How Do You Tell the Difference Between a REAL Christian and a FAKE Christian?
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I don't know the punchline to this one...
I always thought you can tell someone by their fruits. (of the Holy Spirit)
Sheep and goats...wheat and tares...
I don't really go for threads that just post you-tube vids of someone else's ministry. There's plenty of advice in the NT letters how to tell a wolf from a shepherd. And someone who tells a different gospel from the one delivered to the saints.
I always thought you can tell someone by their fruits. (of the Holy Spirit)
Sheep and goats...wheat and tares...
I don't really go for threads that just post you-tube vids of someone else's ministry. There's plenty of advice in the NT letters how to tell a wolf from a shepherd. And someone who tells a different gospel from the one delivered to the saints.
Tall_Timbers
Well-known member
C. S. Lewis has a better way:
"Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognizable; but you need to know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of 'religious people' which you have formed from your general reading. They will not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They will usually seem to have a lot of time; you will wonder where it comes from."
"Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognizable; but you need to know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of 'religious people' which you have formed from your general reading. They will not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They will usually seem to have a lot of time; you will wonder where it comes from."
There are some who are born again but who are still immature and self centred. Some have stagnated and stopped maturing in Christ. There are some I call the "Shining Ones". I went to many conferences when I was first saved. Every now and again, a speaker would get up and immediately I could see a difference. It was obvious to me but hard to describe. I very much wanted to be like that.
The fun part is not knowing where we are at. I do not see myself as one of the shining as yet. However, others say that I am. I dare not make such a claim because I know how easy it is to be proud.
Whatever I am in Christ is not due to me. I have been more like Jacob, fighting God, doing things my own way and and making a mess of life generally. Right now, I know that I am not the same as I used to be. And that is entirely due to Jesus my Deliverer.
The fun part is not knowing where we are at. I do not see myself as one of the shining as yet. However, others say that I am. I dare not make such a claim because I know how easy it is to be proud.
Whatever I am in Christ is not due to me. I have been more like Jacob, fighting God, doing things my own way and and making a mess of life generally. Right now, I know that I am not the same as I used to be. And that is entirely due to Jesus my Deliverer.
Identifying them is not my job, and I would put myself in a false position if I tried to.
"I'm not what I want to be
I'm not what I'm gonna be
But thank God I'm not what I was"
- The Gaithers
The wheat and tares distinction is something given only to the angels who are sent out to remove the tares right before the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom:
Matthew 13:41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
I don't know of any scripture that indicates that we, fallen humanity, are ever given that insight. It's one thing to observe the fruit, which is the outflow from others, but as to their nature, be they wheat or tares, that's not the same thing in that it's internal and known only to the Lord and the angels He sends forth, which also includes the sheep and goats descriptor.
If you don't like threads like this, then the door is...because I've also been told by others that they prefer videos given their lack of desire and/or time to do a bunch of reading. Can't please everyone, right?
MM
We do indeed need more spiritual giants walking this earth, and giants are all about us, but simply don't draw attention to themselves such as with ministries labeled with their own names. Some are in wheelchairs, others athletic, and others elderly broken and bent, but giants nonetheless.
MM
Didn't say I didn't like threads
But there is also a door that Jesus opens to believers and I think he also shuts it as well, but you have to knock or have the secret password to enter.
You can't enter it by watching you-tube videos all the time.
But there is also a door that Jesus opens to believers and I think he also shuts it as well, but you have to knock or have the secret password to enter.
You can't enter it by watching you-tube videos all the time.
Actually
Jesus identified the sheep and goats too by their actions/nature and who gave to the least of these. Also if you are any good at gardening, you CAN identify weeds not just by sight, but by tasting, or touching whatever plant it is.
I think videos for those who are reading challenged actually takes LONGER than just reading a short post that can explain everything. But thats just me. Also videos require sound and more bandwith so you out of luck if you don't have headphones or other such or good connection.
Do you make the videos yourself? I mean I can refer people to longer books but I think it's just as easy to summarise what is in the video as that takes time to watch, some can go on for an hour or more!
I don't mean it as a criticism the topic is actually quite interesting, but thing is people on here, CCs will actually well mostly have a BIBLE on hand they can refer to....we just need the specific scripture reference and then can look up ourselves.
In the works-based salvation model, I 've heard those people talk about having to DO something, such as "knocking on the door" for salvation (whatever that means), but I'm so glad it's 100% what Jesus did and 0% what I can do in adding to the total sufficiency of what Christ accomplished in our stead. Not sure what direction you were leaning in this because the lack of detail in our post left me with little else to go on.
MM
Understood, and I do appreciate that for those who actually do crack open their Bibles. I often find myself wishing more people would study their Bibles rather than relying on potentially false teaching pastors, Sunday school and Bible study teachers and the plethora of materials out there for purchase that, from what I've seen, don't contribute much scriptural and/or spiritual depth apart from trivia items that have them going, "Ah, ha. Well, that's interesting...," which is like trying to protect against flying arrows standing behind a wet noodle...
MM