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Martin Kentish (Guest) |
23/06/2022 07:49 |
Interesting ditty Robert and appreciate your honesty. The article does make you think and perhaps thinking is something we should all do more of? 1 Thessalonians 5:21 "but test everything; hold fast what is good."
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Peter Varney (Guest) |
23/06/2022 07:55 |
the gospels stories are true - but this does not mean they are literally so, Jesus teaching comes to us in parables and metaphors.
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James Knight (Guest) |
23/06/2022 13:56 |
I was interviewed recently for a podcast, and was asked what a Christian is. This is the answer I gave, which is how I define a Christian to the best of my ability --
A Christian is someone who believes in and has a personal relationship with the one true God. The one true God is one God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and all are equally Divine. The Son, of course, is Christ, who lived on earth as a man, died for our sins in an act of supreme grace, to give us the free gift of salvation, and rose from the dead. And then, here’s the other important bit, when He returned to Heaven he left us the Holy Spirit to live within us. And this is the key distinction St. Paul makes, that only those who have the Holy Spirit can say Jesus is Lord.
So, a Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, has a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, and who lives their life in accordance with those beliefs.
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Dianne Cruickshank (Guest) |
23/06/2022 15:16 |
Surely it all depends upon whether Jesus was actually raised from the dead, I Corinthians 15 verse 14. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
If Jesus has not been raised then as I see it we may as well look to a superior being , or the Light , but I think to be called a Christian then we must believe Jesus is the long promised Messiah.
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Rachel Snell (TeardropsofHOPE) (Guest) |
24/07/2022 13:02 |
Hi Robert Ashton.
If you are unable to call yourself a Christian, what is your definition?
I was raised Quaker, my father coming from a Quaker family. When I was 9 my mother decided she wanted to be Roman Catholic. My father did not wish to split the family so we all became RC. I was asked no questions, 'fait accompli'. Thus I was RC for some 30 odd years, convent school, primary and secondary, and Catholic college.
Living abroad I spent a short time attending a Pentecostal Church before I was 'led' on our return, to an Anglican, Evangelical Charismatic church which I was part of for some 25 years.
During that, I had a period of not attending church at all. God is good, he knows about Christians, or perhaps church goers. He is fully aware how judgemental and hurtful they can be, I was seriously unwell.
I have been attending a different Pentecostal church, but left last December and have not seriously attended church since.
The God / Christ I have come to know, loves everyone. He made each one of us, all of us are his offspring. We have, if you like, his genes. We truly are brothers, sisters and that with meaning, not just words. He loves everyone, warts and all. He knows and accepts us, each and every one. He knows we are damaged, broken, fragile. His love is tender, forgiving, compassionate. It can be no different. There are no 'buts' to his loving, he is love. Because God loves so deeply he is grieved when we step outside of his love, he is Father.
What then is my understanding of being a Christian? A Christian is someone who is at least attempting to imitate Jesus, be Christ-like - thus Christian. Of course, being Christ-like is open to interpretation and one's current understanding of it. If each of us were to follow Jesus' example as we see and understand it, the manifestation of Christian and 'Jesus following' might more clearly be seen.
As Christians we love and accept, everyone, as God / Jesus does, no different. Our love is as that of Jesus, no partiality, no favouritism, no in-crowd and outsiders. Except that we are human, and God knows that we are. He knows we fall, fail, he knows we sin. He knows we are on a journey and when we fall or fail we can go back to him. Our desire is to emulate Jesus. He is guide, Way. He is all truth. We live his way, according to truth, honesty. Our actions and behaviour match the words he has spoken, the Word. And we fail, fall, again and again.
Jesus came to save sinners. That is my eligibility, I am a sinner. He does the work, we provide the willingness. Within the churches though it seems to me if something is 'amiss' in your life, manifestly you have stepped out of line and need to put that right, before you are acceptable. Then whatever is 'wrong' in your life will vanish. This in no way matches any Gospel or Biblical understanding. We come to Jesus just as we are broken scarred, unclean. In following Jesus become more like him. I am a Christian.
On what grounds might one NOT call oneself a Christian?
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