2016-04 what does it mean to be a christian

What is a Christian?

## A Christian is one who walks like Christ

>1 Peter 2:21-23 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

The word _Christian_ means "little Christ."

### Think like Christ

>Philippians 2:5-6 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

### Be obedient like Christ

>John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

>John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

### Do works like Christ

>John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

### Be united like Christ 

>John 17:20-21 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

### Serve like Christ

John 13:1-15

### Care like Christ

At all times of the day, people came to Jesus, but He never turned them away.

### Endure temptations like Christ

>Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

### Suffer like Christ

1 Peter 2:21-25

He opened not His mouth.

### Forgive like Christ

>Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

## A Christian is one who follows Christ wherever He leads

>Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

We like it when God leads us through green pastures, but will we follow Him when He goes through the valley of death? Or through the wilderness?

Jesus has a specific plan for your life.

>Jeremiah 1:4-5 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

>Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

## A Christian is one who hears the voice of Christ

>John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

God has given us His Words in the Bible. Will we take time to learn them?

Many people don't know the voice of God, so they follow the voice of men or their own ideas.

## A Christian is one who takes up the cross of Christ

>Mar 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

>Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Crucifixion was not a beautiful thing. 

### To be crucified We must humble ourselves

Danger comes when we put too much confidence in any part of our natural being. 

* It's who I am. 
* I'm good natured. 
* I'm good at figuring things out. 
* I am strong. (We need to be strong, but strong in the Lord. )
* I am wise. (We need to be wise, but wise in the Lord. )
* I'm Irish. 
* I inherited this bad habit. 

It's not all about me.

It's not about me at all. 

I must decrease. 

>John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

## To be crucified We must deny ourselves

>Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

To kill something is to deny it life. We should not allow things that are opposing to God live in our souls. 

If we are to deny ourselves, there is no room for our plans and wishes. 

>Luke 9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

We need to die daily. 

>2 Corinthians 4:9-11 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are **alway** delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

To take up the cross daily does not mean just once a day, but at any time when the flesh is fighting to live we must put it to death. 

We will want the problem to go away forever, but instead we will daily need to look to God for grace. 

Paul sought for his problem to be removed. 

>2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

### To be crucified We must guard ourselves

Often we think of the works of the flesh as only big sins such as adultery and drunkenness, but there are many smaller manifestations that can quietly creep into our lives.

#### Guard against feelings

We must be careful not to make the flesh too comfortable in any area. Even too much of good things can put us in a place where we depend too much on the flesh. 

>"Faith is crowded out where feelings are relied upon. …faith is one of the fundamentals of the Christian experience and feeling is only one of the incidentals."
—M. A. Monday 

#### Guard against confidence 

It is easy to slide into a place of confidence in ourselves because of the victories that we've had, forgetting who actually gave us victory in the first place. 

Like a child thinking they can do something all own their own because the first time they did it with the help of an adult. 

#### Guard against Godless religion 

We can develop a dependency on our religion. 

I know the Bible. 
I pray all the time. 

We can choose only the promises in the Bible that make us feel good and forget all about the commands and warnings against sin. 

We can chose certain commandments that are easy for us to follow and explain the rest away. 

### To be crucified We must surrender ourselves

It would be just as foolish for us to think that we could crucify ourselves with our own ability as it would be to think we could give ourselves life with the same ability. 

To be crucified is to allow our human nature to die on the cross when Christ died.

>2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

>Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

## A Christian is one who had the life of Christ

### The process of being made alive

#### We are made alive by faith

…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…

This is not a matter of struggling and trying to be a better or good person. It is a matter of believing in the work Christ has already been done for us.

#### We are made alive by dying

We talked about dying in the first lesson. This is essential for us if we want to have life. 

>John 12:24-25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

>1 Corinthians 15:36
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

>Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

#### We are made alive by the Word of God 

>2 Corinthians 3:6
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Without the Spirit of God bringing the Word, it will kill. But if the Spirit delivers the Word to your soul, it will bring life. 

>Psalms 119:25
My soul cleaveth unto the dust:
quicken thou me according to thy word.

>Psalms 119:37
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;
and quicken thou me in thy way.

>Psalms 119:40
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:
quicken me in thy righteousness.

>Psalms 119:88
Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;
so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

>Psalms 119:107
I am afflicted very much:
quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.

>Psalms 119:149
Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness:
O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment.

