The Serious Christian

Ever notice that some Christians are more serious than others? Not that their countenance is stony and their heart is hard, rather, their pursuit of Christ is something that catches your eye. You want to be like them. They inspire you. Their easy, yet steadfast faith almost takes your breath away when compared to your own. What is it about these people that seems almost as if they’re clothed even now with the glory of Heaven?

Usually, when we think of a “serious” Christian, we might think of one who is legalistic or stern, someone who is more disciplinarian than disciple. Surely that seems to be the caricature of evangelicals by unbelievers. But I’m not talking about legalists or those who think having a tattoo sends you to Hell. I’m talking about those Christians who are so in love with Christ that their walk with Him is almost like a love affair. They seem to have an understanding of Jesus that the average pew-sitter does not have.

I am of the opinion these Christians are forged by Christ Himself to stir up His church to look unto Him. For reasons only Jesus knows, He gives some Christians a fuller measure of grace to chase after Him as He skips across the mountains like a young stag. The Spirit does a work in their hearts so that they adore studying Scripture and never forsake their prayer closets. They have no distractions in their lives, or if they do, they don’t let these distractions distract them from their pursuit of Christ.

Part of how Christ shapes these Christians is through their own prayers. I believe He inspires these to pray for Him to make them into serious Christians. “Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief!” This is the prayer of those who chase after Jesus. They seem to instinctively know the will of God is for them to be a strong and faithful believer. The Spirit inspires them to pray in that direction. They ask God for more faith, more drive, more desire for Him. They know they cannot love Him in the way He commands in Scripture, with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, without His help. So they ask for Him to help them love Him.

Serious Christians have a deeper communion with the Spirit of God because of this. They know the fruit of their lives is the result of their pleading prayers, and therefore they take no credit for their demeanor, and know the work in their hearts is God’s alone. It is this mark of the Spirit upon them that others recognize. Old theologians call this mark “unction”, and it’s what allows the serious Christian to also be a fruitful Christian.

When a believer seeks after God with all their heart, they begin to see and understand the depths of God’s truth in Scripture. When they explain these things to others, they are seen as having gifts of wisdom, discernment, and often teaching. Scripture recall is easy for these, as they have meditated on God’s Word, and His Spirit brings the Word into their remembrance. Often, God gifts them with various ways to communicate these truths in deep, yet simple ways, sometimes via sermons, writing, speeches, art, or song.

God uses these serious children of His to raise the spiritual temperature of the believers around them. He gifts them to various churches, and often, the congregations they fellowship with transition from superficial teaching to deep, meaty doctrine over the course of a few years. It’s also possible God cleans house within these congregations and removes sinning or unbelieving leadership. This happens not necessarily due to direct involvement by the serious Christian, rather, it is due to their prayers for their church and for their pastors, and God hears them.

Very often what is done in secret is rewarded openly. Church leadership might not know why God is moving so mightily in their congregations, but the serious Christian knows. The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

However, these serious Christians are the ones you wouldn’t expect. They have no pomp or circumstance. They are often the widows, the orphans, or the ones bent over in pain. They are the ones God has mightily humbled, the soft-spoken ones, with easy smiles and warm hearts. Their faith shines from them like the sun, and you cannot help but want to stand in these rays, hoping for some of their warmth to warm your own heart.

Like a lit match, these Christians are the ones who ignite others and inspire them to likewise be serious about their faith. This is how God incites revival. Rarely does revival come to the big tent meeting; revival comes to the heart of the serious Christian, and that passion for Christ spreads to the hearts and minds of those around them. Due to this, God makes sure the vessels He uses are the weak, the broken, the downtrodden, the overlooked, in order to show the world the glory of His great power to move among the hearts of men.

You do not need to be around a serious Christian for long to know they are being used mightily of God. They have an air about them, a fragrance of Christ, and often you find yourself glancing over at them in curiosity. It is even possible to recognize these Christians with “unction” of the Holy Spirit in history. Their lives shined so brightly in their day and age, the unction is obvious. Men like Jonathan Edwards or Charles Spurgeon. Women like Amy Carmichael or Corrie Ten Boom.

