What makes a christian?

[Guest scrambled_brain]

Lol! Brilliant stuff! ... how did u come across this site? how long have u been a christian?

[seraph]

Artslady, it's not my intent to argue however I wonder if you read my post for what it said. You have implied much, much more than what I said. I never said knowledge nor wisdom was bad. What I said was there needs to be a combination of "head" and "heart" knowledge. I lived on "head" knowledge for far too long in my life. It needs to be balanced with "heart" knowledge. That was my point. Plain and simple.

I'm wondering where the Bible differentiates between 'heart' knowledge and 'head' knowledge, other than to differentiate between "Godly wisdom" and "worldly widsom". Is that what you mean? I would agree then that 'worldly wisdom' is not really beneficial in the big scheme of things. However, "Godly wisdom" is something that we should strive for. If I'm reading you correctly, I just don't know where it says that we should block this 'Godly wisdom or knowledge' out for any length of time. I'm not sure I understand. I'm not here to argue either, but to learn and ask. If we are supposed to do this, I just haven't seen it yet, so I'd appreciate learning where it is found in the Bible.

James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

I've hear it said that the distance between heaven and hell is a mere 12 inches... the distance between your heart and your head. Believing with your heart takes faith. It's a personal, loving relationship. And of course we must study... gaining wisdom and knowledge. But, those who ask for proof of God... it seems they are seeking to believe with their head. Many can believe God exists, but they need to ask Him into their heart... to believe with their heart.

[His son]

What makes a Christian? The fullness of The Godhead making their abode with us, indwelling us bodily. Those who like Jesus being presented with all the facts dealing with the sacrificing of our old man allowing him to be crucified by satan will exercise our freewill to allow that crucifiction and total submission of our will to God's will. Choosing to resist temptation to the sweating of blood in that submission to God's will until that flesh is dead, and we are resurected into that life of the fullness of God indwelling us. Then we will be sent just like The Father sent Jesus to those who are still of the world to do all things He did.

This is the reason God has sent The Holy Spirit, to lead us into all Truth, direct our paths, and empower us to be the sons of God.

[shammah]

I skimmed through the answers, and I saw some good ones, but weak ones also. About (what makes a Christian?)

In some way the Lord will reveal Himself to you ,especially when He knows you will be His; He reveals Himself to all at some point ,but most reject him.

The Lord first revealed Himself to me when I was four years old, we had moved into a house where a witch had died, and I was haunted by its familiar spirit.

I told my parents, who were just normal baptist, and they just dismissed it.

We went to church and I insisted on going to adult services, because I was very scared of my circumstances, and wanted to know as much about the bible, real Spiritual things and answers, and battling this thing in my room! Bible stories and play time was not what I needed.

The Lord gave me the Name of His Son Jesus Christ to fight this spirit and even though I was just four and the spirit was mighty, the Lord took care of me ' by using Christ name I got rid of that evil spirit, a few years later I was baptized, but it didn't mean much for long!

People fall away from the Lord and need to repent to get right; you cant expect to believe, be baptized, and live like the Devil, and still go to heaven!

There are verses like " If you confess the Lord Jesus Christ with your mouth, and believe in your heart, you shall recieve His life" (not exact quote). But there are also verses that say, He offers eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY Him Heb.5:9, I believe. And you know the verse "you believe, but even the devils also believe, and tremble"

There are verse that say that even all those who call on His Name shall be saved! Yet "if you walk according to the Spirit you shall live ,but if according to the flesh you shall die";"as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works (the fruit=proof of salvation) is dead. Can a faith that has no good works, or righteous fruits be a saving faith?

Jesus said" you will know my people by their fruits".also"what you have done to the least of these you have done to me".

A Christian life is a narrow way, a fight to the end that the Devil and all his host are sent to try to lead you away from Gods will in your life. Many are called but few are chosen, and those that endure to the end shall be saved!

The Christian is to become a vessal of honor, going through many trials to purify as silver or gold a vessal fit for the Masters service!

A christian must go through many purgings of his selfish flesh life, learn to walk and be obediant in the Spirit, so he can achieve what is most important! That is to become (Christ -Like) to go on to maturity!

We are all born babies in the natural; and in the spiritual ,pastors keep themselves prosperous (for the most part) by avoiding the deeper things of the Lord that would grow us up into the mature brothers and sisters. The Lord really desires maturity for us first for true fellowship of who He is, and then afterword to bring others to greater maturity! Would you find better fellowship in a room of crying babies, or devoted and matured loving desiples? Sometimes I think thats how the lord see's his mature ones, verses the church people.

Most pastors call you up and say that if you make this one time confession ,you will have eternal security. You can have eternal security if you Love the Lord more than anyone or anything, even more tham your own life until the end! If you Love your family, your wife, even your own life more than Christ , you are not worthy of Him! This sounds harsh , but to find life in Christ you must be willing to loose it for His sake; and all those that attempt to save their lives will loose it!

Now if your a young or new Christian in the Spirit; even if you've believed for many years but what I've been saying is new because it hasn't been taught in your church; you are only accountable for what you know!

You may be able to keep going on to the church, and just help the pastor bring in more babies in the faith each month, and the great commision of spreading the gospel is all you need to know.

