What is it to be a True Believer?

Astrid said:

I hear this term- what does it mean?

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Now that I've had two months to think about this question, I'm still not certain what a 'True Believer' is, but I think that I have an idea of what a Christian is.

For that we turn to Luke chapter 10:

The Good Samaritan​

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

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Unfortunately, as Christians are often wont to do, they'll quibble about whether 'loving thy neighbor' is sufficient to inherit eternal life. After all the passage does specify that one must also 'love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength'. And surely an atheist can't do that. So how would loving thy neighbor alone be sufficient to inherit eternal life?

For the answer to that, we turn to Matthew chapter 25.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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To God, loving your neighbor is the same as loving Him. Therefore by fulfilling the second commandment in Luke 10:27 you are also fulfilling the first.

Being a Christian isn't about fealty to a book. It's about listening to your heart, which sometimes calls you to compassion, and other times calls you to repentance. When you hear that still small voice calling, and you respond... you're a Christian.

At least that's my opinion. Not worth anything of course. But that's up to the people reading this I suppose.

partinobodycular said:

Now that I've had two months to think about this question, I'm still not certain what a 'True Believer' is, but I think that I have an idea of what a Christian is.

For that we turn to Luke chapter 10:



Unfortunately, as Christians are often wont to do, they'll quibble about whether 'loving thy neighbor' is sufficient to inherit eternal life. After all the passage does specify that one must also 'love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength'. And surely an atheist can't do that. So how would loving thy neighbor alone be sufficient to inherit eternal life?

For the answer to that, we turn to Matthew chapter 25.



To God, loving your neighbor is the same as loving Him. Therefore by fulfilling the second commandment in Luke 10:27 you are also fulfilling the first.

Being a Christian isn't about fealty to a book. It's he/she who listens when their heart sometimes calls them to compassion, and other times calls them to repentance. When you hear that still small voice calling, and you respond... you're a Christian.

At least that's my opinion. Not worth anything of course. But that's up to the people reading this I suppose.

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The important thing if you find yourself standing before a God in the afterlife or after you are dead and He says He has some things that He is holding against you is your honesty, and your complete lack of any kind of arrogance about it, and that you answer His questions 100% truthfully and/or honestly, because a lack of that is why many will stand condemned on Judgement Day.

And if His questions in any way provoke you, be very, very careful about your attitude if that happens, because He's way, way, way, much, much, more than very capable of refuting you or putting you down or showing you to be in the wrong in front of all if and when you stand before Him in any kind of judgement on that day.

And I'd get that "honesty" figured out now if I were you, just in case, etc.

But having Jesus to help you in your defense is probably always going to be the best for you, or the best way, especially if you are struggling with getting down to that level of honesty, etc. Which not many can or do in this life 100% correctly BTW. And that is how they will arrive on judgement day, etc. Not having all of that figured out just yet 100% completely, etc. And if they have any kind of attitude in that state at all on that day, then they will be shown out to be a complete and total fool, 100% completely, so that others may know why on that day, etc. So I'd very much highly recommend completely demolishing all of these kinds of thoughts that might think you're going to get one over/up on God on that day, etc. Any kind of logic that you might only think you have, is just going to be used to make you look like a complete and total fool on that day, etc. So that others may know, and maybe even fear, etc, but at the very least will fully see and know "why", etc. Without Jesus speaking on your behalf, or coming to your defense, I seriously doubt the rest of yours chances, etc.

Think hard about that honesty though. Maybe some of you might actually have a valid excuse for not believing right now currently, etc, and maybe some of that excuse maybe even includes some of those who were meant to represent Him on this earth when you were here maybe, etc. But honesty is going to be very, very important.

God Bless.

Neogaia777 said:

Think hard about that honesty though. Maybe some of you might actually have a valid excuse for not believing right now currently, etc, and maybe some of that excuse maybe even includes some of those who were meant to represent Him on this earth when you were here maybe, etc. But honesty is going to be very, very important.

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I think you've kinda nailed it. The thing is though, honesty is really hard. Personally I tend to fall into the trap of trying to sound smart. Maybe it's because I only have a 9th grade education, so I agonize over every word. As I get older though, I realize that it's far more important to be honest than smart. So I sound like an idiot, so what... that's one thing that got chalked up on my epitaph a long time ago... He was an idiot, but at least he was an honest idiot.

Neogaia777 said:

But honesty is going to be very, very important.

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Yes and stating that His will in the matter, not yours is acceptable to you. But then again that is just human thinking. We have no real concept.

timothyu said:

Yes and stating that His will in the matter, not yours is acceptable to you.

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Isn't that just sorta "Que sera, sera"? If so, I'm really good at that one. If it's more of... His will is whatever I think the bible says it is. Then I'm really bad at that one. Mainly because people keep trying to tell me what the bible says His will is.

partinobodycular said:

I think you've kinda nailed it. The thing is though, honesty is really hard. Personally I tend to fall into the trap of trying to sound smart. Maybe it's because I only have a 9th grade education, so I agonize over every word. As I get older though, I realize that it's far more important to be honest than smart. So I sound like an idiot, so what... that's one thing that got chalked up on my epitaph a long time ago... He was an idiot, but at least he was an honest idiot.

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That level of honesty, and that kind of honesty is very, very hard, and really, really tough, but it's 100% more important than anything else, especially when it comes to maybe standing before some kind of God in an eternity, or in any kind of an afterlife after this, etc. Sometimes the second we think we have it, about ourselves or whatever, we all of the sudden remember or think of something, that calls it all back into question again, etc, forcing us to rethink it all again 100% completely, etc.

