2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
We live in a culture in this western civilization where everyone wants to be a Christian. They want the benefits of Christianity meaning Fire Insurance but do not take the other half of the bargain. What is the other part you ask? You say, "Joel Osteen never mentioned the other part." We will get to this later. Christianity is now all inclusive. People like Beyonce Knowles, Usher Raymond, Keisha Cole, and many others are saying, "We are Christians too." You see they hate the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. A true Christian has a new relationship with God and also a new one with sin itself. Based on scripture this is progressive. Let me explain. Once you are saved, this means that Christ has selected you before the foundation of the Earth. He begins to do a life long work in you drawing you to the likeness of Christ. Progressive meaning as you grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, He will reveal His will and His desires become your desires and this you discover through the studying and reading of His Word along with being around true believers.
Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
From the start both professing Christians may look similar and they both appear to have comfort but the real test comes in the years or months after they confess their belief in Christ. We cannot get around unbelievers; they will even dwell amongst us in churches. Our goal is to live it among them and hopefully that will lead them to Christ and put the traditions of men down. I know a lot of people who say they are Christians and when they look at the people in the Bible they see a huge contrast and they say, "You ain't got to do all that" " Why do you call out names" "There is nothing wrong with me buying my son or daughter Destiny's Child, Jamie Foxx, and other worldly music, we are still Christians." Let's get one thing straight, I am not against secular music and even enjoy some of it. The names I listed above are not OK because they are singing and promoting the very things that God hates and that is sin.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
Every sin can be identified in this three listed in 1 John 2:16. Jesus was tempted in these same three areas while he was fasting and being tested by Satan.
Matthew 13:24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
The Test-Signs if you are a True Believer listed on http://www.gty.org/
1) A Biblical Testimony.
2) An Obedient Life.
3) Sincere Worship.
4) A Biblical Perspective of Money and Materialism.
5) An Uncritical Love of Others.
6) Christian Worldview concerning the Bible.
7) A Genuine Hatred of Sin.
8) Love for one another.
Recommended Reading. Wasted Faith by Jim Elliff
We live in a culture in this western civilization where everyone wants to be a Christian. They want the benefits of Christianity meaning Fire Insurance but do not take the other half of the bargain. What is the other part you ask? You say, "Joel Osteen never mentioned the other part." We will get to this later. Christianity is now all inclusive. People like Beyonce Knowles, Usher Raymond, Keisha Cole, and many others are saying, "We are Christians too." You see they hate the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. A true Christian has a new relationship with God and also a new one with sin itself. Based on scripture this is progressive. Let me explain. Once you are saved, this means that Christ has selected you before the foundation of the Earth. He begins to do a life long work in you drawing you to the likeness of Christ. Progressive meaning as you grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, He will reveal His will and His desires become your desires and this you discover through the studying and reading of His Word along with being around true believers.
Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
From the start both professing Christians may look similar and they both appear to have comfort but the real test comes in the years or months after they confess their belief in Christ. We cannot get around unbelievers; they will even dwell amongst us in churches. Our goal is to live it among them and hopefully that will lead them to Christ and put the traditions of men down. I know a lot of people who say they are Christians and when they look at the people in the Bible they see a huge contrast and they say, "You ain't got to do all that" " Why do you call out names" "There is nothing wrong with me buying my son or daughter Destiny's Child, Jamie Foxx, and other worldly music, we are still Christians." Let's get one thing straight, I am not against secular music and even enjoy some of it. The names I listed above are not OK because they are singing and promoting the very things that God hates and that is sin.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
Every sin can be identified in this three listed in 1 John 2:16. Jesus was tempted in these same three areas while he was fasting and being tested by Satan.
Matthew 13:24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
The Test-Signs if you are a True Believer listed on http://www.gty.org/
1) A Biblical Testimony.
2) An Obedient Life.
3) Sincere Worship.
4) A Biblical Perspective of Money and Materialism.
5) An Uncritical Love of Others.
6) Christian Worldview concerning the Bible.
7) A Genuine Hatred of Sin.
8) Love for one another.
Recommended Reading. Wasted Faith by Jim Elliff
