 A Rose
What is the meaning of a name? William Shakespeare considered this age old question in his portrayal of the two star crossed lovers named Montague and Capulet. Probably, better known to most of us as Romeo and Juliet. The point of the question is, does a name really make a difference? It is something that every couple awaiting the delivery of a precious bundle of joy must consider. How will the name given to this child affect the treatment or experiences this precious image bearer of God will have? Of course, we cannot see the future or pick a name according to every possible contingency. However, as another great deceased poet (Johnny Cash) has taught us, life can be very difficult for a boy named Sue. The names are an issue because of the realities that they represent. The issue with Romeo and Juliet is the animosity between their respective families, not the syllables of their surnames. Names are labels that identify who we are and to whom we belong. The reason that our names are passed down in our families and from husband to wife is to identify relationships. Sometimes this notifies us of the relationships between other people or even the relationship to ourselves. Suitable Sue Brother Cash used the name “Sue” to point out that the culturally defined feminine name is not well suited to a boy in our society. While there are many things that could be commented on about the change in our culture from the 1960’s to today, the point that I want to focus on in this post is that the prevalence of inappropriate names is more common than we might think. I don’t mean that people have inappropriate “given” names or legal names. Neither am I referring to people with inappropriate or vulgar nicknames (although, this is probably more common). Rather, I want to discuss the suitability of social labels, specifically religious labels. Christian Just today I was speaking with a missionary and pastor living in Nepal who has visited and preached in dozens of countries and he expressed the reality that people really are the same everywhere that you go. Everywhere you go you find people who are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) for that is the only kind of people that exist. These image bearers are also sinners because all people regardless of society or status have sinned against the righteous standard of God’s own perfect character (Romans 3:21-23). These two realities means that everywhere you go you find that everyone is in need of the same glorious good news that they can be saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus came to display perfectly the image of God that Adam and all his children have failed to show accurately (Genesis 3). In living this perfect life, He, in full humanity and deity, fulfilled all the righteous demands of the law of God (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Through this perfect, active obedience, He who had no sin was the rightful inheritor of life. Yet, He became sin so that through His death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21) He could pay the sin debt of guilty sinners who had earned death (Romans 6:23). Then, in victorious resurrection, His victory was made manifest and those who through faith are His people were eternally saved! The problem is that this missionary and pastor shared with me the heartbreaking reality that nominal faith is not only a reality here among the professing church but also there. What I mean by nominal faith is simply the fact that so many people who wear the title of “christian” or who would self identify as “saved” or as “believing in Jesus” have no visible evidence of true faith. They are Christians in name only. I think that often we think that this is only a problem in the Bible belt, but in truth there are false believers everywhere. I also must report that there are false believers in the false religions. The heart of sinners is fickle and it is saddening to realize just how dead and deceived the lost world truly is. So let me urge you not to be Christian in name only, but rather turn from your sin and trust in your Savior and go after Him with your whole life and leave no confusion about your soul!
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