[soc.religion.christian] Who is a Christian?

kent@blake.u.washington.edu (Kenneth Antiporta) (09/17/90)

In article <Sep.13.02.22.33.1990.23870@athos.rutgers.edu>
>           kilroy@mimsy.umd.edu (An Appalachian Hillybi writes
>partake of the Supper with us."  (Note that the exact definition of
>`Christian' is left to the individuals themselves.)...

The Bible tells us quite clearly who is a christian. A Christian is a 
disciple or follower of Christ. What does it mean to be a disciple?
Jesus says that those who follow His teachings and love Him more than 
anything else are His disciples or Christians.

>
>Criteria for distinguishing Real Christians (tm) from Cheap Imitations:
...

Only God knows...


>I have in my head the idea of `mistaken Christians':  when I encounter
>a person who accepts Christ's Lordship but who has theological or
>historical beliefs that I consider erroneous, I do not doubt her
>Christianity -- I simply consider her a mistaken Christian.
>

This is the beauty of Christianity, one can become a Christian without
knowing how to explain the Trinity, virgin birth, etc.

>kilroy@cs.umd.edu          Darren F. Provine          ...uunet!mimsy!kilroy
>"Christianity isn't about `us' and `them' -- that's the whole point."
>                                                           -- Larry Dungan

Sincerely,

An-Jag Hwang

kutz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kenneth J. Kutz) (09/20/90)

[Kenneth Antiporta (reponding to Kilroy) comments that the Bible
defines Christian as a disciple of Christ.  Jesus says that those who
follow His teachings and love Him more than anything else are His
disciples or Christians.  However he declines to respond to Kilroy's
comment about distinguishing Real Christians from imitations, saying
only God knows.  --clh]

And those who read 1 John :-)  Actually, I think John gets straight and
to the point on this issue.  He certainly does not beat around the bush.
There were times in my life where I questioned my salvation (I think
I might get that from my father :-).  The place to go when one questions
whether or not he truly knows God or not is the book of 1 John which
was written to Christians to "make our joy complete".  John outlines
several characteristics a person must display in order to be assured
of his stance before the living God (these are not works he must do
to achieve salvation mind you, but rather works which are a natural
outpouring of the Spirit of God which was given to us by God through
His grace):

OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDS:
1 John 2:3 - "We know we have come to know him if we obey his commands"
(based on 1 John 2:1-2, sin will come, therefore this means a life
which is characterized by obedience).

LOVE FOR YOUR BROTHERS
1 John 2:9 - "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother
is still in the darkness"

LACK OF LOVE FOR THE "WORLD" (SYSTEM)
1 John 2:15 - "If anyone loves the world (that is the evil world SYSTEM,
not the earth or the people in it), the love of the Father is not in
him"

"RIGHT BELIEF" (yes "right belief") ABOUT CHRIST:
1 John 2:22 - "...the man who denies that Jesus is THE CHRIST.  Such a
man is the antichrist (against Christ - c.f. "He is not with me is against
me") - he denies the Father and the Son."

1 John 4:15 - "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God
lives in him and he in God.

SIN IS NOT DOMINANT IN HIS LIFE
1 John 3:6 - "No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known
him" (again by reading 1 John 2:1-2, we know this refers to a life
characterized by sin, the continual practice of it without repentance).

1 John 3:10 - "THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WHO THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE AND WHO THE
CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE: ANYONE WHO DOES NOT DO WHAT IS RIGHT IS NOT A
CHILD OF GOD; NOR IS ANYHONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER"

PITY FOR NEEDY BROTHERS
1 John 3:17 - "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother
in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

BELIEVES GOD'S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS:
1 John 4:10 - "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in
his heart.  Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.  And
this is the testimony: (summary) God has given us eternal life, AND THIS
LIFE IS IN HIS SON.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have life."

I believe John does distinguish between "Real Christians" from "Cheap 
Imitations".  The above was written for Christian's to receive joy,
to know that they are in the faith.  What was your response, joy or
conviction?  The answer is important.

> >kilroy@cs.umd.edu          Darren F. Provine          ...uunet!mimsy!kilroy
> >"Christianity isn't about `us' and `them' -- that's the whole point."

I'm not sure what this quote means.  John writes this letter so we can
be sure we are in fellowship with God.  John clearly draws a line for
Christians so that they may know which side of the line they are on
and from that knowledge, their joy is made full.  In that sense there
is an "us" and "them".  The "us" are those who walk as Jesus walked,
not FOR salvation but BECAUSE OF salvation.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his
Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10)  Only Jesus can
take away our sins.  Ask him to do it today for "the blood of Jesus,
his Son, purifies us from all sin" - 1 John 1:7


-- 
  Kenneth J. Kutz		  Internet 	kutz@andy.bgsu.edu         
  Systems Programmer		  BITNET   	KUTZ@ANDY
  University Computer Services    UUCP     	...!osu-cis!bgsuvax!kutz   
  Bowling Green State Univ.       US Mail   238 Math Science, BG OH 43403

[The original posting talked about who is allowed communion, so it was
talking about distinguishing Real Christians for the purpose of
admitting them to sacraments.  One can adopt the position that judging
who are real Christians is God's job, not ours, and still accept 1
John as a basis for self-examination and a foretaste of the criteria
for God's judgement.  --clh]