How Do You Know if You Are Truly Following Jesus
When Christians don't deed similar Christians, the globe takes notice.
When Christians exercise human activity like Christians, the earth can see God's miracles.
Only what does it mean to human action like a Christian? Beginning, allow'due south wait at three examples of what it is non.
Below are three stark bits of news almost Christians non being very Christlike.
[If you'd rather jump direct to the "nine Means" list, scroll further down. There's a squeamish printable chart.]
1 – Would Jesus Wear These?
A recently-created Instagram account calls out megachurch pastors for wearing exorbitantly-priced designer sneakers (@PreachersNSneakers) by posting photos taken from their social media accounts or public appearances. (Full commodity past Sam Kim)
One pastor tin be seen wearing $half-dozen,000 Adidas Yeezys and $ii,500 "hypebeast grailed" sneakers.
How does a pastor end upward wearing shoes that exceed the annual amount an average American contributes to their retirement?
This side by side 1 is not every bit shocking but I'yard sure information technology will sound familiar.
2 – CRUEL Christians on Twitter
Ed Stetzer, the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton Higher and Executive Manager of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, called out the following on Twitter recently, which practically brought me to my feet, auspicious:
I'm struck past the cruelty of some Christians on social media this week, all existence cruel considering they recollect someone else said something savage, so they tin can be cruel, then people answer to that, etc. It is not right. It does not laurels the Lord. End the cycle. Jesus shows a meliorate style.
Dr. Stetzer has written a wonderful book on this topic, by the fashion, titled Christians in the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the Globe Is At Its Worst. (Read more here.)
3 – A Prominent Christian Admits: "I didn't Take Any Affection for . . . God"
At present here's another shocker. This is deeper and more personal.
I have enormous respect for this high-profile Christian, demonstrating such courage by putting himself out at that place like this, in his own words.
Marker Galli, a onetime managing editor of a prominent Christian publication, Christianity Today, wrote the following in the first article in a series on the status of evangelism in America:
"Information technology may have been as the result of hearing a sermon or perhaps reading a book. But I distinctly call up thinking that my Christian life was sorely lacking in the dear of God. I didn't have any affection for or yearning to know and love God. I wasn't angry with him. I didn't doubtfulness his being. I wasn't wrestling with the problem of evil. I was beingness a true-blue Christian equally best I knew how. But information technology occurred to me that I didn't feel any love for God.
"I also realized that even though I prayed and read Scripture regularly, not much in my life would be different if I didn't pray and read my Bible. That is, I was living as a applied atheist, pregnant my personal relationship with God did not really affect much inside me. I was at the time managing editor of Christianity Today, so naturally, I edited and wrote a lot of things that were Christian to the cadre."
Again, I deeply admire this man'due south courage.
I remember feeling the same matter many years ago: I came to a troubling "aha moment" that I didn't really love God. I didn't know Him. I couldn't even say for sure that I believed in Him.
I didn't NOT love Him. I didn't NOT believe in Him. I just didn't truly believe or love the Lord. I didn't follow even that most bones commandment. And then how on earth could I call myself a disciple of Jesus?
What's to be Done?
I could listing a lot more examples of high-profile individuals who have said and done things that make you lot wonder.
Is there a solution? At that place's definitely Ane solution, captured in these famous words:
"You must exist the change yous wish to run into in the world." – Mahatma Ghandi
"I'chiliad starting with the homo in the mirror. . . If you wanna make the globe a better place, take a look at yourself and brand a change." – Michael Jackson (lyrics by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett).
Some years agone, I knew I needed to make a change and that change had to focus on Jesus. But how?
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the proper name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and honey i another, only every bit he commanded us. (one John iii:23, NLT)
To do this—and truly begin living in a Christian manner—we demand to ameliorate sympathise the meaning of the word translated as "believe" in the English language Bible.
The Greek discussion translated in our Bible every bit "believe" actually refers to a combination of "believe, trust and obey." Believing is a far more action-oriented, committed state of the centre than we may realize.
The "9 Means" Self-Assessment
Cartoon on the teachings and case of Jesus, I take developed a simple, i-folio tool that tin can help all of u.s. get better followers of Jesus, myself included. This tool tin stimulate humble reflection and insights from the Holy Spirit.
DISCLAIMER : The gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be simplified to a checklist. Nonetheless, lists tin help usa focus on key concepts and actions in a unproblematic, memorable style. In no fashion is this tool meant to supervene upon scripture or to be the "silver bullet" that defines all aspects of discipleship. Information technology can, however, motivate progress.
Option i: Click on the image below to launch the gratis PDF and share it freely. This tool contrasts nine ways we can follow Jesus with "argue-sitting" and worldly views that are common today. To print information technology, y'all must accept legal size paper (eight.5 x xiv).
Pick 2: Hither are the 9 means that ensure a solid start down the path of discipleship. These are based on the left cavalcade of the chart in the PDF above.
- Believe in and honey Jesus. If y'all are following Jesus, you believe in and love Him above all others. Yous believe He is your Creator, Savior, and Chief. (Mark 12:30; John 20:31)
- God is part of your daily life. If you are following Jesus, y'all trust Him, praise Him, and give thanks Him throughout the day. You written report His words. (Philippians four:vi)
- Live with honesty and integrity. If you are following Jesus, yous are consistently honest with your family, coworkers, and strangers akin. You know you are accountable to God and that He knows your thoughts and intentions. Yous avoid hypocrisy in any class. (Colossians 3:9)
- Be patient with others and make peace. If y'all are post-obit Jesus, you are non an instigator of contention. You are patient when treated unfairly. You lot strive to make peace and be meek (not weak) in the face of hostility. (Matthew 5:5)
- Exist morally make clean. If yous are following Jesus, you believe that sexual purity matters. You keep sexual activeness within marriage. Y'all monitor your thoughts and strive to be pure and chaste. (Matthew 5:28)
- Give of your unique talents, time, and money. If you are following Jesus, yous know all of your gifts come from Him and y'all are learning to share freely and willingly. (1 Peter 4:10; 1 John 5:3)
- Be consistently kind. If you are following Jesus, you are kind and compassionate toward family unit members, friends, and strangers. More than and more, the kindness of Jesus reflects from your confront.
(Ephesians 4:32) - Obey God's give-and-take, relying on His grace. If you are following Jesus, y'all strive to obey the words of Christ and His apostles, as taught in the Bible. You understand that yous are spiritually lost without the grace of Christ and that you cannot relieve yourself through your own efforts. Yous are built-in once more and have a new heart, which has inverse your desires from obeying your own volition to doing God's will. (Ephesians two:8-x; Titus 3:v)
- Share your organized religion. If you lot are post-obit Jesus, you proactively and respectfully share your feelings and witness of the goodness and ability of Jesus Christ in your life and in the lives of anyone who will embrace Him. (1 Peter 3:15)
May you feel the Spirit of God whisper to your soul, inspiring humility and greater discipleship. (Information technology does for me.)
DISCOVER THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS of JESUS (without a Ph.D. in Bible Studies :) )
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Source: https://rchristianbohlen.com/really-a-follower-of-jesus/
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