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What does it mean to be a true Christian?

C

child of God

New Member
Simply state, in this thread, what being Christian means to you. No need for debate here... I will start:

Being Christian means acknowledging that this is an ongoing war - the devil is constantly attacking me and the only way to defeat Satan is to turn my life and will over to Jesus Christ, by letting God into my heart. Once I do that, the battle is already won and Satan has no business hanging around.

Being Christian means loving my neighbor as myself - even non-Christians. For love is the answer and the bible says: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” not as they did unto you. God is the final judge and it’s not my business to judge others, even those whose beliefs or lifestyles are different than mine.

Being Christian means realizing that only Jesus was perfect - I will make mistakes and sin. The point is learning from those mistakes and repenting, by asking God forgiveness. My god is “slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.” He will forgive me, if I go to him. I also realize that if I forgive others for the wrongs they have done to me, God will in turn forgive me my sins.

Being Christian means forming healthy relationships - by putting Jesus first, He will put the right people into my life, at the right time. A big part of being Christian - for me - means trusting God and knowing that His will for me is good. I am finite - God is infinite. Therefore, I have no idea what He has in store for me. I just have to go to Him and trust that He will provide what I need (not necessarily what I want). He always does - albeit it’s not always what I’m expecting.

Being Christian means thanking God every day for the many gifts He has given me. Whenever I start to backslide and put my will before His, I make a small gratitude list - I simply list the things I am grateful for. That always brings me out of my selfish mode and lets Christ back into my heart.

Being Christian means knowing that I am going to Heaven, because I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. We all crucified Jesus - If God can forgive us for killing His only Son, He will forgive us for anything. Repentance and acceptance are the key here. Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all - perhaps the only unforgivable sin is to deny that He died for us.

Being Christian means remaining humble - If I “humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will raise me up, higher and higher.”

My Christian faith teaches me that Jesus was sent to be a Savior, not a judge. All I have to do is go to Him and I am saved. I do this by daily prayer and meditation.

Lastly, being Christian means attending Church and bible study weekly. I must practice what I preach - that’s a serious commitment.

That’s what being Christian means to me. :)
 
Renji

Renji

Well-Known Member
For me, it's simple. Love God above all things, love our neighbor as we love ourselves, carry our own 'cross' and follow the will of the Father. Let Christ be manifested through faith and in our actions.
 
H

horiturk

Assyrian Devil
Love God first and foremost,believe in the message and sacrifice of Jesus
know that a church is not some hulking golden building,it is the people
know that God is one,there is one God.....not a God with multiple personalities
know that God is not a man
live a good life,do good works and try to control yourself
pray genuinely,do good works genuinely without motive for reward or praise from others
right though,right speech and right action (as the buddha so eloquently put it)
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
child of God said:
Simply state, in this thread, what being Christian means to you. No need for debate here... I will start:

Being Christian means acknowledging that this is an ongoing war - the devil is constantly attacking me and the only way to defeat Satan is to turn my life and will over to Jesus Christ, by letting God into my heart. Once I do that, the battle is already won and Satan has no business hanging around.

Being Christian means loving my neighbor as myself - even non-Christians. For love is the answer and the bible says: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” not as they did unto you. God is the final judge and it’s not my business to judge others, even those whose beliefs or lifestyles are different than mine.

Being Christian means realizing that only Jesus was perfect - I will make mistakes and sin. The point is learning from those mistakes and repenting, by asking God forgiveness. My god is “slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.” He will forgive me, if I go to him. I also realize that if I forgive others for the wrongs they have done to me, God will in turn forgive me my sins.

Being Christian means forming healthy relationships - by putting Jesus first, He will put the right people into my life, at the right time. A big part of being Christian - for me - means trusting God and knowing that His will for me is good. I am finite - God is infinite. Therefore, I have no idea what He has in store for me. I just have to go to Him and trust that He will provide what I need (not necessarily what I want). He always does - albeit it’s not always what I’m expecting.

Being Christian means thanking God every day for the many gifts He has given me. Whenever I start to backslide and put my will before His, I make a small gratitude list - I simply list the things I am grateful for. That always brings me out of my selfish mode and lets Christ back into my heart.

Being Christian means knowing that I am going to Heaven, because I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. We all crucified Jesus - If God can forgive us for killing His only Son, He will forgive us for anything. Repentance and acceptance are the key here. Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all - perhaps the only unforgivable sin is to deny that He died for us.

Being Christian means remaining humble - If I “humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will raise me up, higher and higher.”

My Christian faith teaches me that Jesus was sent to be a Savior, not a judge. All I have to do is go to Him and I am saved. I do this by daily prayer and meditation.

Lastly, being Christian means attending Church and bible study weekly. I must practice what I preach - that’s a serious commitment.

