WHAT DOES A CHRISTIAN LOOK LIKE?

First and foremost, a Christian is one who recognizes what the Gospel is and what it means to be born again. They recognized that they were a wretched, sin-filled, self-centered lost person heading to hell without hope. They do not see themselves as good nor are their deeds good enough to get them to heaven. Only because of the grace of God were they saved. It was He who sought them (not the other way around). Because of the conviction of the Word through the Holy Spirit, they were broken & humbled. Brought to their knees before a Holy & just God. The seriousness & magnitude of their sins was revealed and for the first time in their lives, they knew that they deserved God's wrath and that their sins had greatly offended His righteousness.

It was here that they found who Christ really was. It was in this humbled condition that they experienced salvation & the forgiveness of their sins. The Christian is justified because of the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His only Son (God in the flesh) on the Cross. Eternal life was given to them through the repentance of sins and putting their trust in Christ.

A Christian should have a strong passion for the lost. Likewise, a Christ-centered, Gospel-driven church should be more concerned for the lost than how many people are in church. Churches should be filled primarily with Christians who are growing through expository preaching; not just week after week of topical preaching. They are fed by the Word of God; not the methods of man. Sadly, the church is more focused on worldly issues these days instead of Godly. Marketing Jesus to appeal to the seeker. Aligning with the world to fit in (Be Green, Solve World Hunger, PEACE, etc.). No one really seems all that focused on the Gospel anymore. In fact, the Gospel has been distorted and watered-down to feel good and not offend. The Social Gospel fits better and draws more people into church than the Biblical Gospel that Christ Himself preached.

The church needs revival. We need a reformation. Regeneration. We need to get back to the basics and get serious about our faith. Enough with the silliness of using man-made methods to entertain the seeker. Enough with being more concerned with appealing to the culture rather than using the Gospel to expose a sinful condition that desperately needs a savior.

The Christian should be known by their faith in Jesus Christ. The sort of faith that is the evidence of our salvation. It's demonstrated in our words, attitude, character, lifestyle, thought-life and actions. Genuine faith is revealed through trials and suffering. Our faith is tested and strengthened best when we experience what it means to truly depend on Christ. Faith requires that we believe in something. Just as marriage requires love, so too faith requires belief. The love and the belief also require evidence to prove itself. Faith without works is dead (James 2: 14-26). Love & faith go together (I Cor.13). If we claim to love our wives yet we are not patient & kind with them, how is that love? Likewise, if we claim to have faith in Christ and our works are self-centered, how then can we claim to really trust Him? The true believer, the true Christian will have a passion for Christ and a passion for the lost. They will die to self daily, striving to grow in holiness and live a righteous life. The character of Christ is their model.They will be consumed with a desire to live for Him, to be in His Word and prayer daily.

The Christian will do all things in love without compromising the Word. They will do all things to please God and not the world. They will still sin but grow to hate sin and do whatever it takes to avoid it. The closer they grow to Christ, the more they recognize their wretched condition as a sinner. As such, the Christian realizes even more how great God's grace is and how amazing His grace is. They fully believe that God loved us before we loved Him. That we are all wretched sinners, lost and heading towards hell. Consumed with self; sinful to the core. Not good and not capable of doing good to impress God or to save ourselves. We must believe that God had a plan from the beginning to reveal His love and his goodness to mankind. Through Christ this is done. Only through Christ can we be forgiven. Justified through the shedding of innocent blood. Because God is perfect, so too is His justice. There must be payment for sin; the wages of sin is death. Only by our sins being placed on Christ could this debt be paid in full; allowing us to live. There is only One Way to God- Jesus Christ. Simply believing in the existence of God will not save you.

The Salvation of a Christian requires one to be born again. Repent & trust. Turn from our sins, put our trust, our lives in Christ. The true believer did not become a Follower of Christ simply by raising their hand, saying a quick, simple prayer and asking Jesus to come into their life. Nor were they saved by works or through perfection. The evidence of their salvation is seen in the works (fruit) of their life. This is a life-long, sanctifying process.

Faith in Christ must be everything. Trusting Him, living for Him, loving Him and loving others must mean everything to us. Christ IS LIFE!!


~ktf~
John