What Makes a Real Christian According to The Bible?
Answering the question – what is a true Christian is a very difficult subject, but like most things – is also a simple one depending on how look at it! OK – on eading the Bible you would have to draw the conclusion that anyone that doesn’t accept the Lord Jesus as their saviour will not be saved and therfore isn’t a True Christian.
Now – I haven’t answered the question yet so read on. Let us consider, what happens to all those people who never heard about the good news of Jesus, and what about those people who never will.
Here Im talking about people in remote tribes, children that die too young to know the love of God – let alone Jesus. Now these are not facetious questions – these are real questions to think about before we (Christians) brashly jump to any conclusions about what a ‘real’ Christian is.
www.neverthirsty.org – marks of a true christian
Also keep firmly in mind the fact that man lived for many 1000’s years without Christianity – it hadn’t happened! This too must be remembered when we say ‘people obviously aren’t Christians’. It’s simple – yet tricky. God obviously knows what he’s doing since Jesus was foretold way before his time. But there is no doubt – we ‘Christians’ do live in our security bubble and we need to open our eyes and ears to the ‘real’ world – or rather the world around us. Many people will NEVER hear the Gospel – this is a fact – make sure you decide who is and isn’t with this in mind.
So you see I’ve been a coward and not dared to answer the question directly.. since God knows non of us are perfect – and I believe that saying you are a true Christian is – well – perhaps something we should leave to God to decide. We should concentrate on serving as Jesus did, not on which doctrine is perfect – which action is THE action – just get on with helping others and forgiving as Christ did.
Whilst you are pondering wether or not you are ‘IN’ or ‘OUT’, your soul may be required! Now you don’t need to worry about this – since God IS just and fair. He knows who knows what – he knows your secrets – and he knows who will an won’t get a chance to hear the good news. This SHOULDN’T stop us from ‘preaching to all the earth’ – since that is a command – but lets not be silly and think that everyone will get to hear the truth – they won’t! Thankfully the Bible tells us that God will judge a man according to his heart and what he knows – phew!
Here’s a Great bit of writing I found on the web on ‘being a true Christian’ – take a look:
“Most don’t even know a True Christian actually means. In fact most people have never heard the Gospel that Jesus brought to us during his ministry. Have you – or have you simply accepted without question the doctrine of the church you were born into as it was the religion of your parents and their parents?
If yes – you should examine the beliefs of that organization for yourself, to see if in fact they practice sound foundation in Biblical teaching. I found myself in this exact quandary not that long ago, when upon my own unbiased study of God’s word, I was astonished at how spiritually misguided I had been by the teachings I had been brought up with.
I’ll explain – after the death of Christ the early apostolic church became greatly persecuted in Judea. Decreed heretics by the council of high priests in Jerusalem, and as such subject to death under occupying Roman rule, these severely oppressed first followers of Christ were forced to practice their religion in constant fear and secrecy.
The Church of God in it’s infancy was on the verge of extinction. Then God raised up the apostle Paul who spread this same Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles throughout all of Asia Minor – then even to Rome, thus revitalizing the near vanquished congregation in Judea.
However, by 53 A.D. (just a little over twenty years after Christ’s death), Paul cautioned his followers that this Gospel had begun to be changed – corrupted by the traditions and pagan religious practices of these very same nations he had preached the truth to.
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal 1:6-7)
By 325 A.D., Pagan Rome, conqueror of the known world of it’s time, became by a decree of the Emperor Constantine a “Christian Empire”. Unfortunately, the brand of Christianity being practiced in Rome at that time was, as Paul had warned, not the same religion that he and the Apostles had been taught by Christ himself.
How can that be you ask?
Remember, Rome was a world conquering Empire that instituted with might it’s government, it’s laws, it’s culture, and it’s traditions upon the territories it devoured – traditions that were in fact the same Paganistic religious practices of the Greek, Persian, and Babylonian civilizations that had in like manner conquered the world centuries before.
Though their gods and festivals of worship might have been called by different names, each of these ancient cultures in essence, worshiped the same deities and practiced the same religious observances – which were then infused from one conquering empire into the next – weaving like thread this apostate theology into what has become the common fabric of religious belief that has persisted all through history.
Today – it is known by is Christianity! Yes, the Gospel that is preached by the accepted traditional churches of today is not the one that Christ brought, but rather a counterfeit, now merely appropriating His name.
“For in vain do they worship [Him] teaching not the commandments of God but the doctrines of men … making the word of God of no effect through your tradition.” (Mark 7:7-13)”
We sincerely hope that helps you in your walk – Christian Advivce.net
Advertise a Christian website or services here contact christianadvice.net. We will check it out and possibly list it here if we think it’s a great resource for Christians.
Related Christian Singles & Personals topics
Christian Love advice | General Christian Websites | Christianity introduction
Whats a True Christian at christian advice.net