Protestantism

» Migisi - What it means to be a Christian

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I liked this article. Kinda long, but I thought it was worth posting.
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Quoting from:
What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/advice/wh...
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"Being a Christian
"Everything necessary for being and behaving as the Christian one has become is inherent within and derived from the One with whom we have spiritually identified and united, Jesus Christ. Being and living as a Christian is not a religious exercise of conformity to the example of the historic life of Jesus Christ, striving to be Christ-like. Attempts to pattern one's behavior after that of Jesus amount to nothing more than self-serving attempts to "parrot" or "ape" the behavior-pattern of another. The Christian life is not an imitation of Jesus, but the manifestation of His life and character in our behavior, "that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal body" (II Cor. 4:10,11).
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"Living the Christian life is not comprised of going through the motions of repetitive religious rituals. Nor is it the legalistic keeping of behavioral rules and regulations in conformity to an ethical morality. Ecclesiastical involvement is not the essence of Christian living either; not church attendance, participating in religious programs, or tithing ten-percent of one's income.
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"Being and behaving as a Christian is enabled and empowered by the grace of God in the dynamic of the life of Jesus Christ in the Christian. In His departing promise Jesus explained, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). "God's grace is given according to the working of His power" (Eph. 3:7), providing "all sufficiency in everything" (II Cor. 9:8). Therefore, consistent with our becoming a Christian, it is not what we do to behave and live as a Christian, but the recognition of the sufficiency of the life of Jesus Christ within us. "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).
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"Jesus said, "I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). "I am the life" (John 14:6), Jesus declared. The Christian can affirm with Paul that "Christ is our life" (Col. 3:4); therefore, "for me to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). The Christian life is the "saving life of Christ" (cf. Rom. 5:10), whereby we are "made safe" from dysfunctional humanity in order to function as God intended by the divine impetus of Christ within the Christian.
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"By His Holy Spirit, the living Lord Jesus wants to fill us (cf. Eph. 5:18) and control our behavior in order to manifest His character. This is not ethical conformity to a Christian value-system, but is the manifestation of the "fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22,23). Thereby we allow for His holy character to be expressed in the process of sanctification (cf. I Cor. 1:30; I Thess. 5:23).
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"Because we have such a performance-oriented, work-ethic mentality of accomplishing the objectives of any task, there is a constant tendency among Christians to question their responsibilities, what they must do, to live the Christian life. It is not what we do, but what He does that constitutes the living of the Christian life. Jesus told His disciples, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Paul, a religious activist if there ever was one, admitted that "we are not adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God" (II Cor. 3:5).
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"Being the Christian we have become is not effected by increased dedication and commitment to God or the church. Nor is Christian growth and behavior enacted by "studying to show oneself approved to God" by the gnostic acquisition of additional biblical and doctrinal knowledge. Emotional experiences do not make one a better Christian. Participation in activistic causes, or serving the Lord in ministry or missions opportunities are not creditable means of enhancing the Christian life. God is "not served with human hands, as though He needed anything" (Acts 17:25). Paul credited Christ for everything in his life and ministry, when he wrote, "I do not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me" (Rom. 15:18).
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"As you received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him" (Col. 2:6), wrote Paul. How did we receive Christ Jesus in order to become a Christian? By faith! In like manner, then, the Christian is responsible to continue to make the volitional choices moment-by-moment to allow for the receptivity of Christ's activity in our Christian lives. Such receptive faith allows for the vital outworking (cf. James 2:26) of the life and character of Jesus Christ in our behavior. "Christ lives in me," Paul explained, "and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20).
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"What does it mean, then, to be a Christian? Christianity is Christ! A Christian is one in whom Jesus Christ lives by His Spirit, and one who allows the life and character of Jesus Christ to be lived out through his behavior, in order to function as intended to the glory of God (cf. Isa. 43:7)." (end)

©1999 by James A. Fowler. All rights reserved.

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - What it means to be a Christian

In response to What it means to be a Christian posted by Migisi:

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So, how does the Evangelical handle such statements?
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Thanks for another good search, Migisi.
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - Exclusive?

In response to Process of Refinement posted by pink101:

You are taking one of the most inclusive faiths that there is - and accusing it of being exclusive. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that "God so loved the WORLD" (emphasis mine) that "whosoever believes in him shall not perish but has eternal life." It's open to EVERYONE.

That's not good enough for you, though. You expect Christianity to hold out zero conditions, though. That's preposterous. EVERY religious system or faith has at least some conditions. Joining a club or organization of ANY kind has at least the condition that one must consciously JOIN to be a part of it.

It is not unreasonable that God sends Jesus and then asks that people believe in and embrace JESUS in order to get to heaven. That's God's standard, according to the Bible, and it's not an unreasonable one.

And yet, even if YOU find that "reprehensible," what gives you the right to come in here and declare me, Wendell, Brother Jones, or any other Christian "reprehensible" for believing in and practicing our own faith?

YOU, sir, have your own religious or moral convictions. I don't call you "reprehensible" for holding them.

» _Boanerges_ - Exclusive?

In response to Exclusive? posted by BrianTubbs:

YOU, sir, have your own religious or moral convictions. I don't call you "reprehensible" for holding them.

Indeed... He is stating the very thing he is opposing... I think he is simply confused.... Obviously he cannot reason his own illogical statements, nor can he see his own hypocrisy....

Phil has now sat in Moses Seat (one of his favorite phrases)...

-- posted by _Boanerges_

» pink101 - Exclusive?

In response to Exclusive? posted by BrianTubbs:
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YOU, sir, have your own religious or moral convictions. I don't call you "reprehensible" for holding them.
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And, where have I called you reprehensible?
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The more you three (or sometimes four if we count the young and impressionable Evil Chihuahaa) line up with each other, the more you expose your thinking for what it is.
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-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - Believeth WHAT?

In response to Exclusive? posted by BrianTubbs:
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That's not good enough for you, though.
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It's more than good enough for me.
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When John has Jesus saying, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.", the number one and foremost question of salvation is raised, which is:
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Believeth WHAT in him
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Avoiding and evading any of the important questions just doesn't take care of all the claims that are made by any Evangelical spokespersons.
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By the way, I experience everlasting life. Do you?
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-- posted by pink101

» _Boanerges_ - Believeth WHAT?

In response to Believeth WHAT? posted by pink101:
Matthew 26:28
(Jesus said) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

so.. if you believe that, then you must believe you are a sinner... in need of justification, which is demonstrated through - repentance....

-- posted by _Boanerges_

» Migisi - Exclusive?

In response to Exclusive? posted by BrianTubbs:
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..."God so loved the WORLD" (emphasis mine) that "whosoever believes in him shall not perish but has eternal life." It's open to EVERYONE.
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But, EVERYONE who does not believe is automatically condemned by Christians. I can see where the ideas of exclusion, separation, and condemnation of others come from. It's in the book:
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Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
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John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
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John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
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Galatians 1:8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
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Galatians 1:9
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
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2 Corinthians 6:14
[ Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers ] Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - In The Stench

In response to Believeth WHAT? posted by _Boanerges_:

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Thy gracious ways toward me as I grovel here in the stench of my filth and degradation go far beyond any goodness I might ever expect to be poured out on me oh, wonderful Prince of the People of the Book.
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And, me--an ungrateful and miserably insignificant fool.
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Thou art so kind to give me instructions.
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-- posted by pink101

» Migisi - In The Stench

In response to In The Stench posted by pink101:
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Man, Pinky... you're good at the groveling routine! Must be from all the practice you got during all those years in religious bondage. (Tee hee and wink)

-- posted by Migisi