How you know you're a real Christian
HOW YOU KNOW YOU'RE A REAL CHRISTIAN
1. You actually read the Bible complete. You may do it with enthusiasm, and you also may have to do it like you are digging a ditch for no money, but you find that you do it nevertheless.
2. Without too much time elapsing between your first finding yourself interested in the Bible and the faith and initial stages of really getting to know the Bible you gravitate to the whole and pure Traditional Text Word of God (in English the Authorized Version, 1611, otherwise known as the King James Version). This is the work of the Spirit in you giving you basic discernment. It is also the Spirit in you enabling you to be God-centered and enabling you to humble yourself to the Word of God rather than demand that it be what you determine - and what man in general determines - it will be. It is also a matter of basic spiritual warfare. To be able to see the attack on God's Word by the devil and by the world, in their use of ancient corrupted manuscripts to translate literally every modern version of the Bible available today is discernment given by the Holy Spirit. If you don't have it; if you mock such concerns; if you find yourself in league with those who belittle Christians who show a high valuation for the Traditional Text Word of God and a strong desire to defend it; if you can't defend yourself against arguments such as that Christian 'x' is not totally on-the-mark with doctrine thus the Bible they read and advocate is for low-brow morons, then you don't have the Spirit; if you can't bring yourself to go against 'intellectuals' or the 'academy' or what man says in general, i.e. the opinion of the world, then you don't have the Spirit; generally if you fear man more than you fear God then you aren't a Christian.
3. If you think 'faith' is defined as 'family' then you're not a Christian. You're of the world, and if you lead a church you are a corrupt leader. Along these lines you'll tend not to quote or value Jesus' words in the Gospels, another sign you aren't a Christian.
4. I'm going to pass over alot of things having more to do with education. It's problematic to say a real Christian needs to have experience with and understanding of higher influences (art, music, history, imaginative literature, philosophy, science, religion) and needs to have a balanced development regarding physical/athletic activities, creative/performing arts activity, and intellectual activities. Or wide experience in life and travel and so on. A person can be very simple regarding these things and still be a real Christian. Conversely a person can have a seeming complete education and experience in all the above and still be a complete, vain fool (see 'academy' above). Understanding is understanding though, and, to get it, once you have the Spirit, engaging higher influences and developing in a complete way will be the natural course, now and in higher time (i.e. however God has set it up for us to develop outside the obvious limitations of birth-to-death linear time which is how we perceive time).
5. You have enough view to the eternal not to get caught up with and fascinated by and in bondage to the vanities of this world, including the endless talk and complaining demonstrated by the average self-professed Christian on the average internet site.
6. You eventually come to the practical level of the faith and desire to know just what it is that you are to do. And when the usual voices attempt to scare you off such a thing you recognize it is the world and man and the devil attempting to dissuade you and not the Spirit.
7. You're on the Way, not in the Village of Morality. You know you're on the Way when you experience real friction from the World, the flesh, and the devil, and nobody is slapping your back and constantly complimenting and defending you. To fear God only and not man makes you quite a dangerous figure on the landscape of the world. Expect war, and fight like a king.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home