Who is a True Christian?
“Christianity is not related to external changes – Mat 23:26 (NIV)”
Whenever I spoke to someone about the greatness and uniqueness of Christianity, I emphatically tell them that if a family, society, country or the whole world to live in peace and harmony without any dispute, misunderstanding, violence, terrorism or border conflicts or nuclear threats, the only way and sure way is to follow the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ. The whole world should imbibe the qualities of Jesus Christ. At that time, a few had pointed out the atrocities, inhuman behaviors, indecent words, wife beatings, alcoholism, drug addiction of a few Christians and asked as to how these Christians were indulging in such activities against the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ. I had felt as if some one had hit me flat on my face on hearing such indecent and unchristian like behaviors by a few nominal ‘namesake’ Christians. Not only they spoil the name of Jesus Christ but set a bad example and image of Jesus Christ to others who do not know much about it. Although I get annoyed on hearing such news about a few rotten Christians, I control my feelings and answer their queries patiently
saying that all Christians are not Christians. The very word ‘Christian’ denotes ‘Christ-in’. A person who has ‘Christ-in’ himself can only be a Christian. Jesus Christ is Holy God. If He has to dwell in somebody’s heart, he also has to be holy, his thinking, speaking and all his actions have to be holy, pure, sinless and Christ like with full of love towards every one. Otherwise he cannot be called a Christian. A person who has Christ in his heart cannot do any wrong or sinful act. If someone does them, he is not a son of Holy Christ but only the son of a demon, Satan. Apostle John says in 1 John 3:8-10, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. That’s how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are”. Human flesh is vulnerable and weak. After committing a sin or a wrong thing, if he realizes his sin, repents for it and asks for forgiveness from the God sincerely and takes a vow and determines not to do it again, he is forgiven. “He who covers his sins will not prosper but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Pro 28:13)”. After committing any sin, if they don’t realize it or feel for it, then they are not at all Christians. They are Christians only for name sake. There are Christians who do things that are disliked and hated by Christ. They are all weeds in Christianity. The Word of God (Luke 3:17) warns them sternly about what would happen to all such people. “His (God’s) winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire”.
A person cannot become a Christian just because he is born in a Christian family or to a Christian parent. Christian life is not a bed of roses as many people think. It dictates strict adherence to discipline, purity, holiness, righteousness and limitations. The path is very narrow, uneven and full of torment and turmoil. Jesus Christ has told, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads
S. THAYAPPAN 115 to life (Heaven) and there are few who find it (Mat 7:13-14)”. He has said further that “If a person wants to follow me, let him despise himself, pick up his cross and follow me”. Christian life is a holy Pilgrimage. It shows the divine path for a permanent, eternal life and it is the only way to the Heaven. It is a holy fire and sacrifice in which one has to check himself every moment, day in and day out and purify and sanctify himself.. The Christianity relentlessly pinpoints and dictates the only way to live and to follow them strictly and religiously. The Lord has clearly told in Deut 30:15, “I have set before you today life and good, death and destruction”. “Therefore choose life so that you and your children may live (Deut 30:19)”. It is for us to choose now. If we choose the good, the eternal life is ours to inherit. If we choose the evil, eternal hell will be our lot.
A true Christian should have purity, holiness in his/her thoughts, patience, endurance, humility, ready to forgive others’ mistakes, to act without causing any injuries or unhappiness to others, love others like one loved himself, meticulously obey the Commandments of the Bible, worship only the triune God – the Almighty Father, son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit with whole heart and mind and NOT TO WORSHIP ANY OTHER IDOLS AS GODS and not to make any idols of any kind in any form for the all powerful, omniscient, omnipresent Father God.