Define A Christian
- Thread starter WebersHome
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
No contradiction. Simple surface level belief is different than a belief that causes a strong urgency to pursue something and follow with passion. Faith is actually defined as strong belief and not some passing whim. A true belief, or true faith is what saves. Not some surface level admission of something that never really causes a definite change of heart. Again, the parable of the sower illustrates this:
[SUP]20 [/SUP]As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [SUP]21 [/SUP]yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
...
[SUP]23 [/SUP]As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [SUP]21 [/SUP]yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
...
[SUP]23 [/SUP]As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
I think the same way as you....
Believing is the verb to the noun faith...they are the same words in greek ( well other then one is the verb and the other is the noun of the same word )
I think the true gospel of the grace of Christ has been watered down by works--salvation messages. If we hear the true gospel that we died with Christ on the cross and rose with Him to newness of life....that we are dead to sin ( the noun - which is the power of sin still in our flesh ) ...and now alive to God. ..Then we will have the true Christian life lived through and in us by the life of Christ from our new creation in Christ.
That we don't have a life now...He is our life....then we would have people walking in this world dependent totally on Christ's life in us manifesting to a dying and hurt world.
I believe a lot of sincere believers have left the church ( not Jesus ) because they could not live this religious Christian life that was being preached to them. They loved Jesus but they didn't want to be a hypocrite so they backed away from the organized church.
Then there is the group that struggled with a certain sin and was never taught about grace properly and so they left because they were defeated. Constantly feeling condemned and guilty and full of shame. The legalists keep preaching at them to change!
The only change that is effective is from the life of Jesus in us and that only comes with the message of the gospel of the grace of Christ.
Believing is the verb to the noun faith...they are the same words in greek ( well other then one is the verb and the other is the noun of the same word )
I think the true gospel of the grace of Christ has been watered down by works--salvation messages. If we hear the true gospel that we died with Christ on the cross and rose with Him to newness of life....that we are dead to sin ( the noun - which is the power of sin still in our flesh ) ...and now alive to God. ..Then we will have the true Christian life lived through and in us by the life of Christ from our new creation in Christ.
That we don't have a life now...He is our life....then we would have people walking in this world dependent totally on Christ's life in us manifesting to a dying and hurt world.
I believe a lot of sincere believers have left the church ( not Jesus ) because they could not live this religious Christian life that was being preached to them. They loved Jesus but they didn't want to be a hypocrite so they backed away from the organized church.
Then there is the group that struggled with a certain sin and was never taught about grace properly and so they left because they were defeated. Constantly feeling condemned and guilty and full of shame. The legalists keep preaching at them to change!
The only change that is effective is from the life of Jesus in us and that only comes with the message of the gospel of the grace of Christ.
Last edited:
-
I think it's pretty easy to be a Christian; but I don't think it's all that easy to
have Christ.
What I mean is: according to God's testimony, as an expert witness
pertaining to all things Christian; people lacking eternal life also lack His son.
In other words: they are quite christless.
†. 1John 5:11-12 . . This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal
life, and this life is in His son. So whoever has God's son has this life; and
whosoever does not have this life, does not have His son.
I should think it goes without saying that christless Christians are in grave
danger of the sum of all fears.
†. Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not
belong to Christ.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I think it's pretty easy to be a Christian; but I don't think it's all that easy to
have Christ.
What I mean is: according to God's testimony, as an expert witness
pertaining to all things Christian; people lacking eternal life also lack His son.
In other words: they are quite christless.
†. 1John 5:11-12 . . This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal
life, and this life is in His son. So whoever has God's son has this life; and
whosoever does not have this life, does not have His son.
I should think it goes without saying that christless Christians are in grave
danger of the sum of all fears.
†. Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not
belong to Christ.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
that sounds like an oxymoron..."Christ-less Christians"....
I know what you mean...people not born of the Spirit of Christ but go to church or just say they are Christians but are not born of the Spirit of God.. the whole church since it started in Acts has been infiltrated with non christians ...Revelation 2-3 talks about these a lot...as well as just about every epistle in the NT....there has always been tares in with the wheat....the angels of the Lord will separate them out in the end just like Jesus said.
I know what you mean...people not born of the Spirit of Christ but go to church or just say they are Christians but are not born of the Spirit of God.. the whole church since it started in Acts has been infiltrated with non christians ...Revelation 2-3 talks about these a lot...as well as just about every epistle in the NT....there has always been tares in with the wheat....the angels of the Lord will separate them out in the end just like Jesus said.
