Christian Message Boards: Who is a Christian?

This is topic Who is a Christian? in forum Bible Topics & Study at Christian Message Boards.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://thechristianbbs.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004070

Posted by David (Member # 1) on :

The Lord as my life!

In Him is Life because He is Life. All who are in Him possess Life, and Life possesses them. The Life is in the Son. The Son is in me, and I am in Him. We share in a common Life. "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (I Corinthians 6:7)."

Everyone together who possess Life are called the Ecclesia, the Church, the Body of Christ. The individual members of the Ecclesia are called Christians. They are the in-Christed ones. They abide in Him, and He abides in them.

You ask is not a Christian one who believes thus and so, or behaves thus and so. We answer that they may very well believe or behave thus and so, but the belief or the behavior, while it may assist us in identifying them, is not what makes them a Christian. It is the Life. Certainly, Christians have a core system of beliefs and practices. But the characteristic of a Christian is Life. It is not even "the Lord of my life", implying something apart from Him that I still have control over; it is "the Lord AS my Life."

An intellectual Christianity is what Organized Religion brings. It cannot impart Life. What do I mean by an intellectual Christianity? It is the ABC Gospel. Perhaps you have heard it. Salvation is obtained in three easy steps: "A" stands for "admit you are a sinner"; "B" stands for "believe on the Lord Jesus to save you"; and "C" stands for "confess Jesus as your personal Savior." What is wrong with that? Simply this: there is no Life there. "ABC" will not save us. With "ABC" there is no encounter with Jesus, Who alone is Life. There is only an intellectual acceptance and affirmation of what is presented as "Three Easy Steps". I believe this, I say that, and that makes me a Christian, right? No, it just makes you religious. There are many people who "get religion", but they don't get Jesus.

Organized Religion has caused Christianity to morph into Churchianity, a gospel which is easy to believe in but progressively more difficult to live up to.

Organized Religion can bring doctrine, teaching, and belief. Some of it may be morally excellent and good. Some of it may even sound Biblical, like "Three Easy Steps". Nevertheless, Organized Religion cannot impart Life. Why? Because it has no Life to give. Jesus Christ is the Life. And Jesus does not live within the matrix of Organized Religion. He gives HIMSELF. How can any man, organization, or movement claim to give away another man, much less impart the very Life of Jesus Christ? Only Jesus can give Himself as our Life.

You see, then, that the most anyone can do is point people to Jesus as the sole Source of Life. They may contact Life through us, but we cannot give them Life. To those bound by Organized Religion, Jesus cries "You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have Life. You are content to read about Me, but you will not come to Me that you may have Life (John 5:39,40, paraphrased)." Come to Me! Not, "Memorize these Three Easy Steps and attend the Church of your choice this Sunday." Come to Me! He is Life.

It is all about JESUS.
Click Here to read more...

Posted by Thunderz7 (Member # 31) on :

That's got our denominations, non-denominations, inter-denominations, etc..., nailed down good.

Be life to us Jesus, help us to see the truth.

T7

Posted by WhiteEagle (Member # 3728) on :

Grasp;

Christ in you, the hope of Glory!

Galations 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Posted by Daytimeson23 (Member # 5146) on :

If you notice in the bible that no person ever calls himself a christian. Being a christian is not something we label ourselves as christians would not be proper. It says they "were first called christians", it never says they first called themselves christian. So to be a christian or to have the title would have to be given by those around you not by yourself. Being "christian" means nothing, it is whether or not you are saved.

Posted by yeshuaslavejeff (Member # 4506) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Daytimeson23:
If you notice in the bible that no person ever calls himself a christian. Being a christian is not something we label ourselves as christians would not be proper. It says they "were first called christians", it never says they first called themselves christian. So to be a christian or to have the title would have to be given by those around you not by yourself. Being "christian" means nothing, it is whether or not you are saved.

very well put. nothing to add !