Faith & Insight: Winsome mug shot

What is a follower of Jesus supposed to look like? How would you pick such a person out of a lineup? Today, many view Christians as strident culture warriors: people for whom current political influence is all important, who employ inflammatory, confrontational approaches to dispensing their views.

The apostle Paul offers a radically different description as he writes to dear friends in the Greek city of Philippi while incarcerated in Rome. Paul composes a character sketch that any follower of Jesus should desire to emulate:

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 NLT

Believing in Jesus does not resemble joining a club or political action group. Rather, we come to God realizing we need not only forgiveness but a restart on life. Jesus Christ’s sinless life and death in our place provides us with forgiveness when we trust him; his resurrection affords us a new life now. Paul describes what this ongoing transformation should look like.

We are meant to broadcast God’s love, and not only to those who agree with us. We are to genuinely care for others, being neither self-centered nor manipulative.

Our ongoing transformation testifies to the reality of God and his power more than any political action ever could – that’s “what really matters.” God changes those who trust him from self-centered ruin to a new life of relationship with him and others.

Two words describing traits of this new life – “pure and blameless” – have revealing histories. “Pure” literally means to be tested by the sun. When clay pots were used for transporting and storing everything, unscrupulous salespeople would occasionally market flawed wares.

Cracks were filled with wax, covered with dust, and passed off as sound. The deception could be discovered by holding the pot up to the sun. Our lives are to be sincere, free from phoniness or deceptive motives. “Blameless” describes a smooth road, all potholes repaired.

Anyone following our example should not trip over our bad behaviors. Believers should be forthright about our flaws and open to change by God. This process isn’t fueled by self-effort, but through faith in Jesus. I know how selfish and manipulative I would be without that constant inward-out change that only God can accomplish.

Cooperating with God so he produces his “righteous character” in us should be our lifelong objective. Back to the lineup: a follower of Jesus should stand out for that humble willingness to be changed through faith in God over our lifetime, not for employing rage and invective to achieve, by comparison, a temporary and tawdry political influence.

Don Baumann is a retired outreach pastor at Hilltop Community Church.