“ A TRUE CHRISTIAN” (Acts 11:26;26:28;1 Pet 4:16)
August 12th, 2001
1. Wordsworth said: "It is worthy of remark that the name Christian was given, for all time, to the followers of Christ in that great Syrian capital, Antioch, in which the persecutor of God's people, Antiochus Epiphanes, had reigned, whose own name was connected by origin with that city, and who was a type of the Antichrist."
2. Flavel says: “A Christian in this world is but gold in the ore; at death the pure gold is melted out and separated and the dross cast away and consumed.”
3. Gill says: "Before they were called among themselves, the disciples, brethren, believers, the church, &c. and by others the Nazarenes, and Galilaeans: whether this name of Christians, which comes from Christ, and signifies anointed ones, was given by their enemies, or their friends, by others, or themselves, is not certain, though it is most likely the latter;...”
4. John Trapp says: " There was a saying in Rome, that there was nothing Roman in them. I would we had not cause to say of many professing Christians, that there is nothing Christian in them."
5. Homiletical Commentary says: " For a long time there was no commonly recognized term of this kind. Hence they were called variously,
a. "They that believed" (Acts 2:44),
b. "The disciples" (Acts 6:1),
c. "Those of the way" (Acts 9:2),
d. They were at times called, "Nazarenes." (Acts 24:5)
e. It was at Antioch that they were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26).
Though men may call you Christian
Because you act the part,
It's what God thinks that matters--
Does Christ live in your heart?
I. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.
A. CONSIDER SEVERAL DESCRIPTIONS OF A CHRISTIAN
1. One who believes on Christ.(John 3:36) "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
2. One who is abiding in Christ.(John 15:4) "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
3. One who is walking after Christ. (Luke 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."
4. One who is obedient to Christ. (John 14:21) "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
5. One who is indwelt by Christ. (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."
6. One who witnesses unto Christ. (Acts 1:8) "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."
7. One who is looking for Christ.. (Phil 3:20) "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:"
B. ALMOST IS BUT TO BE TOTALLY LOST.
Almost a Christian, almost, not quite,
Almost persuaded by what is right;
Almost, just almost? What a mistake!
How can you dawdle? Your soul is at stake!
Almost escaped from judgment and wrath,
Almost you would joy on the only straight path;
Almost you'd taste of the bliss of His will;
Almost won't save you; condemned you are still.
1. A Testimony verses evidence of faith in Christ.
a. A Jewish lawyer attended a church service. He listened carefully to the testimonies by some of the members. He knew them by their shady deals and failure to meet their honest obligations. “How did you like the testimonies?” his friend asked him after church. He replied, “To be a lawyer, there is a vast difference between testimony and evidence.”
2. Ladies Home Journal tells about a pompous looking deacon who was endeavoring to impress a class of young boys the importance of living the Christian life.
“Why do people call me a Christian?” the dignitary asked, standing erect and beaming down upon them .
A moment’s pause, then one of the youngsters said: “It may be because they don’t know you.”
C. THE BIBLE HAS FOUR NAMES FOR A CHRISTIAN
1. They are called Saints for their holiness.
2. They are called Believers for their faith.
3. They are called Brethren for their love.
4. They are called Disciples for their knowledge.
II. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS CALLED A CHILD OF GOD
A. WHAT A TITLE—CHILDREN OF GOD.
1. We were “The children of disobedience”
a. (Eph 2:2) "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
2. We were “The children of wrath.”
a. (Eph 2:3) "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were[1] by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
O, how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which Thou to me hast showd?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be call’d a child of God!
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blessed with this antepast of heaven!
---Fanny Crosby
3. We are the “sons” of God “now”. (1 Jn 3:2)
4. A . W. Tozer said: “A real Christian is an odd number, anyway.
a. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen.
b. He talks familiarly every day with Someone he cannot see.
c. He expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another.
d. He empties himself in order to be full. (Eph 5:18)
e. He admits he is wrong (sinful) so he can be declared right. (Righteous)
f. He goes down in order to get up.
g. He is strongest when he is weakest. (2 Cor. 12:10)
h. He is richest when he is poorest. (James 2:5)
i. He is happiest when he feels the poorest. (2 Cor 12:9)
j. He dies so he can live. (Gal 2:20)
k. He forsakes all in order to have. (Luke xiv.33) ”Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
l. He sees the invisible; hears the inaudible; and knows that which passeth knowledge.
III. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS CALLED A SAINT, OR SEPARATED ONE.
A. HE IS CALLED A SAINT.
1. (Rom 1:7) “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:”
a. (Eph 5:3) "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
b. Thomas Manton said: "A naked profession of faith is no better than a verbal charity. A naked faith is no faith."
B. HE IS SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST.
1. (Heb 13:12) "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
a. Octavius Winslow's (Contrition and Confession) “All that we do for God, and for Christ, and for our fellows, is deformed and tainted by human infirmity and sin.
b. “We have need.... to weep over our tears, to repent of our repentances, and to confess our confessions.”
2. (1 Pet 1:15) " But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
a. "HOLY": Holiness must be written upon our bridles when we war; upon our cups when we drink." (Zech. 14:20-21)
C. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS ONE THAT IS TO BE BLAMELESS BEFORE THIS WORLD.
1. (1 Th 5:23) "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2. (Luke 1:6) "And they[1] were both righteous before[2] God, walking[3] in all the commandments[4] and ordinances of the Lord blameless[5]."
a. "THEY": Could this be said of all present in our churches today?
b. "BEFORE": Not before themselves, but before God.
c. "WALKING": Walking; not stagnant. Example: "Enoch walked with God."
d. "COMMANDMENTS": David said: "I delight in Thy law."
e. "BLAMELESS": "By their fruits ye shall know them." They were Righteous before God and blameless before men."
Ill. A true Christian is one that can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.
D. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS CRUCIFIED TO THIS WORLD.
1. (Gal 6:14) "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross[1] of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified[2] unto me, and I unto the world."
(Isaac Watts, 1707) wrote:
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast.
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet.
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine.
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
IV. A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS AN HEIR OF GLORY.
A. HE IS AN HEIR ACCORDING TO THE PROMISES.
1. (Gal 3:29) "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
2. (Rom 8:17) "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
3. (Gal. 4:7 ) “Thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
B. THE CHRISTIAN HAS A RICH AND GLORIOUS FUTURE AWAITING HIM.
1. Therefore he ought not to be so much depressed by the privations of the journey.
2. Therefore the Christian should not be overly attached to the things of this world.
3. The Christian should never speak of having made sacrifices in becoming a Christian.
Conclusion: Dying men have said, “I am sorry that I have been an Atheist, infidel, agnostic, skeptic, or sinner,”
but no dying man has ever said: “I am sorry that I have lived a Christian life.”
For the benefit of those that receive our notes, may I suggest that you visit our web-site which is owned and maintained by one of the young men in our church by the name of Dwayne Cook.
http://home.earthlink.net/~wdcook1