Define A Christian

Grace777x70 · Feb 25, 2016

"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! "

I have quoted the above statement a few times in the past and it is a general statement about people that have been away from the Lord and why they left the organized church in the past.

I think you have for some reason took that as being spoken to you. Unless a post is posted to you and is quoting you - it's probably not wise to think it's for you and can lead to all kinds of destructive thinking.

Here is a time where it was used before if it will help you think correctly towards the post....post #280

http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/128356-we-sinners-14.html

This is all I'm saying on this subject. Bless you brother!

ForthAngel said:

PeterJens · Feb 25, 2016

A christian is a person who has been set free in Christ, no longer a slave to sin but walking in righteousness.

Their desire is to find purity and to meet needs as they come across them.

Their heart is set on bringing praise and glory to God by showing the work the Lord has done in their hearts.

They are members of the Kingdom of heaven come to earth, filled with the Holy Spirit.
The law of God is written on their hearts, and their greatest joy is seeing good things happen.

Now the question is how do you get from a sinner to walking like this?

That used to be my question, but all I can say, each walk is different, because each persons history and need of healing is different, and what they become will be unique in the body of Christ.

Blain · Feb 25, 2016

Define a Christian? That's very deep and profound question as there are many different views and definitions of a christian. In fact this was one of the first questions I asked God to teach me when I became saved, I asked what it means to be a Christian and how can I learn to be strong as one. even in the beginning of my faith he always spoke to me in certain ways often times I will be talking to him and he will speak to me through me like I say something that is put on my heart that I have never said before only to find out later it was him speaking through me.

I have not been saved for long only three years and so I am not as mature or as strong as some who have been in this a lot longer but in my short time of faith this is what I have learn what a christian is- A Christian is not a holier than though person in fact a true Christians humbles themselves and views others live more than their own not that the christians life is not as important as another person but rather the humbleness and love of God that flows in their hearts compels them to hold others before themselves. A Christian while having hope and more fulfilled life in Christ in no way is without suffering and struggles and sadness they are not immune to depression or doubt or questioning the worth of themselves and they don't always have the answer at the time to be able to beat such feelings and struggles but they keep going even though sometimes and some ppl more than others feel they cannot go on and have no strength and question God even get upset with him but more often than not they just want so badly to be held and wrapped in his arms to feel the warmth of his love as it fills you up making you know how cared about you are that are truly special and deeply loved.

A Christian in their weakest moments can feel less than worthy and can think of themselves as filth as a loser as one who is weak beyond words not even knowing that God is smiling shaking his head saying that he sees the exact opposite.

But above all a Christian is an imperfect child of God, having strengths and weaknesses having screw ups and pleasing father. The christian faith is always strived for but never perfected thing and as a believer one must always keep grinding always moving forward because the thought of finally being in the Lords arms forever and ever gives one the strength to do so no matter the cost or how much pain one must endure.

But there are a certain kind of Christians I have seen, the love and heart of God is much more noticeable in such ppl. Even those who have been a believer a lot less than most of us. But I haven spoken many times on here what I believe makes a Christian in fact I have been kinda joked that I sure love the word love and the word heart and that is true because the love of God and the heart of a person makes all the difference in one as a believer.

But my view is only a piece of the puzzle, however to find the truth of what ot means to be a Christian to understand what strength is what it means to be strong what it means to be pure of heart I suggest you follow the advice father gave me when I asked him what it means to be a Christian and to be strong- seek love above all else and everything else will fall into place.
The more time you spend with God the closer you and him will become the closer you and him become the deeper in love you become the deeper in love you become together the more secrets and hidden truths of his heart and his kingdom will be poured into you.

I don't how many do this now or how many will follow the advice father gave me but when you reach the point where the love between you and him is deep and rich and strong and beautiful and you fall deeper and deeper in love with him as you seek to deepen the bond and the love with him even more ask yourself the question of the original post and allow your heart to speak, because when your heart is so full of love you naturally speak the fathers words

Grace777x70 · Feb 25, 2016

Well said!

We have a good, good, loving Father and a great salvation in our Lord Jesus!

Colossians 3:14 (NASB)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

1 John 4:16-17 (NASB)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
[SUP]17 [/SUP] By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

Blain said:

Define a Christian? That's very deep and profound question as there are many different views and definitions of a christian. In fact this was one of the first questions I asked God to teach me when I became saved, I asked what it means to be a Christian and how can I learn to be strong as one. even in the beginning of my faith he always spoke to me in certain ways often times I will be talking to him and he will speak to me through me like I say something that is put on my heart that I have never said before only to find out later it was him speaking through me.

