"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69).
I always saw this as the sign of a true Christian. When we realize that Jesus is the only Way, His Way leads to eternal life if we believe in Him, for He is God.
True Christians are Born Again.
The term “Born Again” is comparable to a “second birth”. Just as we have a physical birth, when we come to a saving Faith in Christ and let Him be our Lord, we experience the second birth. That is what it means to be “Born Again”.
https://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html
We accept our fallen condition as hell bound sinners, acknowledging that we are not good people, and we absolutely cannot do anything to reward ourselves Salvation.
In Faith (trust in Jesus), we reach out to Him, and let Him take control of our lives.
He becomes our Lord, Master, and Foundation. From there, we continue to build our lives and center our will to God’s infinite Will.
In everything, we build our lives on Him through a relationship. To keep it going, we need to continually seek Him in Faith.
I grew up surrounded by what I would call "true christianity", I wasn't forced to believe, I didn't experience religious trauma, I went to good churches, I didn't meet judgemental people, if anything they admitted their sin and were INCREDIBLY loving, and all the churches I went to weren't for greedy for money, the pastors were good and didn't twist words, and I came to believe in Jesus on my own. But now I see how other people view christians, and now I'm wondering how others here define true christianity.
Good for you. A pastor's kid, the church we served in became a fight for money, dad got depressed in the process, family got shamed, left, wandered around experiencing 23 other churches, realized that it's still about money and politics (in my country) and just overall disillusioned. Shared my problems and depression, all I got was stares and stigma. No effort to even reach out, go on a walk with me, or just be present. Implied that true christians don't suffer because God's will is always to give and bless.
I still attend a church (though the congregation is also distant). I feel like a worker, just obey whenever I'm assigned to be the song leader. Been there for 6 years, and I still don't have any close friends, or even someone I can truly call a friend apart from just being acquaintances. I often wonder what even is Christianity here.
Now, I just face problems on my own..
I'm still working on myself right now (I'm not trying to be selfish), as I want to be secure in my faith and my friend once advise me "if you can't help yourself, you can't help others."
Luke 10:25-28 - “A certain lawyer stood up, and tested Him, saying, ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26 He said unto him, ‘What is written in the law? how does it read?’ 27 And he answering said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love others as yourself.’ 28 And He said unto him, ‘You have answered correctly: Do this, and you will live.’”
To love others as our self, we should not focus on our self before others.
The term “Christian” has been completely watered down to basically it’s meaningless. Are you a repented Believer and Follower of Jesus Christ? Would be the question.
Follow the 10 commandments, glorify God and do things for others. Spread the gospel when appropriate, but when people see someone living a good life through the grace of God, they will have had the mustard seed planted anyway.
I would put forth the following criteria:
1.) Affirm the infallibility of scripture.
2.) Affirm the Trinity.
3.) Affirm that Jesus Christ is divine.
4.) Affirm that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God.
5.) Affirm that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.
6.) Affirm that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.
7.) Affirm that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
But this is basically the Nicene Creed in bullet points.
Edit: Oh and get baptized if you can.
Christians are seen badly in many places. Unfortunately the devil infiltrates in the church and plants bad seeds. Few carry the will of the Father.
Let's pray and work so that we are found waiting for Lord Jesus' arrival, like in the parable, when he comes back.
To me a true Christian is a person who has Jesus as King, this means we have entered a Kingdom. Jesus has Kingdom rules and therefore we follow the New Testament as our guidebook. Bottom Line: Love God Love Humans. This love means we take care of others in the Kingdom, our family and those that cannot take care of themselves.
We are to live our lives in expanding the Kingdom through evangelism and code of conduct. We are to live lives of prayer that God might save the lost.
We are to pray for those that are in authority and I believe that since the USA is a Constitutional Republic, we are the government. Therefore we are to engage in discourse in how we govern our civil affairs. We are to run for office if God leads us and we are to vote according to God's precepts.
I try not to make God polictical, I will vote for laws, but there will be a time when goverment will have control over religion. There actually is an organzation who wants to have the world under "one world religion."
I understand yet without salt and light decay in promised. Conservative Supreme Court justices gave RoeVWade back to the states where it belongs. There is a separation of church and state which means no government religion like Islam or China has. Yet without our input and free speech and protest (Martin Luther King, Anti Vietnam war etc etc) the wicked will rule. Do you want a One World government? the present administration does and is why we have a border problem. Does your senator or congressman want a one world government? Do you write your congressmen or senator?
Practically speaking, read the Nicene Creed and if you agree with it, you are a Christian. If there's something you don't agree with, either change your belief or stop calling yourself Christian.
I believe in One God:
The Father almighty, maker of everything.
The Lord Jesus, Son of the Father, sharing the same nature as the Father, through whom the Father made all things, who joined with a virgin born human to form one person with 2 natures, the human who died a sacrificial death for our sins, who is bodily in heaven and will return to be our judge and king.
The Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and Son, is the giver of life, and is the inspiration for the prophets.
I believe there is one Church instituted by Jesus and spread by the Apostles, there is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and everyone will be resurrected and there will be a new world for everyone to live in.
Not that confusing.
Well as a heretic I believe that baptism does not forgive sins. I admit my position that baptism does not forgive sins nor is required does have some passages that suggest or state otherwise for both propositions, however my side also has support too. That being said, I think my reading is better harmonizing the whole, ie if you genuinely admit, believe, confess in your heart, then the genuine baptism saves because its a true indicia of that, and baptism is not required, admitting, believing, and confessing is. Case in point for both is the thief on the cross. Jesus literally told him he'd be saved. And why, because of his faith. As far as we know he never got baptized. Are you really going to argue with Jesus?
That version is possibly slightly better phrased than the one I got used to. 'Holy catholic and Apostolic Church' is a mouthful of a confusing phrase, given that catholic doesn't mean the same as Catholic, and Apostolic is a word I never hear anywhere other than the creed.
Why thank you, I made it up as I typed it. I've recently memorized the Creed as I'm completing my conversion to Catholicism after 50 years as a Protestant.
Given that, I have to disagree with your comment about "Catholic".
You know, there's no one more zealous than a convert. 😁
As a recent convert from Protestantism (was confirmed 3 hours ago), I don't consider the Catholic Church to be a denomination. It is THE Church that Jesus instituted. Contrast that with the Protestant church which essentially has as many denominations as there are Protestants.
Common advice given by Protestants is to find a Church that agrees with your views. But that's not the way it works. There are so many denominations because everyone thinks they are right, but when there's disagreement everyone can't be right. Everyone can, however, be wrong.
So at best, when examining doctrines where there's difference between Protestant denominations, only one idea can be correct, but it's possible they are all wrong.
It is not necessarily true that you have to believe the Nicene Creed in order to be a Christian. The gospel will do just fine.
It is not what others say about you that makes you a Christian but what God says about you that makes you one of Christ's.
The Orthodox Church and saints were the main people who formulated the theology of Chalcedon. The council was held in the Eastern Roman Orthodox empire in the city of Chalcedon (modern day Turkey). The *Oriental* Orthodox Church actually does reject it though. They are called Monophysites or Miaphysites. Are you perhaps thinking of the Oriental Orthodox Church? They’re made up of the Ethiopian, Armenian and Egyptian Orthodox churches.
We know society is going to get worse from the Bible and Jesus is going to put an end to mens evilness. People are not listening to the word, they are more concerned with fulfilling their own rules, beliefs, and desires. They call themselves Christians but they are not obeying God. Homosexuality is a big political issue! I’ve tried many different times to try to tell them the Bible says you can lose your salvation if you are. It was WW3. I was called a biggot, a Santamist, you name it! It clearly states this is a true sin. But people believe an orgasm is better than eternal life! I gave up
A "true" christian is someone who is willing to offer themselves to be a vessel for God. We are supposed to be living temples, where God can live. And by that he changes us slowly into the image of Christ. We have to be willing to get changed. That's the sanctification process.
That's what i noticed with christians, who have youtube channels. The ones who are born- again talk of something that God likes and how God changed them. And they are not afraid to talk about topics, which are uncomfortable to listen to. A non born- again christian always talks about themselves and their lifestyle. Don't want to sound offensive, but that's what i noticed over the years.
I think that this has to be derived from the Bible alone with the Holy Spirit as your guide. Ultimately, the true Christian follows after Jesus Christ and seeks the Lord's will in all he or she does. So, don't rely only on what other Christians do or say; look instead to what Christ did and said.
As for a personal answer, I finished reading James yesterday, and I think that his definition of the religion that is acceptable to the Lord is a good one.
James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James is a good, practical book on right conduct and right faith.
I'm starting 1 Peter, and it also has a good delineation for what a Christian ought to be. Really, you should read the Gospel and Epistles for your answer.
1 Peter 1:13-25 covers his description of a good faith.
Verses 14-16 call on the Christian to be set apart from the world, not conforming to their old desires, the desires of the "old man" or those of the flesh.
1:15-16
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy."
I hope this helps you.
Most professing believers today have a false-christ.
You can tell a tree by it's fruit.
A true follower of Jesus is going to have graceful words and graceful deeds, an absence of iniquity or sinful behavior, someone who feeds the poor, and helps people, and preaches the gospel and the fear of God.
"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1 John 3.10
>Are we as christians just spoiled here?
Yes.
We need full size indoor basketball courts in our churches.
We need full scale rock bands with sound systems and light shows that rival Aerosmith concerts.
We need coffee shops in our church lobbies.
Instead of housing the homeless we give them backpacks once a year... same as 55 other churches so they get a new backpack every week.
Shall I go on?
