Who Is a True Christian Believer |
Who Is a True Christian BelieverBelief v. Being a Disciple Indeed In John 8, the Jews brought to Jesus a woman, but not the man, who was caught in the very act of adultery. Jesus had gone up to the Feast of Tabernacles in secret because certain of the Jews sought to kill him (John 7:1,10). And the Feast of Tabernacles was not the time appointed for Jesus Christ to offer himself as the sacrifice for sin (John 7:6). Here in John 8 he begins to talk to those who wanted to kill him about their sin. These Jews knew the law, and yet they wanted to break the command against murder by killing Jesus. John 8:23-30 "23And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 25Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. 26I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. 28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 30As he spake these words, many believed on him." (KJV) Perhaps some of these Jews had a true belief in Jesus Christ and kept his word. Others may have expressed their belief in him because they did not want to die in their sins. Their profession of faith may have been based on their fear due to a just-in-case belief. The Truth Shall Make You Free John 8:31-32 "31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (KJV) Yes, Jesus shows that true belief is conditional. It involves that big two letter word "if." We must go beyond a just-in-case belief based on fear of punishment. To be true disciples we must not only believe on Jesus, we must also live by every Word of God (Matthew 4:4). As we live by the Word of God, we learn more of his truth. The Jews wanted to be free from the Romans. However, the truth of God can make us free even while we are subject to the government of man. As we live the truth and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed and freed from the slavery of sin. John 8:33 "33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" (KJV) The ancestors of these Jews had been in bondage in Egypt and in Babylon. When they uttered these words, Jerusalem was under the rule of the Romans. So their words were clearly not true. However, Jesus was talking about a different kind of freedom. They also did not understand that they were in bondage to sin and that Jesus was promising them their freedom from such slavery. John 8:34-36 "34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (KJV) These Jews knew the law, but they were not living by it. They even wanted to kill Jesus Christ. Abraham's Seed John 8:37 These Jews were proud that they were descendants of Abraham. And yet they did not have the love for God that Abraham did. "37I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you." (KJV) These Jews did not deny seeking to kill Jesus. They may have believed on Jesus, but they did not believe his word. They were not living the truth. Jesus Christ said they were of the world and its god Satan the devil. John 8:38-41 "38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." (KJV) They now say that their one father is God. Their statement about not being born of fornication was an indirect insult to Jesus about how they thought Jesus was conceived because Mary was found with child when Joseph and Mary were betrothed but not yet married (Matthew 1:18). Of course, Jesus is demonstrating that he is not the son of Joseph, but rather he is the son of God. John 8:44-47 "44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (KJV) Yes, these Jews kept the Feast of Tabernacles and were likely zealous of many aspects of the law. And yet, Jesus Christ says that spiritually they were children of the devil. Many believed on Jesus and yet they were not of God. They did not hear the Word of God. They professed a belief in Jesus Christ, but they did not believe God. They were not true believers. Jesus Christ came from the father, but these Jews had Satan the devil as their spiritual father. Keep the Commandments Just as these Jews professed a belief in Jesus Christ, many people today say that they believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They talk about how they came to know God. They might even ask others if they know the Lord. What does the Bible say determines whether we know Jesus Christ? I John 2:3-6 "3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (KJV) If we are to be true believers, we must do more than profess a belief in Jesus Christ and accept him as the sacrifice for sin. We must keep God's commandments and walk as Jesus walked. When a man asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life, Jesus told him to keep the commandments. When he asked which ones, Jesus quoted some of the 10 commandments (Matthew 19:16-18). Jesus clearly shows us that if we want to be a true believer and obtain eternal life, we must keep the 10 commandments. We Show Our Belief by Our Works If we are to be true believers, we must do more than accept Jesus Christ as savior and keep the 10 commandments. We must live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). We must demonstrate our belief by how we live our lives every day. Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). We show our faith by our works, especially our works of compassion. What kind of works does God require of us? Some of the works we should do are to help the widows and the fatherless, provide for the needy, and pray for the sick. What God Requires of Us What did the prophet Micah say that God requires of us. Micah 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (KJV) These are not suggestions from God. These are the things that God requires of us if we are to be true believers. Two requirements are directed toward other people and one requirement is directed toward God. We all love for mercy to be extended to us when we have done wrong. Do we love to show mercy to others and demonstrate it by our works of compassion and our willingness to forgive others? God delights in showing mercy to us and forgiving our transgressions (Micah 7:18-19). He wants us to learn to delight in showing mercy and forgiveness to others. When we do so, we become more like God our Father. We must do more than observe the letter of the law, we must have a real inward change. Our righteousness must exceed the type of righteousness that the scribes and Pharisees had if we are to enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:20). Conclusion To be a true believer in Jesus Christ, we must not only accept him as our savior. We must also keep the 10 commandments and live by every word of God. We must not only obey the letter of the law, but we must also have a real inward change so that we become more like Jesus Christ. To be a true believer in Jesus Christ, we must demonstrate our belief by our works, especially our works of compassion on the widows, fatherless, (James 1:27) needy (James 2:15-16), and the sick (James 5:16). And we must remember to do the things that God requires of us: (1) to treat others fairly, (2) to show mercy through our works of compassion and forgiveness, and (3) to walk humbly with our God. Article "Who Is a True Christian Believer"
By Alan D. Campbell
Source http://www.goarticles.com/
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