I have not been saved for long only three years and so I am not as mature or as strong as some who have been in this a lot longer but in my short time of faith this is what I have learn what a christian is- A Christian is not a holier than though person in fact a true Christians humbles themselves and views others live more than their own not that the christians life is not as important as another person but rather the humbleness and love of God that flows in their hearts compels them to hold others before themselves. A Christian while having hope and more fulfilled life in Christ in no way is without suffering and struggles and sadness they are not immune to depression or doubt or questioning the worth of themselves and they don't always have the answer at the time to be able to beat such feelings and struggles but they keep going even though sometimes and some ppl more than others feel they cannot go on and have no strength and question God even get upset with him but more often than not they just want so badly to be held and wrapped in his arms to feel the warmth of his love as it fills you up making you know how cared about you are that are truly special and deeply loved.

A Christian in their weakest moments can feel less than worthy and can think of themselves as filth as a loser as one who is weak beyond words not even knowing that God is smiling shaking his head saying that he sees the exact opposite.

But above all a Christian is an imperfect child of God, having strengths and weaknesses having screw ups and pleasing father. The christian faith is always strived for but never perfected thing and as a believer one must always keep grinding always moving forward because the thought of finally being in the Lords arms forever and ever gives one the strength to do so no matter the cost or how much pain one must endure.

But there are a certain kind of Christians I have seen, the love and heart of God is much more noticeable in such ppl. Even those who have been a believer a lot less than most of us. But I haven spoken many times on here what I believe makes a Christian in fact I have been kinda joked that I sure love the word love and the word heart and that is true because the love of God and the heart of a person makes all the difference in one as a believer.

But my view is only a piece of the puzzle, however to find the truth of what ot means to be a Christian to understand what strength is what it means to be strong what it means to be pure of heart I suggest you follow the advice father gave me when I asked him what it means to be a Christian and to be strong- seek love above all else and everything else will fall into place.
The more time you spend with God the closer you and him will become the closer you and him become the deeper in love you become the deeper in love you become together the more secrets and hidden truths of his heart and his kingdom will be poured into you.

I don't how many do this now or how many will follow the advice father gave me but when you reach the point where the love between you and him is deep and rich and strong and beautiful and you fall deeper and deeper in love with him as you seek to deepen the bond and the love with him even more ask yourself the question of the original post and allow your heart to speak, because when your heart is so full of love you naturally speak the fathers words

Blain · Feb 25, 2016

I can't take credit for what I posted i don't even feel like I truly poured out my entire heart in it as I was not feeling the best when I posted it but for anything in it that impacted anyone that made a spark that was not my doing, these are things I was taught by God and so if anyone is to receive credit it's him.

WebersHome · Feb 25, 2016

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I think that one of the characteristics of a really top notch Christian is their
confidence in God's promises. For example:

†. Gen 15:4-5 . .The word of The Lord came to him in reply: That one shall
not be your heir; none but your very own issue shall be your heir. He took
him outside and said: Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are
able to count them. And He added : So shall your offspring be.

On a good clear night, it's possible to see roughly 6,000 stars with the naked
eye; but don't bother to try and count them because you will certainly lose
track before you're done; especially if the Milky Way is overhead.

But anyway; Gen 15:4-5 led up to a very significant event.

†. Gen 15:6 . . And he believed in Yhvh; and He counted it to him for
righteousness.

That is the very first time anything "righteous" was said about Abram in
Genesis; and it resulted not from piety, but rather, from belief.

The Hebrew word for "belief" is horribly ambiguous. 'Aman can mean,
among other things: (1) to build up or support, (2) to foster as a parent or
nurse, (3) figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, (4) to trust or
believe, (5) to be permanent or quiet, (6) to be morally true or certain, and
(7) to rely upon.

Any choice I make from that list would be entirely arbitrary; but my money
is upon trust and reliance because at that moment, Abram began seriously
pinning his hopes on God to do something about his childless situation.

The thing to note is that Abram's hope wasn't based upon wishful thinking.
No; he had a promise from God to justify his confidence.

According to the first chapter of Genesis; the cosmos-- all of its forms of life,
matter, and energy --is the result of intelligent design. Do people gain a
degree of righteousness when they believe that chapter is true? No; I mean,
even demons believe that chapter is true; and fat lot of good it does them
because there are no personal guarantees in that chapter; it's entirely
academic.

But how about this?

†. John 6:39-40 . . This is the will of Him who sent me: that I shall lose
none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my
Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Whether people believe in that statement or not will have no effect upon its
outcome; viz: it is going to happen. However, their doubt will cost them a
degree of righteousness because John 3:39-40 isn't academic; no, it's a
personal guarantee.