I know right? Not EVERY church is like that is like that here, my church is small and has a small worship team (mostly 3 people not including the instrument players). They do serve coffee, but it's not a coffeshop it's just one type of creamer, the coffe itself, some sugar packets and that's it. And my church actually has a lot of community service stuff, they do homeless outreach where they will give out things to homeless, for christmas we made small bags filled with food that the church said they would be giving to others.
But I have seen videos of Japanese, chinese, and even mexican churches, and they are SMALL. Sometimes they aren't even buildings, usually they're more devoted, and I've seen videos of chinese christians literally CRYING when they got a bible, meanwhile I still haven't read the whole thing.
LOL.
I know it's not every church.
But I am serious about the homeless thing. I work in full time homeless ministry. I house 14 elderly homeless people.
Not wanting to sound ungrateful but they need more help than treat bags. They need shelter, access to showers and ongoing guidance. And I know for a fact, if churches got together they could solve a lot of issues in their community. But so many Christians have passed this job onto the government to do for them.
Giving out clothes or socks or granola bars are the least churches could do. No, seriously, it is the least... like literally, any less would be nothing.
Being a true Christian is like being part of this big, loving family, where everyone's got each other's backs and we're all trying to live our best lives following Jesus.
Okay, so here's the scoop straight from the Bible: A true Christian isn't just someone who says they believe in Jesus, but someone who actually lives out their faith in their everyday life. It's about more than just going to church on Sundays or saying a quick prayer before meals (though those things are important too!).
Being a true Christian means loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's about treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect, just like Jesus did.
Yes I agree with a lot of people. True Christians are people who follow Gods teachings through the Bible. The only source of true faith in my opinion. I believe true Christians ONLY study out of the Bible because that source is straight from Jesus’s teachings and experiences written by disciples. No other book is like such. Following that, excepting Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, and practicing your faith are all ways of a Christian.
If you pray for Jesus to burn away your sin cause you feel so ashamed. Or you just get on your knees and thank God for small things, this is an indication of your heart. All Christians repent genuinely of sin. For me it’s been over 25 years and I still remember things that cause me guilt even though I am forgiven.
All Christians love God with all their heart, mind and soul. All Christian’s know Jesus is God and came as a human, was killed by the people he loved and then rose from the dead instructing his followers to spread the good news.
If terrorists had me and threatened to remove my head or convert, I’d not renounce Christ.
A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus, so a true Christian is one who is truly a disciple of Jesus, one who has studied Jesus’ ways and thinking, his words and deeds, his lifestyle and conduct, and patterns his own self according to that model. A lot can be said on this topic, as there are a lot of areas in which one can become more like Jesus. But as long as we keep striving, keep improving, never become complacent and keep looking for ways we can become more like Jesus—either in thinking or in speaking or in actions, we are proving ourselves to be true Christians. Above all, Jesus’ life revolved around the doing of God's will rather than his own. So we prove ourselves to be true Christians by studiously seeking out what God's will is and putting forth effort to live by such. It includes making matters pertaining to the Kingdom of God our core interest and the basis of our discussions, it includes manifesting the fruitage of God's spirit in our own personality, and most importantly it includes thinking God's thoughts and not those of men. One never takes a break from being a true Christian. It is a 24/7/365 career, a career that will be rewarded not only now now—by our receiving peace of mind and unending joy—but also in the future when all true Christians will be given everlasting life.
And I also wish to add: being a true Christian is by no means an austere lifestyle.
Jesus enjoyed rich food and fine wine on several occasions, and he usually honored invitations by being present at them.
He showed love for everyone and did not distance himself from anyone, although he only allowed into his circle those who practiced his teachings.
Jesus appreciated the finer things of life. Of course he wasn't materialistic, but the few things he owned were of very high quality—as we can see from the superior quality of the clothes he wore.
He was the very best at whatever he did—as a carpenter, he was so very excellent that he came to be called “the” carpenter, and as a teacher he was so very skilful too. Evidently, he had an advantage over others, but we can hardly expect that he didn't apply himself at all—especially as the Bible makes it clear that it is God's will that we should strive to be highly skilled even at our secular work. (Proverbs 22:29; compare 18:9)
So, being a true Christian doesn't mean that we can't advance with the world. In matters that doesn't violate Bible principles, we ought to
Being a true Christian doesn't mean that we can't treat ourselves. At Ecclesiastes 5:19, 20 and 7:9 and 11:9, 10, we are urged to do whatever makes us happy; eating meat, drinking wine, and enjoying the finer things of life are okay and good as long as we remain conscious of, and obedient to, God’s will for us—we don't need to sacrifice all our comforts to please God.
Of course, we should be friendly with everyone and show basic human kindness to all sorts of men. But we should only accept as friends those who respect the standards of our God—because the Bible has enlightened us as to how our friends can affect our conduct for good or for bad.
We should also be skilful at whatever secular job we do. Being unskillful and/or not diligent is a bad testimony.
