for our health and independence. 

No one has the right to tell us what to be grateful for. No one can give us orders to be grateful for the health and well being of our children, and grandchildren. True gratitude does not rely on the orders of someone else. To each their own, when it comes to gratitude. 

Even God does not give us orders regarding what, and who to be grateful for. True gratitude belongs to God. 

Gratitude, like humility – comes from the heart. Just as it is with all things the Bible says about false pride, arrogance, and deception, it also tells us that only Christ knows our hearts, and true intentions.

Gratitude is a good practice, and helps to keep us humble. We live by faith, and faith is also something to be grateful for, as it gives us assurance and peace.

Other people, no matter how self exalted or powerful they are, do not get to dictate what we are  to be grateful for. 

The notion or claims of wonderful Christians, combined with orders to be grateful for those wonderful Christians, comes from a place of pride and cultish deception. 

For their sake, we can only hope they will eventually be humbled, and repent. They are setting themselves up for failure. They are lying. Fictitious, and so-called wonderful Christians, are not the path to salvation.

Jesus said in John 14″6  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”.

If people deny the truth, they will lose their way. They should take truth seriously. Deception and pride is not from God. 

I do not intend to sound cynical about all Christians. Just as I have known some who are deceptive, cruel, shunning, and full of themselves, I have also known others who are just the opposite.

They were kind, empathic, humble, accepting, giving, warm, and loving. They demonstrated their Christianity in the way they treated others, showing the fruits of the Spirit.

In fact the Bible tells us in Mathew 7:20 KJV “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Galatian 5:22 KJV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.”

As much as I wish I had been more discerning throughout my life, and quicker to repent myself – I am grateful for knowing people who do have the fruits of the Spirit.

One of them was a neighbour on the farm where I grew up. Another was an elderly woman named Elsie, who I met in White Rock thirty some years ago. They were both incredibly kind, accepting, and full of love. I will always hold those women, and many other kind people, near and dear to my heart. 

The kind neighbour on the farm who lived nearby, had a tremendous influence on my life. I always found her to be gentle, caring, kind, and loving. I would beg to tag along on visits to her house, so I could talk to her, ask her questions about God, and play with the lambs they had on their farm.

I still clearly remember when I was around three years old, she told me God does not allow a sparrow to fall to the ground, and that He even knows the number of hairs on my head, so He will take care of me.

I was so amazed at what she told me, it stuck with me forever. I marvelled at little birds, and people with thick curly hair, and wondered how God could know so much. I would even try to touch people’s hair, just to see how thick it was. But by the time I started school, I soon found out, they would get annoyed, so I left their hair alone. 

Even though we have come across some real gems in our lifetime, we should still be aware – the fruits of the Spirit, are from God, not the person. God calls us according to His purpose, not ours.

We all grow up in a world with both the wheat and the tares. We would be wise to figure out ahead of time, which of the two we choose to be. 

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2024). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.