Can you "confess" to be something you're not?

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thefightinglamb

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#1
#1
I think every Christian knows people that claim to be Christian and you spiritually see that they are not...the two tests (of you will) that I normally use are (1) as Jesus said Christians will be known by the love they have for each other and (2) even as Jesus says that even sinners love those who are like themselves, you MUST love you enemies and do good to those who mistreat you (this one also implies Jesus's command that only those who do the will of God have the love of God in their hearts by KEEPING his commandments...

but my question is more to deal with the good flip side of this, that I do believe in as of this moment...I once worked with a girl who claimed to be mormon, though I felt the love of God even in her presence when I was around her...She calimed to be both Christian and mormon, so maybe this isn't the best example; though in my heart I believed just from what the LORD showed me when I was around her that she was a Christian and NO mormon. She seemed to deeply care (impossible to explain, as the love between two Christians is unfathomably deep (I would argue even to the point of being crucified for each other, not like Jesus, but doing WHATEVER the LORD wills for the person even to death)--but I felt it in my heart) and spiritually have 'Christian fellowship' with me when I was around her.

Does this ever happen to anyone else?
Can someone be a Christian and 'naively' believe themselves to be something else--maybe adding the necessity of confeesing Jesus Christ LORD (which she did)?

Any experiences more than just philosophical or theoligical arguments would be welcome...

May the Lord show the way and take us with him.
tony
 
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Baptistrw

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#2
#2
Well, Mormons aren't Christians, and that's a really subjective way of testing peoples genuineness. Sadly, Mormons tend to be more loving than Christians, which is how they get so many people to buy into their claims of being a Christian church. People can be moral and loving without having saving faith in Christ.

As for your question "Can someone be a Christian and 'naively' believe themselves to be something else--maybe adding the necessity of confeesing Jesus Christ LORD (which she did)?" Do you mean someone could be a Christian and falsely claim to be Mormon?
 
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thefightinglamb

Guest
#3
#3
I obviously wasn't referring to 'morality or just loving' as why I believed her a Christian...I don't know what to write but that besides the love of God I felt (even when she was shallow towards me) I 'spiritually recognized her in the Lord'--I didn't find out she was mormon until the last day of my work...I kind of was taken aback and quizoticly told her "I couldn't talk to her because she would get into my mind or heart and would try to make me believe her craziness"--she knew I was kidding and I didn't know it was the last time I may have seen her...but later in the day I told her how in reading part of the book of Mormons it was rediculuos how they portrayed God hand in hand with Jesus walking down from heaven--because even as the Old Testament states God cannot be seen by man, except in and through Jesus Christ...I think even CS Lewis, though I don't think him as great as I once did, in the last battle of the Chronicles of Narnia kind of saw or thought this was true...when the person that didn't believe in Aslan was thrown into the tent (though He had thought Aslan different He was still received as one worshipping the true God and wasn't destroyed with the evil creatures)...

So as people can claim to be Christian and not be; can there be some people who are just spiritually mistaken or wrong in believing themselves to be something they are not--and actually be a Christian (I added they must confess Jesus as Lord still)?

Imagine someone seeing and following the LORD, and denying anything in mormonism that is contradictory to Christianity, but still holding onto that name mormon--whatever that means as a hereditary name possibly.
 
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Baptistrw

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#4
#4
You couldn't be a Mormon active in the Mormon church without denying everything Christianity holds to.
 
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CristenJ

Guest
#5
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I think I know what you're talking about...

I grew up with several friends who are/were Mormon. Some of them are to this day the kindest hearted, sweetest people I know...and it makes me sad that they've spent their entire lives believing the falsehoods of the Mormon church, that they support a religion that excludes people and is unforgiving. I also have friends who think the world is just a huge cosmic accident who are truly decent people, but will never know the love of Christ. It can be confusing to come across people like that.

Anyway, as for what was said on here- I believe that you CAN confess to be something that you're not. People do this all the time. But I don't believe that anyone can unknowingly be a Christian. Like you said, having been saved and confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior is necessary.

Even in the situation you described, if the girl is still a member of the Mormon church, that means that she still holds to their teachings. At least enough to keep her IN the church. So I would say that she is not a Christian.

Anyway, all Mormons claim to be Christian also. It's not true, no matter how nice or loving they are.
 
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Baptistrw

Guest
#6
#6
Well said CristenJ.
 
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onwingsaseagles

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#7
#7
I know the subject seem to be can this mormon girl actually be a christian when she think she is a christian. However to answer the question ''can you claim to be something your not?'' Most ''christians'' do, most christians are not serving God, most people that claim christianity are not christians at all.
 
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WhereToGo

Guest
#8
#8
I think the Bible is pretty clear that people can profess things with their mouths that are not true to their hearts.

Matthew 7:21-23 "(21)Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22)Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23)And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity"
 
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