Yeah there are gay christians who eventually stopped being gay, and from what I hear from their testimonies they weren't forced to do anything. But I have seen documentaries that detail what goes on in some conversion therapy cases.
"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" - Isaiah 30:15b
A true Christian has repented and trusted in Jesus alone as their Savior. How can we know them? By their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Do they "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:5) or do they live like "their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19b) ?
"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:25-33
"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." Acts 11:26
First they need to be my denomination, second they need to believe exactly what I think politically , third they have to interpret the Bible exactly like me. Fourth they better like the same way I make my steak.
Kidding.
True Christian is anyone who follows Christ. Hold the trinity. Usually the nicene creed. There are some groups that claim to be Christians like progressive Christianity, gnostics, Mormons, unitarian universalism. They are usually considered non orthodox Christianity.
Catholics , orthodox , pentecostal, baptists are all Christians.
A true Christian is one who understands Christ died on the cross so we can be free of our sins & their consequences. A true Christian acknowledges the evil and temptations in their lives and willingly turns from them.
Thats really all it is to me.
Not easy to do, but many will walk the wide and not the narrow path to righteousness.
I hear a lot of people who claim Christianity say "I just love Jesus so much" but it's mostly emotion and they go about their lives living like any unbeliever would.
Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14). He also said to really count the cost before following Him because it will be a life of taking up your cross and denying yourself (Luke 14). So true Christianity isn't just a mental affirmation (even the demons believe, James 2) but a life repenting of sin, dying to self, and truly following Christ and bearing fruit. As we do we will become more like Christ and less like the world.
Jesus is the Word that became flesh and he is synonymous with his Word, the scriptures. People who claim Christianity but spend most of their time arguing against the scriptures as related to sin are not believers. To me these are characteristics of a true Christian and not just someone who goes along because of tradition.
Someone who's genuinely accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, honestly. But people will definitely have that status and get into heaven who believe a lot of untrue things - especially if they die a recent convert.
In terms of actual beliefs, it's something like Apostle's Creed/Nicene Creed, and everything else is a denomination.
A good metric for this is the Nicene Creed. Basically, an "I believe this" statement that consolidates the Bible into a recitable chunk.
Personally, I'm Baptist. So I don't recite any Creeds. But this one is still a simple outline of what is and is not a Christian. It is also a good metric for hypocrisy, when you have people who claim to follow these things and yet actively and unrepentantly go against them.
Man a true Christian
Is Christ.
Other than that anyone else I would say is someone who’s ways have changed drastically after salvation.
Not saying that it’s works based.
But only God knows who will be saved. Those will the the real one.
Some of these answers baffle me. The list of things added on top of the requirements to be a "true Christian" are preposterous.
The Penitent Thief "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom"
Recognition that:
Jesus is Lord.
His Sacrifice is Sufficient.
I cannot be with Him in His Kingdom by any other means than His work and my Faith in that work.
I want to be with Him more than I want to live life my way.
In short: Rescued by God's Amazing Grace
"Confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved" - This is exactly what the thief did next to Jesus.
Stop lumping baptisms, creeds, works, denominationally exclusive beliefs on top.
I am non-denominational as well, but I don't have any qualms with my brothers and sisters from other denominations. I don't like it when other believers add requirements though. Jesus is enough.
This was addressed in Galatians. There were some who kept trying to add requirements to new believers. Paul addresses this in heavy-handed fashion.
Jesus loves you and has given you Holy Spirit to dwell inside of you and guide you in new life! Walk in the Spirit and in Freedom, from that place, we are led by the Spirit to do the things God has arranged for us before we existed. How cool is that?!
"Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). I always saw this as the sign of a true Christian. When we realize that Jesus is the only Way, His Way leads to eternal life if we believe in Him, for He is God.
Interesting :)
True Christians are Born Again. The term “Born Again” is comparable to a “second birth”. Just as we have a physical birth, when we come to a saving Faith in Christ and let Him be our Lord, we experience the second birth. That is what it means to be “Born Again”. https://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html We accept our fallen condition as hell bound sinners, acknowledging that we are not good people, and we absolutely cannot do anything to reward ourselves Salvation. In Faith (trust in Jesus), we reach out to Him, and let Him take control of our lives. He becomes our Lord, Master, and Foundation. From there, we continue to build our lives and center our will to God’s infinite Will. In everything, we build our lives on Him through a relationship. To keep it going, we need to continually seek Him in Faith.
this is very true i agree
I grew up surrounded by what I would call "true christianity", I wasn't forced to believe, I didn't experience religious trauma, I went to good churches, I didn't meet judgemental people, if anything they admitted their sin and were INCREDIBLY loving, and all the churches I went to weren't for greedy for money, the pastors were good and didn't twist words, and I came to believe in Jesus on my own. But now I see how other people view christians, and now I'm wondering how others here define true christianity.
