How to be a Christian

Wow, what a topic. I intend this to be a narrative with some editorializing. Frankly in brief summary, being a good Christian is a lifetime of work and a great one may never be possible. Though, with careful attention, I intend to offer some prescriptive suggestions on how people can live for Christ; this message is aimed at me. Hopefully you can gather some encouragement from it as well. This topic is aimed at maturing Christians, not the infants and certainly not the unsaved.

Let's talk about where most Christians go wrong; belief. The believe in things that people have said; people that they loved or cared about and suddenly the words become themselves gospel. Too many people who call themselves Christians believe with no reason to believe. They in essence, don't know why they believe what they believe. The wander aimlessly in the same direction as their peers, seeking after the next fulfilling ambition. They are completely lonely in their lives and have no respite hope and blind to the way the truth and the life. The are blind because they don't understand a simple concept. This concept is a multi-tiered concept; here are the tiers:

All of humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God = You are worthless and unnacceptable
God so loved the world... = There is hope for those that believe
For by grace are ye saved... = You cannot earn it, you don't need to understand it, you are simple able to receive it
Heb 5:9-11 = Suffering teaches obedience
Ephesians - Chapter 5:25-33 Husbands love your wives = Christ emulates through marriage the perfect relationship with him
James 2:20 - Faith without works is dead = your fruit bears witness of the saving faith you have ( this truth is not ALWAYS symmetrical )

So - what do we have. A snapshot of a perfect Christian? Negative. It's not possible so stop trying. You are destined to sin and fall. Anyone who tells you that you can stop sinning is a liar. Any who says you can reach 'entire santification' as the Nazarenes put it, is drinking kool-aid. The perfect example in the Bible was Christ; but why was he, other than the fact that he was God?

Christ knew and accepted his role. He knew what he was sent to Earth to do. Imagine if people had JUST that. How would that change things in America? Secondly Christ accepted who he was. In our country we're taught that we're aren't good enough on so many levels, and yet we wonder why we can't live life for all it's worth. John 7:6-7

What other ways can we be more like Christ?

Through meekness and humility, expecting nothing good in return for your works or life in Christ, because your reward is yet in heaven. How though? Take a look around, in the room you are in, do you have more than 1000 dollars of electronics? Do people know it, do you show it to them. Look in your driveway, do you have 900$ in car payments as I once did? Look at your credit cards, do you have the 9000 national county average? Look at your home, is it the best home on the block? Look at your job, do you work for others to see? Look at your faith - and this one is a biggie. Do you pray loudly, or longwinded so that others will here and be impressed? Do you let others see what you tithe? Do you tithe?

There are so many ways to be evil and yet appear like a Christian. In America, we've traded appearances of fruit for the actual fruit. Do you know that on the average across our nation, our churches are supported by approximately 3% of the congregation.

What about liberalism, or ultra-conservatism, what about paganism? Do we "Tolerate" these things in our midst?

Living for Christ is much more than having a large Bible, attending Church regularly, paying your bills on time and occasionally showing up for the obligatory men/ladies group. Living for Christ is about demonstrating his love, with reproof to your brothers and sisters and more importantly, expecting it back.

Christ has taught me that the pain in this world is only training for his world. When our loved ones die or a close friend, we often say WHY? That's a clear signal of someone who does not know who Christ is fully. Why? Because if they'd only read heb 5:9-11 they would have discovered that the control of this earth has never escaped the hand of God and that it's tradgedies are only the means by which HE chooses to refine his elect.

Church -

I don't believe that 90% of churches in America have a clue. They are either religiously stuck on dogma and strict interpretations of scripture, or they are so loose, it's as though Christ was a hippie. They make the mistake that because we have the word of God in our midst that the only way to know him is to thouroughly apply scripture in liberal measure. Yet, they forsake the very thing that Christ came to give us - a bonded relationship with God - one that cannot be driven asunder or split by any man. Let what God had joined together, let no man drive asunder. That is the relationship between Christ and his Bride.

Most do not, but we all need to - we need to accept who we are first; who we are in Christ next, and then what our purpose is in this world. Then with vehemence, fulfill the good works that have been set in front of us since before the foundation of the world.

The book of James is an excellent read on how to be a christian.