The Constant Church of God presents clear answers to your questions, directly from the Bible!

Today, there are those who believe that a true Christian is one who attends a church of his or her choice, participates in its worship rituals and adheres to its doctrines and beliefs.

Is this what a true Christian is?

HOW will we know? HOW can we know?

God Almighty is the only authoritative Source Who reveals WHAT a true Christian is.

And His Bible says there’s a lot more to being true Christians than going to the church their parents attended, sincerely believing in its doctrines, living a decent and moral life, believing in Christ and accepting Him as their personal Savior.

Are we willing to let the Bible teach us —— in plain language —— what a true Christian is?

In Luke chapter 6 and verse 46, Jesus Christ Himself said, “Why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?”

When we call Jesus Christ Lord, we’re acknowledging Him as our Master, our Boss.

The One Whose commands and instructions we obey and follow.

In plain language, Jesus is telling us, “If you don’t obey Me, then don’t call me ‘Lord’.”

In the fourth chapter of Matthew and verse 4, the Bible says, a real Christian LIVES BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

EVERY word.

Not some. ALL. No exceptions.

Not just the words that WE want to live by. The easy, the comfortable or the convenient.

EVERY word that God tells us to do.

We don’t get to pick and choose.

True Christianity, then, is not a set of personal beliefs.

It is not joining a church.

It is not something to be practiced one day a week or only during certain periods.

It is a WAY of LIFE.

The Christian’s way of life.

It involves a total change in lifestyle: living by God’s way and no longer ours.

It requires wholehearted obedience. A complete and unconditional surrender to Him.

No longer our way but God’s way.

And so, our priorities change.

Our focus shifts.

When God called His disciples, He gave them a choice: Follow Me or don’t follow Me.

You choose.

And to the real Christian, God must be FIRST and FOREMOST. He expects us to give up everything and anyone for Him.

Christ reminded His disciples, “No man can serve two masters. Either he will love the one or despise the other” (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).

We are to love God MORE than our own parents, spouse, children, brothers, or sisters (Luke 14:26, Living Bible).

And then He promises to bless us with happy, satisfied and meaningful lives.

He’s going to provide for ALL of our needs, material and spiritual.

He’ll protect us from the dangers of this perilous world we live in.

He’s going to give us the strength to bear whatever difficulties, problems and trials we’re going to be confronted with.

Because we’ve placed Him at the center of our lives!

In his letter to the true Christians in Galatia, the apostle Paul reminded us that true Christians are not to grow weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9).

As true followers of Jesus Christ, we’re admonished to love those who hate us and pray for them who despise and persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28).

God urges us to return good for evil. And that’s graduate-level Christianity.

It’s easier to give in and strike back than it is to back off and walk away when things get heated.

Somebody cuts us off in traffic, we don’t race after that driver and do the same thing.

Someone yells at us, we don’t yell right back.

Somebody says something nasty about us, we don’t snarl right back.

So, when we’re provoked, we back off (Romans 12:14, 17, 21).

We’re peacemakers. We don’t escalate, we defuse tensions.

We pray for them who mistreat us and patiently continue in well-doing, showing them this is the way it ought to be done instead of the way they’re doing it.

And that’s very hard to do.

But God reminds us, “This is HIS way, walk you in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

And Jesus Christ Himself expects us to continue and abide by that way of life.

And so, because we refuse to waver from obeying God, despite the tremendous pressure to give in, TRUE Christians will hear Christ say:

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:23).

That is the priceless inheritance God the Father and Jesus Christ can hardly wait to give His true Christians: eternal life in the soon-coming Kingdom of God!

This is Ross Abasolo with the Constant Church of God.

Join us again next time to hear more about what the Bible actually says!