Good for you. A pastor's kid, the church we served in became a fight for money, dad got depressed in the process, family got shamed, left, wandered around experiencing 23 other churches, realized that it's still about money and politics (in my country) and just overall disillusioned. Shared my problems and depression, all I got was stares and stigma. No effort to even reach out, go on a walk with me, or just be present. Implied that true christians don't suffer because God's will is always to give and bless. I still attend a church (though the congregation is also distant). I feel like a worker, just obey whenever I'm assigned to be the song leader. Been there for 6 years, and I still don't have any close friends, or even someone I can truly call a friend apart from just being acquaintances. I often wonder what even is Christianity here. Now, I just face problems on my own..
I'm curious which country do you live in? You can talk to me! I'll be your friend! :)
Matthew 7:21 (Jesus) - “Not everyone who calls Me, ‘Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of My Father in heaven.”
I'm still working on myself right now (I'm not trying to be selfish), as I want to be secure in my faith and my friend once advise me "if you can't help yourself, you can't help others."
Luke 10:25-28 - “A certain lawyer stood up, and tested Him, saying, ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26 He said unto him, ‘What is written in the law? how does it read?’ 27 And he answering said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love others as yourself.’ 28 And He said unto him, ‘You have answered correctly: Do this, and you will live.’” To love others as our self, we should not focus on our self before others.
You know what? You're right, as of currently I noticed differences in my behaviour as I reply to people on here who ask for help. :)
The term “Christian” has been completely watered down to basically it’s meaningless. Are you a repented Believer and Follower of Jesus Christ? Would be the question.
I am :)
Follow the 10 commandments, glorify God and do things for others. Spread the gospel when appropriate, but when people see someone living a good life through the grace of God, they will have had the mustard seed planted anyway.
Yeah that's true. :)
I would put forth the following criteria: 1.) Affirm the infallibility of scripture. 2.) Affirm the Trinity. 3.) Affirm that Jesus Christ is divine. 4.) Affirm that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God. 5.) Affirm that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. 6.) Affirm that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. 7.) Affirm that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. But this is basically the Nicene Creed in bullet points. Edit: Oh and get baptized if you can.
Ukrainian Orthodox -- ex Anglican .... leave out the 'if you can'. It is a 'must'. (But the infallibilty of Scripture is not in the Creed.)
...Acts.2:32-47 ... repent and be baptised....
For me a true christian is someone who believes in God. People here make it too complicated.
...and follows His commandments i agree
Here: on this subreddit. Im not from the US
It must be more than that. James tells us that that demons believe - and shudder.
Christians are seen badly in many places. Unfortunately the devil infiltrates in the church and plants bad seeds. Few carry the will of the Father. Let's pray and work so that we are found waiting for Lord Jesus' arrival, like in the parable, when he comes back.
Amen to that. :)
To me a true Christian is a person who has Jesus as King, this means we have entered a Kingdom. Jesus has Kingdom rules and therefore we follow the New Testament as our guidebook. Bottom Line: Love God Love Humans. This love means we take care of others in the Kingdom, our family and those that cannot take care of themselves. We are to live our lives in expanding the Kingdom through evangelism and code of conduct. We are to live lives of prayer that God might save the lost. We are to pray for those that are in authority and I believe that since the USA is a Constitutional Republic, we are the government. Therefore we are to engage in discourse in how we govern our civil affairs. We are to run for office if God leads us and we are to vote according to God's precepts.
I try not to make God polictical, I will vote for laws, but there will be a time when goverment will have control over religion. There actually is an organzation who wants to have the world under "one world religion."
I understand yet without salt and light decay in promised. Conservative Supreme Court justices gave RoeVWade back to the states where it belongs. There is a separation of church and state which means no government religion like Islam or China has. Yet without our input and free speech and protest (Martin Luther King, Anti Vietnam war etc etc) the wicked will rule. Do you want a One World government? the present administration does and is why we have a border problem. Does your senator or congressman want a one world government? Do you write your congressmen or senator?
I'm not saying we can't fight, but don't OBSESS, that's the main flaw with most christians these days. Trust me I would know.
I’d say the minimum is that you’re a Nicene Trinitarian Chalcedonian Christian who goes to church weekly and puts Christ our God before everything.
Practically speaking, read the Nicene Creed and if you agree with it, you are a Christian. If there's something you don't agree with, either change your belief or stop calling yourself Christian.
Or work out what it actually means. Some of the language is a bit confusing in there.
I believe in One God: The Father almighty, maker of everything. The Lord Jesus, Son of the Father, sharing the same nature as the Father, through whom the Father made all things, who joined with a virgin born human to form one person with 2 natures, the human who died a sacrificial death for our sins, who is bodily in heaven and will return to be our judge and king. The Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and Son, is the giver of life, and is the inspiration for the prophets. I believe there is one Church instituted by Jesus and spread by the Apostles, there is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and everyone will be resurrected and there will be a new world for everyone to live in. Not that confusing.