How can one become one of these serious Christians? How can one come to pursue the Living God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you recognize superficiality in yourself? Do you notice a certain boredom when reading Scripture? Does your mind wander in prayer? Are you always tired in church? Do you feel cold and at times shut off from God? The good news is there is a cure for these maladies. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

God forges serious Christians on the anvil of humility. He will not reveal Himself to anyone who wishes these gifts for their own gain, to be seen as “mighty” in their church. He only moves in the heart of the believer who wants to adore Christ for Christ’s own sake, not their own. Cater your prayers to ask God for what you do not have. Drive. Passion. A heart on fire. Ask God for a strong desire to study, to pray, to know Him above all things lest you die!

These are the prayers of those who shine forth like the sun at full strength. Ask God for the unction of His Holy Spirit, not for your glory, but for His. But be advised, these are dangerous prayers. The serious Christian does not have dry eyes. They often have broken hearts. They weep and cry like Jeremiah, wondering why no one listens to the things they have to say. The sad truth of the serious Christian is they are sometimes overlooked by other Christians. They’re not understood, they can be seen as morose, or perhaps the more superficial believers feel threatened in their presence. Conviction of their thin faith isn’t welcome, and this pains those who are lovers of God.

Just as in Scripture, God conforms these children in the wilderness - on their own. It matters not if they have fellow believers in their family. The serious Christian is often required to walk this road alone, without family, friends, or even their own spouse. In this way, God tests their resolve. Do they love their spouse, their family, or their friends more than they love Christ? Or are they willing to lay them all aside to chase after the all-consuming fire of the King of Glory?

Ultimately, the greatest test to give yourself to know whether or not you are a serious Christian, or that God is about to mold you into one, is this: How much do you love and adore the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is He to you? Does your heart take flight at His name alone? Do you fall at His feet as though dead when you meditate on all that He has given to you through His crucifixion, death, and resurrection? Does this literally take your breath away? Is your mind drawn to Him again and again throughout the day, no matter what you’re doing? Does Christ seem to be the great obsession of your heart? Do you have a secret inner life of prayer that no one knows a thing about? Do you often find yourself weeping to Jesus that no one else around you is as serious about their faith as you are about yours?

These are the marks of a serious Christian. While it can be terrifying to know you’ll be required to walk this road alone, I daresay there is no more fulfilling road to walk this side of Glory. You will have a communion with Christ other Christians don’t share. You will have wisdom rooted in His Word that He only reveals to those who humbly seek Him. You’ll have a greater sense of His presence and love upon you. He will become your all, your everything, the One for whom your heart beats. If this is God’s calling upon your life, you cannot run from it. He will chase you down until you submit to Him lavishing this grace upon you.

But do not fear this, beloved. Our Lord Jesus Christ has chosen you out of His other disciples to be one of His closest friends. This is a magnificent honor. Be a light unto your church and your brethren, and go forth clothed in the fragrance of Christ. Never, never be ashamed to wear His name, and know that His banner over you is love. The serious Christian is Christ’s own gift to His church. If you recognize these marks within yourself, then Jesus will guide you, lead you, and make you fruitful for His Kingdom.

Through your one passionate heart, O serious Christian, God is on the move. Praise the Lord.

Christ's Closest Friend

How many sermons have you heard that allegorize the story of David and Goliath, where David is you, and Goliath is some problem you must overcome? Despite the fact that this story isn't about you (it foreshadows Christ defeating sin, you're actually the trembling Israelites), one thing I haven't heard much from the pulpit is taking the lives of the disciples of Christ as our examples in our own walk with the Lord.

We know Christ was followed by many people. Some followed Him to get a handout, others were genuinely curious (John 6:24). More than just His disciples followed Him wherever He went. We know blind Bartimaeus from Jericho followed Him after his healing (Mark 10:52), and so too did Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna (Luke 8:1-3). Along with these, Christ had twelve specific disciples He hand-picked Himself. These were the men He revealed deeper secrets to, who were the recipients of His greater teachings. But even within the twelve, there were three who were His closest friends, Peter, James, and John. These three men were privileged to know and witness things the others did not.

Peter walked on water. John was allowed to rest his head on Christ's chest, and he called himself the disciple Jesus loved. Peter, James, and John all witnessed Jesus transfigured in glory upon the mountain, and not only that, they saw Moses and Elijah as well! These are incredible events these specific men were allowed to do and witness. The others were truly Christ's disciples as well, however, these three were favored by our Lord.

