How do I become a certified Christian? What's your litmus test?

Question

I see a lot of self-professed big "C" christians disowning other christians....What exactly qualifies? If I don't buy the original sin, virgin birth, and technically have henotheistic tendencies, am I out? Even if i believe Christ died for my sins and I accept him as my saviour? Is there a board of appeals?

Answer 1

I going to go big tent here and say you are a Christian if you practise one of the denominations derived from or influenced by the teachings of Jesus Christ. I'm not going to split hairs over henothesim vs. monthesim because in a lot of cases that's just all about semantics.

Answer 2

The word believe in this sense means to be assured, trust. If you are assured, trust that Christ died for your sins and you accept Him as your Saviour, you won't deliberately do wrong. As a matter of fact...you woulld with all you have in you, try to remember not to do what you know is wrong and remember to do what you know is right according to the Scripture. Not according to you or other people. Yes, there is a board of appeals but the board consists of God, Jesus and your conscious. When you establish a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, that certifies weather or not you are a Christian. Not other people. Your test is: Will you keep loving God through Jesus when things go wrong for you, when your friends turn away and leave you all alone, when sickness comes, when death claims a loved one? These are some of the tests that are sure to come that you have to pass. Will you still know and proclaim that God is still in charge? For these reasons you should stop looking at the self-professed big C's and start looking at THE BIG C HIMSELF. Comapring yourself with mortal man, or other people is senseless. We're not perfect and we are soooooo full of flaws. But when you compare yourself with Jesus, then and only then can you find help for yourself. You don't have to live to prove yourself to other people but you do have to live to prove yourself to God. Then and only then can you be a certified Christian.

Answer 3

1.Accept Jesus the Christ as our savior from sins.

2. Read and study all scripture, known or unknown.

3. Be baptized by one in authority ( go down under the water, then come out as a newborn human, that has been trough it all.

Sprinkling is not an baptism, but a lazy way to do God's work

Become a real follower of Him our God the Almighty Father, through His only Begotten in the Flesh, JESUS CHRIST.

Answer 4

A Christian is someone who has received the Holy Spirit because “Christ” or “Messiah” means “anointed one” and the anointing is the Holy Spirit (Acts 10v38).
Romans 8v9 states:-
“ . . . you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

So, it's vital to receive the Holy Spirit, but he is invisible and we cannot trust our own hearts that we are right with God . . .

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17v9)
(Jesus warns that many who call Him "Lord" will be told "I never knew you", he's talking about church-goers, not agnostics !).

So, God must bare independant witness, the apsotles waited for this, . . . In the new testament it is known precisely when people receive the Holy Spirit, and when they hadn't. The way of salvation hasn't changed.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit began to be given as never before, making people sons of God (see John 7v39, 14v17, 20, 16v7). The apostles reported:-
“ . . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. . . having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now SEE and HEAR. . . For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to ALL that are afar off, even AS MANY AS the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2v4, 33, 39)

If you were told that what you could "see and hear" (the speaking in tongues) was the promised Holy Spirit, and that this was to you and all who God would call, wouldn’t you expect to speak in tongues, or be told if this was not the case?

With the gentiles:-
“ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” (Acts 10v44)

How did he know ?
“For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.” (v46)

If it is possible to receive the Spirit and NOT speak in tongues, the apostles were *wrong* to judge that the Spirit had just fallen upon people when they spoke in tongues, logically they could only say that people had *at some unknown time previously* received the Spirit . . . but they didn't.

Answer 5

Jehovah God gives us the exact instructions in His word.

Because his great desire IS ...

"3 This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, 4 whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth."
(1 Timothy 2:3,4). <3


And it's nice to be able to witness such a loving God as Jehovah.

Well, true salvation does not only come from accepting Jesus and your saved, although that it IS something we must do to get to God,

but it is also written, "13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." (Matthew 24:13)


And true christians Jesus said would have a mark that would identify them, over all.



"34 I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU, that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34,35)


So, I'm [glad] your becoming aware of your spiritual need.

“Happy are those conscious
of their spiritual need.”—Matthew 5:3


: )

Answer 6

I was going to give you a good chemistry answer here, but I thought better.
Christianity is like working out. One day you just start and each day, with effort, you will get stronger and stronger. Your health improves and your mind gets sharper. You look forward to the workout and every day it gets easier. You build relationships with those that you work out with and a sense of peace comes over you.
You can get the same thing if you go a gym!

Answer 7

We are not the judge, God is the Judge, We should not accuse someone of having a speck in our eye when we have a log in our own, we are all sinners and we all have to go through Jesus Christ to be forgiven, no one is any better to point fingers, we are called to witness, and to love thy neighbor, and thy enemy both.
What are you talking about a board of appeals, No, Jesus didn't half way go to the cross, they didn't miss a spot, Jesus shed His blood for us, that was The Final Sacrifice, Jesus said
"It is Finished" No appeals, that is it, do you believe? Do you know? Do you Love? Have Faith? Is Christ YOUR Savior?

Answer 8

Miracles, signs and wonders are the proof according to the bible. The disciples accepted Paul after the Holy Ghost fell on those he preached to. If you have that then what the rest think does not matter because God is proving who you are.

Answer 9

Glade,
The True TEST will be at the Judgment. CHRIST will return and will make that Final Decision. At that time there will be no questions asked only the decision from HIM. I pray that you are correct in your thinking. I am certain of mine. Have a great weekend and a wonderful Holiday.
Thank You,
Eds


.

Answer 10

The fruits that you bear. Jesus said they will know me by their fruits. Love, patience, goodness, bearing one another burdens, kindness, joy, and peace. If you don't see this in a person who calls themselves a "mature" Christian, then you can be pretty sure that they are professors only. You have to abide by God's standards and what His Word says and believe with all your heart, soul and mind. You can't pick and choose.