What are Christians?
Last time I posted, I ranted, albietly somewhat incoherently, about what Christians are not. Christians are not judgemental. Christians are not hateful. Christians are not quick to anger. These things are very natural for people to be. There is something very unnatural about Christians. I would like to talk now about what Christians ARE. Christians are changed people. As my brother commented, we thank God for the change.
Christians are transformed by God. Christians talk about asking Jesus into their hearts. Jesus was the Son of God or, as believed by many people including myself, WAS God. God IS love. Conclusion: We invite the love of God into our hearts. This is the transormation of the Christian. Jesus taught that in order to fill the law of God, we must love God with all our heart, mind, body and spirit and love our neighbors as ourselves. When we live with genuine love in our hearts, we fill the law of God, not for concious will to do so, but because our hearts long to do it. We do the right thing because the right thing is the only thing we know to do. We don't ask "What would Jesus do?" because we don't have to.
When we act without love in our hearts, when we judge, when we give in to anger or hate, Christians feel a stong sense of guilt. To some, this is a conviction of the Holy Spirit. To me, this is remorse because we have walked away from God.We know we have acted without love and therefore have distanced himself from God. Christians long to be near to God, so we feel this sorrow. This remorse, this recognition of our distance from God, amounts to our repentance. We know that we have displeased God and we regret doing so. Christians don't need to be told they have sinned. They simply know it in their hearts.
Of course, this is the Christian in his or her ideal state. All Christians are human beings and are flawed people. Christians, true Christians, are changed and are ever reaching to reach a place closer to God. This, to me, is Heaven. When we are finally rid of the coporeal carapice that binds us to temptation, we finally reach a place with God and find eternal contentment in Him.
Christians are transformed by God. Christians talk about asking Jesus into their hearts. Jesus was the Son of God or, as believed by many people including myself, WAS God. God IS love. Conclusion: We invite the love of God into our hearts. This is the transormation of the Christian. Jesus taught that in order to fill the law of God, we must love God with all our heart, mind, body and spirit and love our neighbors as ourselves. When we live with genuine love in our hearts, we fill the law of God, not for concious will to do so, but because our hearts long to do it. We do the right thing because the right thing is the only thing we know to do. We don't ask "What would Jesus do?" because we don't have to.
When we act without love in our hearts, when we judge, when we give in to anger or hate, Christians feel a stong sense of guilt. To some, this is a conviction of the Holy Spirit. To me, this is remorse because we have walked away from God.We know we have acted without love and therefore have distanced himself from God. Christians long to be near to God, so we feel this sorrow. This remorse, this recognition of our distance from God, amounts to our repentance. We know that we have displeased God and we regret doing so. Christians don't need to be told they have sinned. They simply know it in their hearts.
Of course, this is the Christian in his or her ideal state. All Christians are human beings and are flawed people. Christians, true Christians, are changed and are ever reaching to reach a place closer to God. This, to me, is Heaven. When we are finally rid of the coporeal carapice that binds us to temptation, we finally reach a place with God and find eternal contentment in Him.
posted by Andrew at 9:41 PM
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