I think that the Christians are picking up a new behavior; they are frequently offering proof of the Christian status. This behavior seems to be as much of a self-comforting behavior as an act to convince others they are Christian. These behaviors seem to stem from the consistent push for every Christian to have a salvation story. As this need for proof grows it's finding its way into several other behaviors and areas of life.
· Last Easter I wrote about "Ashes in the Office," saying that many people attend Ash Wednesday service as actors to to convince their co-workers they are Christian. At that time I'd said getting marked with the ashes was a way to convince others you were a Christian. As I look did some more thinking I began to see that this behavior was a self-comforting behavior acting as assurance of salvation. There was an underlying thought pattern which said, "If I get marked with ashes on my forehead I am saved and others will think I am saved." These actors extend this behavior to frequent fasting, or by having Christian books on their desks so others think they are Christian.
· A second pattern I've touched on before is service. Many people over serve in the church so others will think they are saved. Every church has these people, they join every committee and ministry they can as an attempt to workout their own salvation in their own hearts and in the eyes of others. They are often trying to convince other Christians and themselves of their piety and spiritual maturity, which
· I've also touched on a third group a few times, these are the abstainers. They abstain from all sorts of actions; drinking, PG13 and R rated movies, working on the Sabbath, playing video games and other behaviors. They often highlight the abstinence in an attempt to convince others that true Christians don't participate in such activities and as such they are spiritually mature. This group is attached to the actors, those who do certain activities (Ash Wednesday service, Church every week, lead and attend multiple Bible Studies) and push them because it's what true Christians do.
· A fourth group that I've seen growing lately is the cold warriors. They spiritualizeevery bad occurrence as an attack from the devil as proof they are being spiritual effective. While this does legitimately happen, it's being used more liberally and widely. I overheard a lady in the book store a few weeks ago exclaim to a friend, "I've had a runny nose since yesterday, surely the devil is attacking me." I don't know the lady but the implication was that the cold was sent by the devil to reduce her spiritual efficiency. It may have been true but I've heard the same thing for a few years from people who weren't doing anything the devil needed to put an end to. This excuse is used to show others that the speaker's level of piety and spiritual strength are so great that they are being attacked by the devil. (I don't mean to attack the legitimacy of this, the devil does work this way but this reasoning is being used as piece of showmanship.)
Whether it's to bolster the impression of piety among others or just to prove ones salvation Christians are forming and using new mechanisms of assurance and pious bragging. While each of the reasons has some measure of truth, there are actives that true Christians shouldn't do, taken to their extreme and used in the wrong manner these activities are turned into a righteousness race. Instead of working salvation and sanctification out with God the Christians are spending their time competing with each other to prove themselves holy.