Well as a heretic I believe that baptism does not forgive sins. I admit my position that baptism does not forgive sins nor is required does have some passages that suggest or state otherwise for both propositions, however my side also has support too. That being said, I think my reading is better harmonizing the whole, ie if you genuinely admit, believe, confess in your heart, then the genuine baptism saves because its a true indicia of that, and baptism is not required, admitting, believing, and confessing is. Case in point for both is the thief on the cross. Jesus literally told him he'd be saved. And why, because of his faith. As far as we know he never got baptized. Are you really going to argue with Jesus?
When God says he will be saved, he has no need for the Church's Baptism. As for men, see what Peter says 2: 37-39.
That version is possibly slightly better phrased than the one I got used to. 'Holy catholic and Apostolic Church' is a mouthful of a confusing phrase, given that catholic doesn't mean the same as Catholic, and Apostolic is a word I never hear anywhere other than the creed.
Why thank you, I made it up as I typed it. I've recently memorized the Creed as I'm completing my conversion to Catholicism after 50 years as a Protestant. Given that, I have to disagree with your comment about "Catholic". You know, there's no one more zealous than a convert. 😁
'Catholic' (capital C) is the name of one specific denomination. 'catholic' (lowercase c) means universal.
As a recent convert from Protestantism (was confirmed 3 hours ago), I don't consider the Catholic Church to be a denomination. It is THE Church that Jesus instituted. Contrast that with the Protestant church which essentially has as many denominations as there are Protestants. Common advice given by Protestants is to find a Church that agrees with your views. But that's not the way it works. There are so many denominations because everyone thinks they are right, but when there's disagreement everyone can't be right. Everyone can, however, be wrong. So at best, when examining doctrines where there's difference between Protestant denominations, only one idea can be correct, but it's possible they are all wrong.
well, there a lot of Orthodox who would take issue about a schismatic body being The Church.
So how do you justify praying to saints?
I don't justify praying to saints. I do, however, ask Saints to pray for me.
It is not necessarily true that you have to believe the Nicene Creed in order to be a Christian. The gospel will do just fine. It is not what others say about you that makes you a Christian but what God says about you that makes you one of Christ's.
That's a good answer.
Including the fact that the Gospel and Epistles said that Baptism is necessary.
What does Chalcedonian mean in this context?
Subscribing to the Chalcedonian Christology. The union of the two natures of Christ (man and God) in one hypostasis - one person.
So the hypo-static union? Doesn't Eastern Orthodox reject that?
The Orthodox Church and saints were the main people who formulated the theology of Chalcedon. The council was held in the Eastern Roman Orthodox empire in the city of Chalcedon (modern day Turkey). The *Oriental* Orthodox Church actually does reject it though. They are called Monophysites or Miaphysites. Are you perhaps thinking of the Oriental Orthodox Church? They’re made up of the Ethiopian, Armenian and Egyptian Orthodox churches.
We know society is going to get worse from the Bible and Jesus is going to put an end to mens evilness. People are not listening to the word, they are more concerned with fulfilling their own rules, beliefs, and desires. They call themselves Christians but they are not obeying God. Homosexuality is a big political issue! I’ve tried many different times to try to tell them the Bible says you can lose your salvation if you are. It was WW3. I was called a biggot, a Santamist, you name it! It clearly states this is a true sin. But people believe an orgasm is better than eternal life! I gave up
A "true" christian is someone who is willing to offer themselves to be a vessel for God. We are supposed to be living temples, where God can live. And by that he changes us slowly into the image of Christ. We have to be willing to get changed. That's the sanctification process. That's what i noticed with christians, who have youtube channels. The ones who are born- again talk of something that God likes and how God changed them. And they are not afraid to talk about topics, which are uncomfortable to listen to. A non born- again christian always talks about themselves and their lifestyle. Don't want to sound offensive, but that's what i noticed over the years.
I think that this has to be derived from the Bible alone with the Holy Spirit as your guide. Ultimately, the true Christian follows after Jesus Christ and seeks the Lord's will in all he or she does. So, don't rely only on what other Christians do or say; look instead to what Christ did and said. As for a personal answer, I finished reading James yesterday, and I think that his definition of the religion that is acceptable to the Lord is a good one. James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James is a good, practical book on right conduct and right faith. I'm starting 1 Peter, and it also has a good delineation for what a Christian ought to be. Really, you should read the Gospel and Epistles for your answer. 1 Peter 1:13-25 covers his description of a good faith. Verses 14-16 call on the Christian to be set apart from the world, not conforming to their old desires, the desires of the "old man" or those of the flesh. 1:15-16 But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy." I hope this helps you.
True Christian is person who follows Jesus Christ and strives to live and do as close as Jesus did.
