What Is A True Christian [1] [2]
Part 1 of 2
Next in this series: The Definitive Of A True Christian.
A True Christian (Part 1) - What It Means To Be A Christian.
If you were to examine the whole world of religion today, you will find all manner of systems of faith, from very ancient religions to numerous newly invented ones. Humankind has been inventing religions for thousands of years. And every followers or adherents of these religions or system of beliefs believed that theirs is the true religion, the real truth about human life, human existence and how it relates to the whole scheme of the universe. For this very same reason atheism in all its various forms too is a religion, their zealous adherents consider their system of faith to be the real truth about the origin of human life and how it relates to the whole scheme of things.
Of the main religions of the world today, that is those with very large followings numbering tens of millions and more, some estimates had the number at over two billion those who considered themselves to be Christian. Everyone of these believing themselves to be true Christians while at the same time many of them also considered those who claim the same religious faith but whose fundamental doctrines are different from theirs as either heretics, cults or deviants (as the more politically correct word to use in this modern day and age). The discipleship of the two largest groups of this so called “Christians,” namely the Catholics and the Protestants, especially those who considered themselves experts and authorities are either in ignorance of or chose to ignore the fact that their great mother church, the Roman Catholic Church which spawn all these Protestant Churches had for centuries been indirectly committing torture and murder (among numerous other dastardly deeds and atrocities). Even many of these Protestant Churches had done the same in the centuries following their birth in the Reformation Movement of the 16th century C.E. This was no sooner than after they had secured their positions having rose to political-religious power and authority.
Today many of these (master and experts of the Catholics and Protestants), having lost most of their political-religious power, are pretending to condemn oppression, persecution, torture and murder while they deceitfully continued on to harbor such evil agenda. Most naturally the majority of these (both the masters of these Catholics and Protestants) will deny entertaining such evil agenda, nevertheless great evil is even at this time afoot to once again give these liars and murderers the political-religious power and authority to continue with their centuries old murderous rampages against true Christians who would refuse to obey them to break the Christian Covenant with the CREATOR GOD. All these will happen within the lifetime of most of humankind living today.
Today many of these (master and experts of the Catholics and Protestants), having lost most of their political-religious power, are pretending to condemn oppression, persecution, torture and murder while they deceitfully continued on to harbor such evil agenda. Most naturally the majority of these (both the masters of these Catholics and Protestants) will deny entertaining such evil agenda, nevertheless great evil is even at this time afoot to once again give these liars and murderers the political-religious power and authority to continue with their centuries old murderous rampages against true Christians who would refuse to obey them to break the Christian Covenant with the CREATOR GOD. All these will happen within the lifetime of most of humankind living today.
With the hundreds to thousands of divergent group apportioning for themselves the name of being Christian and everyone among these believing themselves to be Christians, what then does it mean when a person says that he or she is Christian? Are all these groups who claimed themselves as “Christians” really Christians? Or is it just most of them are, or some of them are, or a few of them are, or just one among them is or none of them at all? How about all those who claimed they also believe in Jesus Christ either as a Prophet of GOD or as the Messiah of GOD? Indeed there are quite a huge number who claimed that they believe that Jesus was a man sent by the ONE GOD but these made no claims to being Christian at all. So what then does it mean to a Christian, a true Christian? Does it mean anything at all or is it totally meaningless and irrelevant? Can anyone and everyone just say he or she is a Christian as and when they feel they like it?
But most important of all, does it really matter whether a person who claim him/herself as a Christian really is a Christian, a true Christian? If it does why would it matter? For those who think that it doesn't, here is where you should go find some other things to waste the minutes ticking away what is left of your limited time slot in this existence. For the rest please read on.
What It Means To Be A Christian?
Some close to two thousand years ago a MAN claimed that HE came from GOD to fulfill all the prophecies recorded by the prophets of the Jewish faith about HIM and HIS primary first mission. And these were about HIS role as the MESSENGER of the Covenant to mediate the New and Everlasting Covenant with the genealogical descendants of the Biblical Patriarch Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and also, with the rest of all mankind who would accept the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their GOD. This man was JESUS (in Greek) or JOSHUA (in Hebrew), the SON of Mary, the wife of Joseph a carpenter of the city of Nazareth in Galilee.
