Professiong Christ 21 March, 2008
Posted by Addie in Christianity, God, ME.trackback
Many years ago you confessed your sins, accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and got baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ as a token of your faith. Is that the beginning and the end of Christianity? What is Christianity? What is it that makes you a Christian - the knowledge of Christ or living the life and having a Christ-like spirit?
Are you a christian when
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prayer never forms part of any decision-making process
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you have a ”conversation” and a ”relationship” with your maker on a Sunday morning cos its ”church”
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you ONLY read your bible in Sunday morning service … for the rest of the week its in the closet or next your bedside lamp safely tucked away in its cover
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you never pray except for that 5 minutes before you have to tuck your children into bed,
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you have the odd occasion of prayer when you need God’s traveling mercy before you leave on a long road trip,
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you hardly play any “chistian” music in your home, unless the “brothers and sisters” come visit - for most of the time the radio blares in the background
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family alter does not form part of your daily schedule …
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discussions and fellowship around the Word only really takes place in your home when questions arise from what was discussed at school
If you are a christian, shouldn’t your everyday life reflect that? Shouldn’t the life and well-being of people close to you concern you when they fall along the way-side? Shouldn’t you pray for them without questioning whether they deserve it or not? Shouldn’t trials and tribulations be made a prayer matter? Shouldn’t Christ aslo be at the forefront when things go well. Shouldn’t Christ be the life of your life? There is still so many questions I have to ask, but then I would run out of space.
I know you expected me to post this “issue” on my blog … maybe in more detail then this, but nonetheless, I posted it. It would be rather nice if you would now leave a comment, explaining what “professing Christ” means to you.
In answer to the questions in your next-to-last paragraph, yes, those should be a part of a Christian’s life. But everything in your list there could be attributed also to someone who is a Christian but who is sorely out of fellowship and not putting Christ first in heart and life or who has let some sin take root.
The good news is that either way it can be remedied. A person who is out of fellowship can repent and take the steps necessary to put self off the throne and put Christ back in His rightful place. A person who has not truly professed Christ can do so. And if one truly doesn’t know where he or she stands, he or she can take that to the Father and just tell Him that — “I don’t know if I am truly Yours or not, but I want to be…” and then confessing and forsaking sin and believing on Him, whether for salvation or for forgiveness.
Professing Christ does start as you said in your first line, and that should just be a beginning: faith and demonstration of it should grow from there. But I think we all go through times of “backsliding” or steps forward and back rather than steadily increasing growth, and probably most have experienced some time of not being and doing all we should. I think many Christians think they should “feel” spiritual all the time, but that’s not the case: often doing the right thing has to be a matter of discipline. One former professor of mine used to say “Good feelings follow right actions.” And I have found that so true — my tendency is to want to start with the right feelings.
No, this isn’t something I “expected” you to post. But I hope the person you are talking about here will find refuge and forgiveness and renewal in Him.
WOW - that’s got me thinking pretty deep for a Friday morning - on Good Friday of all things!!!!
To me - professing Christ is a one time thing. It’s words spoken as you may be discussing things with a non-believer or even with another believer. Your Christian walk is what needs to be seen. The way I try (because we ALL fail many times throughout the day) to profess the relationship I have with my Savior is in making decisions that might make people wonder why??? Situations like - someone has wronged me - how do I react? The cashier gave me to much change back - do I say something to her/him? Someone is struggling with 3 kids, a grocery cart and drops her keys - what do I do to help or keep on walking? A senior citizen seems to be struggling with something - do I keep walking? A kid sits in the hallway at school crying - do I keep walking? A friend needs someone to talk to when my favorite TV show is on - what do I do? The kids are over and want to watch inappropriate movies for their age - why don’t I let them? etc.
All these things are choices I make based on my belief that my Heavenly Father wants me to help people, to be a servant while on this earth. It all gives me a chance to SHOW my kids how Jesus would want me to be, act, etc. My words have actions to back up what I believe. Do I open my Bible every day?? no… Do I pray every day - yes - but my prayer life is very different than most people’s - I think. I don’t take 30 minutes a day and set it aside to do nothing but pray. I pray all day long - through out the day - as things or people come to mind - I pray right there in the middle of whatever it is I’m doing - I don’t close my eyes, I don’t stop what I’m doing -you don’t HAVE to! He doesn’t say “Stop in your tracks, bow your head, clasp your hands and speak to me.” He says - Pray without ceasing!!! You’re also supposed to go to your closet and pray - which I believe means - don’t let it be known that you’re praying all the time and don’t make your prayers all flowery!!! I pray to him like he’s one of my best friends. I know He knows what I”m thinking so I might as well just say it right? I know He knows what I want and what my desires are - but I still need to speak it. I pray A LOT through song. I have my itunes up every day and music in my car all the time. Music is a form of prayer and worship for me.
I know this is a long explaination but your questions aren’t easy to answer in a few short sentences. Hope this helps…