image via here
The meaning and the focus of being a Christian has been manipulated by world to the point, where the Satan’s counterfeits are deceiving those who are truly in Christ.
Being a Christian is not about going to church, singing hymns or reading the bible, it’s not about proclaiming that you’re a Christian, and it’s definitely not about having religion and being good.
Being a Christian means that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
You believe that his death on the cross paid your sin debt in full, as well as believing in his resurrection.
It means that you are born again and became a new creature in him and you have been indwelled with the Holy Spirit. (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Being a Christian is nothing to play with.
It comes with a huge responsibility.
We’re still here to be about our Father’s business and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But there are those who calls themselves Christian, because it sounds good and because they think they will be counted as a good person.
Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light according to 2 Corinthians 11:14, trying to fool people and he appeals to the problems that people face by promoting false promises and feel good messages. He tries to get people to justify their sins by giving them false belief that their sin is not in the bible, even though there is clear evidence to the contrary. He gives people the excuse of quoting Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” All the while, realizing that he’s also deceiving people knowing what Jesus said a few verses down in the same chapter that “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (vs 21-23)
If it’s one thing I have learned during my Christian journey is that Christianity is not about us, it has nothing to do with our feelings, it’s about Jesus Christ and him alone.
Now, when I mean that it has nothing to do with our feelings, I’m saying that human emotions is not a factor in what is factual. Can you get emotional? Sure, but we forewarned that Satan can use it to his advantage.
The reason why Salvation is a free gift is because Jesus willingly, according to the purpose and plan of God the Father to take our place on the cross, in order to pay a debt that we couldn’t afford to pay. Jesus’ sacrifice paid our sin debt in full, because the bible says in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord”
There is nothing we personally could do by our actions to guaranteed and to buy our way into Heaven. Salvation is a free gift and we’ve been saved by God’s grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus said, “We must be born again” (John 3:3).
How does one become born again?
Simple, believe by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10: 9-10)
The reason why this post is written is because there are people out here in the world, who calls themselves “Christians”, because of wrong motives. Because it’s about them and how they feel, instead of Jesus Christ. They have it in their mind by the world’s standards, that if I can get baptized and go to church and have bible study, then I’m going to heaven and can boastfully proclaim “I’m a Christian”, “My Belief” or “My faith”
What exactly is your faith in? Because there are different types of faith
Is your faith in your relationship with Christ Jesus? Or Is your faith in what God can give you? Meaning, some people have a head knowledge of the gospel of Christ, but they decided to be a “Christian” to use God like their own personal genie. One thing for sure, God is not to be mocked (Gal 6:7)
This is why Satan preys on those who genuinely do want to know about Christ, but he sends his counterfeits to preach about feeling good, prosperity, name it and claim it, and about how everyone is going to heaven, if you’ll be good. He likes to send the jezebel and Delilah spirits and other type of minions in the churches to entice folks from knowing the real truth, but they start off being your best friend, participating in the bake sales, singing in the choir, tithing, but their deeds don’t match the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
Once you get close to the truth or have an inkling that something is amiss, their true nature starts to show and that’s when it gets ugly (I speak from personal experience)
Don’t believe me, check out what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11: 12-15
12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
I am really leery about those (mostly on these reality shows) that boasts about being a Christian or they was the villain for so long and now they have to publicly put on a show of display of becoming a “Christian”. I know editing can really misconstrue some things, but once you proclaim that Jesus is your savior or you say I am a Christian, you are now being held to a different standard of living and your life will be under constant surveillance.
Whenever someone comes out of their mouth with “I’m a Christian”, I check their walk and manner of living. I check what fruit is being shown, because Jesus himself said “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16) This was after he said in verse
18 “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
Let’s read further into verse 16 with
“Are grapes not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bad fruit (KJV is a little more direct with “but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit).
18 “A good fruit cannot produce (bring forth) bad (evil) fruit; neither can a bad (corrupt) tree produce (bring) forth good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”
20 “So then , you will know them by their fruits”
Are you apart of the body of Christ? Are you apart of his church? Do you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
What exactly is your faith in? It’s not a fill in the blank type of question or statement.
Either you have faith in the god of this world, who is Satan or your faith is in the Jesus
Christ who took your place on the cross to pay your sin debt in full.
Check out James 2:18 – 26, which will be the end of this lesson
18 You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
xoxo,
Jade
The Boho-Punk Christian 