Back when I was a christian, I had often heard my pastor talking about some christians being "true" christians, while others are merely playing with the religion.
So, what is a "True" Christian?
So, what is a "True" Christian?
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"True" Christian?
- Thread starter S.gal83
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Jesus tells the story of the wheat and the tares (weeds) and explains that the church will have both wheat (Christians) and tares (people who claim to be christian but are not.) So the Church is to preach (by word and example) not only outside the church, but also within the church so that some of the "tares" will come to trust fully in Jesus and be converted, born again. You can read about this in Matthew 13:24-30.
Just before telling that story, Jesus tells us about four different types of people and how their response to the gospel varies according to their receptiveness. The first person is so hardened that they do not "play at being a Christian" they do not understand the gospel and it is as if they never actually heard the gospel. The second type receives the gospel, it sounds good, but they do not make a full blown commitment to Jesus. These "play at being a Christian" usually for a short while, and then fall away. The third type receives the gospel and commits to Jesus. But the commitment is "half-hearted" in that they remain committed to the things of this world and/or the relationships of this world. They fail to "love your God with ALL your heart."
So they fall away too and were never real Christians.
The next mistaken view is that becoming a "Christian" is like becoming a member of a club, you sign up, say you want to become a member, and automatically you become a member. You say, God I trust in Jesus, and viola, you are automatically a Christian.
But that is not right. There is a little step in the process that has been overlooked.
It is God alone who decides who believes in Jesus, He knows our hearts, and knows whether we "believe from the heart" and "love God with all our hearts." So after we commit to Jesus, it is God who "credits our faith as righteousness" or not. And if God does, then He spiritually places the person "in Christ" where they undergo the circumcision of Christ and arise in Christ a new creation, born again (spiritually) from above, a "child of God" with an inheritance of eternal life, a "true Christian." As a true Christian, God protects your faith, you will never lose it, but you will continue to struggle with sin and serving Christ as we should.
So what happens to those type two and type three folks, who may think for a time they are "Christians" but are actually tares. They sometimes realize they are not like the other Christians, and therefore "recommit" fully to Christ. I think several of these "recommitted" Christians actually become "true Christians" (born again from above) when they "recommit" because God accepts there full blown faith and places them spiritually "in Christ."
May God Bless.
Just before telling that story, Jesus tells us about four different types of people and how their response to the gospel varies according to their receptiveness. The first person is so hardened that they do not "play at being a Christian" they do not understand the gospel and it is as if they never actually heard the gospel. The second type receives the gospel, it sounds good, but they do not make a full blown commitment to Jesus. These "play at being a Christian" usually for a short while, and then fall away. The third type receives the gospel and commits to Jesus. But the commitment is "half-hearted" in that they remain committed to the things of this world and/or the relationships of this world. They fail to "love your God with ALL your heart."
So they fall away too and were never real Christians.
The next mistaken view is that becoming a "Christian" is like becoming a member of a club, you sign up, say you want to become a member, and automatically you become a member. You say, God I trust in Jesus, and viola, you are automatically a Christian.
But that is not right. There is a little step in the process that has been overlooked.
It is God alone who decides who believes in Jesus, He knows our hearts, and knows whether we "believe from the heart" and "love God with all our hearts." So after we commit to Jesus, it is God who "credits our faith as righteousness" or not. And if God does, then He spiritually places the person "in Christ" where they undergo the circumcision of Christ and arise in Christ a new creation, born again (spiritually) from above, a "child of God" with an inheritance of eternal life, a "true Christian." As a true Christian, God protects your faith, you will never lose it, but you will continue to struggle with sin and serving Christ as we should.
So what happens to those type two and type three folks, who may think for a time they are "Christians" but are actually tares. They sometimes realize they are not like the other Christians, and therefore "recommit" fully to Christ. I think several of these "recommitted" Christians actually become "true Christians" (born again from above) when they "recommit" because God accepts there full blown faith and places them spiritually "in Christ."
May God Bless.
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drich0150
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It is a person who has, and maintains a relationship with God. This relationship like any true relationship is about true love, and not the shadows of tradition or our fathers faiths.. The important thing to remember is not what you do in the name of the Lord but why it is your doing it. All of the activities of the "religious" are meaningless with out the proper motivations.
These motivations should reflect our complete Love.. Love for God with all of our hearts, Minds, spirits, and strength.
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2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
I spent most of my life going to church but I was never really a Christian, I heard things that at times made me fairly convinced that God was real but I still never really after hearing it made any change. I committed sin as a habit rather than Holiness, I would say I walked around blinded to God. There were times when I had the tought go through my mind "You need to stop sinning", but I never really made any effort to stop. Latter on in life I stopped going to church as frequently. During this time I had a dream about going to hell and it scared me into going out to church, and for some reason on that Sunday I gave my life properly to God, I just knew that I had to do it. So I became a born again Christian. My life changed in that now I knew God was real and I knew that I needed to live a life with out sin. All the time I spent in church over those years I sang, even raised my hands, claped etc. but I never really knew God. Even though I did not know God no one would have known any differently; they would have thought that I knew God. But being a true christian is to have the Holy Spirit come and reside with in you. A person is not a Christian unless they have been drawn by God into salvation. Where he changes that persons life, makes them aware of himself, and that person then knows that they must depart from sin. Anyone who is sinning habitually is not born of God, or at best has strayed from God, and needs to be redirected back onto the right pathway. Because the Holy Spirit does not allow habitual sin to take residence in the life of a believer.
