Do you have the right to call yourselves christians?

[Rick-Parker]

God's Word tells me I am saved, so yes, I can call myself a Christian. Simply because of my faith. The works I do are proof of my salvation, not because of them.

[CAP73]

I don't think it's anyone else's place to judge what I am or am not. Nor do I see how it's Christ-like to decide if someone else is a Christian.

[Botz]

I met a woman online who called herself a christian. I asked her what she wanted to be, and she replied lawyer or such politican. When i began to speak with her about some political issues, she called me a wacko bible person, a bible thumper, and some other choice things that i wont mention. So it made me wonder... What does the word Christian mean anymore? A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ, right? How can people still call themselves Christians when they believe that Abortion is something to be tolerated? How can you be tolerant when the only mention of tolerance in the bible is when it says DO NOT BE? So the question i am asking is, according to God's definition, not the worlds, are you a "Christian"? Really search about this. Read bible.

You know something my friend, there are all sorts of Believers/Christians in the world, with all sorts of different back-grounds and traditions that might be very different from our own, but the underlying connection is that they love the L-rd and have received the same Spirit of Grace. Sometimes amongst them/us the evidence of true discipleship is at times somewhat lacking in various departments...when this is the case G-d patiently wants us to see where we are going wrong, and rectify our mistakes....very much like in Revelation 2&3 where we see Jesus exhorting, directing, correcting the Body...His Body on Earth.

Then there are the tares that grow amongst the wheat, and have the appearance of Christians, go to Church, but deny G-d by their very life-style...or the wolves among the sheep, that sow discord and seek to divide and confuse the sheep.

It is a fact that many will call themselves 'Christians' and yet their deeds uncover their 'nakedness' and it is evident for all to see that they talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

At the end of the day we need to constantly look to the L-rd and not other people...to test ourselves to see whether we are in the faith, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling....there is a case for pointing out things that are wrong amongst the brethren...but there is also a strong case for making sure we don't develop a critical eye that too easily focuses on the short-comings of others, and neglects planks and even splinters building up in our own eyes and impairing our vision to such a degree, we are no longer focused on Him.

In Jesus our Messiah. Botz

[OneLight]

I completely agree with brother Botz, yet I will also add something to what he said. Everyone in Christ are at different stages of they walk. Some are at the very beginning, not yet given up all their sin, and by viewing their lifestyle, we may very well say they are not saved because of what we witness. There are some who are very mature in their walk and their fruits are plentiful. Then there are the rest that fall between the two, all of which are not perfect, at various points of their walk. Some are fighting a good fight and some who are weak, falling, are getting back up and fighting some more.

What do all these have in common? They are sinners, saved by grace, through faith, learning how to hear His voice and accept His guidance.

We need not to judge what is in a persons heart, whether or not they are Christ like, calling themselves a Christian. Instead, offer the weak a hand, encourage all in love and listen very carefully to His voice guiding us as we continue to do the work that He has for us to do. We are to judge the actions of others, as scripture tells us, but to judge their salvation is not our place.

God Bless

[Botz]

Spot on Alan.

[tah]

Botz - Alan Thank you...

[Believer1997]

I liked Parker's answer and Onelight's also. I was saved by Jesus and I follow Christ and have done so long before I ever heard of Gregor Whatever.... I walk in my faith daily and He is with me. He enables me to work on His behalf... but Faith is what saves us - all the good works in the world will not make a difference if you have not the Faith to give your life to Jesus. Blessings all!!

[Openly Curious]

I think we are whom God made us to be, we are the sons of God, the redeemed, kings and priest to our Lord, we are Christians, diciples, new creature, the new man, we are the saints of God, our body was bought with a price great price for it was the blood shed on the cross that was that ransom price to buy us back from the curse of the law.

I don't think it is a matter if we personally call ourselves Christians or not, but Christ gave us that right to follow him or follow the ways of the world. Christian means "to be Christ like" we follow after Christ and practice the things that he taught. Saying, we are a disciple only means "follower."

We all know within our hearts just how close or how far we are following Christ. The thing is that people will talk about things in the word but they will not do it. But everyday that God gives us we have to get up and go live out our faith in front of people and it is not something that we parade around in front of people saying hey hey look at me. But it is a genuine heart filled with the love of God.

