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Pastor Chris White says to all of you: HELLO MY FRIENDS. May the Lord bless you today.
HOLA MIS AMIGOS. Que el Señor los bendiga.
A
Christian can be defined as a person who has, by faith, received and fully
trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior from sin (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8–9). And in the heart of the
Christian resides the Spirit of Christ (Ephesians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:11). Now, “if anyone does not have
the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9), and this person, then, is not a
Christian. Thus, the term “fake Christian” is a misnomer. You are a Christian
or you are not a Christian; one is either with God or against God (Matthew 12:30).
That being said, this question is certainly a legitimate one in the minds of
many people. And this is likely due to the behavior of some Christians;
however, it is also likely because of the behavior of many who think they are
Christians or profess to be Christians, but who are not. The reasons many believe
they are true Christians when they are not are many and varied. The false
teaching that is so prevalent these days is certainly one reason. When churches
eschew teaching sound doctrine, the end result will be congregants who do not
know the truth of God’s Word. How can they keep in step with the Spirit, when
the Truth is not in them?
Also, some believe their recitation of a prayer or responding to an “altar
call” alone may have turned them into a Christian. Many believe their religious
traditions, such as being baptized as an infant, secured a spot in heaven for
them, or that their plentiful good works alone have put them in good standing
with God. And, of course, some believe church attendance alone guarantees
salvation. The point is that many who profess to be Christians are not
Christians at all. Yet they complacently remain convinced that all is well with
their soul. Sadly, many will live their entire lives believing they were
Christians only to one day hear these words from Jesus Christ: “I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23).
The clear teaching of the Bible is that when someone is saved his life will
most definitely change as he is a “new creation, the old has gone and the new
has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A true, born-again
Christian will strive to bring glory and honor to Christ by living a life that
is pleasing to God (1 Peter 1:15–16; 4:1–4). True saving faith will indeed produce
works or “fruit” in the life of the believer (James 2:17, 26). Thus, if there are no works of love in
one’s life, a careful self-examination is certainly called for. The apostle
Paul instructed those in Corinth to do this very thing: “Examine yourselves to
see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that
Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Indeed, any profession of
faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false profession,
and the professor is not a Christian.
Now, even though the lifestyle of true Christians does reflect the presence of
Christ in their hearts, we know we are not perfect. Christians do sin, and the
apostle John makes it clear that we deceive ourselves if we think otherwise (1 John 1:8). And when Christians do sin, rest
assured there are multitudes just lying in wait to use their “slip-up” to
further denigrate the true body of believers. That is why Paul admonished the
church in Thessalonica to abstain from even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and to live in such a
way as to “win the respect of outsiders” (1Thessalonians 4:12).
What Christians will not do, however, is engage in repeated or habitual sin (1 John 3:6). One who engages in deliberate and
habitual sin is simply proving that he does not know Christ and therefore
cannot be abiding in Him even though he may live his life under the vast
umbrella of religion and is thought, therefore, by many to be a Christian.
As believers mature in their faith, they will exhibit more and more evidence of
their true Christian nature, such as their love for God, repentance from sin,
separation from the world, spiritual growth, and obedient living. As Paul told
the Romans, the genuine child of God has been set free from sin and has become
a slave to God, and the result is eternal life (Romans 6:22).
Thank you to Got Questions Ministries
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