Hypocrite or Christian?

Talked with some friends tonight and a topic of conversation came up that I continue to hear more and more lately…..can someone be a Christian and espouse Christian beliefs, while still not being perfect? Not living a sinless, perfect life?

I think about this a lot of course, it’s one of the big quandaries of Christianity. The Bible asks us, it asks me to be a certain way. It gives a list in some cases even of what to do, how to act, what not to say, etc.

Is someone who professes their faith, yet has faults still a Christian, or are they a hypocrite? We are of course justified by faith alone and not works as Scripture tells us…Romans 3:28.

Yet this isn’t really about the old Catholic v. Protestant argument, is it? Often when I hear people call someone out, it’s as if they aren’t allowed to be Christian without being perfect. But …that’s the exact beauty of Christ, isn’t it? That I am not perfect but that doesn’t mean I am any less a Christian. That someone can in fact, love God, while making mistakes. That people struggle with addictions,sin, and problems, but Christ died for them anyways.

As a sinner, I don’t always perfectly follow what has been laid out. With every passing day, I try more and more to be more like Christ, but it’s hard!

I am just incredibly grateful for Christ and his love.