Recently in the news, I've seen the news too many child abuse, child abuse, and other actions repugnant. These acts are terrible in itself, but what really frustrates me is when the story goes on to say that the person committing the act is intended to be a Christian or a member of a church that shows Christianity as its foundation. Some of these people use Christianity as an excuse for their actions. Equally frustrating is when someone commits a murder or other crimes, and then says something like "God told me to do!"I see a dilemma in the United States and the world, people who claim to be Christian faith, but not acting in a way that supports their claims. People how are you ruining and destroying the name of God, and devastate the impression that the world has of true Christianity.
The problem is that there are many people who know about God from what I heard in church, things that their parents have said, and I've seen programs on television. However, just knowing about God is not life-changing. For someone to be a true Christian, you must have a personal relationship with God.
Let me illustrate this path. I have letters from President Bush. Even I have several Christmas cards from the White House. I read the story of the President, and saw him as he led our country. So I know a lot about it. However, if I were to call the White House and say, "This is Joshua, patch me through to the Oval Office." I would not talk to President Bush, because he has no idea who I am. I know him, but I personally do not know.The same is true in regard to a lot of people of "Christianity". They know a lot about God, about the Bible, and certain rituals and traditions of their certain denominations, but have no personal relationship with God. And that's not just refer to people who commit crimes and then claim to be "Christians." There are even pastors, church leaders and others who say the name of Jesus, but whose life has not changed.
"So when he had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, he said," You know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his master, nor is that is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do "(John 13:12 - 17).Back in the time period in which this story took place, people wore open sandals, and the roads were only dirt and dust. Therefore, when people enter a house, take off the sandals, and the lowliest employee or person in the household clean their feet.
Mark Twain is quoted as saying, ". If Christ were here now there is one thing that would not be - a Christian" The sad truth is the way many people who claim to be Christians today live their lives, Mr. Twain would be correct. A Christian, by definition, is a person who believes and strives to live as Jesus Christ alive. Christianity is not an organized religion, not a given name, is a way of life.
Recently in the news, I've seen the news too many child abuse, child abuse, and other actions repugnant. These acts are terrible in itself, but what really frustrates me is when the story goes on to say that the person committing the act is intended to be a Christian or a member of a church that shows Christianity as its foundation. Some of these people use Christianity as an excuse for their actions. Equally frustrating is when someone commits a murder or other crimes, and then says something like "God told me to do!"
I see a dilemma in the United States and the world, people who claim to be Christian faith, but not acting in a way that supports their claims. People how are you ruining and destroying the name of God, and devastate the impression that the world has of true Christianity.
The problem is that there are many people who know about God from what I heard in church, things that their parents have said, and I've seen programs on television. However, just knowing about God is not life-changing. For someone to be a true Christian, you must have a personal relationship with God.
Let me illustrate this path. I have letters from President Bush. Even I have several Christmas cards from the White House. I read the story of the President, and saw him as he led our country. So I know a lot about it. However, if I were to call the White House and say, "This is Joshua, patch me through to the Oval Office." I would not talk to President Bush, because he has no idea who I am. I know him, but I personally do not know.
The same is true in regard to a lot of people of "Christianity". They know a lot about God, about the Bible, and certain rituals and traditions of their certain denominations, but have no personal relationship with God. And that's not just refer to people who commit crimes and then claim to be "Christians." There are even pastors, church leaders and others who say the name of Jesus, but whose life has not changed.
The Bible does not mention these types of people:
"Not everyone who says to me: 'Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in Your name? 'And then I will declare I never knew .. . "(Matthew 7:21-23)
Notice he says, "I never knew", indicating that there was never a personal relationship. Therefore, just because someone "claims" that preaches a Christian, or even promotes the Christian faith, which does not necessarily mean it is a Christian. Some people just do it for money or fame, and then there are those who only think of Christianity as an "emergency exit" from hell. There are also people who twist the Bible around to form their own version of Christianity. You can tell a true Christian by the way they live, and I'll get more on that in a moment.
First, let me define what a true Christian.
Going to church to a certain denomination, be kind to your neighbor, or living a good life does not make anyone a Christian. The Bible is very clear when it comes to the Christian faith.
Being a member of or attending a Baptist church, a Catholic church, a Presbyterian church, a Methodist church, (and I could list all the hundreds of denominations who claim to preach the Christian faith) does not make one Christian. When you die and stand before God, He will ask what denomination he was a member of.
Let me clarify here that attendance at a local church is good, and should be part of our lives, but my point is that church attendance does not make you a Christian.
Similarly, being a good person and help others not make you a Christian. Now those are some of the actions that a true Christian to participate, but acts alone do not make you a Christian.
The Bible tells us exactly what makes a person a Christian:
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10: 9-10)
Note that there are two distinctions here. 1. confession with the mouth (head knowledge) and 2. believe in your heart (a relationship).
One way to illustrate this is: Suppose you meet a person and become an acquaintance of ours. When we recognize them, simply because in our minds we know who they are. Then we find a person that we become friends we know by the recognition, but also because it is a friend. So when we see, is not that visual recognition, but we must also recognize the heart, we have a special feeling because we know them personally. The same is true of Christians. We need to know about God, but we must also know personally. Of course, in order to meet personally, one must realize his own need to know, and his inability to change their lives themselves.
Many people say they do not need God, but yet never find true happiness in their lives. When a person repents of sin and selfishness and chooses to begin this new relationship with God and will experience happiness and your life will be different.
The Bible tells us that anyone who is a true Christian has a new life, it's going to live differently than others.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. "(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Now here is where a lot of people in the target. They claim that being Christian means acting weird, somehow, ridicule, etcSin But when the Bible says a Christian is to be different, he is referring to the way a person lives their life, such as kind to others (even those who are not kind to you), honor and respect their parents and not the authorities, seeking to help the needy, ruining your body for things such as smoking and other things harmful to health. In other words .... live a "clean" life.
A true Christian is to follow the commandments of the Bible, with special attention not to twist verses out of context or claim things mean what they really do not. Scripture must be interpreted in light of all the other scripts. And one must learn to live for others.
In the Gospel of John, we find the following story:
"So when he had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, he said," You know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his master, nor is that is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do "(John 13:12 - 17).
Back in the time period in which this story took place, people wore open sandals, and the roads were only dirt and dust. Therefore, when people enter a house, take off the sandals, and the lowliest employee or person in the household clean their feet.
Here Jesus undertook to carry out this task. Here was the Son of God, washed their feet, one of the lowest work day. He did it to leave us an example of how we live our lives as Christians. We need to put others first, we must be kind and helpful. People should notice something different about us.
There are plenty of people in the world today who would not dare stoop to such a task, but yet claim to be Christians. Nose there are others, losing your temper at the slightest irritation, scream and shout to his family, and then say the name of Jesus. That's not a Christian attitude, or how a Christian should live.
I should note here that Christians are not perfect. Any person claiming to be perfect is wrong. There will be times, even in the best of the Christian life where he / she makes bad decisions, and does things that are not supposed to. The true Christian will however shortly realize the error of their ways and take steps to correct them.
