You are not a Christian until you in reality do something - for instance a promise to God that's long-lived. Not solely attending church on a Sunday. The martyrs of the Roman Empire knew well, that it meant not only casual belief, but even up to life and death.
Regard it in this way, if I'm going to reside in the United States I am not an a U.S. citizen - I'm still an Aussie but only live in the United States. I shall continue to be an Aussie living in the United States until I am naturalised; this is when I have made commitments or a promise of allegiance to that power. Subsequently that, I must observe the laws of the land as an upright citizen, which demonstrates a sign of my continuing dedication.
So it is to be a Christian, I can live believing or even saying I'm a Christian, but if I have not made that promise which is eternal and full, then I'm not a Christian. You aren't born a Christian; even if you're born into a Christian family; likewise, a person is not lawyer because his father is a lawyer; you cannot even become a barrister by sitting everyday in a court of law for many years, he becomes a lawyer with a lot of learning and passing exams.
As one individual put it 'Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to Maccas makes you a big mack'. It's all about a genuine, meaningful, life long agreement with God. And as you consider God's people through Bible history, this is what you find.
God makes it very obvious that our faith is not an 'add on' merely tacked onto our normal lives, it 'IS' our life (now and forever) and all else is an 'add on'. You could say that my job is not my real job - being a Christian is my real job and my other job just pays the bills, even though I enjoy it. This is what God expects of us. Jesus said "Whoever wishes to be My disciple must deny himself and follow Me" Luke 9:23.
Genuine Christianity is a close relationship between Jesus and me, a close friendship with the all-powerful God. He requires us to be closer to Him than any person in the world. Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said to him " You must love the Lord with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all your consciouness. This is the 1st and greatest commandment. ".
Regard it in this way, if I'm going to reside in the United States I am not an a U.S. citizen - I'm still an Aussie but only live in the United States. I shall continue to be an Aussie living in the United States until I am naturalised; this is when I have made commitments or a promise of allegiance to that power. Subsequently that, I must observe the laws of the land as an upright citizen, which demonstrates a sign of my continuing dedication.
So it is to be a Christian, I can live believing or even saying I'm a Christian, but if I have not made that promise which is eternal and full, then I'm not a Christian. You aren't born a Christian; even if you're born into a Christian family; likewise, a person is not lawyer because his father is a lawyer; you cannot even become a barrister by sitting everyday in a court of law for many years, he becomes a lawyer with a lot of learning and passing exams.
As one individual put it 'Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to Maccas makes you a big mack'. It's all about a genuine, meaningful, life long agreement with God. And as you consider God's people through Bible history, this is what you find.
God makes it very obvious that our faith is not an 'add on' merely tacked onto our normal lives, it 'IS' our life (now and forever) and all else is an 'add on'. You could say that my job is not my real job - being a Christian is my real job and my other job just pays the bills, even though I enjoy it. This is what God expects of us. Jesus said "Whoever wishes to be My disciple must deny himself and follow Me" Luke 9:23.
Genuine Christianity is a close relationship between Jesus and me, a close friendship with the all-powerful God. He requires us to be closer to Him than any person in the world. Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said to him " You must love the Lord with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all your consciouness. This is the 1st and greatest commandment. ".
About the Author:
Neil Baulch speaks about the undeniable fact that ancient Bible history and the Scriptures demonstrates that as a devotee isn't a dormant and inevitable station. For further info, go over to this Bible timeline.