And this is just my personal opinion, but religious people are the absolute worst at this, etc. They often live with there heads voluntarily buried in the sand in my opinion, etc. And there is absolutely no hope for them most of the time most especially except for Jesus speaking 100% completely for them in any kind of judgement from any kind of God on any kind of judgement day in my opinion, etc.

But if God can find even one truly honest soul, who will be 100% honest with both Him and themselves, on any kind of day, I believe He will very much highly value that particular one, as He already knows that is not the easy road for anyone, and is not easy to come by, etc, and often involves a great, great deal of "pain" for that one, etc, pain that could have been avoided if they would have just buried their heads in the sand voluntarily like some do, etc, and I'm 100% certain He will love such a one with a much more rare kind of love for 100% sure, as it's not easy road to walk or come by for anybody, etc, but there is a certain kind of very, very rare kind of bravery involved with it that is also ful of a lot of pain also, etc. Very, very few ever choose that path voluntarily, etc, and I think that is a soft spot with Him, etc.

Anyway, enough of my rambling on about it.

God Bless.

partinobodycular said:

Isn't that just sorta "Que sera, sera"? If so, I'm really good at that one. If it's more of... His will is whatever I think the bible says it is. Then I'm really bad at that one. Mainly because people keep trying to tell me what the bible says His will is.

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God is not going to hold all against everybody, but is going to judge each individual one each individually, etc. And He is also not going to expect 100% perfection out of anybody, etc. But He may have some things that He might decide to hold against one individual or another each individually, etc. And He might have some things that He might be expecting a particular answer for out of or from, or out of each individual one each individually, etc. But He's not going to be expecting 100% perfection out of absolutely anybody, etc. If that were the case, then Heaven would be 100% completely empty, and there wouldn't be anybody being saved, etc. But He might want you or me to speak or give an answer to or for some things maybe, etc. Not because He's mad, or upset about it so much though, or whatever, etc, or just only because He's just only wanting to condemn you or whatever for it either, etc, but only because everyone's testimonies/answers are going to help to firmly establish justice once and for all for all after that, or for the rest of each of ours eternities after that eternally, etc. That last part is the only thing that makes judgement even necessary, etc.

God Bless.

Astrid said:

Is it possible to be a bigoted
true believer?

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If you mean biased, or prejudiced, then, yes, that is still possible. But most people believe that the less evil you are that it increases your chances of meaning you are a true believer, or are saved, or are getting into Heaven after this, etc. But only God knows or can say for 100% sure, since He is the only accurate judge of each individual one, etc.

Take Care.

Astrid said:

Is it possible to be a bigoted
true believer?

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According to a writer in the period of the earliest church/movement, the so called 'Christians' were called haters of man, simply because they followed the Kingdom which ran contrary to the rules and regulations of mankind. So that would indicated bigotry on both sides. Bigotry is merely refusal to accept something in opposition.

bigotry​

/bĭg′ə-trē/​

noun​

1. The state of mind of a bigot; obstinate and unreasoning attachment of one's own belief and opinions, with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them.

The early followers of Jesus were obstinate yes and fit the definition, but not intolerant as they understood that the bigots of the opposing side, mankind, had not yet realized the backwardness of the world of man. That is why they forgave their fellow man for not knowing what they do.

timothyu said:

So that would indicated bigotry on both sides. Bigotry is merely refusal to accept something in opposition.

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Maybe not.
Jesus refused to accept the devil's temptations, absolutely, period.
He also instructed the disciples that the false gospel is anathema, whoever brings it is accursed!

Aaron112 said:

Maybe not.

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Is not the Kingdom bigoted towards the word of man, and vice versa? The difference between the two is one side should bear no malice.

Unfortunately, this is English slang.

It is used with reference to all sorts of topics, that are outside of
Christian topics.

Some Protestants use the term in apposition to "fake" Christians.
But there are various definitions of what a fake Chritian, and a true
Christian, are.

The term needs to be carefully defined, before having a discussion
about whether it is Christian, or not.

Stephen3141 said:

Unfortunately, this is English slang.

It is used with reference to all sorts of topics, that are outside of
Christian topics.

Some Protestants use the term in apposition to "fake" Christians.
But there are various definitions of what a fake Christian, and a true
Christian, are.

The term needs to be carefully defined, before having a discussion
about whether it is Christian, or not.

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As you don't quote any particular post in your reply, are you saying that the phrase used in the thread title, "true believer", is slang? Surely it isn't.

Given that we have no definition from God as to the words "Christian" and "true believer", I'll think the word "slang" works very nicely for both, though a bit unconventional

JEBofChristTheLord said:

Given that we have no definition from God as to the words "Christian" and "true believer", I'll think the word "slang" works very nicely for both, though a bit unconventional

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Well, God's word does define "Christians" for us:

“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Ac 11:26 NKJV)

So Christians are Christ-followers, disciples. The phrase "true believer(s) is not found in Scripture, though we do read about genuine faith:

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, [being] much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see [Him], yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” (1Pe 1:6-8 NKJV)

Aaron112 said:

Even the demons believe! and perish - they tremble in terror knowing their judgment is at hand.

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In James 2:19, we read that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they do not believe in/have faith in/trust in/reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, they do not believe in/on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan (and not in Jesus) as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.