WHAT MAKES A PERSON CHRISTIAN?

THE EOMMA TALKS – TOPIC ON ‘WHAT MAKES A PERSON CHRISTIAN?’

Thank you for joining me @theeommatalks. If you are joining me for the first time, please know that each time I refer to God, I mean Yahweh, as this is the name God asked that He be called.

As I mentioned in my previous talks, my focus is on living life with God at the centre of it all. I am not a theologian but I learnt about God through real life experiences and I know He is real. As you know, life experience is often not polite or embellished so I will be frank with my audience especially as I know it will be more beneficial. My initial talks are based on foundational truths and when you understand this truth, you can apply the principles in every area of your life to deal with any challenges that you face. I do believe that the best treatments are those that target the source and not just the symptoms.

There are many views about the Christian religion. Christians also have different reasons for what makes them Christian. My topic today is centred on the question “What makes a person Christian?”

When you ask a Christian what makes them Christian, they will say things like:

• Belief in God
• Faith
• Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
• Qualities such as forgiveness, kindness, charitable works, love
• Being born again
• Fear of heaven and hell
• Prayer
• Dressing
• Spirituality
• Church going
• Healing & miracles
• Promise of wealth, success and life partner
• To be a good person
• Protection from the devil
• Good social standing

Most Christians will tell you they are either Christian by birth. This would usually mean that the person may either have grown up with or without nurturing Christian values at home. For example, the family may or may not attend Church, pray together at home or read the bible. The books, films and television programs in the home may or may not have been selected based on Christian values or morals. Some people are Christians by circumstance. For example, this could be through association with a Christian, friend, colleague, neighbour, or purely through hardship and situations of helplessness. The Church in such circumstances can be seen as a place of refuge.

Irrespective of how a person became a Christian, your love for God will form or become the foundation and pillar of your relationship with Him. But is it the professed love for God that makes a person Christian or is there more to being a Christian? I will not become academic and define what Christianity means to theologians and other studies.

I can tell you what I discovered over the years during conversations with Christians and non-Christians. I found out that these two groups associate physical social benefits from God as a tool for judging a person’s belief and relationship with God.  For example, Christians and non-Christians believe their leaders must have a perfect sinless life and the families of these leaders must be perfect. Christians and non-Christians believe every Church leader must heal ailments, just like Jesus and the disciples did. Christians and non-Christians believe that any person who is Christian should not worry about being cash or assets poor, they will receive their reward in heaven. Christians and non-Christians associate being a Christian with living a docile non-competitive lukewarm lifestyle. This is what Christianity means to majority of people, a lot of does and don’ts.  Invariably when there are normal life challenges in leader’s family, or with a Christian friend or neighbour, the world and Christians pass judgement with statements such as he or she is a bad Christian or there is no God. Is it possible for any man to achieve a life that is sinless, and challenges free? And some will say, that is why you are Christian, you should achieve this. What a calamitous misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.

The bible is God’s manual, complete with how to fix things and what to do and what not to do to help one navigate life on earth. It does not matter whether you read or don’t read the bible because the spirit of God which lives inside everyman to bring the choice of what is right and what is wrong to your awareness. The spirit will not choose for you. Some people call the spirit, conscience or your knower. The spirit of God is life. Thus, the rules of dos and don’ts is for everybody even if you are not a Christian.

Likewise, God has placed economic and social gains across a variety of ways such as: employment, housing, health, success, wealth, and marriage are at the disposal of everyman who is diligent enough to apply wisdom to knowledge. For example, a professor of Economics or Business Management may not do well in real life business company although they have the academic knowledge. A Church leader with an excellent knowledge of the bible may not understand the principle relating to healing or business. The parable of the talents in the bible is a good illustration of God’s principles on how to be successful in life and this teaching is for everyone. Just as the dos and don’ts is for everyone irrespective of if you are a Christian or not, equally, everyone is free to benefit from the resources as God is love and his love is for all. To disagree with this statement is to place God as an unfair God. But from the beginning of time, he placed us on a fair equal playing ground. You may say, Eomma, I was born poor and seriously disadvantaged. I understand this and if it of any encouragement, remember there are many who are born poor but came out really successful or wealthy. There are also people who are born rich but lost it all, sometimes homeless. Most Christians and non-Christians who read me will wonder what the benefits of being a Christian is if everyone is free to benefit from God. The benefit of being a Christian lies in what makes you Christian.

People call you Christian because you have and read the bible, although sadly, most do not have a hardcopy bible at home anymore. The bible is referred to as faith book. This faith book is given to man because we are like Thomas in the bible who asked to see Jesus before he believes that he was resurrected. The Bible is God’s testaments as we cannot see him. However, having the book, reading and going to church is not what God is after. God is after your consent so he can take your spirit when you die. You can only grant Him this consent by the declaration contained in John 3:16 where we are told of eternal life. It reads:

            “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Gain strength and gain it in the right and sustainable way. There are many testimonies affirming this.

The believers in John 3:16 are God’s children and Christians have the manual with them. Maybe you understand the power of this declaration or you have been too busy to give it a thought. Think of this statement as similar to the oats taken by a person appointed to serve as a President or Head of State. You may have been privileged to watch an inauguration before. By taken the oath of office, they become bound and are given immunity by the State whilst in office. When you declare the statement in John 3:16, God gives you immunity and accepts not your physical body which is still subject to this world (it will die) but your spirit which will no longer be subject to the law. After, you have made this declaration, a demarcation is placed between any person who has taken the oat and any who has not. This where the difference and benefit lie and that is what makes you Christ like. Christ rose and ascended into heaven. At death, the spirit of the person who has made the declaration gets to heaven because there is no condemnation and of course, the person who rejected it accepted not to choose heaven by choice. This is what makes God a fair God. You have the manual that God has given to us on earth and you have an advantage over any person without it. It is like be given the answer sheet before an examination.

This bible verse carries God’s love and assurance of an eternal life after death for anyone who wishes to make the choice.  Ask yourself, are the mediums really speaking to dead people, the astrologists and sorcerers?  Do you believe all this and choose to disbelief that there is life after death? The evidence of God is all around you. Grant that consent to God. Quit playing politics with your life. If you do not have a bible, go online, read and declare the passage, it is simple, easy and no money involved.

I thank you and love you with the love of God.

EOMMA

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