Member
I have been wondering what exactly makes you a Christian, I would love to hear some of your thoughts!
If you don't do the things Jesus said, and you call yourself a Christian, are you really a Christian?
Moderator
Staff Member
Just a Word to differentiate you from every person place or thing or other religion. 
If you're not perfect are you a Christian?
Welcome back. I hope that all have been fairing well.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
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If you're not perfect are you a Christian?
Welcome back. I hope that all have been fairing well.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><
Active
The most basic answer to that question is follower of Christ. What does that mean though? You have accepted God’s gift of salvation and put your complete faith in Jesus Christ. It means you that have accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for your sins and in his resurrection as proof that he conquered death.
1 John 2: 6 - "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
1 John 2: 6 - "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
Loyal
I like this. Believing in Jesus means believing in everything about Him.
Who He was, what He did, what He taught, and living like it.
Loyal
It's very unfortunate that some people believe either one of these two extremes. We don't have to be perfect, but we do have to live a certain way.
Rom 6:16; Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
Loyal
That's where the 'follower of Jesus' language is helpful. We hope to follow closely and steadily, though we often fall behind or wander down side paths. But for every Christian, it's clear ultimately whose footsteps we are treading in.
Loyal
The 'living a certain way' / not by works of righteousness / but the Holy Spirit will give the person the desire To obey God's Word. And we Won't be perfect until we get to heaven / our glorified body with God.
Loyal
No one is saying we have to be perfect here.
As far as the Holy Spirit giving us the desire.... hmmm... have you ever sinned since you got saved? You just mentioned we aren't perfect.
I guarantee you that when you were doing that sin, you weren't doing what the Holy Spirit desired. You were doing what you desired.
Yes, by all means we should walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, yield to the Spirit... I definitely agree with all of that.
But the Holy Spirit doesn't force us to do anything. Everytime we sin is proof of that.
Loyal
Having "the desire" to obey Gods word doesn't do anything for us.
Some day I'm gonna clean out that dirty garage. I really have the desire to do this.
Some day I'm going to lose 30 pounds, I really have the desire to do that.
Some day I'm to do something that shows my wife I really love her, I really have the desire to do that.
That's great if we have the desire to do something. But if we never actually do anything about it what good is it?
Matt 21:28; "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'
Matt 21:29; "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.
Matt 21:30; "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.
Matt 21:31; "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They *said, "The first." Jesus *said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
Loyal
Greetings Brother,
That really is a very poor comparison of desires .
You make equal the Working of the Holy Spirit within us compared unto human desire or natural reasoning or want to or I should but.....
Now the Holy Spirit Working in a True Believers will cause our "own hearts" to convict us unto what's right and wrong.
He will give us the want to towards being faithful unto Gods Word. A true Believer Desires To Please God.
As humans, lol we can excuse away all sorts of things we know we should do. Because we simply do not make them of importance.
This sadly enough is also happening with in the Body of Christ. They are not making things of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit as Important. Well of course if it agrees with their own desires then yes sir they will make it important.
Now if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to clean the garage...... Lol...clean your garage.
Blessings
Loyal
Proverbs 10:8
Wise-hearted people take orders, but a babbling fool will have trouble.
The wise are the ones who hear the Word and do it, the fool hears the Word and goes his way. Are both saved? Yes but both are not the bride.
Loyal
What do you mean by 'believing'?
Active
Jesus makes you a saint when you believe in His name and thus saved as His.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. KJV
However, what makes a believer a disciple is by learning of Jesus Christ in us as our Good Shepherd and His promises to us in how He will help us to abide in His words as kept in the KJV in following Him as His disciple Luke 9:23 KJV & 1 John 3:3 KJV and 1 John 3:8 KJV & 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 KJV & Hebrews 2:18 KJV & 2 Timothy 4:18 KJV and Jude 1:24-25 KJV ). This is also called running that race by looking to the author & finisher of our faith to help us lay aside every weight & sin ( Hebrews 12:1-2 ) for the high prize of our calling ( Philippians 3:13-15 KJV ) to be that vessel unto honor in His House by departing from iniquity ( 2 Timothy 2:19-21 KJV ) which is the eternal glory that comes with our salvation ( 2 Timothy 2:10-13 KJV ) which is to attend the Marriage Supper in heaven in His honor and to His glory ( Luke 13:24-30 KJV & Luke 14:15-33 KJV ). So running that race is for to be received by the Bridegroom at the pre great trib rapture; not for salvation, because thos found not abiding in Him that gets disqualified and left behind as Paul warned it could happen to him ( 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 KJV ) are still His for why the vessels unto dishonor are still in His House and why the prodigal son is still son.
You can click on the scriptural references to see the actual verses in the KJV.
Loyal
Note to Readers.
Do not allow others to control your walk in Christ.
The KJV is a good version but not 100 percent accurate and should not ever be the only version one reads.
One does best when they read other versions such as the clasic amplified and new living and cjb and more but Always compare with versions such as ylt and kjv.
We should never push people to only read what we think is the only one.
Blessings
Loyal
AND one should NEVER study the Word intellectually, but in spirit and in truth.
Loyal
this is interesting so if I am understanding you correctly, you are saying that a person can be saved yet not a disciple of Jesus. Is that right
thanks
Loyal
That person, who believed God for salvation and nothing more would probably wind up as 'the least in the kingdom of heaven...Saved? Yeah but.
Now what does JesusIs4 Me say?
Loyal
THIS is the perfect picture of the Bride...Do you fit this? Really?
But you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Are you different from other people around you? Do you listen to the same music? Read the same books? Do the same things? Wear the same type of clothes? Do you declare the praises of God in public? Does God possess you?
No...Then how are you a peculiar people? How are you the bride?
Yes? Then you are getting ready to be the bride.
But you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Are you different from other people around you? Do you listen to the same music? Read the same books? Do the same things? Wear the same type of clothes? Do you declare the praises of God in public? Does God possess you?
No...Then how are you a peculiar people? How are you the bride?
Yes? Then you are getting ready to be the bride.
Active
Note to Readers;
Ever noticed how all the Bibles are not saying the same thing? Ever notice how trying to correct someone by the scripture in your preferred Bible, they can point to something else in that Bible version that opposes what you are saying? Most of the time they jump to another version of that Bible verse in question that you are trying to reprove them by but they can point to another version of the same verse in supporting the false teaching they are under?
All I can do is advise what Christ has done for me.. compare the KJV with everything you read in your preferred version and you will find yourself relying on the KJV for the meat of His words in discerning good and evil by it.
I push you to go to Jesus Christ to help you understand and confirm why the KJV is the one to rely on in discerning good and evil in these latter days where faith is hard to find and defend since there are so many anti-KJVers out there. That is all you need to doubt His words and just give up when all the Bibles don't say the same thing, but I urge you not to give up and trust Jesus Christ as your Good Shepherd to help you understand the KJV and to confirm His word in the KJV against other modern Bible versions so that you are not led astray as many modern bibles have done to many believers in these latter days. So compare your version with the KJV starting today and trust Him to show you why KJV is the one to rely on.