Righteousness by Faith

GOD. He beheld sin, lived amongst sinners, yet was without sin. He chose not to sin; what about you? Living amongst sinful men and women as the man Jesus Christ, God was tempted, but He did not fall. Today, if you will have faith in Jesus, He will help you overcome sin. Even in this cesspool of sin, you can emerge victorious!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

28/10 Sabbath: Badges of a Christian

What makes you a Christian?
adapted from a speech by Ps. Samuel Money

Is it that

  • you keep the Sabbath holy?
  • you pay all your tithes?
  • you abstain from certain foods, or
  • you don't wear jewellery?

The answer to all those is a resounding 'NO'! So what makes a person a Christian? How do you recognise one? What is the correct measuring rod for a 'Christian'?

There must be a distinctive feature that defines a Christian. Food? No, we do not worship a 'gluten God', even as we are surrounded by ardent Adventist health crusaders. :) All the doctrina; issues and policies of the church do not make you a Christian.

Let me tell you a bit about the Corinthian church during the days of Paul the apostle. Please turn your Bibles to 1 Corinthians.

8 PROBLEMS @ THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH

  1. DIVISION (1:10) There were divisions of opinion, policy and practice in the church.
  2. CARNALITY (1:12, 3) There was no unity, and members sided human leaders. Prevalent was a discriminatory and comparative attitude. It's a problem of carnality, judging a book by its cover. "Are ye not carnal, walk as men?"
  3. MORAL PROBLEM (5:1) There was fornication in the church. One of the boys was having a scandalous affair with his stepmother.
  4. WEAK DISCERNMENT (6:2) Bringing differences to the secular courts instead of to the Lord. They took internal issues out of the church and blew them up.
  5. EXTREMISM (8:9, 13) Some of the Corinth believers were making 'food' such a major issue that it became a stumbling block to other believers. Some members were using their food standards to club people around. The weak were being bullied.
  6. SUPERFICIALITY (12:1) Judging people by their particular spiritual giftings, elevating one man above the other, esteeming the excellent orator and the worker of signs and wonders.
  7. DOMINEERING WOMEN (14:34) There were ladies in the Corinth church who were not ladylike in their speech and conduct; they were noisy and disruptive.
  8. PROBLEM OF DOCTRINE (15:14) There was a doctrinal split in the church.

People who are carnal always like to fight, to determine aggressively who's the better one.

Are these to be the marks of Christians today? Are we gonna embroiled ourselves in so much strife and entangled one another in sin? For the sheer love of controversy we enter into dispute with our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. Shall we define 'Christian' by those 8 characteristics?

What is the real image of Christ in me? Is there a real mark that sets me apart as a 'Christian'?

CHRISTIAN > CHRIST-IAN
Without CHRIST, I Am Nothing.

A Christian, very simply, is a follower of Jesus...a disciple of Christ! He is not one because he's a theologian, a Sabbatarian or a well-attired churchgoer; neither is he one by birthright. A Christian is one who has emotionally, willingly submitted to Jesus, granting Him to work on one's character. He has exercised his will to follow Jesus in a decisive manner.

BADGE OF A CHRISTIAN (1 John 4:7)

Love is the greatest mark of a Christian; the love we have for one another spells who we are. A Christian has genuine love in his heart for God and man. Is love just a feeling? Is it just romance? But romance is just one aspect of love. EROS is sensual and romantic love -- a vital ingredient in courtship and marriage -- but that's that. PHILEOS is brotherly love, or love for man because he's a human being, a soul and a creation of God. AGAPE, however, is unconditional love -- the one that God has for all of us.

We should have love for all, impartially. For all men will be equal in heaven, and in the new heavens and new earth. There, we will fly a flag -- not of the Hammer and Sickle, or the Stars and Stripes -- but one that depicts our oneness in Christ. Jesus died for YOU and ME; we are all washed in His blood.

Thus, we shall love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Who is my 'neighbour'? My neighbour is anyone next to me to whom I can show my Christian love.

Love is a principle, and it does not compromise with sin. It is a principle in harmony with God's law. It does not bow down to doing the wrong thing. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but in the truth. Love does not fight or quarrel; instead, at times, it disagrees...peaceably. SDA


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