The Abstract Christ

The most important question I can ask a Christian is this: “Is Jesus alive in you, or does Christ feel abstract, a general idea rather than an actual person?” You may say that you believe Jesus exists, but that’s not enough. What is of eternal importance is whether you share your lives together. It is easy to know if your relationship with Jesus is real or abstract. Does your life in Jesus cause your behavior?

There is a beautiful song, written by Glen Campbell, titled “Jesus and Me.” It was a favorite of my mother-in-law. Here is the chorus:

Now, it is Jesus and me, for each tomorrow
For every heartache, and every sorrow
I know that I can depend, upon my new found friend
And so till the end, it’s Jesus and me

Our relationship with Jesus is one of trust, one of following, one of love. Religious institutions cannot give us life. Only a wholehearted love of our risen Savior is enough to transform our sinful nature into Christ-like behavior. The love from Jesus changes a person’s character, a person’s desires, a person’s attitude towards life.

How Can We Know?

We can gauge the health of our relationship with Jesus by checking whether our faith connects to our actions. As James wrote, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead [1].” If someone “keys” our car, is our first reaction to pray for the offender or to curse him or her? If a co-worker claims our work as theirs, do we ask God how to show the love of Jesus to that person, and then do it, or do we run to our manager in anger? If we find ourselves in a financial bind, do we go to Jesus first or try to figure it out on our own?

I ask these questions because life in Jesus places us in a Spirit-first way of behaving. If we say we are saved, but do not change, then we serve an abstract Christ.

Know By Testing

Do we mess up? Yes. The apostle John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us [2].” Are we changing to be like Jesus?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

“By testing, you may discern what is the will of God.” This “testing” is a process of self-examination and confirmation. Only as our way of thinking changes can we clearly see if what we do aligns with what Jesus taught. With this confirmation, we can begin to understand God’s will.

Real or Abstract

For some people, faith comes easily. Jesus bursts within them, making their new life an easy birth. However, for many, we are like a breech birth. There is a lot of pulling by the Holy Spirit to bring us into God’s kingdom. Whether easy or difficult, we can know we are saved. We must know.

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. – John 10:9-11

The abstract Christ is lifeless. The real Jesus is life! Live for Jesus. That’s what matters.

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Footnotes

1: James 2:26 – Faith and Works. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved November 22, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/james/2-26.htm

2: 1 John 1:8 – Walking in the Light. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved November 22, 2025, from https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-8.htm