TO BE A CHRISTIAN…WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT   #359

Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Sorry to have missed you all last week. Truth be told, I missed writing my blog. but I also needed some time to reset. With all that is going on at this time in our history, it’s easy to reach the “overload” threshold, that time when our bodies and our minds cry for a “time out.” Such was the case with me.  I just wanted to sit down, take a few deep breaths, and get my priorities straightened out. I, unfortunately, found it really easy to get bogged down in worldly minutia, while at the same time losing sight of what really matters. In my case, the number one priority is seeking first His Kingdom, then furthering it here on earth. I’m happy to report that I am energized, revitalized, retreaded, and ready for another 100,000 miles. 😊

I suspect that some of you, when reading the title, were rather surprised. It’s actually a theme I have had in mind for quite some time. I was waiting for the right time to spring it, and this seems like it could be that time. I say that because there are a lot of misconceptions about what that term “Christian” really means. In its purest sense, it means that we have made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. But unfortunately, the scenario below is not uncommon.

You’ve just heard from your wife’s cousin, Sal, that John 3:16, probably the most well know Scripture in the Bible, tells us that all we have to do is “believe” and we will have “eternal life”. That doesn’t sound too hard. Now couple that with what you’ve heard from your neighbors up the street about forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  They seem to be nice people, and they appear to be living a “normal” life. Quite frankly, I’m not really sure if they even attend church any more. But even if they do, they don’t seem to be hampered by their religion; they still like to party; they like to drink and smoke, to go to the gambling casinos, the wife is the gossip of the neighborhood, and  rumor has it that they have even vacationed at some of the “adult only” islands in the Caribbean. (Note: I am not judging these things as “sinful”, but only as typical “worldly” behaviors.)  As you can see, it certainly doesn’t seem like being a Christian has snuffed out their desire for a good time. Therefore, perhaps we ought to give it a try. Have you ever heard anything like this before?

Anyone can call themselves a “Christian”, but if “fire insurance” is all they want, and then they return to their former worldly lives, they’ve just chosen to miss out on the abundant life Jesus came to give them. The term” Christian” is an action word; it encompasses the process of becoming more Christ-like. 2 Peter 1:3-4 explains this process: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a Godly life. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises.  These are the promises that enable us to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

Neil Anderson, author of Victory Over the Darkness, made this statement: “God’s plan for your life is twofold. First, He wants you to accept His Gift of Grace, meaning Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Secondly, He wants you to mature in that relationship so you can become the person He created you to be.” When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are immediately “justified” (made right) in God’s eyes. But when you start to mature in that relationship, Jesus becomes not only your Savior, but also your Lord. It is in this life-long process of “sanctification” (becoming more Christ-like) that you are transformed, and transformation is the primary goal of being a Christian.  Ephesians 2:10 substantiates that statement: “We are now God’s masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus (at this point we are justified) so we can NOW (my emphasis) do the good things He planned for us long ago”. NOW is very important in that Scripture because it is through the transformation process that we are “now prepared “to do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

Prior to my rebirth in Christ, I can’t think of a time when I woke up, jumped out of bed and thought, “I wonder what God wants me to do today?” Before, I was always keenly aware of what I wanted to do each day. But now that I have been through the transformation process, it is quite a different story. Now, each morning when I wake up, my first thought is, “Holy Spirit, whatever your plans are for me today, I’m in.” The more I mature in my relationship with Jesus, the more important it becomes to honor Him with my time and my talent.  This is my way of saying, “Thank you Jesus for what you have done for me.

Now let’s refer again to 2 Peter 1:3-4 three paragraphs above. Notice that it says, “His divine power gives us everything (not some things, not many things, but everything) we need for living a Godly life.” That is a particularly bold statement! So, what is that everything? It is the indwelling Holy Spirit. And what is the indwelling Holy Spirit? The essence of Jesus Christ living in us. John 15:16-17 makes that statement crystal clear. In this passage, Jesus is telling His disciples about the Holy Spirit. “, who leads into all truth.  The world cannot receive Him because it isn’t looking for Him, and wouldn’t recognize Him. But you know Him because He lives with you now, and later will be in you.  And in the same chapter, vs. 26, Jesus also said, “But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative – that is the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

As a Christian, we have the ability to tap into the supernatural realm. That’s what the Holy Spirit does for us. He doesn’t change our circumstances or our feelings, but He empowers us to do that. So how does that work? We have to call the Spirit into action. We say, “Holy Spirit, give me your wisdom, your courage, your strength, patience, eyes to see, ears to hear, words to speak – whatever it is that we need to handle any matter in a way that brings honor and glory to God. His promise to us is…He will answer that prayer. James 4:10 substantiates that truth: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” Every time we begin a sentence with “Holy Spirit”, we have just brought that promise to life. (And we’ve just opened the door to the supernatural realm.)  This is also how we bring His promises to life that enable us to “overcome the corruption of the world caused by human desires”, (Refer to 2 Peter 1: 3-4 above)

The more we grow in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, the more we experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers. That’s why we should never stop at justification, because at this point, we are only prepared for the big show. But the Big Show, with all of its splendor and fireworks, doesn’t happen until we’re immersed in this life-long journey of becoming more Christ-like.

For Christians who settle for fire-insurance only, not only have they missed out on the transformation process, but they have also missed out on the many blessings God has for those “who seek first the Kingdom of heaven.” Our God is defined with one word: LOVE. His very essence is LOVE; He is forgiving, merciful, and full of grace. And nothing does He love more than participating in that all- important relationship with us. Is there anything in this world that can possibly compare with intimacy with God? That is the real experience, and meaning, of being a “Christian.”

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please share it with other social media friends.

May God Bless You abundantly.

Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)