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nu2see · Feb 26, 2016

WebersHome said:

Thanks for this, it's very thought-provoking.
I have to wonder, though.
I won't say it was easy for Abraham, but He DID get
a direct communication/promise from God.

And I've heard others talk about, 'God told me this', or
'God promised that'.

What of the many ppl who don't ever seem to hear
from God? I think perhaps many just try to take
something read in the Word and cling to it by faith for hope,
but sometimes it feels a bit presumptuous, like trying to claim
a promise that wasn't necessarily directly or personally given?

I'm not trying to cast doubt upon God,
just wondering how one knows that it applies to them personally,
if they haven't been told directly
or had a profound or earth-moving experience.

Maybe if I put it like this.....
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.....
If someone ELSE said, 'Well, I am believing God, too, and I'm claiming
this promise, too',
well, I guess they could want it and claim it and
believe it as much as they want, but God didn't give
them that promise, He gave it to Abraham.

Am I making any sense with this question,
or does the fact that I ask it
mean I don't have it, so I should just give up,
and stop trying to claim
a gift that belongs to someone else?

in other words, maybe there's many ppl
that feel they haven't been chosen,
so there's just no hope,
no sense in believing
in something that wasn't meant for them.

How does one continue in life trying to believe
in a promise that wasn't given to them,
And yet, how and why does one continue without it?

How does one know they're part of the John6:39 chosen?

straightouttagodsplan · Feb 26, 2016

Im sure they're pleased that you study the bible period.

PeterJens · Feb 26, 2016

The difference between arriving and being

In life we know about journeys, you start off from one location and arrive at another. We do not expect to change on the way, rather we expect to arrive in the same state we left or we will be disappointed.

The walk with Jesus is different. We are starting a walk knowing we need to change to become a saint while starting as a sinner. We become a saint when we start walking, but we know how our history, our make up, is set up to fail and be trapped in sin and failure. Our aim is to let Jesus change us, teach us, make us, mold us, lead us, reform us, build something new in our hearts. So we will never arrive we will just become, and be a saint.

Jesus said some simple things we need to choose to do. By doing we will become something different. Now some believe they become something without obedience or action, but what they do not realise is everything we do leaves a mark in us, builds reactions, behaviours that repeat throughout our lives. If we do not do, we stay as we are, sinners lost in rebellion.
It is not earning salvation, it is walking in your salvation and becoming a saint.

If you sit back on your past learnt understanding or reactions you are walking in sin and rebellion, the history of failure and finally death. That is why Jesus said you need to be born again, to be a new creation, to start again as a child, and let your inside be the same as your outside. The kingdom is about knowing you are loved and nothing needs to be hidden, because it is pure and holy.

WebersHome · Feb 26, 2016

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A Christian can be defined as someone associated with Abraham.

†. Gal 3:29 . . If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed

That's typically interpreted to mean that Christians are spiritual Jews.

However, though Abraham begot the Jews, he himself was not a Jew, rather,
he was a Gentile. In accordance with today's geopolitics, Abraham would be
known as an Iraqi seeing as how Ur of the Chaldees was located in that part
of the world.

The word "seed" is a bit ambiguous. It can indicate progeny, it can indicate
grain, it can indicate fruit, and/or it can indicate followers. For example:

†. 1Cor 4:14-15 . . I do not write these things to shame you, but to
admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless
tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I
became your father through the gospel.

†. Philem 10-11 . . I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have
begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is
profitable to you and to me.

Without going into detail, I'll just say that Abraham was promised that in
him all the world would be blessed (Gen 12:3). That of course speaks of
Christ. So then by extrapolation, Christ's followers are Abraham's followers
seeing as how Christ's followers are the fruit of the promise. (Rom 4:1-25)

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nu2see · Feb 26, 2016

Still trying to find out how to know the difference
between receiving a direct PROMISE from God personally,
(like Abraham, or when some of the prophets were told
directly by God thus and such,
or when a person today says God told them something
and they just KNEW it was a direct promise
to them personally from God Himself);
...... Versus the rest of so many ppl who just have to
take what a preacher says, or read it for themselves in the bible,
and choose to either believe it and claim the promises as their own,
(see John3:16 or Ephesians1:7-12), or reject it outright?

This can be a struggle for many, though there can be comfort
in reading certain passages where others seemed to struggle, too.

Thomas walked with Jesus, yet wouldn't believe
either the promises or the disciples testimony
until he saw the risen Jesus himself.

