Greetings,
There is a great question that is being asked in this forum lately. The question is: "What is a Christian?"
My personal definition of a Christian is someone who: "Loves the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind."
What I aim to accomplish in this thread, is to:
1) Prove that the definition that I give above is the correct definition of a real / true Christian
2) Prove that the Bible promises that we can all love the Lord this way.
3) Prove that a Christian who loves the Lord this way, cannot willfully sin against God.
Please forgive me if I forgot to add important texts. It is late for me, and I am very tired.
Let us begin:
1) Prove that the definition that I gave above is the correct definition of a real / true Christian.
The Lord promised that He would cause His people to love him in this way:
Deuteronomy 30
6And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Jesus commands this of us:
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
If we are born of God, we will love Him and know Him:
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
This is loving God with all the heart and Paul makes it clear it's quite possible:
1 Corinthians 13
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth:1 Corinthians 13
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth:
If we love God "we will keep His Words:"
John 14
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
2) Prove that the Bible promises that we can all love the Lord this way.
God promises the New Covenant:
Ezekiel 36
25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
God promises to make our love perfect, and when it is we become: "as He is, so are we in this world:"
1 John 4
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
The Holy Spirit causes us to love God perfectly:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
3) Prove that a Christian who loves the Lord this way, cannot willfully sin against God.
God promises that He will "cause us" to love Him this way. If he "causes us" then we surely will:
Ezekiel 36
25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Paul didn't struggle with sin and neither ought we:
Romans 6
2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
If we claim to be Christians and don't love Him perfectly, we are "liars:"
1 John 2
4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. If a good tree brings forth evil fruit, please see verse 18. Also, it is only those who obey that may enter into heaven. Perfect love must include perfect obedience:
Matthew 7
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not 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.
They that are Christ's "have crucified" the flesh:
Galatians 5
19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24And they that are Christ's "have crucified" the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Those who are quick to say that St. John says that no one can claim to be without sin, are very quick to ignore these verses:
1 John 3
6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
I argue that if a man loves God in the most perfect way possible, that he cannot willfully commit sin against his God. Perfect love is attainable in the New Covenant and perfect obedience is perfect love, because love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Romans 13:10-14 (King James Version)
10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Question Time
There is a great question that is being asked in this forum lately. The question is: "What is a Christian?"
My personal definition of a Christian is someone who: "Loves the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind."
What I aim to accomplish in this thread, is to:
1) Prove that the definition that I give above is the correct definition of a real / true Christian
2) Prove that the Bible promises that we can all love the Lord this way.
3) Prove that a Christian who loves the Lord this way, cannot willfully sin against God.
Please forgive me if I forgot to add important texts. It is late for me, and I am very tired.
Let us begin:
1) Prove that the definition that I gave above is the correct definition of a real / true Christian.
The Lord promised that He would cause His people to love him in this way:
Deuteronomy 30
6And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Jesus commands this of us:
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
If we are born of God, we will love Him and know Him:
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
This is loving God with all the heart and Paul makes it clear it's quite possible:
1 Corinthians 13
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth:1 Corinthians 13
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth:
If we love God "we will keep His Words:"
John 14
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
2) Prove that the Bible promises that we can all love the Lord this way.
God promises the New Covenant:
Ezekiel 36
25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
God promises to make our love perfect, and when it is we become: "as He is, so are we in this world:"
1 John 4
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
The Holy Spirit causes us to love God perfectly:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
3) Prove that a Christian who loves the Lord this way, cannot willfully sin against God.
God promises that He will "cause us" to love Him this way. If he "causes us" then we surely will:
Ezekiel 36
25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Paul didn't struggle with sin and neither ought we:
Romans 6
2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
If we claim to be Christians and don't love Him perfectly, we are "liars:"
1 John 2
4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. If a good tree brings forth evil fruit, please see verse 18. Also, it is only those who obey that may enter into heaven. Perfect love must include perfect obedience:
Matthew 7
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not 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.
They that are Christ's "have crucified" the flesh:
Galatians 5
19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24And they that are Christ's "have crucified" the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Those who are quick to say that St. John says that no one can claim to be without sin, are very quick to ignore these verses:
1 John 3
6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
I argue that if a man loves God in the most perfect way possible, that he cannot willfully commit sin against his God. Perfect love is attainable in the New Covenant and perfect obedience is perfect love, because love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Romans 13:10-14 (King James Version)
10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Question Time
