Date: Monday June 25, 2012
Today's Chapters: Psalms 78-80
Message Title: True Christians

Hello My Friend,

Once upon a time when you said you were a Christian it meant that you were good, honest, trustworthy, and someone to could count on. Today, when you say you are a Christian people frown, “Oh, you are one of them.” is the attitude you get because sadly, false Christians are not saved, but have attached the word Christian to every corrupt thing they do, making true Christians something rare these days. The truth is, to be a Christian means to be Christlike, to receive Christ and let Him be in your life, to love Him, to follow His commands and to allow yourself to be transformed into the image of Christ and not of the world. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Romans 2:12.

We are taken back in remembrance of the time God lead Israel through the wilderness, a time when the pillar of God was right before their eyes, yet, they continuously doubted Him. “The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:” - Psalm 78:9-11,18-22.

Every time something is added to salvation, such as, “You need to receive Christ and be baptized.”, or “You need to receive Christ and remain sinless.” or “You need to receive Christ and do the works of God.” they are not believing in God nor trusting in His salvation. Unless a person believes with all their heart that Christ died for them and He alone is their salvation they are not saved. We must believe on the finished work of Christ alone to be saved. If works were needed for a person to be saved then Christ died in vain and all the suffering He did was for nothing. False Christians can care less of the painful crucifixion and cruel death that Jesus endured to save them from death and hell. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” - Galatians 2:16,21.

We need to understand that any work we do for God after we are saved is not to keep our salvation, it is to show God that we want Him in our lives. Millions, perhaps even billions of people have received Christ only to continue living the same corrupt lives they always live. Why then does God allow us to remain saved? We are all sinners saved by the grace of God, not by any merit of our own. The psalmist reminds us that we are redeemed not by works of the flesh, but by their Redeemer. “For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.” - Psalm 78:32-35,38,39.

God knows that while we have this flesh even His most faithful followers are going to sin again and again.

Christians are not sinless, they sin less because they want God to be a part of their lives, they are grateful and thankful for what Christ did for them. The things we do for God after we are saved are what is eternal, we are not nor ever will be perfect, but we can be led by the Perfect One. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” - 2 Timothy 2:10-12.

False Christians have made a mockery out of Christ and sadly, we all have to suffer for it, while we are not responsible for the actions of others we still face affliction because of their actions. Others who live in sin always bring suffering to those around them and rarely feeling guilty for what they have even done. However, they too can be forgiven and avoid a lot of suffering if they just let go of themselves and go to God. The psalmist seeks forgiveness and refuge from the suffering the country was facing because of their living in sin. “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die; And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.” - Psalm 79:9-13.

God will purge away the sins of anyone who comes to Him, but unless they come to Him He will not. We can pray for God to tender someones heart for them to receive Christ, but we cannot pray for God to save someone, all must admit they have sinned and receive Christ themselves in order to be saved. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.

One thing that probably angers God the most is a lukewarm Christian, a lukewarm Christian is one that has been saved, knows he can come to God at any time, but chooses to live according to his own will rather than God's, except when he gets in trouble. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:15-20.

Being a lukewarm Christian is like a person who has gone to prison and while they are in there does good, but once they get out they go right back to their life of crime. God loves us all, but just like any father who will not bail out a child that never learns their lesson, God will not bail out anyone who does not repent of their sin. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:7-9.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, to save me, sometimes I can forget just how much suffering You went through just to keep me from ending up in hell. Lord, want to be a true Christian, I want to be Christlike and renew my mind into living the way You want me to live and not the way I want to live. Lead me and guide me, let me always follow Christ and not become lukewarm nor lose sight of what He has done for me. Give me Your power to learn Your truths, follow them, and not be intimidated by false Christians who have no idea what they are doing. Use me to somehow show them how they too can be saved and live as a true Christian. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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