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What is a Christian?


           The following comments came from one of the members of the WPC men’s prayer breakfast:


When does one become a Christian?

when one voluntarily seeks
          to actively follow Jesus.
          to actively be a disciple of Jesus.
          to actively do unto all others as Jesus would do.
          to actively strive to do the will of God on board spaceship Earth as it is done in heaven.
          to actively no longer pursue one’s personal will.
          to forfeit the exercise of one’s “free will.”

           The same man asked the following questions:
          Is the community of God present tense, future tense, or both?
          When does eternal life begin?
          As a Christian, what ought “I” be doing? (Each one of us individually)
          As Christians, what ought “we” be doing? (Corporately)



           One becomes a Christian when he follows the items in the first part. The forfeiture of free will is the only place where I have a comment. You do not forfeit your free will but exercise your free will to actively do what God desires. You have no credit if you just follow. It is only creditable if you choose God’s choices. It is in the exercise of your free will to perform God’s will that you become a follower of God.

 

           The community of God has no tense. There is no past, present, or future. God is. God and God’s community spans all time. Time is not an issue.


           Eternal life begins with the creation of the universe, and ends never.


           As to what I (we) ought do, that is what I am trying to understand. The only thing we can do is follow our conscience and attempt to follow God’s will the best way we can determine what it is.


           A certain pastor calls his flock pilgrims. This is a good term, because it implies that a search or journey toward God is in progress. At the WPC men’s breakfast, the concept came up that as you grow in your approach toward God, your behavior changes and you become a pioneer, a guide, a sojourner, and more.


           If you are sick with the flu, you have certain symptoms. If you do not have the symptoms, you do not have the flu. You may have had the flu, you may be about to have the flu, but you do not have the flu. Do you have the symptoms of being a Christian?

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copyright© 2007 George L Snyder