That’s what being Christian means to me. :)
Click to expand...
I can pretty much 100% guarantee that you are not the same denomination as I am. (I'm pretty good at picking up on certain words and phrases and can spot a fellow member of my church almost immediately.) There are a couple of points you made that I would disagree with, but I'd say that you and I are about 95% in agreement.
 
sandandfoam

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
It means renouncing all your wealth and living in the service of the poor, the needy, the outcast.
It means turning the other cheek and living without violence.
I've never met a true Christian.
 
tomato1236

tomato1236

Ninja Master
child of God said:
Simply state, in this thread, what being Christian means to you. No need for debate here... I will start:

Being Christian means acknowledging that this is an ongoing war - the devil is constantly attacking me and the only way to defeat Satan is to turn my life and will over to Jesus Christ, by letting God into my heart. Once I do that, the battle is already won and Satan has no business hanging around.

Being Christian means loving my neighbor as myself - even non-Christians. For love is the answer and the bible says: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” not as they did unto you. God is the final judge and it’s not my business to judge others, even those whose beliefs or lifestyles are different than mine.

Being Christian means realizing that only Jesus was perfect - I will make mistakes and sin. The point is learning from those mistakes and repenting, by asking God forgiveness. My god is “slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.” He will forgive me, if I go to him. I also realize that if I forgive others for the wrongs they have done to me, God will in turn forgive me my sins.

Being Christian means forming healthy relationships - by putting Jesus first, He will put the right people into my life, at the right time. A big part of being Christian - for me - means trusting God and knowing that His will for me is good. I am finite - God is infinite. Therefore, I have no idea what He has in store for me. I just have to go to Him and trust that He will provide what I need (not necessarily what I want). He always does - albeit it’s not always what I’m expecting.

Being Christian means thanking God every day for the many gifts He has given me. Whenever I start to backslide and put my will before His, I make a small gratitude list - I simply list the things I am grateful for. That always brings me out of my selfish mode and lets Christ back into my heart.

Being Christian means knowing that I am going to Heaven, because I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. We all crucified Jesus - If God can forgive us for killing His only Son, He will forgive us for anything. Repentance and acceptance are the key here. Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all - perhaps the only unforgivable sin is to deny that He died for us.

Being Christian means remaining humble - If I “humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will raise me up, higher and higher.”

My Christian faith teaches me that Jesus was sent to be a Savior, not a judge. All I have to do is go to Him and I am saved. I do this by daily prayer and meditation.

Lastly, being Christian means attending Church and bible study weekly. I must practice what I preach - that’s a serious commitment.

That’s what being Christian means to me. :)
Click to expand...

Katzpur said:
I can pretty much 100% guarantee that you are not the same denomination as I am. (I'm pretty good at picking up on certain words and phrases and can spot a fellow member of my church almost immediately.) There are a couple of points you made that I would disagree with, but I'd say that you and I are about 95% in agreement.
Click to expand...

See key phrases highlighted in blue.
 
Thief

Thief

Rogue Theologian
The Carpenter did say...as someone came asking....

The first commandment....Love God.

The second....do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
 
Rick B

Rick B

Active Member
Premium Member
A true Christian is one who has been elected by God. Predestined to salvation and conformity to the image of Christ. Received the outward gospel call. Embraced the irresistable inward gospel call of the Holy Spirit. He/she is regenerated and converted, given the free gifts of faith and repentance. He/she is justified, sanctified, and quaranteed glorification. They love Christ supremely and endeavor to obey Him completely. A true Christian will bring everything to God in prayer and study His written self-disclosure, the Holy Bible, regularly. They will follow His example in their daily lives seeking to bring as many as possible with him to glory. And for this the world will probably hate him as it hated our Lord.
 
Katzpur

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Rick B said:
A true Christian is one who has been elected by God. Predestined to salvation and conformity to the image of Christ. Received the outward gospel call. Embraced the irresistable inward gospel call of the Holy Spirit. He/she is regenerated and converted, given the free gifts of faith and repentance. He/she is justified, sanctified, and quaranteed glorification. They love Christ supremely and endeavor to obey Him completely. A true Christian will bring everything to God in prayer and study His written self-disclosure, the Holy Bible, regularly. They will follow His example in their daily lives seeking to bring as many as possible with him to glory. And for this the world will probably hate him as it hated our Lord.
Click to expand...
Pre-destination. So NOT what I believe.
 
tomato1236

tomato1236

Ninja Master
Rick B said:
A true Christian is one who has been elected by God. Predestined to salvation and conformity to the image of Christ. Received the outward gospel call. Embraced the irresistable inward gospel call of the Holy Spirit. He/she is regenerated and converted, given the free gifts of faith and repentance. He/she is justified, sanctified, and quaranteed glorification. They love Christ supremely and endeavor to obey Him completely. A true Christian will bring everything to God in prayer and study His written self-disclosure, the Holy Bible, regularly. They will follow His example in their daily lives seeking to bring as many as possible with him to glory. And for this the world will probably hate him as it hated our Lord.
Click to expand...

If you can't be a Christian unless God picks you to be one, and you can't be saved unless you're predestined to be, doesn't heaven become a pretty unfair and exclusive club? Is there a way to know you've been chosen? And if so, how do you avoid the arrogance that might accompany membership in the club?
 
Renji

Renji

Well-Known Member
Politesse said:
A Christian is one who lays down their life for the sake of another.
Click to expand...

I think I can remember Christ in one account saying that "There is no greater love than that love who lays his own life for the sake of his friends". Very touchy line from the film Passion of the Christ. It made me cry.
 
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