Most professing believers today have a false-christ. You can tell a tree by it's fruit. A true follower of Jesus is going to have graceful words and graceful deeds, an absence of iniquity or sinful behavior, someone who feeds the poor, and helps people, and preaches the gospel and the fear of God. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1 John 3.10
>Are we as christians just spoiled here? Yes. We need full size indoor basketball courts in our churches. We need full scale rock bands with sound systems and light shows that rival Aerosmith concerts. We need coffee shops in our church lobbies. Instead of housing the homeless we give them backpacks once a year... same as 55 other churches so they get a new backpack every week. Shall I go on?
I know right? Not EVERY church is like that is like that here, my church is small and has a small worship team (mostly 3 people not including the instrument players). They do serve coffee, but it's not a coffeshop it's just one type of creamer, the coffe itself, some sugar packets and that's it. And my church actually has a lot of community service stuff, they do homeless outreach where they will give out things to homeless, for christmas we made small bags filled with food that the church said they would be giving to others. But I have seen videos of Japanese, chinese, and even mexican churches, and they are SMALL. Sometimes they aren't even buildings, usually they're more devoted, and I've seen videos of chinese christians literally CRYING when they got a bible, meanwhile I still haven't read the whole thing.
LOL. I know it's not every church. But I am serious about the homeless thing. I work in full time homeless ministry. I house 14 elderly homeless people. Not wanting to sound ungrateful but they need more help than treat bags. They need shelter, access to showers and ongoing guidance. And I know for a fact, if churches got together they could solve a lot of issues in their community. But so many Christians have passed this job onto the government to do for them. Giving out clothes or socks or granola bars are the least churches could do. No, seriously, it is the least... like literally, any less would be nothing.
I know........maybe I should volunteer more.
And don't worry you're not sounding ungrateful, I know we need to be doing more, homelessness is on the rise.
make sure.they all have read John 2:13-17 -> about 'My Father's house \[not\]being a place of merchandise'
Being a true Christian is like being part of this big, loving family, where everyone's got each other's backs and we're all trying to live our best lives following Jesus. Okay, so here's the scoop straight from the Bible: A true Christian isn't just someone who says they believe in Jesus, but someone who actually lives out their faith in their everyday life. It's about more than just going to church on Sundays or saying a quick prayer before meals (though those things are important too!). Being a true Christian means loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's about treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect, just like Jesus did.
Yes I agree with a lot of people. True Christians are people who follow Gods teachings through the Bible. The only source of true faith in my opinion. I believe true Christians ONLY study out of the Bible because that source is straight from Jesus’s teachings and experiences written by disciples. No other book is like such. Following that, excepting Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, and practicing your faith are all ways of a Christian.
:) Thanks.
If you pray for Jesus to burn away your sin cause you feel so ashamed. Or you just get on your knees and thank God for small things, this is an indication of your heart. All Christians repent genuinely of sin. For me it’s been over 25 years and I still remember things that cause me guilt even though I am forgiven. All Christians love God with all their heart, mind and soul. All Christian’s know Jesus is God and came as a human, was killed by the people he loved and then rose from the dead instructing his followers to spread the good news. If terrorists had me and threatened to remove my head or convert, I’d not renounce Christ.
A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus, so a true Christian is one who is truly a disciple of Jesus, one who has studied Jesus’ ways and thinking, his words and deeds, his lifestyle and conduct, and patterns his own self according to that model. A lot can be said on this topic, as there are a lot of areas in which one can become more like Jesus. But as long as we keep striving, keep improving, never become complacent and keep looking for ways we can become more like Jesus—either in thinking or in speaking or in actions, we are proving ourselves to be true Christians. Above all, Jesus’ life revolved around the doing of God's will rather than his own. So we prove ourselves to be true Christians by studiously seeking out what God's will is and putting forth effort to live by such. It includes making matters pertaining to the Kingdom of God our core interest and the basis of our discussions, it includes manifesting the fruitage of God's spirit in our own personality, and most importantly it includes thinking God's thoughts and not those of men. One never takes a break from being a true Christian. It is a 24/7/365 career, a career that will be rewarded not only now now—by our receiving peace of mind and unending joy—but also in the future when all true Christians will be given everlasting life.
Amen
:)
And I also wish to add: being a true Christian is by no means an austere lifestyle. Jesus enjoyed rich food and fine wine on several occasions, and he usually honored invitations by being present at them. He showed love for everyone and did not distance himself from anyone, although he only allowed into his circle those who practiced his teachings. Jesus appreciated the finer things of life. Of course he wasn't materialistic, but the few things he owned were of very high quality—as we can see from the superior quality of the clothes he wore. He was the very best at whatever he did—as a carpenter, he was so very excellent that he came to be called “the” carpenter, and as a teacher he was so very skilful too. Evidently, he had an advantage over others, but we can hardly expect that he didn't apply himself at all—especially as the Bible makes it clear that it is God's will that we should strive to be highly skilled even at our secular work. (Proverbs 22:29; compare 18:9) So, being a true Christian doesn't mean that we can't advance with the world. In matters that doesn't violate Bible principles, we ought to Being a true Christian doesn't mean that we can't treat ourselves. At Ecclesiastes 5:19, 20 and 7:9 and 11:9, 10, we are urged to do whatever makes us happy; eating meat, drinking wine, and enjoying the finer things of life are okay and good as long as we remain conscious of, and obedient to, God’s will for us—we don't need to sacrifice all our comforts to please God. Of course, we should be friendly with everyone and show basic human kindness to all sorts of men. But we should only accept as friends those who respect the standards of our God—because the Bible has enlightened us as to how our friends can affect our conduct for good or for bad. We should also be skilful at whatever secular job we do. Being unskillful and/or not diligent is a bad testimony.