But most important of all, does it really matter whether a person who claim him/herself as a Christian really is a Christian, a true Christian? If it does why would it matter? For those who think that it doesn't, here is where you should go find some other things to waste the minutes ticking away what is left of your limited time slot in this existence. For the rest please read on.
What It Means To Be A Christian?
Some close to two thousand years ago a MAN claimed that HE came from GOD to fulfill all the prophecies recorded by the prophets of the Jewish faith about HIM and HIS primary first mission. And these were about HIS role as the MESSENGER of the Covenant to mediate the New and Everlasting Covenant with the genealogical descendants of the Biblical Patriarch Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and also, with the rest of all mankind who would accept the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their GOD. This man was JESUS (in Greek) or JOSHUA (in Hebrew), the SON of Mary, the wife of Joseph a carpenter of the city of Nazareth in Galilee.
Anyone who knows anything about Christianity would know (or should know anyway) that the name of the Christian religion (i.e. faith and worship) was named after this JESUS of Nazareth as the CHRIST (Greek word christo meaning anointed ONE) of the Holy Christian Scriptures. Basically then what it means when a person says that heshe is a Christian, the person is saying that he or she is a disciple or follower of this ANOINTED ONE, this JESUS of the Christian Holy Scriptures. From the context of the definition of the Christian Holy Scriptures this would refer to all those who had believed the message taught by this JESUS to repent and turn from their disobedience and rebellion against GOD to enter into the Covenant that HE mediated, and henceforth to be faithfully obeying GOD and in keeping the Everlasting Covenant.
But if you really want the truth on the matter, most among those who claimed themselves to be Christians have no idea what that means. They have no idea what it means to be a disciple and follower of JESUS. Nearly half of them think that they are forever saved from an eternity of torment in a hell fire when they were “baptized” as a baby (or at some previous point in their lives) while the remainder believe that they too are eternally saved from the same when they accepted some Jesus as their personal savoir having given their hearts to this Jesus in some altar call, uttering words to the effect that they believed that this Jesus is the Son of a Trinity God, having either no notion or some hazy notion of what is this so called Trinity God.
This is not to say that all the rest who believed that JESUS is the SON of GOD and fully GOD but refused to believe and obey anything HE taught and commanded are not pathological liars, just only not as blatant. These they do by giving all kinds of excuses why the messages of JESUS and HIS handpicked Apostles and disciples should not be believed for what was recorded, but needed to be twisted out of context because it is full of figurative language, hyperbole and metaphorical expressions that ordinary human beings, other than these proclaimed and acclaimed Superlatives, cannot comprehend.
In the practices of many religious faiths of today, the acknowledged or self appointed head, leader or founder who positioned themselves either as a defining authority or the defining authority demand unquestioning submission and obedience from their discipleship and followers. These issue orders, commands and decrees of which should any of their followers dissent or choose not to obey and not abide by, will result in these dissenters being disfellowshipped, excommunicated or even to be tortured and slaughtered. What this means is that all these believers of the various religion including the many that called themselves andor are called Christian, understood the need to be in submission and subservient, to fully abide by and obey the instructions and teachings of the leaders of their religious order. Shouldn't it then be strange they do not feel the same requirement to be in submission and subservient to fully abide and obey the very ONE they consider is GOD, the SON of GOD.
And here is where the problem is. The vast majority of those who claimed that they believe that JESUS is GOD don't really believe HIM or the records about HIM that HIS hand picked disciples and Apostles reported. Needless to say all the rest who claimed to believe in this JESUS is not GOD likewise don't believe HIM. They all have their own take, their own version, their own spin or twist, of who JESUS was and is, and what HE taught and commanded. None of them really believe HIS message and HIS teachings as were recorded by HIS personally appointed twelve Apostles and other true disciples. These twelve Apostles were personally selected and appointed by JESUS to be the leading witnesses (i.e separated as the leaders of all sent out or forth, to be the main first person witnesses testifying to the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom) among those who were HIS disciples during the period of HIS ministry as a SON of man, as well as also those called immediately following after HE had ascended to the Third Heaven. All these were eyewitnesses to all that HE did, taught and commanded, and they faithfully recorded all that they were witnesses to and what they learned from HIM. These are the records we have with us today in the New Testament records of Holy Christian Scriptures.