But the Lord desires a faithful bride, your individual whole heart! There are many called and most of these are the luke warm ones that the Lord in Revelations will spew out of His mouth! These are believers,! Once saved always saved doctrine is a lie; that Satan knows many will never change (who believe this lie) to become Christ-Like, and Christ will spew you out and back into the world and Satans domain!

You must pick up your cross and follow Christ; if you really follow Him ,you are a threat to Satans kingdom ,and you will be attacked even by your family, and other so called Christains! If they persecuted Christ they will persecute you, the world loves it's own, be aware, the world hated Christ, if you are really His and show the fruits , they will hate you also!

I hope I didn't discourage anyone; Paul said that the short time of trials endured here can not be compared to the glory that will be reveal in us, and to us in the hope of glory that will be revealed!

Make yourselves white in the blood of the Lamb; prepare those pure white wedding garments, set the lamps filled with the oil of the Spirit in you at all times , and be ready when the master calls!

Agape; Ephraim.

Edited October 3, 2004 by shammah

[Fr Chuck]

As I have read down from some of the orginal posts, first we can find many, many things in common, it are those commom bonds that we can use to worship God together.

IN most cases it has little to do with how we are saved as much as how the Church is governered and how worship is done.

First almost all of the Churches believe that we are saved from our Sins by faith in Jesus Christ. Some teach you have to be baptised also, others have additional requirements, but all that I know of have Christ crucified for our sins and belief in him as the major beleif.

Next the Bible, all of th groups have and use the bible. Some only use the KJV, others prefer other versions, but the bible as the word of God is central to all Christiians.

Gather for worship. all groups desire to have a regular fellowship, some on Sunday, some on Saturday.

We all beleive that God created the world and man. Exactly how we disagree on, but the fact he did.

And in a nut shell this is Christianity, The bible is the word of God, he created all of us, and his Son Jesus came and died on the cross for our sin.

Anything else is of much less importance and man has adapted to fit his needs more than God. All groups, I do'n't care what denomination have alter or only accepted parts of the NT or OT writtings. Do you see any women in any Protestant church with thier head covered in prayer ? Not hardly in any Catholic Churches any more either.

So how do we worship God, we first beleive, then we try and follow the one, that from or best beleif correctly follows the bible

Charles Klughart

Servants of the Good Shepherd

[Guest prayingwife]

A Christian is someone who has received the Lord Jesus as Savior (John 1:12), trusts Him alone for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 4:12), has put not trust in His own efforts (Isaiah 64:6) to please God, and repented from his/her sins (Mark 1:15).

A Christian has a real relationship with the real Lord Jesus. This is accomplished only through the real Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible. To be a Christian is to experience the Lord, to have a sweet and real fellowship with Jesus, to be able to pray to Him, and seek Him.

I have always felt that organized religion can be a stumbling block to people. I do not believe in religion. But a personal relationship with the Lord through the teaching and instruction through the bible.

[shammah]

The early Church operated as a body,each with gifts serving together, this was church!

Not one man controlling, not vast amounts of money making fancy buildings and priests rich! The money was shared with the poor, so no one was lacking in the church! The pastor also recieved support for his work ,but it was never called a tithe, in fact Paul refused to take money for preaching the word!

The Roman Catholic church had a great idea, if killing the christians just made them stronger, than polluting their beliefs would make them ineffective! So they introduced paganism, and the Pope and his clergy took control of all reading and understanding of the word.

This is where the clergy, laity devision took hold, and the people lost their gifts and function in the body!

Martin Luther slowly brought the protesting, or Protestantism to the church, but the clergy to this day still run the body, and not by the purpose, and function designed by the Holy Spirit!

Now some pentecostal groups have tried to restore the operation of the gifts, but a false spirit always comes in and few are willing to test the spirit, but will recieve anything supernatural!

A few are opperating in the gifts now and a functioning body, testing the spirits by the word ,and two or three testing the words spoken! But these are but a small remnant!

I'm sorry that I don't have better news for you, but these are the last days, and peoples hearts have become selfish and cold towords the Lord. They say they believe on Him but do not do His will. As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead!

And in Heb,5 :9; it says that He became the author of salvation unto ALL them that obey Him.

So we find a people who believe but dont repent, or obey, this is apostasy! The Lord warns that all those who are luke warm He will spew out of his mouth! Many will say in that day Lord, Lord, we have done many works for you, but He will reply , depart from me you workers of iniquity, since they really didn't Love Him enough to serve Him , He will say He never knew you!

The churches have become social clubs, I work at one, and though it is one of the most spiritual, it grieves me to see their lack of Love , knowledge, and discernment!

A christian is one who repents,is holy and honest, seeking the Lord everyday, taking every thought with reguard to the obedience in Christ! And doing so , is transformed more and more to maturity, as the image of Christ!

When people meet a mature christian they should see Christ reflected in all he does and says!

It really helps if you have one of like faith to help each other, but if you really find someone who desires and obeys Christ above all, you have found a rare person!

Agape in Christ; Ephraim.

[Guest idied2]

Replying to What makes a christian?

Loving and following CHRIST and HIS teachings.

Matthew 7

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'

23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Joh 4:23

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

Joh 4:24

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Spirit and truth begin here.

Heb 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Mt 6:6

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

In CHRIST JESUS :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Born2BFree]

It is GOD who makes a christian. It is man who makes a denomination (domination).