James was martyred early, the first of Christ's true original disciples to die for his faith. But Peter and John went on to become the leaders of the Apostles, and John was given the Revelation late in his life, the only Apostle to die of old age.

What made these men stand out in Christ's eye? And how can we be like them in our own walk with the Lord? First, I want to make it very clear that I'm not suggesting we try to emulate the gifts they had been given by the Lord as His Apostles. They built the foundation of the church, and as such, their gifts gave witness to their message. We are no longer laying the foundation of the church, therefore the apostolic gifts have ceased.

What I am suggesting is that we can decide for ourselves if we're going to get out of the boat, if we're going to lean upon Christ, if we want to see His glory.

Are we going to be periphery disciples following Christ for what He can give us? Adjacent disciples who hear His sermons and parables? Or Christ's closest friends who seek Him and pant after Him like a deer pants for the waterbrooks?

Even among the three men closest to Christ, there is one Apostle who stands out in Scripture, and I daresay he was Jesus's closest friend. You might think I'm referring to Peter. And Peter was indeed given many weighty responsibilities from the Lord. He was seen as a leader. Perhaps he was the most outspoken, or perhaps the most brave. Considering Peter is the one who stepped out of the boat in the midst of a storm and considering Peter is the one who first claimed Christ as the Son of God, I don't doubt these things to be true.

But no, I'm talking about the Apostle John.

All my life, I've heard men preach and assume that Peter was Christ's closest friend. But in thinking on this more and more, I don't believe he was. I believe Christ's best friend was John. John described himself as the "disciple Jesus loved". He is the one who laid his head on Christ's chest, and Peter asked John to ask the Lord who was the traitor at the Last Supper, Peter didn't ask Jesus outright. Perhaps he knew Christ would have a softer response to John than He would have to Peter. That idea seems to hold some weight, as Christ did seem to be more harsh with Peter than He was with John.

John would likely have been the youngest disciple. Perhaps he was young and impressionable. Maybe he was weaker than the others. Maybe he had a great faith. Perhaps he asked the Lord many searching questions. Maybe he was the first to recognize who the Lord was before the others. Maybe Christ took him aside and spoke with him often in a gentle and tender way. Considering he had felt at home lying on Jesus in the upper room, he was likely a tender man himself with a tender heart. I can only assume that John's heart was very much like Christ's, love for the Father, love for the lost, and a zealous devotion to Yeshua.

John's Gospel is the only one of the four to emphasize Christ's deity. John is the one who did not flee at Christ's crucifixion. Into John's hands Christ gave custody of Mary, His mother. John, along with Peter, ran to Christ's empty tomb. Perhaps here we can see the difference between these two men.

John did not enter the tomb, believing by sight alone. Peter, however, ran inside and had to handle the grave clothes. It's possible John's easy faith was well-beloved by Jesus. He did not need "evidence" to believe. It was John who was given the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos in his old age, and John alone who was allowed to die a natural death out of Christ's twelve original disciples.

Indeed, Peter was more bombastic, standing before the Pharisees and the High Priest Caiaphas in the book of Acts, accusing them to their face of crucifying their Messiah. That took great faith and great courage. But John was always with him, and I think Peter likewise had a soft spot for John the Apostle.

There is great evidence from Scripture that Christ favored the Apostle John over and above any of His other friends, including Peter. Yes, brethren, I believe John was our Lord's closest friend. Let us pray to love Jesus as John loved Him, whole-heartedly, not ashamed to lean upon Him, not afraid to learn of Him, to ask Him questions, to follow Him, to be seen with Him, not afraid to stand in boldness before the cross, not ashamed to claim Christ as his Lord and Messiah, faithful to the very end of his life.

The Apostle John was given the greatest privilege any Apostle had ever been given - the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. What glorious friendship did they share for Christ to bestow this magnificent honor? How great was their love for one another that our Lord allowed John a long life? How unshakable was John's faith in his God? How devoted was John's love for Christ? All-consuming, that's what I believe.

That is what we should strive to obtain, Church.

O, Lord Jesus, help us to love You as John loved You. Give us tender hearts, ignite our love for You to blaze forth, help us to be bold, allow us a great and mighty faith, and grant us the glory of being one of Your closest friends, seeking You in faithfulness for the rest of our days.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.