The names we are known by when we live in sin are given us by the company we keep, essentially by the sins we commit. And while we live there, we see nothing wrong with the people we hang around with, nor do we feel shame for the life we are living.
It is only when we come to Jesus and believe that He is truly The Son of God that we are given our first new name - Christian-Christ-follower [Acts 11:26]. But this following Christ thing is not easy. We have to learn how to follow Him the way He wants to be followed. That requires being taught by other Christians who have known Him and followed Him longer than we have.
When we repent, we are turning our backs on the sins we once committed, and turning to Jesus where we have been forgiven of all those sins we committed, when we trespassed against His Father, God. We don't talk like we used to talk. We don't dress like we used to dress. We don't live like we used to live. We don't hang out like we used to hang out. We are changed by the blood of Christ Who died on the cross to save us from the eternal punishment for sinning against God.
And we don't want to go back to the way we used to be. We like the change that is happening in our hearts, in our new way of loving like Christ loves; in our new way of thinking, in our new way of figuring out how this new life works.
We are no longer known as Liars. We do not fib. We do not white lie. We do not deceive or con our way into someone's life. We are Truth tellers, even when The Truth hurts. We
We are no longer known as A Real Piece of Work. We are not mean-spirited, nor are we belligerent towards others. We are not bullies, nor are we rioters, punks and thugs. We are gentle and meek. We are Kindhearted, beyond mere politeness and niceness.
We are no longer known as Murderers and Backstabbers. We do not think mean thoughts towards those we are jealous of. We do not hold grudges, nor do we carry the heavy load of bitterness and pride any more. We encourage lovely thoughts, pure thoughts. We are Forgivers of every wrong. Knowing that Christ Jesus could forgive the men who caused His death while He hung on the cross dying, we know that we can surely forgive anything that is done to us and said to us: even the things done and said in our pasts. We are Merciful and Compassionate.
We are no longer Adulterers, Harlots, and Whores. We are not Fornicators: we do not sleep around. We do not live together without the benefit of marriage. We are not Adulterers: we do not cheat on our spouses. We do not invite strangers into our beds. We are Faithful. We are Faithful husbands and wives to our spouses. We are Faithful to our loving God.
We are no longer Idolaters. We do not follow every whim of life, seeking happiness and wholeness in other religious doctrines. We do not bow down to empty statues, nor do we offer them offerings and sacrifices. We do not celebrate dead saints with special festivals, nor do we pray to such as these. We are God-worshipers. To Him we give the offering of ourselves, our daily lives. We are Christ-followers. To Him we have given our souls and our hearts and our minds.
We are no longer Dishonorable Children. We do not talk back to our parents or the adults whose care we have been placed in. We do not talk bad about our parents, living or deceased. We do not condemn the way they raised us, nor do we extol the way we were raised unless that extoling glorifies God. We are Honorable to our parents and caregivers. We thank our Moms and Dads for bringing us up with a knowledge of The Lord and taking us to church with them. Our name is Christian and we train are training our children up in the knowledge of The Word and The Love of God.
We are no longer known by the Foul Language we once spoke. No longer do we swear using God's Name. No longer does vulgar speech roll off our tongues and into the hearing of the people we used to hang out with. We speak Love and we hang out with other people who speak The Name of Jesus with respect and reverence. The Lord has changed us and we are learning to speak like Jesus speaks.
We are no longer Thieves. We do not steal from anyone. We do not taste the grapes in the grocery store to see if they're fresh enough. We do not cheat on our taxes. We do not covet what is not ours to own, nor do we take it away from the person who it belongs to, whatever the 'it' may be. We are Givers. We give of ourselves and of the grace which God gives us. We give back to our communities, beginning our homes and our families, then to our neighborhoods and countries.
We are no longer known as Church-Skippers. We do not do the 'instead of' routines any more. Instead of church let's go to the baseball/football/soccer/tennis/golf/etc. Instead of church let's go anywhere but church. We are Joyful church attendees. We are the congregation of The Lord.
We love to be in church. We prepare our hearts to be in God's house before we even get to church. We listen to or sing along with or even break out in songs that haven't been written yet that glorify God, that help us prepare to worship Him with the others who attend our churches. We ask forgiveness for any sins we might have committed that would separate us from God's presence in God's house. We read a Bible verse or passage that prepares our hearts. We are Church-Goers because we are Christians: Christ-followers, Christ-listeners, Christ-hearers.
We are no longer known as Lazy or Indolent. We do not cheat the government into giving us money and food just because we don't want to do the work that is available. We are not barflies, nor are we dealers of poison. We work where God sends us to work. Every job a Christian has is a field which God has prepared for His servants to work in. We are Workers and we enjoy working for our Lord.
Someday we will get an even better name than Christian. Someday we will all be together in heaven and the past we used to live in will be wiped off the face of the earth, as well as the places where we used to live. Someday is coming soon. And I hope you are ready to be there with us. We hope you desire your name to be changed, as well.