I spent most of my life going to church but I was never really a Christian, I heard things that at times made me fairly convinced that God was real but I still never really after hearing it made any change. I committed sin as a habit rather than Holiness, I would say I walked around blinded to God. There were times when I had the tought go through my mind "You need to stop sinning", but I never really made any effort to stop. Latter on in life I stopped going to church as frequently. During this time I had a dream about going to hell and it scared me into going out to church, and for some reason on that Sunday I gave my life properly to God, I just knew that I had to do it. So I became a born again Christian. My life changed in that now I knew God was real and I knew that I needed to live a life with out sin. All the time I spent in church over those years I sang, even raised my hands, claped etc. but I never really knew God. Even though I did not know God no one would have known any differently; they would have thought that I knew God. But being a true christian is to have the Holy Spirit come and reside with in you. A person is not a Christian unless they have been drawn by God into salvation. Where he changes that persons life, makes them aware of himself, and that person then knows that they must depart from sin. Anyone who is sinning habitually is not born of God, or at best has strayed from God, and needs to be redirected back onto the right pathway. Because the Holy Spirit does not allow habitual sin to take residence in the life of a believer.
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irenemcg
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If you had been a Christian at that time you would bot be asking this question, you had religion but you did not know Jesus.
A Christian has entered into a relatonship with Jesus Christ, has repented of their sins and is now a folower of Jesus.
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Christian, by definition, suggests that they follow the tenets, laws, practices of whatever the religion demands of them. Of course, once you involve the actual individual people, you move away from textbook definition and get into the failings of humans. But the concept "christian" implies "true christian" already.
The pastor quoted in the OP was using this as a figure of speech, probably, to warn against whatever he deems as hypocrisy or backsliding.
People who add qualifiers like "true" or "real" are not really saying anything more, they are just trying to make an emotional appeal that whatever they are referring to is somehow better.
The pastor quoted in the OP was using this as a figure of speech, probably, to warn against whatever he deems as hypocrisy or backsliding.
People who add qualifiers like "true" or "real" are not really saying anything more, they are just trying to make an emotional appeal that whatever they are referring to is somehow better.
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drich0150
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The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Virgins all represent members of the church. Here it shows the the division between a "True Christian" and a social or pop christian.
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aiki
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Where does the idea of "being a Christian" come from? Looking at many of the responses here, it would seem that the individual more or less determines what it means to be a Christian. In actuality, however, the Bible, not the individual, defines what a Christian truly is.
So, how does the Bible define true Christianity?
Whoever comes to God must first humble him/herself. Without the recognition of one's absolute dependence upon God and an acknowledgement of one's desperate wickedness and need of a Saviour there can be no genuine salvation. Even the thief on the cross next to Christ to whom Christ said, "Today you will be with me in paradise" acknowledged his own sin and Christ's sinlessness:
Luke 23:39-43
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Other verses also reveal to us the need for humility before God:
Matthew 23:12
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
James 4:7-10
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Genuine salvation requires a foundation of "repentance from dead works" (Heb. 6:1), which is simply turning away from, or a forsaking of, one's wicked, self-centered life to a new life centered around Christ. (Phil. 1:21) Repentance from sin was an integral part of the gospel that Jesus and the apostles preached.
Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Acts 3:19
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Luke 13:2-5
2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Belief in Christ as the Son of God and one's own Saviour was essential in becoming a true Christian.
1 John 5:1
1 Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 10:9-13
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Belief in Christ as Saviour and Lord cannot be merely intellectual; one's belief must affect one's conduct. As a result of being a true Christian, one's behaviour moves increasingly farther from the godless, selfish, sinful behaviour that characterized one's life before one's salvation.
James 2:19-20
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
1 John 3:10
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:24
24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
1 John 2:3-6
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 1:5-6
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 "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.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
1 John 3:14
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
Other indicators of being a real Christian are:
A hunger for the Word of God. (Ps. 119:103; Jer 15:16; 1Pe. 2:2)
A love for other Christians and a desire to fellowship with them. (See above.)
A love for God that finds expression in glorifying Him in all one does. (1 Cor. 10:31; Ps. 86:12; 1 Co. 6:20; 1 Pe 4:16)
A deep sense of fulfillment in fellowship with God. (Ps. 37:4; Ps. 16:11; 1Pe. 1:8)
Peace.
So, how does the Bible define true Christianity?
