From your own words what does it mean?
- Thread starter Blain
- 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.
To me it means he must increase seeing he causes our growth. Without him we can do nothing.
Fantastic answers from everyone
You see what I love about this question is that it requires one to search their own hearts and to recall all the times they felt weak and relied on God or to ponder deeper on their idea of what real strength is and what it really means to be a Christian and have a renewed fire to achieve it in Christ.
When I asked this question I knew that many would have different answers and that those answers would be thought provoking both for the poster and the ones reading their posts, and though the answers differed none of them were incorrect because none of them were wrong but none were the complete answer either, the reason for this is because we all have a piece of the puzzle whether we obtained that piece from deep studies or from sorrow or from experiencing first hand his strength when we are weak of even from a daily pondering of the question itself.
It's a single topic with tons of answers and each individual believes the answer to be a certain one, different all of them yet true and beautiful. Personally this is something I myself ponder daily ever forming my answer as I grow closer to God but the question itself is so provocative that I wanted to ask it of everyone in hopes that they would search their hearts and respond full heartily and honestly, what someone considers strength another considers weakness but provocative questions such as this are amazing because they help the believer to grow in a way that might not other wise
You see what I love about this question is that it requires one to search their own hearts and to recall all the times they felt weak and relied on God or to ponder deeper on their idea of what real strength is and what it really means to be a Christian and have a renewed fire to achieve it in Christ.When I asked this question I knew that many would have different answers and that those answers would be thought provoking both for the poster and the ones reading their posts, and though the answers differed none of them were incorrect because none of them were wrong but none were the complete answer either, the reason for this is because we all have a piece of the puzzle whether we obtained that piece from deep studies or from sorrow or from experiencing first hand his strength when we are weak of even from a daily pondering of the question itself.
It's a single topic with tons of answers and each individual believes the answer to be a certain one, different all of them yet true and beautiful. Personally this is something I myself ponder daily ever forming my answer as I grow closer to God but the question itself is so provocative that I wanted to ask it of everyone in hopes that they would search their hearts and respond full heartily and honestly, what someone considers strength another considers weakness but provocative questions such as this are amazing because they help the believer to grow in a way that might not other wise
'From my own words what I think it means to be strong as a Christian?'
When I realized that I deserved absolutely nothing, then my thank you toward Jesus Christ became everything. I am not established in Him, but He is established in me. Day after day I am being transformed, that NOT being of my own capability.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a KJV)
This is the elementary premise I have been constantly harping on for people to do with every word in the Bible. So few of us don't know much more than to parrot a phrase from the Book, as though that somehow makes us Holy, or something.
A strong Christian... means that not only do you practice convictions (of Christ's doctrine) as you go about your daily life, but you are willing to give up your life for Christ if it came to that. A strong Christian is not just a Christian on Sunday morning, or in a name title, but someone who walks the walk and talks the talk every day of their life. They do not hide the word of God from people, but are out there teaching it by some form or another, and they practice what they 'preach'. You don't have to be in the pulpit- we're all priests in Christ (active in spreading His truth, and living it ourselves). They live or die by taking up their cross daily (whether literally or figuratively) and following Christ's example.
A Christian is... someone who has been baptized into Christ, and are currently remaining in Christ (not a prodigal son) "For don't you know that all who were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death?" Romans 6:3. His death is where He shead His life-saving blood, and it is where we come in contact with it. We stay in contact with it by taking the Lords Supper of His body and blood, and remembering His death, and our death of self when we joined Him in His death (our covenant of baptism). We are CHRISTians as long as His blood, Word, and Spirit remain in us, and we are actively following Christ.
To be Christian is to surrender to God in every way. We become a new creation
in Christ so that now we no longer live in the flesh because we live in the Spirit.
We surrender our own will and accept the will of God. All that we do, we do with
the love of God. Does this mean we are perfect; absolutely not. Does this mean
we are striving for perfection knowing we won't achieve it in this life; absolutely.
We do reach a point though where we never need to ask WWJD because we are
at a place where we instinctively follow the examples of Christ.
in Christ so that now we no longer live in the flesh because we live in the Spirit.