But that probably doesn't happen to many ppl,
and Jesus DID say that those who haven't seen,
and yet believe, are blessed...so that's a promise to claim.

There's also the one who said, 'I believe, Lord, help, thou, mine unbelief.'
Who hasn't expressed THAT at some point, themselves?

So, maybe I'm answering my own question.....
some ppl get direct promises from God,
through a personal encounter or a personal message,
(some even in a dream, I'm hearing).....
And some have the bible, and have to decide
whether or not they choose to believe it, I suppose.

I guess a christian is someone who believes
the word of God, in particular, one who believes
in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and puts
their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation,
(His substitutionary, sacrificial, atoning death
on the cross, in full payment of their sins,
and His bodily resurrection from the grave)
indicating that God saved them by His grace.

Funny how a simple, 4 word question, that would seem
to call for a clear, concise answer, can inspire such
deep thought, and diverse answers.....
I just asked a couple ppl the question, I got two very
different answers, one was like pulling teeth,
saying that he was a christian, but couldn't define it,
I had to coach and coax it out.

The other said that a person has to believe
Christ died for our sins. I said 'All? or just some?'
and they said All.
I may get back to that conversation, but I don't want to be contentious.

And a simple child-like faith of, 'Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the bible tells me so', may be the simple, profound answer.

WebersHome · Feb 27, 2016

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Christians are defined as (1) strangers, and (2) pilgrims.

†. 1Pet 2:11 . . Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul

Strangers are people with unusual habits, languages, and customs. Pilgrims
are resident aliens; viz: people living in a country legally, but not as citizens.

That Christians entertain some rather unusual speech, beliefs, and practices
there can be no doubt. And as for citizenship; their country is very far, far
away.

†. Col 1:13 . . He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred
us to the kingdom of His beloved Son

†. Phil 3:20 . . Our citizenship is in heaven.

†. Heb 13:14 . . Here we do not have a permanent city

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resurrection33 · Feb 27, 2016

WebersHome said:

-
Should all definitions of a Christian be allowed to stand, or should there be
just one?

Webster's defines a Christian as somebody who professes belief in the
teachings of Jesus Christ.

According to that definition; it isn't necessary to actually believe in Christ's
teachings in order to qualify as a Christian; it's only necessary to say you do.

You don't even have to know what Christ's teachings are; you only have to
say you believe in them.

Nor is it necessary to put Christ's teachings into practice in order to qualify
as a Christian; it's only necessary to say you believe in them.

There's a generous amount of leeway in Webster's definition. For example:
It allows for the Conquistadors to murder, plunder, and enslave Native
Americans back in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and still be able to
speak of themselves as Christians.

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To me, a Christian is someone trying obey Jesus.

PeterJens · Feb 27, 2016

resurrection33 said:

Is there a difference between trying and actually doing? I ask because it strikes me failure is implied here.
So I was wondering what areas you thought failure had occured and what you were trying to obey?

Chuckt · Feb 27, 2016

PeterJens said:

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in spirit means spiritually bankrupt.

Chuckt · Feb 27, 2016

Josefnospam said:

There was no program to save angels so the argument is ridiculous.

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Chuckt · Feb 27, 2016

PeacefulWarrior said:

Ghandi was a racist who thought that castes would solve the problem.

Chuckt · Feb 27, 2016

Kaycie said:

Actually no it does not. "SHOULD not perish" that means if you believe, you should get saved so that you do not perish. Besides, you need to take all scripture into consideration. One verse alone does not tell you everything you must do. What about repentance, confession, baptism, I tell you truthfully that if you go on faith (belief) alone you will not be saved. Because faith without deeds is dead, and a dead faith will cause you to perish.

Kaycie,

Baptism won't save a person.

Chuck

Chuckt · Feb 27, 2016

Marcelo said:

Moses slew a man and he was seen on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus which means that he went to heaven.

mrdesire · Feb 27, 2016

WebersHome said:

-
Should all definitions of a Christian be allowed to stand, or should there be
just one?

Webster's defines a Christian as somebody who professes belief in the
teachings of Jesus Christ.

According to that definition; it isn't necessary to actually believe in Christ's
teachings in order to qualify as a Christian; it's only necessary to say you do.

You don't even have to know what Christ's teachings are; you only have to
say you believe in them.

Nor is it necessary to put Christ's teachings into practice in order to qualify
as a Christian; it's only necessary to say you believe in them.

There's a generous amount of leeway in Webster's definition. For example:
It allows for the Conquistadors to murder, plunder, and enslave Native
Americans back in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and still be able to
speak of themselves as Christians.

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Are you being serious or are you making a mockery of belief bashing Christians?

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