Thursday, January 3, 2008

Christianity Test

Especially because of where I live (Utah) and the Presidential Election there is an ongoing issue about who is a Christian and who is not. For example there are some who believe that Mormons are Christian. In addition there are plenty of other folks that claim "Christianity". Who sets the standard on who is a Christian? Do Christians? Do Mormons whose founder said "All Christians sects are an abomination" Does the media or the secular world get to define it. I would contend NO. I would say God and God alone defines a Christian. How has He done this.... two ways:

Almost 2000 years of Historical Christianity. There is a clear understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. You ascribed to the core principles of the belief, this after becoming Born Again. Let me list them for you.

1. The Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, three persons yet ONE God. Just because you cannot wrap your mind around it does not make it untrue. Mormons do not believe this so they are not Christians, Buddists do not believe this so they are not Christian.

2. Jesus Christ is LORD, the deity of Jesus Christ as described in item 1 is essential

3. The Bible being the inspired inerrant Word of God.

4. Salvation by GRACE alone Not by Works

5. Man is sinful and rebellious to God yet God displays mercy and grace through the sacrifice and the imputed righteousness of His ONLY begotten Son Jesus Christ.

Ok so that is Historical Christianity so did they just randomly come up with this....... NO they got it from the Bible so here is part 2. These 10 questions have been used on Todd Friel's Decisions, Decisions, Decisions from Way of the Master Radio.

1. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
- You walk in the light, simple as that, in addition you long for fellowship with other believers.

2. 1 John 1:8 If we say we ahve no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
-We recognize that we are retched sinners and that is why we must humble ourselves before our great and glorious Savior

3. 1 John2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
- This is not saying that we are to be perfect, because point number 2 has been stated already that we are sinners. Yet as a believer we will bear fruits of repentance and may stumble into sin but does not mire and have a continuous lifestyle of sin. Sinners drink inquity like water the Bible says, Christians hate sin.

4. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Do you love the world more than your savior? What are your priorities? Are they all about YOU?

5. 1 John 2:23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
-Have you denied Jesus? Have you confessed to others that he is your LORD?

6. 1 John 3:2 Beloved we are God's children now and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
-This one has been misinterpreted to think you can be "like" a god, but that is the oldest sin in the book, pun intended. What this is saying is do you long to see Jesus? Do you want to be with the Lord?

7. 1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
-Self explanatory like most all scripture........... notice the phrase "makes a practice"

8. 1 John 3:!4 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
-Be careful here, sometimes love is a harsh rebuke. This is true love for one another not the fancy love we see conveyed in today's culture.

9. 1 John 4:6 WE are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
-Again many misuse or misapply this verse, but it is important to know that we must follow God's WORD which is thankfully written in the Bible.

10. 1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.
-This is so critical, many today use the term "son of" in various ways. This command here is explicit, that Jesus is God. We see it again and again in scripture ie John 10:30-34. If you do not have the RIGHT Jesus Christ then you will not have God and you will not be saved. Jeff Noblit said the other day in a sermon, that "one of our biggest issues is that many do NOT know God". Not just in a saving sense but in an understanding of who God is. I think this is one of the Churches biggest issues. God is NOT an exalted man, so therefore those that preach it are HERETICS. This is a problem for most "religions" especially those that want to be called Christians. If you do not understand Jesus rightly then you do NOT have the Father and

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.(A) Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that(B) Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

1 Comment:

L. Curtis said...

What a great expose on the truthfulness of what it means to be a Christian. Too many try to define it according to their wants and desires but if it is truly about God then it should be God and God alone who defines it. Praise Him that He has done just that. He has not left us to wander in ignorance but has called us into a well defined relationship through His glorious Son! What an amazing Lord we serve. To Him be the glory, forever.