If you were to thoroughly check out the beliefs of the vast majority who claimed themselves to be Christian (and never mind those who claim to believe in JESUS without apportioning for themselves the name of discipleship, of being Christians) you will find that they have in great pains pick out verses from the records of HIS teachings those to which they can quote out of context and twist to hide the real message that HE taught and the things HE commanded HIS followers obeyed.
Everyone knows (or should know anyway) that whenever we study a certain subject to understand it or when we seek the truth about some issue or event occurrence we need to first gather all information available. After having done that we then proceed to carefully and thoroughly examine everything in the proper perspective and context to determine and establish their logical connections to the whole subject in order to arrive at the factual truth of what it is all about. The main purpose of so doing is to establish and determine the truth or get to the truth of the matter. But for some reason when it comes to the Christian religion (i.e. faith and worship) as professed by the over two billions claimed believers in hundreds to thousands of sects and denominations this simple logical way to establish the truth of a matter is totally brazenly and blatantly ignored. Instead each denomination and sect would pick out isolated verses, sections and chapters that agree with their agenda and their personal opinions of what the Christian religion is about and what they want the Christian religion to be, purposely quoting them out of context through ignoring verses and chapters that clearly and totally contradict their assertions, proclamations, acclamations and pronouncements. The complete message and full accounts of each doctrine and teachings communicated in the very records that are the only basis for the religion (i.e. faith and worship) the whole world attribute as Christianity are totally irrelevant to these blatant and brazen pathological liars who professed to be Christians or who professed to believe that JESUS CHRIST was a man of GOD. For this very reason the so called “Christian” religion of today is divided into hundreds to thousands of sects and denominations each with your own focus and version of what the Christian religion is about. But that is just the half of it, the real truth is that most to almost all of them are not Christian at all but are exactly like nearly all the other pagan religions started by individuals with a high opinion of their personal superiority in holiness, purity, divinity, spirituality, knowledge and understanding. But worst, many among these founders and leaders invented these religious sects or denominations and apportioned the name of Christianity just to exploit, prey and parasites on their lust driven followers.
If the Christian Holy Scriptures can be believed, religions and religious beliefs began to be invented some four generations after Noah and his family exited the Ark that saved them from the flood that drown the perverse and wicked generation of their time. This was when a man named Nimrod set himself up as a God King. And from that time human kind have been inventing religions from every imaginable thing.
From the above if you are not being deceptive through an evil agenda you would clearly understand that the only validity for a person to call himself or herself a Christian depended entirely on just one MAN. This one MAN was JESUS CHRIST who lived as one of humankind some nearly two thousand years. And the only validity to believe in this JESUS who claimed that HE is the SON and PROGENY of GOD, is through the records written by HIS faithful followers in what is today known as the New Covenant records of the Christian Bible. Today all of those who considered themselves to be Christians hold this records (in its original text) to be inspired words of GOD but the vast majority just won't believe these very records that is the only valid proof to this JESUS, that HE was and IS; and what HE taught and commanded HIS followers to abide by and to obey, in order that they should not perish but inherit eternal life and the immortality that have been GOD's intention for all human beings from the very beginning when HE created them in HIS image and likeness.
■ Updated 2016 04 16
Related Reads:
Christianity — Know The Basics
Honoring And Keeping The New Covenant
The New Covenant
Easter What Is That?
Supportive Reads:
The Keys To Unlocking The Mystery Part 4: Symbolism
This man JESUS that the Christian Holy Scriptures recorded, made some astounding claims about HIMSELF. HE not only claimed that HE was the much awaited MESSIAH (or ANOINTED), the MESSENGER (and MEDIATOR) of the Covenant, that most of the Prophets of the Christian Holy Scriptures, from Moses to Malachi prophesied of, but that HE came down directly from Heaven, from HIS FATHER, the very CREATOR GOD, of all things; that HE was also GOD, the direct progeny, the very SON, of the ONE and only GOD putting HIM on par to ALMIGHTY GOD. Today many who consider themselves to be “Christians”, claimed that to be true. But then there are numerous other bodies of believers who claimed to believe that this JESUS was sent by GOD but insisted that HE was not really GOD, meaning that they believed that JESUS lied when HE made all those claims about HIMSELF. Either that or HIS supposedly faithful followers who were eyewitnesses to HIS life and ministry did not accurately and faithfully record HIS words, meaning that they were unfaithful, irresponsible or were deliberately lying. Now I have nothing to say about this second group of people who claimed to “Christian” or to believe that JESUS was a man sent by GOD but that HE was not who HE claimed HIMSELF to be, because when people chose to be such blatant pathological liars there is nothing else that needed to be said.
