Living a Christian Life
What is the purpose of life? Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. The purpose of life is to glorify God.
Put another way, the purpose of life on earth is to prepare for eternity. Our time on earth is a blink of an eye, compared to the trillions of years of eternity. Jesus explains that our job is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Read Mark 12:28-31.
Also read Luke 6:17-49 for a deeper picture of what Jesus tells us about living a life as his disciple. This passage is a beautiful section from The Message Bible, a paraphrased Bible in modern English.
When we fully appreciate what God has done for us, good works come as a natural result. There will be a change of heart as well as a change in the actions of a true Christian. Read Romans 12:1-12.
Do we suddenly start living perfect lives when we receive Christ’s gift of salvation? No. We each, until our dying day, will still struggle with sin. We are lazy at times, apathetic at times, hurtful, and imperfect in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Yet the Holy Spirit does change us; indeed we have a desire to live our life differently. He gives us a conscience so that Christ’s love can be demonstrated in our lives, with patience, joy, and peace in our souls. The Christian cannot fully escape his sinful nature, but he can improve. If you claim to be a Christian, yet your life is no different from others around you except perhaps that you go to church on Sunday, you must examine the sincerity—the authenticity—of your faith.
Non-Christians sometimes accuse Christians of being hypocrites. Indeed, if you don’t like hypocrites, you have a lot in common with Jesus (Matthew 23:13-39). But there is a difference between a hypocrite and a sinner. A sinner acknowledges his sin and works to correct his shortcomings. While all Christians are imperfect, we should be in constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to ask God’s help to live our lives without hypocrisy and self-righteousness, but rather in humility and service.
While the life of a Christian is one of contentment in the knowledge of truth, the Bible does not teach the idea of "easy-believism." True faith in Jesus as your savior, Lord, and friend implies a commitment to being a life-long disciple of Jesus.
How can you tell if you are a disciple of Jesus? Here are some questions to consider. Are you excited about your faith? Are you constantly thinking about how you can be a better follower of Jesus? (Beware of a lukewarm attitude. Read these words of Jesus: Revelation 3:16.) Do you have a hunger for God’s word? Do you look at things the way you see them, or the way God sees them? Are you running to a goal you set, or a goal God set for you? Do you try hard to love your neighbor as yourself? Are you seeking ways to serve the less fortunate, encourage people you meet, and avoid gossip? Are you regularly confessing your sins to God? Examine yourself. (Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.) Does your life provide other evidences of a true faith?
Put another way, the purpose of life on earth is to prepare for eternity. Our time on earth is a blink of an eye, compared to the trillions of years of eternity. Jesus explains that our job is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Read Mark 12:28-31.
Also read Luke 6:17-49 for a deeper picture of what Jesus tells us about living a life as his disciple. This passage is a beautiful section from The Message Bible, a paraphrased Bible in modern English.
When we fully appreciate what God has done for us, good works come as a natural result. There will be a change of heart as well as a change in the actions of a true Christian. Read Romans 12:1-12.
Do we suddenly start living perfect lives when we receive Christ’s gift of salvation? No. We each, until our dying day, will still struggle with sin. We are lazy at times, apathetic at times, hurtful, and imperfect in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Yet the Holy Spirit does change us; indeed we have a desire to live our life differently. He gives us a conscience so that Christ’s love can be demonstrated in our lives, with patience, joy, and peace in our souls. The Christian cannot fully escape his sinful nature, but he can improve. If you claim to be a Christian, yet your life is no different from others around you except perhaps that you go to church on Sunday, you must examine the sincerity—the authenticity—of your faith.
Non-Christians sometimes accuse Christians of being hypocrites. Indeed, if you don’t like hypocrites, you have a lot in common with Jesus (Matthew 23:13-39). But there is a difference between a hypocrite and a sinner. A sinner acknowledges his sin and works to correct his shortcomings. While all Christians are imperfect, we should be in constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to ask God’s help to live our lives without hypocrisy and self-righteousness, but rather in humility and service.
While the life of a Christian is one of contentment in the knowledge of truth, the Bible does not teach the idea of "easy-believism." True faith in Jesus as your savior, Lord, and friend implies a commitment to being a life-long disciple of Jesus.
How can you tell if you are a disciple of Jesus? Here are some questions to consider. Are you excited about your faith? Are you constantly thinking about how you can be a better follower of Jesus? (Beware of a lukewarm attitude. Read these words of Jesus: Revelation 3:16.) Do you have a hunger for God’s word? Do you look at things the way you see them, or the way God sees them? Are you running to a goal you set, or a goal God set for you? Do you try hard to love your neighbor as yourself? Are you seeking ways to serve the less fortunate, encourage people you meet, and avoid gossip? Are you regularly confessing your sins to God? Examine yourself. (Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.) Does your life provide other evidences of a true faith?
Billy Graham said that once you become a Christian, your conscience demands that you conform to a godly life. If there was an objective analysis of you, would you on balance be characterized as a consistently honest person rather than a deceiver? Would you be thought a happy and loving person rather than an angry one? Would you be considered a helpful person or a selfish person? Would you be considered disciplined and diligent rather than out-of-control? Modest versus provocative? Or what about being a faithful person rather than an unfaithful one? Are you able to love your enemy and rid yourself of feelings of revenge? Or, how about this—can you keep your overambition in check? (We know the CEO of a publicly traded company that when he became a Christian went to many of his employees individually to apologize for running roughshod over them in the past.)
