How do you know your are a Christian?

 

You know you are a Christian by believing in these things:

The virgin birth of Jesus

That Jesus is the Son of God 

There is one true and living God (The Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

The necessity of the Cross for salvation

The Resurrection of Jesus

The second coming of Jesus

The Scriptures are the inspired Word of God

Do you love God and seek to obey His Word?

When you sin, do you feel sorry and turn away from your sin?

Are you growing to be more like Jesus by showing love, joy, patience, kindness, and self-control?

You know you are a Christian when you put God first and by not having idols.  Anything you put before God is an idol.  An idol can be a person, a material thing, a denomination or even a ministry.  A Christian is not full of pride, but humility.  You don’t have a feeling of being superior, but think of the others before yourself.

You can know you are a Christian because of God’s Word.  The Bible gives you assurance and encouragement.  By studying the Bible, it helps you grow and mature in Christ.  It guides you in the right way to live.  It tells you of God’s promises and that His promises are for all believers from the beginning of time.

You can know you are a Christian because He has given you the Holy Spirit who has sealed you for salvation.  His Spirit reminds you that we belong to God.  He intercedes for you when you pray.  He speaks to you with an inner conviction when you sin drawing you away from that sin and closer to God.  He bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God.

You can know you are a Christian when you strive to be more like Christ.  You listen when the Holy Spirits speaks to you and you are obedient to God’s Word.  You don’t live as the world does by giving in to the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes.  You love others and want the best for them.  You want to do the Father’s will and not your own.  You obey God’s call to be a witness for the Gospel of Christ.

Remember that being a Christian doesn’t mean you are perfect.  While you try to live as God wants, you will fail from time to time.  But you need to remember that Jesus died to pay the penalty for that failure.  So when you fall, get up and admit your sin and give thanks for what Jesus has done for you.  Look at what He has done rather than what you have done.  His actions, not yours, are the actions by which God has saved you.

You can be religious and go to church, mosque, or synagogue and still not be a Christian.  All roads don’t lead to God.  Jesus said He is the only way.  He is the only one who died for your sins.  You can be baptized and live a good life; you can believe in miracles, heaven and hell, but there needs to be an inward change.  You can pray and still not be a Christian.  We all pray when we are in trouble.  You can pray and pray, but if you haven’t admitted to God that you are a sinner and lost without him; if you haven’t asked His forgiveness, it won’t do any good.

1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5 says to examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith.

Now that you know who you are as a Christian, how are you living?  Is there evidence that you are a Christian?  If anyone examined your life, would they find any spiritual fruit?  Would they find good works? 

Good works won’t save a person, but they are reasonable evidence of salvation.  God has taken care of your salvation through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  Because of the work of Jesus Christ, your life should reflect your commitment to Him.  If you are saved, then good works will follow.  Do you exhibit the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control found in Galatians 6?  A Christian should also be God-fearing and humble.  No Christian is perfect in all these qualities, but you will continue to grow these qualities when the Spirit is at work in you.

You need to know who you are as a believer so you can live the life and destiny God intended.  Understanding who you are will give your life a strong foundation.

You are not your past or anything you have done or not done.  When you became a believer, you became a new creation.  You have a new identity.  Your old life is gone and forgiven.  You are loved and accepted as a child of God.  You are a Saint, redeemed and forgiven.  You are free from condemnation.

Ephesian 1 and 2 tell you exactly who you are as a Christian:

You were chosen before the creation of the world.

You were predestined to be adopted into God’s family.

You have redemption through the blood of Jesus.

You are marked with a seal of the promised Holy Spirit guaranteeing your inheritance.

You are enlightened so you know you have hope and riches in heaven.

You have power and strength like that power Jesus exerted when He was raised from the dead.

You were dead in your transgressions and sin in which you used to live when you followed the ways of Satan and displayed disobedience.

Now because of God’s mercy, you are made alive with Christ.

We are saved by His grace through faith, not by your works.

You are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works.

You were separated from Christ, but now you have been brought near to Him because of His blood.

You are at peace because Jesus Himself is peace.

