What Makes for an "Authentic" Christian?
By: Greg Laurie
Let's take a look at five earmarks of authentic Christianity,
taken from 1 John.
First, an authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as
Lord (1 John 4:15). Christianity must begin with a verbal acknowledgment of
Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. The Bible says that even the demons
believe and tremble (James 2:19). True Christians should be able to say that
Jesus Christ is their Lord.
Second, if you are a true Christian, you will be unhappy
or miserable when you're sinning (1 John 3:9). This doesn't mean you will never
sin if you are a Christian (1 John 1:8). But there is a difference between
recognizing that we will fail in some way, shape, or form in the future and
going on a willful, continual track of sin. If you really are a child of God,
you will have a sense of discomfort when you sin, because you know in your
heart of hearts that what you are doing is wrong.
Third, an authentic Christian enjoys fellowship with
other believers (1 John 5:1). A true Christian will want to be around other
Christians. Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their
own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together,
encourage one another, and correct one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). After all,
why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of
the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves.
Fourth, an authentic Christian obeys the commands of
Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you will obey the commands of
Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3). I will not deny that the Bible is filled with
so-called rules, but their purpose is not to make our lives miserable. Rather,
they protect us from potential harm. The person who blatantly and continually
breaks the commandments of God simply does not know Him.
Finally, an authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word
of God (1 John 2:5). You cannot effectively live the Christian life without a
love for, and obedience to, God's Word. All true disciples of Jesus Christ will
be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching. This is vital
to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of
life (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet so many believers will not read the Bible. They
don't realize that success or failure in the Christian life depends on how much
of the Bible they get into their hearts and minds on a regular basis. We have
to do it.
Taken from "Authentic Christianity" (used by
permission).
As the summer months come to a close we join with many churches around the country facing financial pressure. We are calling our people to walk in faith and help meet the need. We are also crying out to God in prayer for the financial need to be met in order for our ministry to go forward and we can fulfill our true purpose as a church.
No comments:
Post a Comment