Who is a "Christian"?
By James Cox
Are you a Christian? "I hope so; I'm trying to be."
Are you a human being? "I hope so; I'm trying to be."
Are you a human being? "I hope so; I'm trying to be."
One reply is as unreasonable as the other. Just
as you were born with a human nature, you must be "born again"
to become a Christian. [John 3:3-8; I Peter 1:23] It is not a matter of
trying in either case.
Many confuse Christian behavior with the Christian
birth. You must have the Christian life [as to nature] before you can live
the Christian life [as to behavior]
.
.
A Christian is a "new creature" in Christ.
[ II Corinthians 5:17] In short, the one verse biography of the Christian
life is "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not
I, Christ liveth in me [this is the Christian life], and the life that
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God ..."
[this is Christian behavior]. [Galatians 2:20]
The disciples were first called Christians at
Antioch. [Acts 11:26] These were disciples first; this discipleship resulted
in an obvious difference in their behavior, a difference that revealed
their union with the sin-conquering, life-giving, life-transforming Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the epithet "Christian" designated
their relationship to Christ.
Obviously, this supernatural relationship to Christ
is not the result of human efforts - social, moral or religious. "For
by grace [undeserved kindness] are ye saved, through faith and that not
of your selves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should
boast, for we are his workmanship [made Christians in nature] created in
Christ Jesus unto good works ..." [that we might be Christians in
behavior, Ephesians 2:8-10]. Christ said, "... make the tree good,
and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt
...". [Matthew 12:33] "... from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed ..." the things that defile a man. [Mark 7:21-23] "But
the fruit of the Spirit [the Christ life in true believers] is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith meekness, temperance
...". [Galatians 5:22-23]
There is only way to be SAVED 1. Corinthian 15;1 - 4 Christ died for our sins was buried and rose again the third day. Believe this from you heart and you will have eternal life.
Through the Bible - With Les Feldick
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