There are many in this day and age that profess to be a Christian. Millions of people around the world will tell people that they are Christians but do the amount of people professing Christ actually equal the amount that indeed belong to Christ? Do Christians even know what it means to be a Christian anymore?
There are many that profess Christ but have never read the Bible at all for themselves. There are those that have read a few verses in church or a few chapters before they got bored. Many people think belonging to Jesus is completely wrapped up in John 3:16. Many think as long as I believe in God and Jesus I am a Christian. Many more are deceived to think if they just believe in God then they fall into that category. However scripture tells us that even the devils believe and tremble. There are some that think they are only required to say a prayer and then keep going on in their lives the same way they always have and they are saved and Jesus will automatically forgive anything they do without any further action on their part. They will pray and call on God when something bad happens or they need help but don't speak to Him at any other time. Then there are those that go to church every Sunday and have some piece of basic knowledge of God's kingdom. They believe as long as they love people then everything is okay. However they don't truly love people. They tolerate their sin and talk about them behind their back. They insist some people should be shot and are more than happy to be part of a mob against them. They scream hate and obscenities and carry on doing the devil's work. They see themselves as without fault and everyone else needs to fix something and they're happy to tell everyone what that is.
There are those that profess Christ, read their Bible occasionally and go to church (even in pastoral roles sometimes), yet they do not act out the Word of God which they are reading. Scripture tells us that love and truth are found in action. We must walk in the Spirit daily, crucifying the flesh and renew the mind and feed the spirit with the Word of God. We must then apply that Word to our lives. We must not gossip, backbite (speak about someone when they aren't present in a negative way), fornicate (any type of sexual relationship outside of wedlock), steal, be drunk or high on anything, be involved or in agreement with any type of sin, including homosexuality, abortion (which is murder), working in sinful environments (clubs, bars, selling drugs, etc.) and we cannot have idols in our lives. Idols are anything we put above God. God should be number 1 in our lives.
In all honesty, those that truly are Christians are being told they take Jesus too seriously or are called Jesus freaks etc. Every Christian should be sharing the Gospel, casting out demons, praying for and laying hands on the sick, study their Bible daily to understand when they are being taught lies, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, walk righteously and not in sin, and have an active prayer life where they speak with the Lord very often and not just when they need something. According to scripture all those who profess Christ should be dressing modestly, striving to ensure that everyone can see Christ in the way they live, define dating as courtship to marriage with no sexual acts involved at all until marriage, acting in love no matter how another person acts, forgiving everyone because Christ forgives us when we ask, striving to grow closer to Christ everyday, and walking in holiness and righteousness. One cannot stay a Christian and continue to live in sin of any kind. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and becomes a Christian, they surrender their whole life to Jesus. This means we agree to no longer be in control of our lives. This means we must also make Jesus our Lord. We should no longer strive for what we want in our lives but instead only what God wants for our lives. Our dreams hopes and aspirations become second to what God wants for us. It means we are not only willing but desire that our lives be changed and from that moment on we seek to walk as perfectly as we can, as much like Christ as possible. If we mess up we repent, pick ourselves back up (with the help of Jesus), and continue on the narrow path.
Scripture tells us we must bear the fruit of the Spirit or we will be hewn down and thrown in the fire and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It says that if we are found lukewarm we will be vomited out of the body of Christ. This means if we don't try to walk righteously and allow the Lord to make changes in us so that we may bear the fruit of the Spirit then we will be removed from God's kingdom and will instead be condemned. I do not say this to scare anyone, only to remove deceptions that have been taught to those that don't read the Bible for themselves. We must bear fruit pf the Spirit and not bear the works of the flesh.
What is the fruit of the Spirit? It is found in Galatians 5: love (including the two greatest commandments to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves, love also being defined in 1 Corinthians 13, and not meaning tolerance), joy ( the joy of the Lord, without complaining and giving the devil place in your life), peace (not fighting cussing, vulgarity, partying, bitterness and unforgiveness), longsuffering or patience ( understanding that Jesus died for everyone and we are all in different places in our walks, to edify each other and help each other be better not tear each other down, to be understanding for long periods of time), gentleness (not being harsh with each other, treating each other with caution to gently correct and guide each other sharpening irons), goodness (walking in holiness and righteousness, with kindness), faith (faith trusts the Lord even when we don't see how its going to work out, walking by faith and not by sight, faith is the evidence of things hoped for and not seen), meekness (submissiveness, endurance of injury with patience and without resentment or bitterness), and temperance or self control (moderation, self restraint, denying the flesh). Now does this mean we never make mistakes or stumble? No, it simply means that we diligently work toward this behavior and when we fall short we repent and allow the Lord to correct us. We then get back on the narrow path and continue to walk in the way we should go.
