Will the Real Christians Please Stand Up?

The word Christian carries a lot of weight. For some, it stirs memories of love, grace, and community.

For others, it has become synonymous with judgment, hypocrisy, or politics. The tension is real. But

when Jesus first announced His mission in Luke 4, He made it clear that following Him was never

meant to be about image. It was always about impact.

Standing in the synagogue of His hometown, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor... freedom for the captives... sight to the blind... and liberation for the oppressed.' These weren’t just spiritual metaphors. They were practical promises. Jesus came to bring transformation to people whose backs were against the wall.

This is why Howard Thurman’s haunting question still rings true: 'What does our religion say to those

who live with their backs against the wall?' If our version of Christianity doesn’t offer real hope and

liberation for the hurting, the poor, and the oppressed, then it isn’t Christ’s Christianity. Real faith isn’t

sentimental—it’s revolutionary. It challenges systems of oppression while lifting up those who are

overlooked.

But it doesn’t stop there. In Luke 9, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked: 'Who do you say that I

am?' Real Christianity doesn’t just know about Jesus—it confesses Him as Lord. It’s one thing to repeat the opinions of the crowd; it’s another thing to stake your life on the belief that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. That confession shows up not just in our words, but in how we arrange our schedules, our budgets, and our priorities.

Finally, Jesus tells us in John 13 that love—not style, slogans, or labels—will be the defining mark of

His disciples. Real Christianity is recognized by love. And not the easy kind of love—the kind of love

that gets inconvenient, messy, and sacrificial. The kind of love that makes people ask, 'Why would they do that?' and leaves us only one answer: because of Jesus.

So where does that leave us today? In a world where 'Christian' has been reduced to an image, a

political category, or even a hashtag, Jesus calls us back to something deeper. Real Christianity stands up in mission, confesses Jesus as Lord, and is known by love. It shows up in unexpected acts of kindness, in solidarity with the hurting, and in a willingness to live differently because of the One we follow.

So the question remains for us, just as it did for His first followers: Will the real Christians please stand up?