Who is the Real Christian?

It was one of those perfect autumn days here in Denver yesterday. The sky was clear blue, temperatures in the upper 70's and just a hint of a breeze in the air. Along with a friend we met another of our friends downtown to walk the 16th Street Mall. This wasn't simply an escape to downtown or a shopping excursion. We were there to connect with over 100 non-profit agencies here in Denver that meet the needs of the community. We wanted to discover what opportunities exist for people to become involved in volunteer service to the community.

We met some wonderful people and had engaging conversations with a few of them. What was so impressive to me was how many organizations serve the diverse needs of our city. We discovered service opportunities for tutors, mentors, quilters, alcohol and drug treatment centers, rape hotlines, single parent support services, animal therapy for troubled teens, food banks, etc...

Well, you get the picture! What was so astonishing to me was that there is no end to volunteer service in our city. If there is a need, there is probably an non-profit organization that is designed to meet that need.

All this got me thinking about the passage in Matthew 25:31-46. You know the one--the sheep and the goats. It pictures Jesus dividing people at His coming into two different groups. One group of people are those who did deeds of kindness to those in need around them. Jesus commends them and tells them that as they were serving others, they were in fact serving Him. The other group--the goats--were those who saw the same needs but did nothing about meeting those needs. And in not meeting those needs they missed a golden opportunity to minister to Christ Himself.

Now my question is simply this: Who is the real Christian in your community? Is it the "saint" who adheres to the right beliefs, attends Christian services faithfully, and offers regular financial support to the church? Or is it the non-attending "sinner" who is active in his/her community faithfully volunteering time to serve the needs of the community through various agencies.

Based on Matthew 25, I think I know, and I believe you do too, what the answer to that question is. But again I ask the question for you to consider: Who is the Real Christian?