This is not to say that all the rest who believed that JESUS is the SON of GOD and fully GOD but refused to believe and obey anything HE taught and commanded are not pathological liars, just only not as blatant. These they do by giving all kinds of excuses why the messages of JESUS and HIS handpicked Apostles and disciples should not be believed for what was recorded, but needed to be twisted out of context because it is full of figurative language, hyperbole and metaphorical expressions that ordinary human beings, other than these proclaimed and acclaimed Superlatives, cannot comprehend.
In the practices of many religious faiths of today, the acknowledged or self appointed head, leader or founder who positioned themselves either as a defining authority or the defining authority demand unquestioning submission and obedience from their discipleship and followers. These issue orders, commands and decrees of which should any of their followers dissent or choose not to obey and not abide by, will result in these dissenters being disfellowshipped, excommunicated or even to be tortured and slaughtered. What this means is that all these believers of the various religion including the many that called themselves andor are called Christian, understood the need to be in submission and subservient, to fully abide by and obey the instructions and teachings of the leaders of their religious order. Shouldn't it then be strange they do not feel the same requirement to be in submission and subservient to fully abide and obey the very ONE they consider is GOD, the SON of GOD.
And here is where the problem is. The vast majority of those who claimed that they believe that JESUS is GOD don't really believe HIM or the records about HIM that HIS hand picked disciples and Apostles reported. Needless to say all the rest who claimed to believe in this JESUS is not GOD likewise don't believe HIM. They all have their own take, their own version, their own spin or twist, of who JESUS was and is, and what HE taught and commanded. None of them really believe HIS message and HIS teachings as were recorded by HIS personally appointed twelve Apostles and other true disciples. These twelve Apostles were personally selected and appointed by JESUS to be the leading witnesses (i.e separated as the leaders of all sent out or forth, to be the main first person witnesses testifying to the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom) among those who were HIS disciples during the period of HIS ministry as a SON of man, as well as also those called immediately following after HE had ascended to the Third Heaven. All these were eyewitnesses to all that HE did, taught and commanded, and they faithfully recorded all that they were witnesses to and what they learned from HIM. These are the records we have with us today in the New Testament records of Holy Christian Scriptures.
If you were to thoroughly check out the beliefs of the vast majority who claimed themselves to be Christian (and never mind those who claim to believe in JESUS without apportioning for themselves the name of discipleship, of being Christians) you will find that they have in great pains pick out verses from the records of HIS teachings those to which they can quote out of context and twist to hide the real message that HE taught and the things HE commanded HIS followers obeyed.
Everyone knows (or should know anyway) that whenever we study a certain subject to understand it or when we seek the truth about some issue or event occurrence we need to first gather all information available. After having done that we then proceed to carefully and thoroughly examine everything in the proper perspective and context to determine and establish their logical connections to the whole subject in order to arrive at the factual truth of what it is all about. The main purpose of so doing is to establish and determine the truth or get to the truth of the matter. But for some reason when it comes to the Christian religion (i.e. faith and worship) as professed by the over two billions claimed believers in hundreds to thousands of sects and denominations this simple logical way to establish the truth of a matter is totally brazenly and blatantly ignored. Instead each denomination and sect would pick out isolated verses, sections and chapters that agree with their agenda and their personal opinions of what the Christian religion is about and what they want the Christian religion to be, purposely quoting them out of context through ignoring verses and chapters that clearly and totally contradict their assertions, proclamations, acclamations and pronouncements. The complete message and full accounts of each doctrine and teachings communicated in the very records that are the only basis for the religion (i.e. faith and worship) the whole world attribute as Christianity are totally irrelevant to these blatant and brazen pathological liars who professed to be Christians or who professed to believe that JESUS CHRIST was a man of GOD. For this very reason the so called “Christian” religion of today is divided into hundreds to thousands of sects and denominations each with your own focus and version of what the Christian religion is about. But that is just the half of it, the real truth is that most to almost all of them are not Christian at all but are exactly like nearly all the other pagan religions started by individuals with a high opinion of their personal superiority in holiness, purity, divinity, spirituality, knowledge and understanding. But worst, many among these founders and leaders invented these religious sects or denominations and apportioned the name of Christianity just to exploit, prey and parasites on their lust driven followers.
