303 What is a bad Christian?

It's an oxymoron, say Pastor Cholak of Gordon, NE. He saw the phrase in the local paper which provides space for an essay by one of the local churches.

"What happens to a bad Christian? Are they sent to purgatory? Do they have bad things happen to them? Does Satan have his way with them for a few hours? NO, no, and no! Christians are Christians because of the doing of Christ, not because of the doing of the person. Christ says in Matthew 25 that when he comes again he will separate all the people of the nations into sheep and goats. He doesn't say anything about bad sheep...and a goat is definitely not a bad sheep - ITS A GOAT! There are sheep and there are goats. There are righteous and there are unrighteous. Noah was counted righteous by God and therefore was chosen to build the ark...but every inclination of the thoughts of Noah's heart was only evil all the time. He was righteous because the Holy Spirit gave him faith. He was called righteous because God was merciful. A Christian is a Christian because Christ's blood marked his forehead and his sins were taken away by the death of God on the tree of Calvary." more

Sheep don't ask for their wool to grow, he says. It grows because they are sheep and that's the way good works are. And sheep don't become sheep because they can grow wool!

"You don’t ask your good works to come forward, yet they come and your good works don’t make you a Christian - your being a Christian makes the works good. You are righteous because Christ has made you righteous. Christ has called you by name, he has shed his blood for your sake, he forgives all your sins and presents you as GOOD to his heavenly Father."

I had this very conversation with a young man last night--only I didn't say it nearly as well! Thanks Pastor Cholak!