You are a new creation.

You have access to the Father by one Spirit.

You are no longer aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household.

You are part of a community of believers joined together with other Christians building a holy temple in the Lord in which Jesus is the chief Cornerstone.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope to see you here next time.  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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What Does It Mean To Let Go And Let God

 

Do you like to be in control of your life?  We all like to be in control.  We like to be in control at work, at home and in our finances.  We try to control our circumstances and we even try to control people by manipulating their behavior.  We think we know best.  God calls that pride.

Are you really in control?  If not, who is?  Is it your spouse, your children, your boss, your hobby, your circumstance?  Is God the One in control?  God needs to be.  What does it mean to let God be in control?  It means you acknowledge Jesus as the ultimate authority in your life and you yield the control of your life to Him and Him alone.  You turn to Him with all your concerns and let Him handle them.  You trust Him to make all the decisions.  He’s already in control anyway.

We all struggle to give up control usually because of fear of the unknown.  Remember God has promised He will always walk beside you, no matter what.  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9. 

We many think we have the perfect solution to a problem, but it may be completely wrong.  God already has your problem solved.  You may not know why you are going through something, but God does and He is working it out for your good.

Friends and family give you advice, but their advice is not always perfect.  God always gives perfect advice and at the perfect time.  He gives the perfect answers.  “His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.” – Deuteronomy 32:4.  He is consistently on your side pushing you in the right direction and He never changes.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8.

Whatever trial you are going through, just give it to God.  That means surrendering to Him and just plain giving up.  It’s telling Him you are not big enough to deal with your worries and He has to take over.  Nothing is too big for Him.  He can handle it.  Our hands are weak and tired while His hands are strong and powerful.  “Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.” – Psalm 89:13. 

Letting go is a daily and a moment by moment choice.  We must learn to surrender and give it to God.  Start the day with prayer and Scripture.  Continually surrender your worries to Him and trust and believe He is for you and not against you.  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7.

If you believe Colossians 1:17 - “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”, then you can trust and know He’s got everything under control so you don’t have to worry about anything.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us He knows what’s best.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The unknown is scary.  We get anxious and we doubt God’s ability.  Giving Him control is not always easy.  So how do you let go and let God? 

• First as you start your day, get down on your knees and pray.  Let God guide you in all that you do.
• Stop striving to make your life a certain way and just abide in Him.  Psalm 46:8-10 says to come and see His works and know that He is God.  Then you need to confess and surrender your need for control.  Stop trying to figure out why things happen in life.  We don’t always understand why God does what He does or why He lets things happen in our lives.  He understands more about us and our life that we ever could.
• To let go and let God you need to be still, trust and know He’s always in control. Learning to trust God completely doesn’t just happen overnight.  It’s a lifelong process.  We have to choose to trust Him.  Talk to Him and listen to Him.  Spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word.  When you spend time with someone, you get to know them.  It only makes sense the more you know someone, the more you learn about them and their character.  It’s easier to trust God when you know Him.  You will never fully grasp His power unless you are focused on Him.
  
• You must also continue to seek God.  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13.  It’s wonderful to have the burden of decisions and control taken off your shoulders.  God’s plan will always be better.  By giving Him total control you can experience true peace and freedom knowing He has a plan for you.
• Don’t forget to thank Him.  He is so good.  Even if you struggle with control, go to Him with a thankful heart.  Always show gratitude for all He’s done and is doing for you.  And don’t forget to thank Him for the small things, not just the big things.

Who is in control of your life?

Is it God or is it your pride?

Are you fully surrendering your worries to Jesus in every area of your life?

Why should you let go and let God?  He is trustworthy and faithful.  He keeps His promises.  He is consistent and never changes.  He already has your problem solved.  He doesn’t make mistakes.  He created you and He controls everything.  Why wouldn’t you want Him to be the center and the controller of your life?  He has proven Himself over and over again.  He’s on your side and He can sure do a better job of running the world and your life than you can.  So let go and let God.

“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become because He made us.” – C. S. Lewis.

