What is a Christian exactly? Is it just a person who follows the teachings of Christ? Maybe it's a person who goes to church? Or is a Christian simply a good person?
I see a Christian as something more. A Christian is a person that God makes. It has to do with the nature of a person. There are distinctions between a Christian and those who aren't.
First there are those distinctions that are internal. For instance, a Christian's main desire is to please God. Non Christians do not posses this desire. Christian's have a love that is not from self, it is a selfless love. It is a love from God that has been "shed abroad" in their hearts. Non christians have a selfish love, and has boundaries. A Christian hates sin, and knows that when they do it, it is against God. A non Christian could have a belief of sin but not in the the same sense. They believe they do wrong, that wrong doing could be to violate the law of conscience by doing something they know is wrong, or they could violate governing law(law of the land) by doing something the government says is wrong. They view these wrongdoings as being done against people. They are not concerned that what they are doing offends God, and violates His law. A Christian has been set free from the power of sin. This does not mean a christian cannot do acts of sin,(experience proves that) but when a christian continues in these acts, he knows this isn't where he belongs, and will repent(he will come to his senses and say, i will go back to my father's house). Not so with a non Christian, who is a slave to sin. He thinks a lifestyle of sin is normal and there is nothing wrong with it. The non Christian does what is right in his own eyes. A Christian believes God and what He says, which forms the Christians belief system. The non Christian believes whatever he wishes, he himself forms his own belief system. I'm sure there are many more internal distinctions, these are just a few that we're summed up.
Then there are external distinctions. For instance, a Christian is aware of his internal distinctions and as a result they are played out in his actions. When he sins, he repents. Because he knows he is forgiven by God, he forgives men. He does not behave like non Christians in the world, for he know he is not of this world and behaves like a citizen of heaven. The non Christian is ignorant, he does not know of these distinction and behaves however he wishes. He walks according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, he conducts himself by the lusts of the flesh and of his mind. He is dead and separated from the life of God. The Christian is alive.
It would be foolish to tell a person to be someone they aren't, for they lack the ability to do it. Sure, they can modify behavior but that does not change their nature. A bad tree only produces bad fruit and cannot produce good fruit. Make the tree a good tree and then it will produce good fruit.
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Behavior modification is not.
