Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/Category:
Christian_Flags
Are You a Christian?
What Is a Real Christian?
How Do You Know?
Source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Symbols
WHY WERE YOU BORN?
If you are a Christian, then you will be doing what He commands - not under law but by grace.
You were born/created to:
* develop the soul
* develop a Christ-like character
* be an over-comer (live a transformed life)
* to serve God
Many profess to be a Christian, but are they? After understanding the true meaning of what a "Christian" is, and checking yourself, will you receive an "A" or "F"?
Do you believe you are a Christian because you:
Who is a Christian? It is “one who believes or professes or assured to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him, especially one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the 'doctrines of Christ'" [Source: Definition for "Christian" from "Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary].
Biblical Definition:
Christ said to be a Christian you must be born again - what does this means? The basic issue is the doctrine of regeneration. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said unto you, 'You must be born again'” (1 John 3:6-7). It is the Spirit of God giving birth to a new life, a divine life and nature (II Peter 1:4). - is being born of God - “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…”.
“Born-again” means one who has accepted Christ’s sacrifice, dying and shedding His blood on the Cross for their sins - accepted Christ as personal Savior; one who has been given the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9,11; Acts 5:32) which helps to transform you into a new creation (creature).
"...if anyone is in Christ, he [she] is a new creation, old things are passed away [examples: living together as man and wife, fornicating (sex outside of marriage), adultery (having an affair while being married), stealing (taking something that don't belong to you), hatred (not loving all mankind regardless of race], all things become new" (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Your outward will usually display your inward.
"He who overcomes shall inherit all things...But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:7-8).
Do you believe you are a Christian because you:
- Attend church and go to Bible study?
- Was baptized?
- My parents are Christians?
- Believe in God? Jesus? Holy Spirit?
- Pay tithes and offerings?
- Received baptism of Holy Spirit?
- Speak in tongues?
- You said, "I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord who died on the Cross for my sins"?
- You live a transformed life: inward and outward, demonstrated by God's Fruit of the Spirit?
Who is a Christian? It is “one who believes or professes or assured to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him, especially one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the 'doctrines of Christ'" [Source: Definition for "Christian" from "Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary].
Biblical Definition:
Christ said to be a Christian you must be born again - what does this means? The basic issue is the doctrine of regeneration. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said unto you, 'You must be born again'” (1 John 3:6-7). It is the Spirit of God giving birth to a new life, a divine life and nature (II Peter 1:4). - is being born of God - “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…”.
“Born-again” means one who has accepted Christ’s sacrifice, dying and shedding His blood on the Cross for their sins - accepted Christ as personal Savior; one who has been given the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9,11; Acts 5:32) which helps to transform you into a new creation (creature).
"...if anyone is in Christ, he [she] is a new creation, old things are passed away [examples: living together as man and wife, fornicating (sex outside of marriage), adultery (having an affair while being married), stealing (taking something that don't belong to you), hatred (not loving all mankind regardless of race], all things become new" (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Your outward will usually display your inward.
"He who overcomes shall inherit all things...But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:7-8).
Transformed Life:
Anyone can say with their mouth, "I believe and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior". But are you living a transformed life or do you live in the old fleshly life style? "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:17 NLT). You must put on the new man, true righteousness, and holiness that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in (Ephesians 4:24).
"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceit lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:22-23) .
You no longer live/walk in the flesh, living a life style intently, directly oppose by God: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT).
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives" (Galatians 5:22-25 NLT).
Anyone can say with their mouth, "I believe and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior". But are you living a transformed life or do you live in the old fleshly life style? "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:17 NLT). You must put on the new man, true righteousness, and holiness that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in (Ephesians 4:24).
"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceit lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:22-23) .
You no longer live/walk in the flesh, living a life style intently, directly oppose by God: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT).
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives" (Galatians 5:22-25 NLT).
Love
Notice "love" is at the top of the list which the Holy Spirit produces. What did Christ say about "love"?
If you don’t have love for you brother, but have hatred for him, you abides in death – he’s a murderer and has not eternal life (I John 3:14,15); he that love not loves not knows not God, for God is love (I John 4:8); he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him
(I John 4:16); he that loves not his brother whom he has not seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (I John 4:20). “For brethren…by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word… You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:13-14; Romans 13:9). Love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
How should we demonstrate our love toward God, and Jesus Christ? “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38).
Death:
When, not if, you die, the body returns to the dirt into which it original came:
"In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NKJ).
Soul:
The soul, which is your true identity, returns to God. David said, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol [Hades] nor will You allow your holy one to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10 NKJ); See also Acts 2:27.
All that have taken place in your life span is retained in your soul. Every decision, right or wrong, sins committed, good works, etc are stored in your soul - the part that can never be destroyed.
You were born with the sinful human nature of Adam: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12 NKJ).
Christ-Like Character:
But when you acquired God's Holy Spirit, you were given the ability to overcome sin - walking in the flesh, to develop a Christ like character - one of the main purposes of why God created you: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJ).
Notice "love" is at the top of the list which the Holy Spirit produces. What did Christ say about "love"?
If you don’t have love for you brother, but have hatred for him, you abides in death – he’s a murderer and has not eternal life (I John 3:14,15); he that love not loves not knows not God, for God is love (I John 4:8); he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him
(I John 4:16); he that loves not his brother whom he has not seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (I John 4:20). “For brethren…by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word… You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:13-14; Romans 13:9). Love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
How should we demonstrate our love toward God, and Jesus Christ? “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38).
Death:
When, not if, you die, the body returns to the dirt into which it original came:
"In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NKJ).
Soul:
The soul, which is your true identity, returns to God. David said, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol [Hades] nor will You allow your holy one to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10 NKJ); See also Acts 2:27.
All that have taken place in your life span is retained in your soul. Every decision, right or wrong, sins committed, good works, etc are stored in your soul - the part that can never be destroyed.
You were born with the sinful human nature of Adam: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12 NKJ).
Christ-Like Character:
But when you acquired God's Holy Spirit, you were given the ability to overcome sin - walking in the flesh, to develop a Christ like character - one of the main purposes of why God created you: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJ).
Study & Grow:
As a new born Christian, you will study the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Why? - For doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16); that you may grow in knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:10).
Conclusion:
A real Christian is one who has been born again (who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, experienced a life reformation in their life style, has God's Holy Spirit to continue to help continue to overcome the nature of the flesh/sin, study the Word of God to grow in God's knowledge, live a transformed life by walking in the Spirit and show love toward all regardless of race.
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).
As a new born Christian, you will study the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Why? - For doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16); that you may grow in knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:10).
Conclusion:
A real Christian is one who has been born again (who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, experienced a life reformation in their life style, has God's Holy Spirit to continue to help continue to overcome the nature of the flesh/sin, study the Word of God to grow in God's knowledge, live a transformed life by walking in the Spirit and show love toward all regardless of race.
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).