Finally, a question that I can answer with 100% certainty! :0)
Some devout Christians follow certain Biblical rules verbatim; whereas, others ignore them entirely for different reasons.
Christians who try to follow the Bible verbatim are more than likely believing that good works alone will get them into Heaven. When,in reality, good works are merely outward signs of your acceptance of Jesus as our Saviour. That's not to say that you shouldn't ever do your best to do the right thing! Quite the contrary, because you should ALWAYS try your best to do the right thing, but when you do fall and make a mistake, then don't have a nervous breakdown, instead, calm down, ask God to forgive you for your sins and then, try not to make the same mistake twice. Contrary, to some people's opinions, God is not in Heaven waiting to throw us into the fire every time we make mistakes. What God wants us to do is to accept Jesus as our Saviour, as I have already done, and spread His gospel to those who wish to hear His Word and to do our best to do the right thing. He realizes that being born sinners, that we're going to make mistakes, but He does expect us to admit our faults to Him and try not to repeat the same mistakes twice, which is where many religious denominations become confused and try to say that God is waiting to us all to hell because we made a mistake, which is NOT true. God doesn't send people to hell, people send themselves to hell by their own free choice by not accepting Jesus as their Saviour, but I am digressing.
Back to the answer...
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Whereas, some Christians ignore the Bible entirely due to foolishness, ignorance, and stubborness. For instance, some Christians may outwardly deny that pre-marital sex is wrong yet may still engage in it. Why? Simply because they want to cater to their own ways and NOT listen to what God is instructing them to do. It's much easier to be a "hearer of the Word" than a "doer of the Word." In addition, we get inundated with this humanstic relativism, which argues, "If it feels right, then it must be alright to do it." WRONG! I might feel like telling someone that I dislike them, but that doesn't mean that I need to go out of my way to be rude and obnoxious to them. Quite clearly, this perpetuated myth that has started becuase of Satan's grasp on the world has lead to world-wide problems. Just because something feels right, doesn't mean it is right, but to answer your question in a nutshell, people, who don't always follow or decide NOT to follow God's Word cannot call themselves Christians, anyhow because a real Christian will TRY and follow God's laws even if that means falling along the way. Then you have apostates, who merely claim to be Christians, but who are really not as Romans 1:20-32 states: "20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (King James Version Holy Bible)
*source: <http://www.biblegateway.com>
While, many people profess to be Christians, you couldn't necessarily tell they are Christians, which is disappointing.
If you're a Christian, then people should be able to recognize right off the mark that there's osmething different about you by how you act, think, and talk--in a good way, that is.
Clearly, if you're professing Jesus as your Saviour yet gossiping about your neighbor and how she's lazy and annoying, then that's not exactly acting very Christ-like. This doesn't make you an apostate, it simply makes you an immature Christian, who needs to learn to become less judgmental and more upbeat, and Christ-like.
Personally, I need to work on myself a great deal because I find myself getting easily agitated with other people and gossiping and I'm a Christian, who has accepted Jesus as my Saviour.
All of us, Christians, who want to try to do our best, at all times, more often than not, fail miserably simply because we're too busy being preoccupied with earthly matters and our thoughts rather than thinking about God and how He would react to certain situations.
Bottom line: People who claim to be Christians, but don't act like Christians are either (A) not really Christians, but fakes just saying they are for whatever reason, or (B) because they believe God's Word, they just want to be stubborn and follow their own pathways, which is usually more often than not, why people tend to claim to be Christians, but simply don't act like Christians.
Comments
I was thinking more of laws like those about sacrificing animals etc, but good answer to one interpretation of the question.
by Anonymous on March 5th, 2006
All of the Bible was written FOR you, but not necessarily TO you. Reading it makes the distinction clear.
by generalhavok on March 28th, 2006
Biased and off topic in parts.
by thintaonga on March 31st, 2006
Much of this answer is moralizing. It's hard to discern an answer to the question, but some semblance of an explanation is at least there.
by Flynn444 on October 18th, 2006
"Finally, a question that I can answer with 100% certainty!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
Wonderful!
Several convoluted centuries where there were no answers but many bloody wars, crusades, crushing pogroms & near-genocide, and inquisitions - then you spring lately upon the scene with a the be-all and end-all. Pfaugh. And quote-mining went out of style some while back.
by canoeguide on August 24th, 2010