We surrender our own will and accept the will of God. All that we do, we do with
the love of God. Does this mean we are perfect; absolutely not. Does this mean
we are striving for perfection knowing we won't achieve it in this life; absolutely.
We do reach a point though where we never need to ask WWJD because we are
at a place where we instinctively follow the examples of Christ.
Hi Blain,
I'm not really exactly sure what you're asking here by not be able to point to Jesus.
We're strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The strength we have comes from Him.
As we walk by the Spirit, the strength we have for each new day comes from Him.
Peter said that we are to stand firm in the true grace of God. Paul says stand firm in the faith, or to stand firm in the Lord. We must stand firm in the armor of God (Ephesians 6). We must entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator and keep our eyes of Jesus.
We are strengthened as we walk in obedience as we walk in the Spirit and keep in step with Him.
I'm not really exactly sure what you're asking here by not be able to point to Jesus.
We're strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The strength we have comes from Him.
As we walk by the Spirit, the strength we have for each new day comes from Him.
Peter said that we are to stand firm in the true grace of God. Paul says stand firm in the faith, or to stand firm in the Lord. We must stand firm in the armor of God (Ephesians 6). We must entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator and keep our eyes of Jesus.
We are strengthened as we walk in obedience as we walk in the Spirit and keep in step with Him.
I just know that I desire to be a more humble servant to the Lord and to do something positive and uplifting to the least of my brothers and sisters. All I really want out of this life is that when it's over for my heavenly father to say "Well done, good and faithful servant". Only time will tell if this will happen or not.
To be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might so that we may stand and withstand the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:10-18).
To resist the devil by drawing near to God (James 4:7-8).
To always have an answer to give to those who ask of the reason of the hope in me (1 Pet 3:15).
To believe in hope and not stagger at God's promise even when all evidence points against what God has promised (Rom 4:18-20).
To be patient as we await fulfillment of God's promise (Heb 10:36).
To be watchful and prayerful (1 Thess 5).
To be careful lest I fall (1 Cor 10:12).
I know you asked me to respond "in my own words". I hope/pray that you don't mind my "borrowing" from the words of Father in order to answer as my words fail.
To resist the devil by drawing near to God (James 4:7-8).
To always have an answer to give to those who ask of the reason of the hope in me (1 Pet 3:15).
To believe in hope and not stagger at God's promise even when all evidence points against what God has promised (Rom 4:18-20).
To be patient as we await fulfillment of God's promise (Heb 10:36).
To be watchful and prayerful (1 Thess 5).
To be careful lest I fall (1 Cor 10:12).
I know you asked me to respond "in my own words". I hope/pray that you don't mind my "borrowing" from the words of Father in order to answer as my words fail.
My reason for saying this was that like Willie T pointed out people tend to parrot the socially acceptable response normally leading to people to base their response on the common pointing to Jesus instead of using their own words and speaking their own hearts. I wanted to hear from their own words and from their own hearts what it means to them not what is socially seen as the right responseHi Blain,
I'm not really exactly sure what you're asking here by not be able to point to Jesus.
We're strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The strength we have comes from Him.
As we walk by the Spirit, the strength we have for each new day comes from Him.
Peter said that we are to stand firm in the true grace of God. Paul says stand firm in the faith, or to stand firm in the Lord. We must stand firm in the armor of God (Ephesians 6). We must entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator and keep our eyes of Jesus.
We are strengthened as we walk in obedience as we walk in the Spirit and keep in step with Him.
Even though they were not identified as a N.T. Christian per se I think the attitude of the three young Hebrew boys speaks to the same SPIRIT if you will....
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
It depends on what people think a Christian is for one thing, as we all probably don't believe the same thing. Hopefully we do.
Our view of a strong Christian in nearly all cases, is better than ourselves.
More evangelist, more compassionate, more strict, more peaceful, more wise in Bible knowledge and usage. More humble, more honest, more bold. Basically just better than we are.
But that seems daunting, especially to long stigmatized recluse like me.
Our view of a strong Christian in nearly all cases, is better than ourselves.
More evangelist, more compassionate, more strict, more peaceful, more wise in Bible knowledge and usage. More humble, more honest, more bold. Basically just better than we are.
But that seems daunting, especially to long stigmatized recluse like me.