Conservative? Liberal? Fundamentalist? Evangelical? Legalist?

If I am as conservative as God’s word demand I be, wouldn’t that also make me as liberal as his word allows? I don’t want to be so conservative minded that I stop short of what God wants... but I don’t want to be as liberal as I can get away with either.

I just want to be a Christian. I want to be a true disciple, like Jesus himself said in John 8:31, “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed.”

Yes, I am a fundamentalist... if that means I will not forsake the fundamentals of Jesus’ teaching. But what did he ever teach that was not fundamental? If, however, I practice the fundamental teachings of Jesus, that would make me a Christian and not a fundamentalist.

Should I be an evangelical? Certainly! To be evangelic in the New Testament context is to seek opportunities to teach/preach the gospel of Jesus. You can call me an evangelical, but I am still only a Christian, trying to tell others about the Christ.

Am I a legalist? I may be considered a legalist by some simply because I only want to do what is legal, or right in the eyes of God and never do what he would consider illegal. Jesus’ question will always stand, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say?” Luke 6:46.

Do all that Jesus said to do and bear the labels you are given without complaint. After all, Jesus did all that the Father told him to do and bore the cross without complaint. The cross did not last, and neither will the labels.