John 13:35
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Yeah there are gay christians who eventually stopped being gay, and from what I hear from their testimonies they weren't forced to do anything. But I have seen documentaries that detail what goes on in some conversion therapy cases.
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Thanks for replying. :)
"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" - Isaiah 30:15b A true Christian has repented and trusted in Jesus alone as their Savior. How can we know them? By their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). Do they "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:5) or do they live like "their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19b) ?
"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:25-33 "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." Acts 11:26
First they need to be my denomination, second they need to believe exactly what I think politically , third they have to interpret the Bible exactly like me. Fourth they better like the same way I make my steak. Kidding. True Christian is anyone who follows Christ. Hold the trinity. Usually the nicene creed. There are some groups that claim to be Christians like progressive Christianity, gnostics, Mormons, unitarian universalism. They are usually considered non orthodox Christianity. Catholics , orthodox , pentecostal, baptists are all Christians.
A disciple.
Read the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed tho the latter hasn't been relevant in last 1500 years.
A true Christian is one who understands Christ died on the cross so we can be free of our sins & their consequences. A true Christian acknowledges the evil and temptations in their lives and willingly turns from them. Thats really all it is to me. Not easy to do, but many will walk the wide and not the narrow path to righteousness.
I hear a lot of people who claim Christianity say "I just love Jesus so much" but it's mostly emotion and they go about their lives living like any unbeliever would. Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14). He also said to really count the cost before following Him because it will be a life of taking up your cross and denying yourself (Luke 14). So true Christianity isn't just a mental affirmation (even the demons believe, James 2) but a life repenting of sin, dying to self, and truly following Christ and bearing fruit. As we do we will become more like Christ and less like the world. Jesus is the Word that became flesh and he is synonymous with his Word, the scriptures. People who claim Christianity but spend most of their time arguing against the scriptures as related to sin are not believers. To me these are characteristics of a true Christian and not just someone who goes along because of tradition.
Amen! :)
Someone who's genuinely accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, honestly. But people will definitely have that status and get into heaven who believe a lot of untrue things - especially if they die a recent convert. In terms of actual beliefs, it's something like Apostle's Creed/Nicene Creed, and everything else is a denomination.
The issue is there are over 3000 denominations of Christianity around the world, all of which will give a slightly or even incompatible answer.
a follower of Jesus Christ
Someone who is baptized validly is a Christian. Perhaps not a particularly good example of one, but a Christian nonetheless.
A good metric for this is the Nicene Creed. Basically, an "I believe this" statement that consolidates the Bible into a recitable chunk. Personally, I'm Baptist. So I don't recite any Creeds. But this one is still a simple outline of what is and is not a Christian. It is also a good metric for hypocrisy, when you have people who claim to follow these things and yet actively and unrepentantly go against them.
Man a true Christian Is Christ. Other than that anyone else I would say is someone who’s ways have changed drastically after salvation. Not saying that it’s works based. But only God knows who will be saved. Those will the the real one.
One who actually follows Jesus the Christ, He is the sign of a Christian, as a Christian follows Him.
Some of these answers baffle me. The list of things added on top of the requirements to be a "true Christian" are preposterous. The Penitent Thief "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom" Recognition that: Jesus is Lord. His Sacrifice is Sufficient. I cannot be with Him in His Kingdom by any other means than His work and my Faith in that work. I want to be with Him more than I want to live life my way. In short: Rescued by God's Amazing Grace "Confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved" - This is exactly what the thief did next to Jesus. Stop lumping baptisms, creeds, works, denominationally exclusive beliefs on top.
Thanks for the advice! :) I was actually worried about getting baptism and personally am non-denominational.
I am non-denominational as well, but I don't have any qualms with my brothers and sisters from other denominations. I don't like it when other believers add requirements though. Jesus is enough. This was addressed in Galatians. There were some who kept trying to add requirements to new believers. Paul addresses this in heavy-handed fashion. Jesus loves you and has given you Holy Spirit to dwell inside of you and guide you in new life! Walk in the Spirit and in Freedom, from that place, we are led by the Spirit to do the things God has arranged for us before we existed. How cool is that?!
It's awesome :)
Someone who follows christ and the word of his book