There are so many in this world that profess Christ as their Savior but still fulfill the lusts of the flesh without even attempting to walk in the Spirit, making excuses for their behavior. They explain that we live in a different day and times have changed. Scripture tells us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and He doesn't change. His Word and instructions to us do not change with the times either. We are required to walk with the same holiness and righteousness that the original disciples walked in. So what are the lusts of the flesh that we must stay away from listed in Galatians 5? They are listed as adultery (not only having a relationship other than your spouse but as defined by Jesus in the Gospels lusting after anyone that is not your spouse), fornication (sex outside of the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman), uncleanness (impurity in moral or physical aspects, impurity of lustful, luxurious living, impure motives), lasciviousness ( lewdness, immodest dress or behavior, outrageous conduct, conduct shocking to public decency, wanton violence, sensuality, unbridled lust, excess, shamelessness, insolence, gluttony, filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males/females, filth, debauchery), idolatry (worship or service of an image, false god), witchcraft (magic, sorcery, enchantment, drug related sorcery, the use of medicine, drugs, or spells), hatred (enmity, hostility, alienation), variance (contention, strife, wrangling, quarrel, a readiness to quarrel, affection for dispute, accusative, debate, argument), emulations (rivalry, jealousy, boiling anger, love or zeal for what is bad, indignation, envy of an enemy), wrath (an outburst of passion, actions emerging out of strong impulses, rage, intense anger, angry tempers, fierce), strife (carnal ambition, selfish rivalry, self seeking, a feud, faction, the seeking of followers by means of gifts, discord, placing self interest ahead of what the Lord declares right or what is good for others, disputes, courting applause by trickery and low arts, partisanship, contending against God) seditions (division, dissension, wrongly separate people into pointless factions/divisions, disunion), heresies (a self-chosen opinion, a sect, discord, contention, an opinion varying from the true Christian faith, a body of men separating themselves and following their own tenets), envyings (grudges, spite, a strong feeling that sours due to the influence of sin, the trait of being glad when someone experiences misfortune or pain, jealous envy that negatively energizes someone with an embittered mind, conveys displeasure at another's good, jealousy, ill will), murders (unjustified homicide, slaughter, killings), drunkenness (deep drinking, the state of being drunk, intoxication), and revelings (a village festival, revel, carousal, a riotous party, drunken feast which hosted unbridled sexual immorality, debauched partying, feasts or drinking parties that are protracted till late at night, rioting).
This shows us that the modern definition of dating is not acceptable in a Christian, nor is homosexuality, clubbing, partying, getting drunk or high on anything, bullying, gossiping, jealousy, putting our own wants and needs above God's or others, holding a grudge, abortion, manipulation for any reason, cussing, and even many of the modern dance moves. We see that witchcraft, including any form of divination, whether it be white magic or black magic is also unacceptable. There is no such thing as a Christian witch, psychic, card reader etc. Arguing, starting fights, talking smack are also a sin. It is not behavior fitting of a Christian to be unforgiving, bitter, hateful, jealous, and to laugh when others fail (saying serves you right or they deserve it included) is not alright. One of the major things that many people think is now acceptable is our attire. If we are a Christian then we don't wear short skirts and shorts, low cut blouses, skin tight jeans, bikinis, skimpy dresses, and we don't run around with no shirt as men or with our butts hanging out of our pants. We don't dress to seduce or look sexy. We don't seek to impress with our lewdness. We don't live with people out of wedlock or engage in sexual acts before we are married. Yes drugs are witchcraft. The Greek word used for witchcraft in Galatians 5 is pharmakeia which is the root word for our "pharmacy". I'm not saying you can't take a Tylenol. I'm saying any drug that is mind altering is not okay. How many of us as Christians have seen the actions of another person such as one who committed a vile crime and said they need to be shot? This thought pattern is not okay. We should be saying they need Jesus. It is not the will of the Lord that anyone be lost and we are expressing hatred as well as condemning someone. We are all guilty of sin and many sins are just as horrible in God's eyes as what another may have done. Jesus died to save everyone and all sin is forgivable less blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
So many people these days say they are Christians but in actuality they really aren't. They profess Jesus Christ with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Scripture even says it will be that way in these last days. Sit down and take a very hard look at your life before God does on judgment day and ask yourself whether you are a Christian or simply say you are. Do you walk the walk or just talk the talk? Only those that bear good fruit will be pruned so they may bear more fruit. Those that bear bad fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus loves each of us so much. He is ready and waiting to forgive us for every sin and mistake we have ever made. When we come to Jesus however we need to be willing to let Him change our lives and give up all control over every aspect of our lives to the One True King. So... are you a Christian or do you just profess Christ?
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