Are Christians really Christians?

[Bishka]

Because some of the people who call them selves christian dont even except the teachings of jesus and ignore them. Eaither that or they only take out what they want and forget the rest.

Perhaps you should start a thread about this.

~Becky

 

[Quagmire]

I think that the essence of being a christian is motivation. I have been working on this for a little while and I think that God is an infinetly loving being. If God is love then anyone who does somthing for love does it for God.

Here is a very familer verse

[SIZE=-1]"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me." John 14:6. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]If we define God as love then it looks like this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Love is the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Love."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Thus with some tricky semantics all you have to do to be a christian is to love people and things and act accordingly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]In the end I think a loving, just God cannot have a problem with people who try to live their life like this.[/SIZE]

This interpretation of the gospel's message makes much more sense to me than most I've heard.

[SIZE=-1]

Is this correct what your saying?. For if it is then what your saying is all you have to do to get into heaven is love. Which is wrong. Only through jesus is what the bible teaches which you got this out of. Editing the bible to make your self feel beater is very dangerious.
[/SIZE]

Actually, gigernater, I think this is a weak response. Gmelrod cited a verse from John, deferring to the Bible's authority, and offered a possible interpretation, one which, IMO, captures the essense of what Jesus himself taught.

You responded by trying to assert your own authority with your own words and by making a vague, undemostrated claim that the bible agrees with you.

Why would you expect anyone to take this seriously?

 

[gmelrod]

Thank you for your support Quagmire. My intent was not to edit scripture but to offer a new definition

[SIZE=-1]"Only through jesus is what the bible teaches which you got this out of. Editing the bible to make your self feel beater is very dangerious."[/SIZE]


The part I focus on is "through jesus." I take this to mean living in his example ie doing everything out of love. So even if we are a sunworshiping tribsmen in the Amazon who has never seen a book much less the bible, becasue we acted in Jesus' example, despite having no access to his story, we are blessed and worthy of entry into the heavenly kingdom. A just loving God cannot condenm a loving good person to damnation and still be defined a just loving God. The definitions don't line up.

 

[Katzpur]

I have been a Christian for almost 25 years. You do have a point. Some people call themselves Christian just because their parent's were. They went to church with their parents.
In my view of things, a true Christian will obey Jesus' most important commands:
1. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
When asked about who a neighbor is, Jesus told a story about a kind hearted Samaritan who helped a Jew who was hurt when no one else would (according to scripture, Jews and Samaritans would not even eat at the same table)
Jesus has other commands about love:
Love one another
Love your enemies and pray for those who do you wrong
I think that covers everybody in the world.
Jesus said also "By your fruits you will know them". The way I see it, that means you can tell a true Christian just by the way he or she behaves.

Finally: God is the only one who can know who is or isn't a true Christian in his or her heart.

Christine,

Baptists and Mormons seem to have a kind of a hard time getting along, which is really too bad. I have mentioned to you in the past, when I've fruballed you, that I believe you to be a superb example of a Christian. I just wanted to say so publicly.

Kathryn

 

[wizanda]

If allowed to answer as Christ then that list to begin with is against us.

So what is a true follower of the way:

A Christian (anointed one) must be anointed with holy anointing oil with all ingredient including THC = else can not be as you deny the meaning of a Christ even in modern English.

There are many bit to add especially on Balaam teachings for those who know what it is I got sent for to explain, yet to begin that is a start and a main point, so if none are anointed in full anointing oil; then as the word Christian means anointed little ones, are you anointed with holy anointing oil?
Please do not reply with we are anointed with this or that, to anointed is with oil else not at all in both Biblical sense and in a dictionary one of the word.:angel2:

 

[Katzpur]

In John 13:35, Jesus Christ is quoted as saying, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

He did not say, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye...
1. Accept the Nicene Creed
2. Believe in the doctrine of Sola Scriptura
3. Accept the doctrine of Sola Fide
4. Use the "correct version" of the Bible
5. etc. etc. etc.

Personally, if push came to shove, I would prefer that He call me one of His disciples than a Christian.

 

[ChristineES]

What behavior is this? Kindness and morality?

Not exactly, since just being kind and moral does not always mean that the person is a Christian (or any other religion, for that matter). One thing one has to remember is that: Even atheists can be kind-hearted and moral. People who call themselves religious can be cruel and hard and immoral. Just believing in God is not enough, since the scriptures say that the demons believe and shudder. To be religious, you have to believe in the diety and believe in the diety's teachings and those that the diety has sent (such as prophets, wise men, etc), otherwise, the religion would be meaningless.

 

[ChristineES]

Personally, if push came to shove, I would prefer that He call me one of His disciples than a Christian.

Me, too.

 

[wizanda]

I would prefer God called me his friend, and in that is no Balaam teachings else he would call me his enemy.

 

[Mister Emu]

In John 13:35, Jesus Christ is quoted as saying, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

He did not say, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye...
1. Accept the Nicene Creed
2. Believe in the doctrine of Sola Scriptura
3. Accept the doctrine of Sola Fide
4. Use the "correct version" of the Bible
5. etc. etc. etc.

Of course, none of the first four things you mention existed when Jesus walked the Earth physically