What is a typical Christian?

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"Life":

What Church are you attending, and what is your location? Don't expect perfection from Christians - we all continue to sin. However, we aren't free to continue to live in habitual sin so if you are around self-professing Christians who willfully live in sin, you are probably around folks who are actually still lost. I am fortunate to attend a church that I feel is full of real believers, but I looked around for some time and tried different churches before I made my decision. I grew up in a situation similiar to that you describe and also found it very uninspiring. I recommend a book "Absolutely Sure" that is based on 1 John and helps you know the difference.

It sounds like you have spent some time on the forum! Lol.

There is a tendency within any group for people to compete and sound like experts among their peers. Sad but true. We try to look to Christ, instead of each other, because people are so messed up. Honestly.

When Jesus mentored His disciples to carry out His ministry, He sent them outward. They spent a lot of time with each other, but also needed to get out of the circle to be more effective. Keep that in mind when you make friends. They don't all need to have a Christian nametag. Being in a mix keeps conversations fresh and alive.

As we get older in the faith, it is easy to see that we tend to cling to a club. You know that you didn't turn your life over to God to join a club.

He sometimes places people into a fellowship to help keep a corrective balance, so don't be afraid to bring out the problems you are discerning. The goal is not to blend in, but to keep the whole Body healthy. Be responsible with what you know to be true, with what you see, with what you feel God might be saying.

I think that God is working with you to show you the selfishness and insensitivity. You can be an agent of change, with His help.

Hi LW, I'm going to assume that (as Heron pointed out) you're talking about "Christians" here or on other forums. Sadly, some who call themselves Christians are probably not Christians at all, but there are also many who truly are Christians, but sometimes fail to act like they are .. I've often thought that if those who act up on forums were actually in the presence of those they were writing to, they would never reach such high levels of frustration and anger, and low levels of patience, kindness, and understanding that they so often do. This is certainly one of the downsides to the online Christian community and is such a poor witness to those in the non-Christian world who are always watching us! That being said, these kind of problems do have at least one positive side in that it's amazing how far the truth, mixed with a little compassion and respect, can take you around here (see: 1 Peter 3:15) ... with our brothers and sisters in Christ and, especially, with (and for the sake of) our non-believing friends ...

I also think that many come here with "rose-colored glasses" on about what they are sure they believe (and that everyone else therefore believes) and become short-fused when confronted with an argument, intelligent or otherwise .. , that contradicts that truth (especially if the poster of the contradictory view is fairly persistent). Everyone's still human and it is often all about insecurity, so I'm with Heron, try to keep your eyes focused on Christ and on doing good rather than on the crazy and relentless arguments people sometimes make, or you'll always end up being one of the frustrated ones as well!

As for what a "true" Christian is, well, he or she is just a person, like any other person, except they've been saved by God's grace. As long as we live in this world, we exist with two natures and they are in conflict with each other. We are (as Martin Luther has said) "Simul Justus et Peccator", or "at the same time, just and sinner". The hope (and typically the norm from what I have observed) is that as we mature in Christ, we will choose to lead our lives more and more in line with the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, but we only reach perfection in Glory. In the meantime, keep your eyes fixed on Him and talk with and admonish those in these hostile situations with the truth, yet with gentleness and, especially, with respect. In doing so, you will both please God, and help non-Christians ... AND your fellow Christians ... see what a Christian is actually supposed to "look" like ..

Hope that helps a little.

Yours and His,
David

To me everyone must deal with the fact that ... we are all wrong.

Denying this fact is probably the most futile thing in the world you can do. Embracing it sets you on a path to finding a different route out, a route of relying on someone else -- having faith in someone else.

We argue and quarrel about a lot of things, yes. Being vindictive about minor matters is particularly troubling and wrong. We're gonna spend an eternity together -- someone wanna tell me how well that's going to go over after your last quarrel with an oppositional Christian?

Ultimately, though? Disillusion tends to occur when we think we can do better. And maybe in some human sense we can do better. But the moment we think that's as important to God as it is to us -- we play God, ourselves. We become our worst nightmare. We become the people we condemn.

Paul talked about this situation in Romans 2.

Really all the hope we have is in Christ -- even for ourselves.

So while I'd say a Christian is anyone who truly relies on Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life through Him -- I'd certainly report we are still sinners, saved by God's favor, and all of us need to be aware: we are all wrong. It's my church's first tenet about the condition of man. And yeah, we still get into picky rancorous arguments. But normally we come away recognizing one another for who we are in Christ.

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"... not an unconcerned sitting of God in heaven, from which He merely observes the things that are done in the world; but that all-active and all-concerned seatedness on His throne above, by which He governs the world which He Himself hath made." John Calvin
regeneration does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force, but spiritually revives, heals, reforms Canons of Dordt, 1.16


"Have I become your enemy by telling the truth?" Paul

Ideally, a Christian is a person who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and believes that He was sent to earth, died for our sins on the cross, and rose again on the third day. Ideally, a Christian will do his or her best serve the Lord by following the Word and striving to be like Jesus in mind and spirit.

However, we will all fall short at times because we are all sinners.

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I was reading Jeremiah 32 today -- it is a situation where God doesn't let go of His people, but He doesn't relieve them of the consequences of their actions. Instead, He says [you will go through this because of your waywardness... and then I will restore].

Jeremiah 32 - NAS - without Study Resources - Study Desk

While we live in New Covenant forgiveness, I don't think God overlooks wrongs the same way he forgives wrongs. He is far from naive, and deep into character-building.

You can see how Jesus addresses the religious leaders of His day -- very critical of their religiosity that tramples innocent believers (those lower in the unnecessary heirarchy).

Many of the prophetic warnings in the OT were for God's chosen, not for the other nations. God considers us His children, but knows we are not as innocent as we like to think we are.

by thier fruit you shall know them. Love is one of these fruits. So with love I say this that a christian is one that follows Jesus. Jesus is our example and if we are born again from above something changes. We are given a new life and if our old lives are still living and doing what it wants, it is just that we have not looked to our example. The Spirit of God, will transform us if we become disciples of Christ Jesus. How do we become disciples by studing the scriptures for example:

2Ti 3:10 ¶ But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of [them] all the Lord delivered me.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In verse 10 Paul speaks of some of the ways they were able to see his example of fruit and he goes on to speak of persecution. When we begin to change we will experience persicution and offenses even from those that call themselves christians. But He also says that all scripture is able to bring us into salvation through faith in the power of Christ in us our hope of Glory.

Jeffrey