Bare minimum requirements to be Christian

[OneLight]

It is what is in the heart that counts, no matter what reads and says about their belief/faith. Romans 8:16 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God".

[Willa]

hence no one is a Christian if their faith is tried and they fail?

If you demand that, in order to be a Christian, a person cannot believe any lies, or that they cannot falter, or outright fail in any of their trials, whatsoever, then I think that probably excludes everyone.

In my opinion, being a Christian is not based on what you believe, but rather, who you follow after [while seeking God.]

And so Christianity is not about trying to live a perfectly righteous life - that is not the ends of Christianity (being righteous) - that is only part of what it means. Instead, the whole of being a Christian is trying to follow Jesus in your search to find God.

And that's it.

I thought that way at one time as well. Then God found me. Being a christian is about God revealing Himself to each of us, our receiving the gift of forgiveness and redemption that Jesus provided on the cross, and in gratitude and thanksgiving our surrendering our lives to Him as Lord.

Yes we follow Him, but not so as to find Him. We follow Him because we already have a deep relationship with Him and we hunger to be close to Him. It is like a marriage. You are only in puppy love if you have not established a relationship with Him. And if you are only dating and are uncommited, you don't have much more than an acquaintance. When you fully receive how much God loves you, you will want to make that life committment to Him. But it takes humility to receive His love and forgiveness. We know how much we need Him in our lives.

[Cog]

...I seek the one who Jesus calls God.

[Guest shiloh357]

hence no one is a Christian if their faith is tried and they fail?

 

 

Well, no.   That's not it at all.  Don't know where you get from what was said.

 

If you demand that, in order to be a Christian, a person cannot believe any lies, or that they cannot falter, or outright fail in any of their trials, whatsoever, then I think that probably excludes everyone.

 

Again, no one said that.   But there are false doctrines and false religions that deny the truth of Scripture.  It's not that you have perfect doctrine; no one corners the market on doctrine, but there are some essential truths that make up the Christian faith.

 

In my opinion, being a Christian is not based on what you believe, but rather, who you follow after [while seeking God.]

 

Well that makes no sense at all, because you will always live out what you believe.  You can't help it.  If you believe in the God of the Bible, if you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that will be reflected in how you live.  If you reject God and His Gospel, that will affect how you live, as well.  You cannot separate belief from actions.  The two are inextricably linked together.

 

And so Christianity is not about trying to live a perfectly righteous life - that is not the ends of Christianity (being righteous) - that is only part of what it means. Instead, the whole of being a Christian is trying to follow Jesus in your search to find God.

 

That is wrong on two counts.  First of all, being righteous IS the end of Christianity.  That's the heart of the Christian faith.  Righteousness is being justified by faith. That is how a Christian stands before God.  Jesus' death on the cross is what makes it possible for His righteousness to be imputed to us.  We are declared righteous on the basis of that finished work of redemption.  Making us righteous is the end game, it's where we will be when we receive our resurrected, glorified bodies one day.

 

Secondly, we are not following Jesus in a search to find God.  Jesus IS God.   What makes Christianity superior to any other faith is that we are not on a search for God.  It is the God of Scripture who came and revealed Himself to mankind.  We don't have to search for Him.  He is not hiding from us or playing "hard to get."   He has consistently over and over reached out to mankind and the ultimate act of revelation of Himself was in the Person and Ministry of the Jesus Christ.  He revealed Himself in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

I am not searching for God.  He found me; He came to me and offered Himself.  

 

And that's it.

 

 

No, no it's not.  Not by a longshot. 

[Cog]

It was implied that Mormons aren't Christians because they don't believe that Jesus is God.

To that, I said: "hence no one is a Christian if their faith is tried and they fail?". And the comment directly following that was a continuation, an extension, of that thought.

Everything else was how I define Christianity based on what Jesus said. John 14:6

Now what do you think Jesus is saying when he said he is the way? What is he the way to?

[Guest shiloh357]

It was implied that Mormons aren't Christians because they don't believe that Jesus is God.

 

I don't think it was implied;  it was said outright.  They are not Christians because they don't believe Jesus is God.

 

To that, I said: "hence no one is a Christian if their faith is tried and they fail?".

 

I get that.  It is not a matter of their faith being tried.  It is a matter of their faith not being based on Scripture, but on the teaching of a false prophet.

 

 

Everything else was how I define Christianity based on what Jesus said. John 14:6

 

Well, no not really.   Nothing you said was based on John 14:6.   Jesus said He is the way the truth and the life.   Jesus wasn't saying He was the way to God.   In that verse Jesus is the One through whom we gain eternal life.   Jesus is the One through whom we have fellowship with the Father.  Jesus is the personification of both truth and eternal life.   Jesus is claiming to be God in that passage.  He is claiming to be truth and He is claiming that He is eternal life.

 

He is saying a lot more in that passage than what you are gleaning from it.  He isn't the way to God, as if He and God are separate entities.  He is God, as only God is eternal life and truth and Jesus is claiming to be both.

[Cog]

I can't make you see - you have to see it for yourself.

Maybe try reading John 14 until you understand it and how it corresponds to everything you know about Jesus and what and how he taught.

1 John 4:8

[OneLight]

...I seek the one who Jesus calls God.

 

Then you should seek to know Jesus.

 

John 14:6-11

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

[Cog]

I have already found Jesus. I am past the beginning, and searching for the end - when God will be all in all.

John 14:17

John 14:20

Galatians 4:6

Romans 8:15

What kind of child would I be if I did not seek Father?

I would seriously like to know what you guys have been doing? Do you not understand anything about what is going on?

Read all of Ephesians 1 and pay attention to every word.

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

[Guest shiloh357]

I can't make you see - you have to see it for yourself.

 

See what??   What is it that you are trying to say?   Stop acting like I should just see what yo see and explain it to me.  Spell it out to me.