Are All Church Members Christians?

A good post by Jeff Crippen





...squabbles and conflict in the church is the norm. Something to be expected. After all, you know, we are all just sinners.

And so, when I became a pastor, I dealt with the large majority of church members as if they were Christians. There was constant tension and even pretty harsh battles. But, you know, we have to forgive one another and endure with one another until Jesus comes. Everybody is a sinner. Right?

Wrong.

How can we possibly read John’s first epistle for example, and see him say things like the verses quoted above, and yet maintain that a real Christian can be a habitually and characteristically difficult, divisive, reviling, arrogant, immoral, world-loving, or mean person who makes the lives of those around him miserable? We can’t, unless we just flat refuse to believe...

Read the rest here: 

What or Who is a Christian? Churches Don’t Seem to Know