People will know and see you are a Christian by the things you do, or say. They will see your good deeds and glorify the Father in heaven. Faith without works is dead as nobody can see your faith unless you live it out through obedience to the word. As we have to do what Christ and the apostles taught or our faith will be dead. And I am not talking about works and faith. Faith will produce works lest it remains dead having no life at all.

Jesus said, if we are ashamed of him then he would be ashamed of us. Shying away from what we are is to deny our relationship with Christ.

Acts 11:25,26--Then departed Barnabus to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: vs 26) And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

If we are disciples which means a "follower" then I can say, without a doubt I am a Christian.

Luke 9:26--For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

OC

[JCISGD]

sounds like some flesh been poked to me. I think that what Gregor has said had no malice intended and i dont see why its hard to add an amen!

Or are you siding with the "professing christian" that hurled abuse at him because he quoted the bible?

By the way "he who flatters his neighbour is spreading a net for his feet" Prov 29:5

[lekh l'kha]

I met a woman online who called herself a christian. I asked her what she wanted to be, and she replied lawyer or such politican. When i began to speak with her about some political issues, she called me a wacko bible person, a bible thumper, and some other choice things that i wont mention. So it made me wonder... What does the word Christian mean anymore? A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ, right? How can people still call themselves Christians when they believe that Abortion is something to be tolerated? Gregor

You were bought by God at a price - the blood of Christ - not at the price of your works, words or anything else, therefore you belong to Christ. A Christian is someone who belongs to Jesus because he/she was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus.

Human beings are fallible and many of us struggle with old habits we know aren't right, but whoever BELIEVES in Him is covered by His blood which bought us.

We can't give ourselves the right to be called a Christian by the things we do - we are Christians by virtue of what Jesus did, and we are called Christians because we believe in Him and accept His free gift.

Hey GregorTheGaliant,

If someone I meet or know tells me she/she is a Christian, and yet says something like what the woman you are talking about says, it's a signal to me that maybe he/she "thinks" she's a Christian, but doesn't really understand the gospel or the Bible and hence, the will of God. Therefore I'll see it as an opportunity to share the gospel (the true gospel) with them.

I'll pray quietly in myself for an opportunity, and then I'll ask if I may ask her a question, and I'll ask the two "diagnostic" questions I learned on EEIII - because the way any person answers these two questions, is a sure way of knowing what he/she understands, and whether or not he/she is indeed a Christian, or merely "thinks" she is:

So I'll say, "May I ask you a question? and if the answer is "yes", then I'll ask:

1) If you had to die today, are you sure that you would go to heaven?

2) If you had to die today and stand before God and He were to ask you WHY He should let you into heaven, what would you say?

The way any human being answers those two questions diagnoses whether he/she is a Christian.

A Christian will answer the second question ALWAYS as "because Jesus died for me", or similar words.

But a non-Christian (even those who "think" they are Christians) will ALWAYS say something like, "Well, I never do anyone any harm deliberately, I've never stolen, I'm tolerant towards others, I was brought up by very religious parents and I always go to church, I always try..."

Or (if the person is really convicted of his/her sin and has a lot of humility), he/she might say something like, "I won't be able to say anything", or "there's no reason why God should let me in" (in which case, the person might show signs of being very uncomfortable and might say she doesn't want to talk about it anymore).

A Christian will always answer the second question as "because Jesus died for me", or similar words meaning the same thing.

But the first question a Christian with assurance will answer as "yes" and a Christian without assurance will answer as "I hope so", or "I'm not sure", or similar.

But a non-Christian will answer the first question with something like "I don't know", or "I think so", and their answer to the second question will tell you whether he/she's a Christian or not.

The words people who believe they are Christians speak when it comes to subjects like the subject you mentioned in your OP are signals to me whether or not I should ask them the two "diagnostic questions". If the diagnostic questions show me that they don't understand the gospel or the Word of God at all, then I ask them if I may share with them how I came to know for sure that I have eternal life, and I use the EEIII gospel-presentation, because it explains the gospel so well.

I don't believe we should be critical of others - especially if they claim to be Christian and their words suggest to us that they are not - we should be concerned for their souls rather than their words or actions - because the woman's words might be a symptom of the fact that she isn't a Christian even though she thinks she is - love her enough to ask her the two diagnostic questions and if she shows by her answers that she isn't a Christian, then love her enough to share the gospel with her.

Lekh