“It’s time to let God’s love cover all things in your life.  All secrets.  All hurts.  All hours of evil, minutes of worry.” – Max Lucado

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope to see you here next time.  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Resources:

The Holy Bible – New International Version 

Are We Living in the Last Days?

 

Non-Christians find it hard to believe we are living in the last days.  It’s even hard for some Christians to believe it.  They say that people have been saying this for years and He hasn’t returned yet.  Remember in the last days there will be scoffers and those who will do every wrong they can think of and even laugh at the truth.  (2 Peter 3:3-4).  Are you a scoffer?

Are we living in the Last Days?  Absolutely!  1 Peter 4:7 tells us, “The end of all things is near.”  The word “near” means soon.  Just look around.  We are closer than ever before.  There are massive problems for everyone, especially believers.  There are insults, hate, all kinds of mocking, and persecution.  There are even murders just because of someone’s faith.    

We are constantly hearing of all kinds of disasters all around the world.  There are many fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and we just experienced a pandemic with this Covid virus.  There is disunity everywhere.  People are so restless and dissatisfied that they don’t really know just what they want.  There is hate and anger causing riots and destruction.  Protestors are attacking those who put their lives on the line every day to protect them like First Responders, EMTs, and Paramedics, and police.  There are killings of the most innocent, unborn babies.  Like the Bible says, people are exchanging good for evil and truth for lies.  “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie…” – Romans 8:25.  It may be bad in our world now, but it will get worse.  Just read the book of Revelation. 

Sin and evil are everywhere.  It has become the norm to live together as man and wife without marriage.  It’s common to have sex with multiple partners.  Anymore going on a date includes sex.  Same sex partners and spouses are displayed as part of a normal lifestyle.  We are influenced daily by this immoral behavior in movies, magazines, and TV.  What is just as bad, there are those who condone this kind of behavior.  Romans 1:32 – “… those who continue to do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” 

It’s hard for us to understand just how God can let all this evil keep going on and on.  The devil has been causing sin from the beginning.  That’s why God sent Jesus to destroy the devil’s work.  So why does God allow this to continue?  “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:8-9

Don’t get into the thinking that since the end hasn’t happen that it won’t happen.  It will and it may be tomorrow.  Tomorrow may be the end for you.  “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” – 2 Peter 3:10. 

No matter what you believe, how you believe, or when Jesus is coming.  He is coming whether you are ready or not.  It will be like the days of Noah before the flood came where everyone will be going about their lives.  They will be eating and drinking as usual.  “No one knows about the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Matt. 25:36. 

There will be major events in the last days.  “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences...” – Luke 21:11. 

Are We Living in the Last Days?  The last days will be marked by change in human society.  “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather that lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.” – 2 Tim. 3:1-5.   Does this sound familiar with how people are acting in today’s world?

So how can you live in these last days?  “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” – 2 Peter 3:11-12.  Tell others of Jesus and live confidently without fear.  Live as an example for others to see.  Focus on where you are going and make your life match that.  Wait patiently.  Be encouraged as you wait.  Live urgently, stand firm, and be ready.  Don’t be ashamed of your faith.  Don’t listen to the enemy.  He wants you to doubt and turn you away from the Lord.  Don’t listen to the so called “norm” of the world.  The world wants us to be tolerant of all things.  Being tolerant does have it place, but don’t be tolerant if it goes against God’s standards.  Don’t be concerned about what the world thinks of you, but look forward to your new heavenly home.

What are we to do when we see these things taking place?  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this:  If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” – Matt. 24:42-44.

Many people may look spiritual, but only half that claim to know Jesus really know Him.  They have never been born-again.  People in church seem prepared, but many are not going to heaven.  Just because they talk about Jesus doesn’t mean they know Him.  If you are one who isn’t sure, it’s not too late.  Don’t let another day go by without knowing for sure you belong to Jesus.  He is just a prayer away and He is waiting for you.

So think about it.  Are We Living in the Last Days?

Principle:  Live in faith, not in fear because Jesus is coming soon!

Don't look for the sign of the times.  Listen for the sound of the trumpet!

Join me here next time -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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