Bringing in old writings of mine - True Christians

*These have some worthwhile value, but they have been written over a period of several years*
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I am only going to be talking today to those that consider themselves Christians. If you do not consider yourself a Christian, then you have my permission, NAY, my BLESSING to not read this, or to read a book, to wave your arm in the air, play Nintendo DS or whatever you feel like. This is not aimed towards you.

For the rest of you, I ask you this: What does it mean to be a true Christian? What all does it entail?

First of all, WHAT is taught as being a true Christian? A Christian is someone who has dedicated their life to Christ. Okay, that is a Sunday school answer. Anything else? Someone who is a good person. Okay. A Christian is someone who Puts God first in their life. Can we all agree on that? Does this all make any sense? Good.

Okay, that wasn’t too hard, but that’s basics. It deals with very little. A baby believer knows that. The basics are important. The Bible is God’s word, Jesus came to earth, died for our sins, and rose again. We, by believing in Him, are cleansed of our sins and we can now enter Heaven when we die. The basics.

Lets go further now. Lets see what a TRUE believer is.

A true believer is someone who believes in God…but even the demons believe in God. A true believer believes that Jesus is the Son of God, but the demons have that as well. A true believer understands the tri-person of the Godhood (yes, the father, son, and holy spirit, the trinity), all this even demons believe to!

A true believer has come to grips with their sinfulness, their own personal sin. Remember that Christianity is a “sinner’s religion[1]”. A true believer will understand that Christ HAD to come and die, for the COST of sin, ANY sin, is DEATH. Christ died so that we may live.

A True Christian understands that by surrendering their life to Christ, it is NO LONGER their own. They have no right to their own body, their MIND, their SOUL, their BLOOD, their HAIR, their CLOTHING, even their EATING. Anything that has to do with the body has been given, surrendered to Christ, bought by HIS blood, paid for by His death.

This means that a true Christian will NEVER knowingly lie or mislead someone. A true Christian lets God do as God wishes in their life. There can be no argument with God. This means that you can NOT dress in a way that contradicts the Bible. You cannot wear your hair in a contradictory style, you cannot TALK in a non-biblically approved way. You cannot LISTEN to music or watch television that God wouldnot watch. Of course, these all will take us to other topics that we do not have the time for. But you get the point.

A true Christian’s life will get harder after they come to a personal saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, not easier. This world belongs to Satan, he and God are enemies, and Satan desires to have more people with him in HELL rather than in Heaven. He will do everything he can to disturb a real walk with Christ.

Troubles come, but take heart, when you survive trials, temptations, and problems you come closer to Christ. I’m sure that you all know this, but have you really learned and taken this to heart? I always hear people complaining about their life, why can it not be easier, why this and why that. I see their lives and I wonder what trials they go through, what problems they have. Their lives are comfortable ones, the problems they go through are merely those that come naturally with work and school. I wonder why people don’t question why their life is so comfortable, why things are always available for them. I see this and wonder why they think that they are good Christians.

Christianity is God reaching out to Man. We are sinful and can NEVER be perfect. Christ died so that we will not be forever parted from God. Christ died because we are sinners, and we are still sinners. Christ’s blood atones and sanctifies us, but does not absolve us from the consequences of our evil deeds. We still need to daily keep ourselves accountable in everything to our God, our Father, our Savior.

We will sin, we will commit evil during our lives. We cannot escape this fact. Since the fall of man, we have been naturally evil. We cannot get away from ourselves, yet if we rely on God, he will bring us closer to him.

Brother Lawrence says, “ When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy Presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him.”

My conclusion is this: A true Christian recognizes his own fallen nature and will constantly seek to better himself, to constantly reach towards Christ no matter what the cost. The cross is only the beginning of the journey. Why should you go to the doctor, and take only part of the medicine he gives you. Should you not take the whole dose for the entire time? The same way you should not only reach for the basics and be content. The cross is ONLY the beginning. Once you reach the cross, you still have your whole life before you.
“What idea have you of the salvation of your soul? The experience of salvation means that, in your actual life, things are really altered. You no longer look at things as you used to; your desires are new, old things have lost their power. One of the touchstones of experience is--Has God altered the thing that matters? If you still hanker after the old things, it is absurd to be talking about being born from above, you are juggling with yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the alteration manifest in your life and reasoning, and when the crisis comes you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference that there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing alteration that is the evidence that you are a saved soul." ~Oswald Chambers~

[1] McMahon, Matthew C. "What is a Biblical Christian." A Puritan's Mind. ©1998-2006. .