Over the course of human civilization, human kinds have worshiped all sorts of deities, gods, animals, plants, inanimate objects and ideas (i.e. concepts and notions, including absolutely nothing). With the incredible advancement in science, technology and knowledge about the universe and life on our planet you would think that an increasingly better educated world would no longer believe in most of this illogical nonsense, but yet we see the opposite. Today there are more religions and system of faiths in the human social order than at any time in the past. Most of these are fairly (the last hundred or so years ago from 2012 C.E.) newly 'invented' through grabbing and joining together pieces of ideas from various sources including scientific theories and fantasies, ancients and “modern” religious beliefs, archaeological artifacts, ethnic and tribal cultures, traditions and superstitions, and very far fetched fantasies that only the totally insanely delusional would entertain.
If the Christian Holy Scriptures can be believed, religions and religious beliefs began to be invented some four generations after Noah and his family exited the Ark that saved them from the flood that drown the perverse and wicked generation of their time. This was when a man named Nimrod set himself up as a God King. And from that time human kind have been inventing religions from every imaginable thing.
From the above if you are not being deceptive through an evil agenda you would clearly understand that the only validity for a person to call himself or herself a Christian depended entirely on just one MAN. This one MAN was JESUS CHRIST who lived as one of humankind some nearly two thousand years. And the only validity to believe in this JESUS who claimed that HE is the SON and PROGENY of GOD, is through the records written by HIS faithful followers in what is today known as the New Covenant records of the Christian Bible. Today all of those who considered themselves to be Christians hold this records (in its original text) to be inspired words of GOD but the vast majority just won't believe these very records that is the only valid proof to this JESUS, that HE was and IS; and what HE taught and commanded HIS followers to abide by and to obey, in order that they should not perish but inherit eternal life and the immortality that have been GOD's intention for all human beings from the very beginning when HE created them in HIS image and likeness.
■ Updated 2016 04 16
What Is A True Christian [1] [2]
Part 1 of 2
Next in this series: The Definitive Of A True Christian.
Related Reads:
Christianity — Know The Basics
Honoring And Keeping The New Covenant
The New Covenant
Easter What Is That?
Supportive Reads:
The Keys To Unlocking The Mystery Part 4: Symbolism
Previous Post: What Is Right With Human Beings Anyway?
Next Post: What Is A Christian Pilgrimage.
Special Note
Warning! Warning! Warning! New first time reader of this work (all the Christian blogs of this author) please read the Content Warning before proceeding to read any of the discussions of this work.
Please note that all discussion by this author are based on a general non expert assessment of information gathered from material published in the public domain (i,e, readily available to members of the public). All of this author's discussions are presented as material for any and all lay person with no special expertise. Anyone twelve years of age and older, who is not mentally incapacitated in some ways, would (or should anyway) be able to understand any and all the discussions of this author. You do not need to be an expert or a genius to understand the simple and straight forward truths discussed by this author.
Please note that all discussion by this author are based on a general non expert assessment of information gathered from material published in the public domain (i,e, readily available to members of the public). All of this author's discussions are presented as material for any and all lay person with no special expertise. Anyone twelve years of age and older, who is not mentally incapacitated in some ways, would (or should anyway) be able to understand any and all the discussions of this author. You do not need to be an expert or a genius to understand the simple and straight forward truths discussed by this author.
All “proclaimed and acclaimed” super mega brilliant supremely intelligent geniuses leading experts, defining master authorities, super holier than GOD man, women, entities and beings of whatever godly glorious illustrative mega holy and reverent titles, please go somewhere else to announce, pronounce, acclaim and proclaim your supreme superiority and lowest humility over all other members of humankind.
All Scriptural verses quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
All Scriptural verses quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
First Published: 2012 04 12
© Quah 2012 – 2022. All rights reserved.