These things are not easy! None of us really measures up. Consideration of these things makes us uneasy as it reminds us how far we may have fallen short in the past. But because wishy-washy Christianity is taught in so many corners, we are compelled to emphasize the importance of striving to become a living disciple of the one who gave his life for us. It is a lifelong walk with Jesus that helps us continue to improve. But it is also a fact that true happiness comes from being a disciple of Jesus.
Being an ambassador for Christ is perhaps one of the most important works for a Christian. Read Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15. Christ’s call for evangelism was among his final instructions; it must have been extremely important to him. If you claim to be a Christian, do you regularly tell others about Jesus?
Another evidence that you have been truly saved is that you will have a love for other Christians. Read 1 John 3:14. You will want to fellowship with them. The person who says that they can live without the church is like milk that has been left out of the fridge to sour.
The concept of producing good fruit serves as a measure of a church as well as an individual. No church is perfect to be sure. And our inability to be all things to all people, even in strong Christian families and churches, will still produce imperfect results. But the overall health of church is observable by its fruits—its spiritual health in its youth, its low rate of divorce and abortion, etc.
The Bible gives us more information about being a Christian. Having faith in Christ transforms our life. We have new hope and it all starts now and will continue into eternity. The following additional passages describe more of the heart and actions of the one who is a child of God. Please Read these passages:
· Psalm 41:1 and Matthew 25:31-46. Many passages of Scripture call on us to aid the weak and provide justice for the innocent.
· Psalm 51:10. For thousands of years, godly people have been praying this prayer for a clean heart.
· Matthew 5:13-16. Compassion dictates that the Christian will work to influence society in positive way—to be salt and light, preserving and illuminating the culture. As it says in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) God would have his will done on earth as it is in heaven.
· Romans 12:20-21. What a beautiful approach to life!
· 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. Be a cheerful giver.
· 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Here is another famous passage of Scripture, again from St. Paul. What more can be said of the greatest of all virtues—love?
· Philippians 4:8-9. The Bible calls us to noble things. Also one of St. Paul’s beautiful passages, this passage has inspired Christians through the ages to keep coming back to Scripture for emotional nourishment.
Can you imagine what a wonderful world we would live in if everybody followed these teachings?
These things are not easy! None of us really measures up. Consideration of these things makes us uneasy as it reminds us how far we may have fallen short in the past. But because wishy-washy Christianity is taught in so many corners, we are compelled to emphasize the importance of striving to become a living disciple of the one who gave his life for us. It is a lifelong walk with Jesus that helps us continue to improve. But it is also a fact that true happiness comes from being a disciple of Jesus.
Being an ambassador for Christ is perhaps one of the most important works for a Christian. Read Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15. Christ’s call for evangelism was among his final instructions; it must have been extremely important to him. If you claim to be a Christian, do you regularly tell others about Jesus?
Another evidence that you have been truly saved is that you will have a love for other Christians. Read 1 John 3:14. You will want to fellowship with them. The person who says that they can live without the church is like milk that has been left out of the fridge to sour.
The concept of producing good fruit serves as a measure of a church as well as an individual. No church is perfect to be sure. And our inability to be all things to all people, even in strong Christian families and churches, will still produce imperfect results. But the overall health of church is observable by its fruits—its spiritual health in its youth, its low rate of divorce and abortion, etc.
The Bible gives us more information about being a Christian. Having faith in Christ transforms our life. We have new hope and it all starts now and will continue into eternity. The following additional passages describe more of the heart and actions of the one who is a child of God. Please Read these passages:
· Psalm 41:1 and Matthew 25:31-46. Many passages of Scripture call on us to aid the weak and provide justice for the innocent.
· Psalm 51:10. For thousands of years, godly people have been praying this prayer for a clean heart.
· Matthew 5:13-16. Compassion dictates that the Christian will work to influence society in positive way—to be salt and light, preserving and illuminating the culture. As it says in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) God would have his will done on earth as it is in heaven.
· Romans 12:20-21. What a beautiful approach to life!
· 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. Be a cheerful giver.
· 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Here is another famous passage of Scripture, again from St. Paul. What more can be said of the greatest of all virtues—love?
· Philippians 4:8-9. The Bible calls us to noble things. Also one of St. Paul’s beautiful passages, this passage has inspired Christians through the ages to keep coming back to Scripture for emotional nourishment.
Can you imagine what a wonderful world we would live in if everybody followed these teachings?
Many lives were saved because of the dangerous efforts of Corrie Ten Boom’s family who worked to protect Jews from the Nazis. In 1944 Corrie and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Members of her family died in the death camps. Yet she preached the love of Jesus to other prisoners as well as her captors, and as she put it she “watched many people die with Jesus on their lips.” Jesus taught us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). This is an extremely difficult ethic to put into practice. Corrie said that while she by herself could not love those who persecuted her, Jesus living inside her could do so. She said, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still,” and “God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies.” She also said that it is not enough just to “be” a Christian; once becoming a Christian one must “cash the check” of faith and live out the Bible’s promises.