I'm stating faith, you're stating levels of faith. Jesus says we are to have faith like children, for to such as those belong the Kingdom of Heaven. My faith is the most important aspect of my life unlike most Americans who place their faith way down the assembly line of life. Yet be that as it may, I do not judge whether or not they have salvation; that's obviously God's judgment alone.
Legalism - in the biblical sense = is any attitude or belief that human merit through self-effort can produce, prove, or preserve for one-self an acceptable standing before God.
God takes no pleasure in the legs ( strength ) of man. It is all by grace through faith that we are saved...and not of ourselves. This is not only for "going to heaven' but for everything in this live as well.
Psalm 147:10-11 (NASB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. ( doing things with his own strength )
[SUP]11 [/SUP] The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. ( grace in Hebrew )
God takes no pleasure in the legs ( strength ) of man. It is all by grace through faith that we are saved...and not of ourselves. This is not only for "going to heaven' but for everything in this live as well.
Psalm 147:10-11 (NASB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. ( doing things with his own strength )
[SUP]11 [/SUP] The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. ( grace in Hebrew )
I'm not talking about levels. I'm talking about true and false belief. We have to contend with the parable of the sower showing that some receive the word with joy but it never takes root. Easy believism isn't enough. True faith is deep rooted and unshakable. There is also the lukewarm Christians which God will reject. No faith. Someone can believe the bible but not have the committed faith required to follow Jesus. Believing and saying a prayer at some point in our life isn't enough. If God hasn't convicted them and turned them fully to him, their belief is wasted. Playing church won't save someone. True faith gifted by God consumes a person. I'm not saying we judge someone's salvation either. Not talking about legalism either which I'll get accused of by some.
C
Christian is a term or title of association. I call myself a Christian, because I find myself under the umbrella of Christendom. Regardless of what some Christians say, JW, Mormon, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Adventist etc etc on and on with religious denominations and non-denominations... these are Christians of Christendom.
A saved person is called what, a saint.
And last I read Corinthians, they were always addressed as saints, and rightly so. A saint does not lose identity in Christ once we are sealed with the spirit of promise.
A saved person is called what, a saint.
And last I read Corinthians, they were always addressed as saints, and rightly so. A saint does not lose identity in Christ once we are sealed with the spirit of promise.
-
Christianity is a lethal religion. It quite literally, in some mysterious way that
I don't quite understand; put Christ's believing followers to death.
†. Rom 6:3 . . Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
†. Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him
†. Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ
†. Col 3:3 . . For you died when Christ died
The "old man" can be roughly defined as everything about people that's
related to Adam; viz: their body, their mind, and their human nature.
That being the case; it seems to me that a Christian could, and should, be
defined as an executed sinner in whom God has adequately satisfied justice.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Christianity is a lethal religion. It quite literally, in some mysterious way that
I don't quite understand; put Christ's believing followers to death.
†. Rom 6:3 . . Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
†. Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him
†. Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ
†. Col 3:3 . . For you died when Christ died
The "old man" can be roughly defined as everything about people that's
related to Adam; viz: their body, their mind, and their human nature.
That being the case; it seems to me that a Christian could, and should, be
defined as an executed sinner in whom God has adequately satisfied justice.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Wanted to read through this thread from the beginning before maybe adding something.
Got to this post, #7, and had to shout,
with a bit of a tear, and joy, --- AMEN!!!
Brother, that's all I have, and I know I couldn't even say it,
if it wasn't a gift from God Himself! Thank you, Jesus.
I, nu2see, hereby proclaim, "Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior."
The Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins.
The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave.
All and only by His grace alone I am saved.
Thank you, Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my God.
Please help me, Lord, to stay strong in the faith,
Please help me to help someone else to believe in you.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
And thank you, too, brother Utah! AMEN!
God bless you!
(gonna try to finish reading now, lol)
Got to this post, #7, and had to shout,
with a bit of a tear, and joy, --- AMEN!!!
Brother, that's all I have, and I know I couldn't even say it,
if it wasn't a gift from God Himself! Thank you, Jesus.
I, nu2see, hereby proclaim, "Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior."
The Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins.
The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave.
All and only by His grace alone I am saved.
Thank you, Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my God.
Please help me, Lord, to stay strong in the faith,
Please help me to help someone else to believe in you.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
And thank you, too, brother Utah! AMEN!
God bless you!
(gonna try to finish reading now, lol)