Is Bruce Jenner a Christian?

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'” (John 3:3)

OLYMPIC HERO TURNED TRANSGENDER

He was the hero of the 1976 Olympics winning a gold medal in the decathlon and setting a world record.

Fast forward 4 decades and Bruce Jenner has garnered national attention once again.

But this time it’s for his transition from male to female.

In an interview on ABC’s 20/20 with Diane Sawyer, Jenner would say, “For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman.”

IS BRUCE JENNER A CHRISTIAN?

Now this blog post isn’t necessarily meant to deal with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people as a cultural issue.

Instead, I want to focus on something else that Bruce Jenner indicated in his interview.

Along with his transition from male to female he also said he was a Christian.

So is it possible?

Is Bruce Jenner a Christian?

We’re afraid to even pose the question.

We’ve been conditioned to not pose the question due to retaliation that might take place.

And yet the Bible actually commands that the question be asked…

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

So is Bruce Jenner a Christian?

WHAT MAKES A PERSON A CHRISTIAN

To answer the question we must first determine what makes a person a Christian.

Is a person a Christian because he says he is a Christian (like Bruce Jenner has said)?

Is a person a Christian because he gets baptized as a baby (as is the practice by Catholics)?

Is a person a Christian because he goes to church on Sunday?

Is a person a Christian because he says the sinner’s prayer?

Is a person a Christian because a pastor or priest declares he is?

Is a person a Christian because he’s nice to people and doesn’t hurt anybody?

According to the Bible it isn’t any of these things that makes a person a Christian.

Instead, what makes a person a Christian is…

1. An awakening to and a desire for God.

“And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was.” (Luke 19:2-3a)

[Zaccheus] ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see [Jesus], for He was about to pass through that way. (Luke 19:4)

What makes a person a Christian is…

2. An acknowledging of one’s own sin and a commitment to repentance (change).

“[Jesus] has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.'” (Luke 19:7b-8)

What makes a person a Christian is…

3. A receiving of the Lord into your life.

“[Jesus] looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down and received Him (Jesus) gladly.” (Luke 19:5b-6)

What makes a person a Christian is…

4. A living out for a lifetime of a commitment to God and His purposes.

“Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.'” (Luke 19:8-9a)

SO IS BRUCE JENNER A CHRISTIAN?

So what about Bruce Jenner?

Is he a Christian or not?

You’ve been waiting for an answer.

And here it is.

Bruce Jenner IS a Christian IF he’s met the above criteria of what makes a person a Christian.

If he doesn’t meet the criteria, then he isn’t a Christian.

(Bruce Jenner picture file above is under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license: click here. CC BY 2.0)

You might also be interested in:

• Christ Follower or Christian?
• True Conversion