Whoever comes to God must first humble him/herself. Without the recognition of one's absolute dependence upon God and an acknowledgement of one's desperate wickedness and need of a Saviour there can be no genuine salvation. Even the thief on the cross next to Christ to whom Christ said, "Today you will be with me in paradise" acknowledged his own sin and Christ's sinlessness:
Luke 23:39-43
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Other verses also reveal to us the need for humility before God:
Matthew 23:12
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
James 4:7-10
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Genuine salvation requires a foundation of "repentance from dead works" (Heb. 6:1), which is simply turning away from, or a forsaking of, one's wicked, self-centered life to a new life centered around Christ. (Phil. 1:21) Repentance from sin was an integral part of the gospel that Jesus and the apostles preached.
Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Acts 3:19
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Luke 13:2-5
2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Belief in Christ as the Son of God and one's own Saviour was essential in becoming a true Christian.
1 John 5:1
1 Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 10:9-13
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Belief in Christ as Saviour and Lord cannot be merely intellectual; one's belief must affect one's conduct. As a result of being a true Christian, one's behaviour moves increasingly farther from the godless, selfish, sinful behaviour that characterized one's life before one's salvation.
James 2:19-20
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
1 John 3:10
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:24
24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
1 John 2:3-6
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 1:5-6
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 "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.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
1 John 3:14
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
Other indicators of being a real Christian are:
A hunger for the Word of God. (Ps. 119:103; Jer 15:16; 1Pe. 2:2)
A love for other Christians and a desire to fellowship with them. (See above.)
A love for God that finds expression in glorifying Him in all one does. (1 Cor. 10:31; Ps. 86:12; 1 Co. 6:20; 1 Pe 4:16)
A deep sense of fulfillment in fellowship with God. (Ps. 37:4; Ps. 16:11; 1Pe. 1:8)
Peace.
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bluelime2
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In a nutshell, in my opinion it's just someone doing their best to follow christ. If your heart is right, you can't really do much more then that.
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HumbleSiPilot77
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Good call to action.
S.gal, ask around on this thread, which one of these people who fashion the Cross as their faith icon, are "true Christians"? I doubt you will see one who will say "I am"...
Those who were first called Christians appeared in the Antioch province of Asia Minor, why were they called that?
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ArteestX
Godless with Goodness
Matthew 25: 31-46. Who were the ones who went to heaven and who were the ones that didn't?
When Jesus was asked who would go to heaven, he didn't talk about what people believed, he didn't talk about thoughts or being saved. Jesus talked about loving your neighbor, and that was how you showed love for God. Feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, inviting in the stranger. The ones going to heaven didn't believe the right things, they loved their fellow man and in so doing loved God.
And not only that, but the people who were going to heaven didn't even know it or understand it. "Lord, when did we do all these things for you? I don't remember doing all this stuff!" "When you did it to the least of them, you did it to me." No belief for salvation, no loving God through an abstract relationship, no articles of faith. Loving people. That's what Jesus taught.
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In that particular verse. But because we believe in the analogy of scripture and don't just read the Bible one verse at a time, we can also see in other passages that it is required to have sound doctrine.
2 John is a good example of this.
Actually, He did. Jesus said, "if you love Me, then you'll keep My commandments". Among those commandments are to adhere to sound doctrine and to repent and put our faith in His atonement on the cross on our behalf.
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ArteestX
Godless with Goodness
When I refer to what Jesus taught, I'm referring to the four Gospels, so other books in the Bible represent purely what the author thinks, not necessarily what Jesus thinks (and yes, the authors of the Gospels also put their spin on it, more on that in a moment). And when you read what Jesus taught, he talks about forgiveness, about repentance, about humility. Humble yourself, treat everyone including the dregs of society with respect, be charitable and loving to everyone, that's what God wants. That's what followers of God should be doing. The only people Jesus ever gets mad at are the church-folk, the Pharisees (ok, he did tell Peter to "get thee back Satan" which is a nice way of saying "go to Hell"). But Jesus doesn't talk about what people have to believe in order to go to Heaven. At least, not in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
John is a different story. Three out of four Gospels don't seem to recall Jesus saying that, or consider it important enough to write down (one Gospel doesn't even consider the *resurrection* important enough to mention). But John has Jesus "you must believe in Me" quotes all over the place. Which makes me think John is an outlier, putting his own spin on what Jesus said. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone going around saying "believe in Me! It's all about ME!" is going to make an impact on crowds the way Jesus did. I can see the Sermon on the Mount being captivating. Listening to someone talk about how important he Himself is, not so much.
But that's my humble opinion. Peace back atcha.
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drich0150
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..So rather than taking Scripture as a whole and forming a theology around all of it, we are to form a theology first and take only the parts of the bible that support our thoughts??
Even an atheist could do this if he were inclined to do so.
If this is what you mean for us to do, my next question is what makes those who pick and choose out of scripture any different than those outside of any faith who do the same just to confound or to justify any system of belief that they support?
Surly those in the faith who do this don't so out of love for Christ, Because if we loved Him wouldn't we follow all of his commands?
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