What Are the Seven Cs of Christianity and Where Do You Fall?

“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).

Casual Christianity is a term we use to describe a form of faith that is not very committed and not at all serious. Casual Christians may or may not attend church regularly; it’s more likely they just come occasionally. They will be pretty indifferent to what is happening in whatever church community they may or may not belong to. 

Casual Christians have a very shallow, rather superficial understanding of the gospel and a faith that is somewhat stagnant, even weakened, from lack of attention and exercise. There is little to no time spent in prayer – unless some need arises where they require help – and no time at all studying God’s word. 

In short, casual Christianity is a pretty low-risk, rather moderate and predictable way of living your faith and meeting what you may see as your commitment. But it certainly does not require a great deal of sacrifice or devotion.

It strikes me that casual Christianity is at least a contributing factor to the incredible growth of what we call mega-churches. People can attend church while remaining unknown and hidden, with no impositions on their time or talents and no requirements to connect to anyone or anything.

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“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.  Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore!” (Revelation 2:14-16).

Convenient Christianity is where people profess to be followers of Jesus but are unwilling to be inconvenienced in their beliefs or their faith. In other words, they will listen to the teachings of Jesus so long as it causes them no challenges or conflict in their lives or image. 

What we often hear from Convenient Christians is that they follow Jesus but not the Bible. After all, “the Bible was written by men.” Or they follow the teaching of Jesus yet refute the more challenging aspects of his life and teachings, such as His death, resurrection and deity. 

Their focus is on the teachings they choose and that sound good to their itching ears. “Love your neighbor.” “Don’t judge others.” Yet, they choose to ignore any and all passages which might conflict with their ability to be politically correct or within acceptable and adjustable social norms.

Of course, this would include troublesome issues such as the sanctity of life, sexual immorality, multiple paths to heaven, the inerrancy of the Bible, and so forth. Sort of like tearing out the pages or verses that you don’t like or agree with.

On the other hand, one can still call themselves a Christian when “fellowshipping” with other “believers,” yet they can remain silent when the situation might dictate. They can claim Christian faith yet avoid conflict with those who do not believe as they do. Their theology still encompasses all the positive aspects of Christianity – going to Heaven, God’s love as the source of their love for others – while avoiding conversations about hell and “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

It all sounds so perfect and so easy. No conflicts. No arguments. No defense needed. We may see parents who have children or siblings who come out as gay or transgender suddenly fall into this category, eliminating the need to address any conflict produced in their lives.

“Convenient Christians” are confident in their relationship with God. They are encouraged by exhibiting “lifestyle evangelism.” They claim to “show God’s love,” even if “God” is never mentioned. They are able to enjoy a “peace that transcends all understanding” walking through life, perhaps praying at various times, but rarely if ever in public. Maybe going to church to fellowship with others – or not. 

Convenient Christians want the values of the kingdom – justice, peace, fulfillment and purpose – without surrendering to the King who defines those values.

And then, at the end of a life well lived, eternity in Heaven awaits. Or so they believe.

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“He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules’” (Mark 7:6-7).

Cultural Christians are those who seem to be steeped in the Christian culture and maintain a deep appreciation for that culture. They have learned Christian values and seemingly have respect for those values. 

These individuals may identify culturally as Christian because of family background, personal experiences, or the social and cultural environment in which they grew up. Many – not all – such believers “grew up” in the church and were more or less “grandfathered in.” They have never known anything but “belief in Jesus” from a very early age. Perhaps they are individuals who claim to be Christ-followers, but do not practice their faith.

It may well be that living out their faith is living much like a Pharisee without even realizing it – practicing certain religious beliefs and behaviors, following certain rules and rituals, without having a genuine relationship or real faith in Jesus Christ. Without, perhaps, even knowing what such a personal relationship might look like. They know all the right verses. They go to church and say their prayers. But they trade relationship for rules and try to apply those rules to everyone, believing that is how everyone is saved.

The problem is, God has no grandchildren – only children. And we are saved by grace through faith, not through following the rules and rites and rituals of religion. We may choose to follow those, but as a result of our salvation, not to achieve it.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:26-27).

So often today we see politicians who seem like they are spouting nothing more than talking points written down on a piece of paper in front of them. They say the words, but their words have no depth of sincerity. So it is with Cardboard Christians. They know all the right things to say and often behave as if they actually believe them. But let trials come, and their faith collapses like talking points written on a piece of cardboard. 

When trials come, they pray. But rather than desiring God’s will, they pray for their own will to be done and then lose faith when it doesn’t happen. They question God when things don’t go their way. 

The thing is, when we pray for God’s will in our lives, He might choose to change our situation, or He might to choose to let our situation change us. Either way, He knows what is best for us every time – just like a parent who won’t let their children always get what they ask for.

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“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Complacency in Christianity can lead to spiritual stagnation and moral decline. It is characterized by a self-satisfied state of being unaware of potential dangers or deficiencies, which can result in divine judgment. The Bible warns against complacency, highlighting its destructive nature and the need for vigilance and dependence on God.

Complacency can sneak up on us when we least expect it. It’s that feeling of being too comfortable or satisfied with where we are in life. 

The Bible offers guidance on this topic, warning us to stay alert and not let our faith become stagnant. In fact, Jesus tells us it makes Him want to throw up.

Understanding what God says about complacency can help us grow and stay motivated in our spiritual lives.

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“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).

Without any doubt, this world offers us a great many thorns that seem to invade our peace. These thorns are constantly poking at us, drawing our attention away from our faith. Yes, this includes the attraction of the deceitfulness of wealth and possessions, politics, health, our families and especially our children. And oh, so many more.

If we’re honest, each and every one of us are so easily threatened by the thorns of the deceitfulness of wealth. The lack of contentment with what we have and the desire for more, bigger, and better.

These issues often draw us away from growing in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord. They interfere with our time spent one-on-one with Him and in His word – usually reducing that time to zero – causing our faith not to grow and that lack of growth results in “making it unfruitful.”

Are There Consequences?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Of course, these are quite broad descriptions – while at the same time, perhaps not broad enough. There is quite likely a great deal of overlap across these C’s – and at the same time, some behaviors that are not included here. The concerning issue is, of course, we know that there are those who claim to be Christ-followers who will not know Him in eternity.

Jesus taught this, as in Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents. But His strongest message in this seems to be in Matthew 7. In teaching about true and false disciples, Jesus taught that many would be clamoring to join Him in heaven – and Jesus answered that He never knew them. They clearly felt like they knew Jesus, but Jesus never knew them. 

Wow.

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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus taught the two most important commandments, which encompassed and summarized every other commandment: 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

It might be a good exercise to ask ourselves, Do I love the Lord with everything I’ve got? Is He first in my life? Above all things? Above my family, my work, above everything? Or have we let other things interfere with that commitment?

When we think of our declaration of being Christian, it is so easy to overlook the deep commitment that being a disciple of Jesus demands. It is more than belief – it is about living our faith. We are called to pick up our cross daily, putting aside our own desires and embrace a life that reflects the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

True faith is not passive, it's active. It is not something we simply believe, it is something we live. 

Jesus invites us to make a choice. Our discipleship must be intentional. It means placing Jesus first and foremost in our lives. We do so, knowing that our commitment to Him is worth every sacrifice we may be called to make.

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