When Paul told Agrippa the plain, rational truth about Christ’s death and resurrection, Agrippa pushed it away. All Paul’s persuasiveness was not enough to make him move more than a little towards becoming one of those despised Christ-followers. For the godly Covenanting minister Alexander Wedderburn, this was not merely an exchange between two long-ago figures. Wedderburn was deeply concerned that in and around the church, too many people are still “almost” Christians. Rational though Christianity is, Wedderburn was painfully aware of those who would only pick and choose the bits of the faith they like, and who therefore remain at as much of a distance from the Saviour as if they were committed non-believers. His appeal therefore in the following updated extract is to realise the shamefulness of being “almost” and not “altogether” a Christian, and to strive to reach Christ really and truly.

“Almost” should make us humble

All of us are committed to doctrinal principles which lead us to be altogether Christians, but we must face the question in point of practice. The Lord could complain of many as He did of Ephraim in Hosea 7:8, “Ephraim is a cake unturned,” that is, raw on the one side and burnt on the other. In some things, they are Christians (especially the things that are consistent with their self-interest), but in other things they deny it, especially in things that are most difficult, and of most absolute necessity.

Why should this make us humble ourselves?

It includes a secret contempt of God

If you cut and carve the laws of your sovereign, taking what you like, and rejecting what you please, you despise the authority that commanded them. To do something at the command of God, and to refuse to do other things, must flow either from some apparent iniquity in the law (which is highly insulting) or from despising the authority that commanded it, and both reflect on God.

It is something God hates

To be a Christian in part, and not altogether, is something God loathes. This was the church of Laodicea, which was neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. It had some degrees of heat, and some of cold, and God threatens that He will spew her out of His mouth something His stomach loathes.

It means you are pulled two ways

This puts you to serve two masters — to be for God in some things, and for His enemy in other things. “A double-minded man,” says James, “is unstable in all his wayes,” a man who has a mind and a mind. That man must be like Israel in Elijah’s time, lurching between two incompatible alternatives.

It means you never do enough

You may lose out on heaven, even though you do great things for God, because of not doing more. Some things are absolutely necessary for salvation. If we are never so righteous in our dealing with other people, yet, “he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the only begotten Son of God.” Now how lamentable is it, to do much for Christ, and yet come short of heaven for not doing more?

It means you are already losing out on the best bit of Christianity

To be only partly a Christian deprives you even now of the sweetest part of Christianity. The peace and joy promised in the gospel is attained by performing the most inward duties of it, while neglecting these makes many find godliness a kind of labyrinth to them, as if they are continually breaking open shells that have no kernel in them.

All these laid together evidence what kind of reasons we have for self-humbling, if we are only “almost a Christian.”

“Almost” should make us strive

If it is the case that many are only “almost Christians,” then each of us must labour to be not only almost but altogether a Christian.

I must exhort all, that while they are avoiding some sins in practice (by which they become Christians in part), they must not sit down contentedly with that, while they are practising other sins no less dangerous. While they avoid, for instance, scandalous sabbath-breaking, they still practise hypocrisy, or empty formality.

Or, while they practice some of the duties whereby one becomes almost a Christian, and not far from the kingdom of God, they may perhaps voluntarily neglect other duties which may be more necessary for salvation.

Or, they practice Christianity at some times, and quite the contrary at another time, ebbing and flowing in Christianity as the sea with the course of the moon, serving times and occasions with religion, and not keeping an even pace.

To help us labour to be not only almost but altogether Christians, I offer these directions.

Strive to be serious

First, Christian, labour to be very serious in the performance of holy duties. Be careful to join with these activities attention of mind (Eze. 33:32), singleness of heart (Psa. 145:18), purpose of affection (Rom. 12:11), and holy fear and reverence (Heb. 12:18).

The lack of these makes even our religious duties to be performed only as “almost Christians.” There is not that reverence of God, that delight, that fellowship and communion with God, which is attained by those who endeavour to be “altogether Christians.”

Therefore, consider well the nature of God whose service it is — His majesty (Mal. 1.14), His holiness (Jer. 48:10). Consider the nature of the service wherein you have to do with Him. Consider them as duties, and a part of your homage, not parts of your Christian liberty. Consider them as privileges, as indeed they are — as talents, of which you are to give an account to God. These and such like considerations may influence us to more seriousness in our performances.

Strive to get right thoughts of God

Labour to get right (i.e., believing) thoughts of God,

• In His all-sufficiency (Gen. 17: 1). That would keep your heart steady and fixed in religion. God is our happiness, and not created things. Whether you have more or less of created things, it all comes to the same thing, if God is ours.
• In His omnipresence (Psa. 139:6–7). This will awe us when we have secret opportunities and temptations to sin (Gen. 39:9). It will possess us with godly fear and reverence (1 Cor. 11:10). It will also comfort us in afflictions (Psa. 23:4).
• In His universal providence. His providence extends itself to every thing that comes to pass, even the least things (Matt. 10:28). Beside the reasons this gives us to adore the perfections of God (Job 37:14; Psa. 107:43), it will help us to thankfulness (Psa. 40:5), and keep us from abusing His mercies (Hos. 2:8), and help us to submit patiently to afflictions (1 Sam. 3:18).

Strive not to neglect known duties

We must be very careful about this. Often, in matters of practice, our zeal is spent on the things that are most doubtful, when clear acknowledged duties are neglected. This is how it was with the Jews in Micah’s time. They were careful to enquire when they should fast, but neglected the duties of moral equity (Mic. 6:7). The best way, as one observes, to know more of the mind of God in what is doubtful, is to be busy in doing what is clear (John 7:17). The best Christian is the one who is most in the fundamentals of a Christian’s duty.

Strive to monitor your walk

Every night, take an account of what has come to pass in the day, and examine what the tendency of your heart has been, and what you have done, and on what grounds, and for what ends, as well as what you have neglected. By this you will come to know what progress you are making against your corruption, and how long you have continued in sin without repenting of it. This record or journal of our daily walkings has been the practice of many godly people, and nothing has a greater tendency to prevent us from resting on being almost Christians.

Strive to model yourself on Christ

Keep the perfect pattern of Christ’s life before you. It is true, not all the actions of Christ are imitable. He was not a mere man, but God and man, and what He did as God, or as mediator between God and man, we cannot imitate. But there are various things in which the Scriptures expressly propose Him as an example, including love (Eph. 5:12), meekness (Matt. 11:29), self-denial (Phil. 2:3), patience (1 Pet. 2:21), making it His work to do good (Acts 10:38).

This serves not only for our example, but also for our encouragement. There is nothing He calls us to, but He did it, and is now crowned.

Strive to do everything in the name of Christ

If you really want to be above being only “almost a Christian,” then labour to do all you do in the name of Christ. The main point of Christianity lies in this, to have in view the authority of Christ as commanding or forbidding what we are or are not called to (Col. 3:17; Matt. 21:23; John 5:43), to do what we do in the strength of Christ (Mark 16:17; Acts 3:12), and to do it for the sake of Christ, for His honour. All this is included in doing something “in His name.”

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