>Psalms 119:156
Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord:
quicken me according to thy judgments.

>Psalms 119:159
Consider how I love thy precepts:
quicken me,
O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.

>John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

#### We are made alive by the Spirit of God 

>John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth…

>Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

>1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

#### We are made alive daily

>2 Corinthians 4:16
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

We often use the term "revival" as a special set of meetings or a special wave that sweeps over the church nation wide. But the best type of revival is the one that happens every day—every time you feel a weakness in your spiritual life. 

### The Benefits of being made alive 

When we are made alive, it is by the life of Christ. We then have the manifestations of His life in us. 

#### When we are alive, we have His joy

>Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

#### When we are alive, we have His peace

>John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It is the same peace that when the storm was raging, Christ was so at ease that He slept at the bottom of the boat. 

#### When we are alive, we have His strength 

>Psalms 18:1
​ I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

>Psalms 59:17
Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing:
for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

>Psalms 71:16
I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

>2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God's strength is made perfect in weakness? Yes, this is because His life can only find room to operate in us when we come to the end of ourselves. 

## A Christian is one who has the love of Christ

John 13:35

Eph. 5:1-2

1 Corinthians 13

## Charity suffereth long

>Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
>—1 Thess 5:14

>Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
 
The love of God working in your life will enable you to do things that you never thought were possible.

Love does not give up on people. 

The father of the prodigal son loved his son with longsuffering

Peter kept making mistakes, but Jesus still loved him.

## Charity is kind

Not only patient with people, but kind a well.

“to oneself useful, i.e. act benevolently”

>Romans 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

When you don't have love, you will want people to serve you. When you do have love, you will want to serve others.

>Ga 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

It is not enough to love in words, but we must also love in action.

>1 Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Be kind to your friends

>Le 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Be kind to strangers

>Le 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

## Charity envieth not 

Be content with what things you have—and if you have love, you will. 

>Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
>—Philippians 4:11

1 Timothy 6:5-11

* Some people think having a lot of money means that they are godly. (v. 5)
* But to be godly really means to be content with what you have (v. 6-8)
* Because great possessions can turn us from God (v. 9-10)
* So if we seek anything, we should seek eternal things (v. 11)

Do not be envious of what sinners have. God knows what you need and will take care of you. 

Some people look at people in the city and desire that nice life, but really you don't need all those things.

Love is happy when someone else receives a blessing. 

## Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

1Co 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
 3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

Do not proclaim yourself. Do not think you are anyone special.

## Charity does not behave itself unseemly

## Charity seeketh not her own

Jesus gave His all that we might be saved

Love gives without expectation of return. Story of boy who gives bill for chores to mother

>Luke 14:12-14
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

## Charity is not easily provoked

Jesus did not open His mouth when accused.

## Charity thinketh no evil

>Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

## Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rather rejoiceth in the truth

>Proverbs 17:5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

>Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

It could have been us that was in that terrible situation. Don't be like the Pharisee and say, I'm glad I'm not like him. 

## Charity beareth all things

(Literally)  to roof over, i.e. (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently):--(for-) bear, suffer.

>Pr 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

>1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

## Charity believeth all things

The love of God in your heart will lay claim on the promise
	
Our faith works by love 

>Ga 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

THERE IS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND LOVE

>1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Faith makes all things possible...love makes all things easy. -D.L. Moody

## Charity endureth all things

>2Ti 2:9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 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.

>Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

## A Christian is one who brings others to Christ

Mat 4:19  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Be a fisher of men.

Jesus told the disciples to teach others all the things they were taught.

>Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Christians are not just to receive, but they also need to give.

When the apostles received the Holy Ghost, they were told to, "go."

>Acts 1:4-8 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We need to share with others what we have.

>Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

We teach the little children to share food.

What did Paul do after he received salvation from Jesus? Did he sit at home and enjoy the blessing? No, he went out and told everyone he could about Jesus. 

After the Samaritan woman at the well encountered Jesus, she went back to the village and told everyone about Him.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. This is not just about physical things.

>Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Too often we think only about our problems, but we forget that others have needs, too.

>Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

>1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Mant people are like sponges. They only come to church to receive.

The Dead Sea is dead because it has no outlet.

Our giving is like a circle. God gives to us, we give what we have received to others, and then God gives back to us to replenish us. 

Psalms 41:1-2 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.